The Rubaiyat: Quatrain XLIII

This quatrain is the fifth in a series of six linked quatrains that refer to the grape or to wine, and specifically to its superiority to reason and logic.


First Edition: Quatrain XLIII

The Grape that can with Logic absolute
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute:
The subtle Alchemist that in a Trice
Life's leaden Metal into Gold transmute.



Second Edition: Quatrain LXI

The Grape that can with Logic absolute
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute:
The sovereign Alchemist that in a trice
Life's leaden metal into Gold transmute:



Fifth Edition: Quatrain LIX

The Grape that can with Logic absolute
The Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute:
The sovereign Alchemist that in a trice
Life's leaden metal into Gold transmute:




There are minimal differences among the three editions. Several nouns go from upper case to lower case in the second and the fifth editions. "Subtle" in the first edition changes to "sovereign" in the second and fifth editions which makes the Grape more of a ruler and supreme. Gold itself was often referred to as the Sovereign Metal. The most significant difference occurs at the end of the fourth line: in the first edition, the quatrain ended with a period, while the second and fifth editions end in a colon. The period indicates that the thought is complete within that quatrain, whereas the colon in the second and fifth indicate that the thought is not complete yet. The colon often tells the reader that what follows the colon will either extend the thought of or provide an explanation for or an example of the idea immediately prior to the colon.

I've read comments that state that the "two-and-seventy sects" refer to all the world's religions. The only point that's not clear is whether Islam is included. Alchemy was the forerunner of chemistry (I suspect some might dispute this), and it's focus was the transmutation of metals into gold. This was to be accomplished by employing the Philosopher's Stone which would change anything it came into contact with into gold. It's not quite clear just what the Philosopher's Stone was supposed to be, probably because no one ever found or created it.

Again, the narrator puts forth the theme that religious disputations are a waste of time, and that one would be wiser and happier drinking wine. Wine's "Logic absolute" is superior to the contending religious groups, for it is impossible to debate anything with one who has imbibed a considerable amount of alcohol.