Buried Treasure: Orientalism – Bantock’s “Omar Khayyam”

Wake! For The Sun, Who Scattered Into Flight

Before The Phantom of False Morning Died

And As The Cock Crew, Those Who Stood Before

Now The New Year Reviving Old Desires

Iram Indeed Is Gone With All His Rose

Whether At Naishapur Or Babylon

Each Morn A Thousand Roses Brings, You Say

With Me Along The Strip Of Herbage Strown

Some For The Glories of This World, and Some

Look To The Blowing Rose About Us, Lo

Think In This Battered Caravanserai

Sometimes Think That Never Blows So Red

Ah, My Beloved, Fill The Cup That Clears

Ah, Make The Most Of What We Yet May Spend

Alike For Those Who For Today Prepare

Myself When Young Did Eagerly Frequent

What, Without Asking, Hither Hurried Whence

Up From Earth’s Centre Through The Seventh Gate

Earth Could Not Answer, Nor The Seas That Mourn

Then Of The Thee In Me Wo Works Behind

Then To The Lip Of This Poor Earthern Urn

I Think The Vessel, That With Fugitive

As Then The Tulip For Her Morning Sup

So When That Angel Of Darker Drink

Tis But A Tent Where Takes His One Day’s Rest

When You and I Behind The Veil Are Past

Interlude: The Desert

The Caravan

A Moment’s Halt, A Momentary Taste

Would You That Spangle Of Existence Spend

A Moment Guessed, Then Back Behind The Fold

Waste Not Your Hour, Nor In The Vain Pursuit

Better Be Jocund With The Fruitful Grape

Part 2
You Know, My Friends, With What A Brave Carouse

Ah, But My Computations, People Say

And ‘Twas, The Grape! The Grape That Can With Logic Absolute

The Mighty Mahmud, Allah-Breathing Lord

Why, Be This Juice The Growth Of God, Who Dare

I Must Abjure The Balm Of Life, I Must

Oh Threats Of Hell and Hopes Of Paradise!

The Revelations Of Devout and Learn’d

We Are No Other That A Moving Row

The Moving Finger Writes; And, Having Writ

And That Inverted Bowl We Call The Sky

With Earth’s First Clay They Did The Last Man Knead

I Tell You This, When, Started From The Goal

What! Out Of Senseless Nothing To Provoke

Oh Thou, Who Didst With Pitfall and With Gin

Oh Thou, Who Man Of Baser Earth Didst Make

Part 3
The Fast of Ramazan

Worshippers in the Mosque

As under cover of departing day

Shapes of all sorts and sizes

Said One Among Them

So While The Vessels

Ah, With The Grape

Indeed the idol I have loved so long

And Much As Wine

Yet ah, that Sprng should vanish

Would But The Desert

Yon Rising Moon

And When Like Her