[Buddha-l] on anicca, Omar Khayyam style

[Jo]

Even though I am so precious 

And beautiful, like a crystal, or a tulip, 

Or a pine tree so green and tall--

I cannot understand why the creator

Made me so precious, yet

After all that work, the potter breaks me down 

And finishes me off.

 

(The term potter translates literally as 'jug maker')

 

(I guess if one imbibes the way Omar did, one does tend to

overrate one's beauty. But language aside, he knew we are

all self-attached. This reminds me of the oft-stated Tibetan 

Buddhist phrase, a human life is precious.) 

Edited, so to speak, from a translation of the original by an

Iranian friend.

Joanna