that he anticipated Darwin's theory of evolution. And it is remarkable how the fancy of the poet sometimes coincides with the logical conclusions of the scientist.
XLIX
"Iblis," the devil.
L
"Rabbi," my lord God.
LVI
This quatrain is quoted by many of the Biographers of Abu'l-Ala to prove that he is a materialist. Which argument is easily refuted, however, with others quatrains taken at random from the Luzumiyat.
LVII, LVIII and LIX
Omar was also a confessed cynical-hypocrite. Thus runs the first line of the 114th quatrain of Heron-Allen's:
"The world being fleeting I practise naught but
artifice."
And he also chafes in the chains of his sins. Following is the 23d quatrain of the same translation:
"Khayyam, why mourn for thy sins?
From grieving thus what advantage more or less
dost thou gain?
Mercy was never for him who sins not,
Mercy is granted for sins; why then grieve?"
Abu'l-Ala, in a quatrain which I did not translate,
goes even farther in his questioning perplexity.
97
