The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Extract)

84

Said one among them--"Surely not in vain
My substance of the common Earth was ta'en
And to this Figure molded, to be broke,
Or trampled back to shapeless Earth again."

奧瑪•珈音《魯拜集》愛德華•費茲傑羅英譯

傅正明譯

84

莫怨陶工藝不高，

泥甕自認出泥沼，

為求重塑好模樣

何妨踩碎回土窯。

085

Then said a Second--"Ne'er a peevish Boy
Would break the Bowl from which he drank in joy;
And He that with his hand the Vessel made
Will surely not in after Wrath destroy."

85 

一壺翹嘴問諸君：

誰見書童甩酒樽？

飲者陶工皆識禮，

胸無怨毒重人文。

088

"Why," said another, "Some there are who tell
Of one who threatens he will toss to Hell
The luckless Pots he marr'd in making--Pish!
He's a Good Fellow, and 'twill all be well."

88

玉壺瓦罐同功用，

惜物陶工如乃翁，

粗碗無憂拋地獄，

請君盛酒醉英雄。

此處選譯的三首詩，在《魯拜集》英譯第一版中屬於組詩「陶器篇」（Kúza-Náma）。詩人以陶工與酒器的關係喻上帝或真主與被造之人的關係。這類比喻源自聖經，例如《以賽亞書》（64:8）: 「主啊，你是我們的父親。我們像黏土，你像陶工；你捏塑了我們。」