"The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" (Part 1) by Richard Le Gallienne (read by Tom O'Bedlam)
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- This is the first part of two selections of verses from this long poem: still, less than half of it will be read.
This verse is a favourite of Christopher Hitchens and other antitheists. It's often quoted to religious lunatics:
And do you think that unto such as you,
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew,
God gave the Secret, and denied it me?--
Well, well, what matters it! believe that too.
My task is just to read it meaningfully. I have nothing to add to the argument it contains.
Full text and more information here:
tinyurl.com/9xsksj
A man who lived almost 1000 years ago and understood the nature of life better than the vast majority of people then and now.
I can listen to this recitation again and again
And bid farewell to all my sorrows and pain,
And never fatigue, ah! what delight!
A listener of poems only seeks poetic gain.
The masterpiece of all masterpieces. Shows us why persian culture was once regarded, as the greatest of all time.
Those of us who don't know Persian will have to make do with a translation. There are quite a few, I've recorded two other versions but this one's my favourite.
A beautiful recitation! Thank you for putting 'the heart' in it.
The 'feelings' generated by the spoken words are the sweetest fruits of the whole experience.
I first happened upon the work of Richard Le Gallienne about thirty years ago when I read his Little Dinners With the Sphinx. I've now read about ten volumes of his writings (courtesy of Gutenberg and Kindle) and am currently finishing The Romance Of Zion Chapel (1898).
There is no way of preparing for what will occur with you when you reach the middle of that novel and what follows.
Perhaps the mixture of tenderness, uncompromising candor, stark fatalism and the most hopeless yet still vibrant of all hopes it contains is not for any but the strong of spirit and the all-generous of heart. Perhaps even then it will be too potent, too exacting, too unpitying and too pitiful. But it's worth the most dangerous of risks.
"...to read it meaningfully." You've certainly done that. The best I've heard it done. What a great piece of work.
Thank you Sir! As a fan of Christopher Hitchens I salute you! Hitchens claims that the line:
And do you think that unto such as you,
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew,
God gave the Secret, and denied it me?--
Well, well, what matters it! believe that too."
Is enough to denounce all religion, in all its forms and all its propitiations.
Thanks SpokenVerse for uploading, you just made my night.
No, the reader certainly is me, Tom O'Bedlam. I read everything in this SpokenVerse channel.
I have read a number of Larkin's poems on RUclips, which might account for the confusion. Also the BBC used my readings in a program aboutLarkin - but it was obvious that they thought my voice was his. Larkin's voice is in fact quite different. There are a few readings by him on RUclips.
"If I were God, I would not wait the years,
To solve the mystery of human tears;
And, unambiguous, I would speak my will;
Nor hint it darkly to the dreaming seers."
Very beatiful poetry indeed.
Thanks for this. I had never heard this translation before. I like it very much, probably due as much to your reading as to the words. I have favorited this. Sorry you disabled ratings.
Magnificent recitation, sir! Bravo!
I translate Persian poetry as a hobby and I have never seen the original Persian to this poem. I've been looking for it for so long, I doubt it even exists. If anyone has any idea where I can find the original, it would be much appreciated.
@SpokenVerse Thanks Tom. Excellent readings, of which I have enjoyed many.
I don't know why I said "A D Hope", I was actually thinking of W H Auden!!!
Very nice. Thank you
I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I meant the poem that every commenter is referring to that goes "And do you think that unto such as you, a maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew..." and the other one that goes "The Qur'an, well let me put it to the test, lovely book in hideous error dressed...". They're both Le Gallienne additions to the Robaiyat of Khayyam that aren't included in the Fitzgerald version and I've never been able to find the originals. :(
Also brought here by Hitch. Miss you good sir.
@Thylacine1949 No, it's me, Tom O'Bedlam. I read everything in this SpokenVerse channel - and I hope you will listen to a few more.
I don't know of any recording of A D Hope - but I have read a five poems by him on RUclips. Perhaps that's the reason you might think my voice is his.
Amazing just amazing,don,t know why they call it the cursed book
Tnere are no originals. It's not a literal translation. Gallienne said he was influenced by McCarthy's prose.
For various translations look at theland(dot)antgear(dot)com(slash)Rubaiyat
(RUclips doesn't allow web addresses in comments)
Hitch brought me here
Just Beautiful !! xxx
Look not above, there is no answer there;
Pray not, for no one listens to your prayer;
Near is as near to God as any Far,
And Here is just the same deceit as There.
(#78, on p. 44)
And do you think that unto such as you;
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew:
God gave the secret, and denied it me?--
Well, well, what matters it! Believe that, too.
(#85, p. 47)
Omar Khayyam, in der Übersetzung von Richard La Gallienne
I came back to listen to this again for maybe the 50th time. I was listening to this in the background while reading Rumi. The pace and tone of voice of the reading are excellent. Thank you Tom. Have you read any Rumi ?
Lovely! In many ways...
thank you for that! :)
Open a new browser page and type okonlife into the address line. Put your finger on CNTL key and press Enter.
I first read this in The Portable Atheist by Hitch, and I thought it was great. This version has more quatrains and ties it in together better though
And what he would've liked as well:
Did God set grapes a-growing, do you think,
And at the same time make it sin to drink?
Give thanks to Him who foreordained it thus--
Surely He loves to hear the glasses clink!
Lovely .. I was looking for the song Ruba'iyyat by that girl Umm Kulthūm, and this nice video was also suggested.
Thanks.
do u kno if this is the poem from that movie unfaithful where it says be thankful for this moment this moment is ur life???
Probably not quite as important as Christopher Hitchens, but Titanic, an Adventure in Time brought me here.
holy lord. that is a very valuable site. thanks! but surely even mcarthy must've based his translations off a persian original by khayyam. otherwise, what's the point in saying it's a khayyam poem?
I wanted to express my gratitude for recording this piece. I was listening to The Portable Atheist by Hitchens and This Wonderful piece caught my attention and has captivated me for months. I read it/listen to it weekly. Your version is so wonderful, much better than any on Librivox currently. Have you considered putting your amazing voice on that wonderful website?
I also much appreciate your translator choice. I like Le Galliene's version so much better.
Thank you very, very much.
It isn't. Le Gallienne added about fifty quatrains to his translation that weren't included in Fitzgerald's.
Is the reader A D Hope?
I wanted to express my gratitude for recording this piece. I was listening to The Portable Atheist by Hitchens and This Wonderful piece caught my attention and has captivated me for months. I read it/listen to it weekly. Your version is so wonderful, much better than any on Librivox currently. Have you considered putting your amazing voice on that wonderful website?
I also much appreciate your translator choice. I like Le Galliene's version so much better.
Thank you very, very much.