Quatrain Number 20............A Favourite Since Childhood

 Edward Fitzgerald: “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” (1905)

Quatrain Number 20

Ah, my Belov'ed fill the Cup that clears 

To-day Past Regrets and Future Fears: 

To-morrow!--Why, To-morrow I may be 

Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n Thousand Years. 

By Omar Khayyam

This quote has helped to buoy me through difficult times. Introduced to The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám at a tender young age, by my Great Uncle who could quote a relevant quatrain for almost any situation, I learned to recite my favourite verse, quatrain 20, before the age of 10. As I grew in years so too did my appreciation of this eloquently expressed piece of wisdom. It is a pity that many 21st century children are deprived of the richness of an extended family............