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[66] So while the Vessels one by one were speaking by Omar Khayyam (11th Century) Timeline English version by Edward FitzGerald Original Language Persian/Farsi Muslim / Sufi 11th Century So while the Vessels one by one were speaking, One spied the little Crescent all were seeking:      And then they jogg'd each other, "Brother! Brother! "Hark to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a-creaking!"     -- from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald Amazon.com   / Photo by BethinAZ /	Recommended Books The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Peter Avery The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Illustrated Edition), by Omar Khayyam / Translated by Edward FitzGerald The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained, by Paramhansa Yogananda / Edited by J. Donald Walters (Kriyananda) The Sufism of the Rubaiyat or the Secret of the Great Paradox, by Norton F. W. Hazeldine More >>
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

With this quatrain from the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, instead of my own commentary I'll offer an excerpt of the interpretation given by Paramahansa Yogananda. This gives us an interesting, kaleidoscopic view of the poetry of Omar Khayyam: These are verses written by a Muslim Sufi, translated by a British Christian, and here interpreted by a Hindu Yogi...

"While each soul-awakened devotee expressed his wisdom thoughts, one among them with deeper perception than the rest perceived a marvel all of them were seeking: the 'little Crescent,' or third eye of wisdom, hidden in the forehead -- the all-seeing eye of divine wakefulness.

"When the others learned of his experience, they understood what he had found: the long-sought gateway to Truth. Then to one another they exclaimed enthusiastically, 'Brother! Brother! Let us, too, gaze through this soul-window. And let us listen to the Sound that reverberates through the universe. Hark! Our souls vibrate with the great symphony of Life emanating from the all-pervading Music of Creation."

-- Paramahansa Yogananda, from The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained, Edited by J. Donald Walters


In other words, the "Vessels" are people or souls. The Crescent -- which is, of course, a fundamental symbol of Islam -- is, according to Yogananda's interpretation, the third eye or brow chakra through which true spiritual vision occurs. It is the doorway of awakening. The Porter is God -- the one who carries creation and upholds Reality. Old-style porters would tie a rope around a heavy burden to hold it on their shoulder and, as they walk with the weight, that shoulder-knot would often make a creaking noise against the shifting strain. But this creaking shoulder-knot is the sound that holds material existence aloft, the sound of creation. It is by first discovering that inner sound and following it with the awareness that we finally discover the crescent doorway that opens unto enlightened awareness.

All that encoded into four dancing lines...

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2009 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.