Great Throughts Treasury

"The arch of heaven looks like an upside-down cup, under which the wise wander in vain. May your love for your beloved be as great as the love of the bottle for the glass. Look, how one gives and one receives, lip against lip, the precious blood of the grapes."

"The fruit of the wise men of the mind can erase miles feeling envy or gold melt copper? Stupid - like a dog, sage - like the sea. profane this sea dog is failing!"

"The lower the soul of a person, the higher the nose up. He stretches his nose to where the soul has not grown."

"The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes, but Here or There as strikes the Player goes; and He that toss'd you down into the Field, He knows about it all ? He knows ? HE knows!"

"The creator of stars, heaven and earth surpassed himself when he also created pain. Lips like rubies, delicious-smelling hair, blooming flowers, how many of you are already buried in earthy soil?"

"The bird of time has but a little way To flutter - and the bird is on the wing."

"The Grape that can with Logic absolute the Two-and-Seventy jarring Sects confute: the sovereign Alchemist that in a trice Life's leaden metal into Gold transmute."

"The happiest little curiosity creation of abandon and is pleased with the little people."

"The mighty Mahmud, Allah-breathing Lord that all the misbelieving and black Horde of Fears and Sorrows that infest the Soul scatters before him with his whirlwind Sword."

"The Revelations of Devout and Learn'd who rose before us, and as Prophets burn'd, are all but Stories, which, awoke from Sleep, they told their comrades, and to Sleep return'd."

"The scent of wine rising from my grave will be so strong that it will intoxicate passers-by. There will be such an atmosphere of serenity that couples in love will find it impossible to tear themselves away."

"The value of three things is justly appreciated by all classes of men: youth, by the old; health, by the diseased; and wealth, by the needy."

"The spirituality of Taft amazed at the four and five and six and seven are worthy Cho do not know where you come from , where will you welcome not know."

"The world will turn when we are earth As though we had not come nor gone; There was no lack before our birth, When we are gone there will be none."

"The writing is life after death that he/it is going to sleep or drunkenness."

"The Stars are setting and the Caravan Starts for the Dawn of Nothing-Oh, make haste!"

"The Vine had struck a fibre: which about if clings my being ? let the Dervish flout; of my Base metal may be filed a Key, that shall unlock the Door he howls without."

"Then of the Thee in Me works behind The Veil, I lifted up my hands to find a Lamp amid the Darkness; and I heard, as from Without ? The Me Within Thee Blind!"

"The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon Turns Ashes?or it prospers; and anon, Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face Lighting a little Hour or two?is gone."

"Then said another -- Surely not in vain my Substance from the common Earth was ta'en, that He who subtly wrought me into Shape should stamp me back to common Earth again."

"Then to the lip of this poor earthen Urn I lean'd, the Secret of my Life to learn: and Lip to Lip it murmur'd ? While you live Drink! ? for, once dead, you never shall return."

"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."

"There are too many tears in my eyes! The fires of Hell are no more than sparks of fire as compared to the flames that consume me inside. Paradise? For me it means a moment of peace."

"Then to the Lip of this poor earthen Urn I lean'd, the secret Well of Life to learn: and Lip to Lip it murmur'd -- While you live, drink!"

"There are two types of eyes: the eyes of the body and the soul's eyes... the eyes of the body can sometimes be forgotten; the eye of the soul, but always remembers."

"There was a Door to which I found no Key there was a Veil past which I could not see some little talk awhile of ME and THEE there seemed?and then no more of THEE and ME."

"There was a water-drop, it joined the sea, a speck of dust, it was fused with earth; what of your entering and leaving this world? A fly appeared, and disappeared."

"There was the Door to which I found no Key; there was the Veil through which I might not see: some little talk awhile of Me and Thee there was ? and then no more of Thee and Me."

"They say the Lion and the Lizard keep the Courts where Jamsh?d gloried and drank deep: and Bahr m, that great Hunter--the Wild Ass stamps o'er his Head, but cannot break his Sleep."

"Think, in this battered Caravanserai, w Whose Portals are alternate Night and Day,how Sultan after Sultan with his Pomp abode his destined Hour, and went his way."

"This body is a tent which for a space does the pure soul with kingly presence grace; when he departs, comes the tent-pitcher, Death, strikes it, and moves to a new halting-place."

"This clay, so strong of heart, of sense so fine, surely such clay is more than half divine--'Tis only fools speak evil of the clay, the very stars are made of clay like mine."

"Tis but a day we sojourn here below, and all the gain we get is grief and woe, then, leaving our life's riddles all unsolved, and burdened with regrets, we have to go."

"Those who have gone forth, thou cup-bearer, Have fallen upon the dust of pride, thou cup-bearer, Drink wine and hear from me the truth: (Hot) air is all that they have said, thou cup-bearer."

"T'is but a Tent where takes his one day's rest a Sultan to the realm of Death addrest. A Sultan rises, and the dark Ferrash strikes, and prepares it for another Guest."

"Thou hast said that Thou wilt torment me, But I shall fear not such a warning. For where Thou art, there can be no torment, And where Thou art not, how can such a place exist?"

"To speak clearly and without parables, we are parts of the game that plays Heaven, we have fun with us on the board to be, and then we go back one by one, in the case of none."

"To all of us the thought of heaven is dear --- Why not be sure of it and make it here? No doubt there is a heaven yonder too, but 'tis so far away --- and you are near."

"To wisely live your life, you don't need to know much just remember two main rules for the beginning: you better starve, than eat whatever and better be alone, than with whoever."

"To friends and eke to foes true kindness show; No kindly heart unkindly deeds will do; Harshness will alienate a bosom friend. And kindness reconcile a deadly foe."

"To live life wisely ought to know quite a few. Two important rules to remember to start with: you better starve than that horrible and better be alone than with anyone."

"Tomorrow! - Why, tomorrow I may be Myself with yesterday's sev'n thousand years."

"To-day is thine to spend, but not to-morrow; Counting on morrows breedeth bankrupt sorrow: O squander not this breath that Heaven hath lent thee; Make not too sure another breath to borrow."

"Tonight I will make a tun of wine, Set myself up with two bowls of it; First I will divorce absolutely reason and religion, Then take to wife the daughter of the vine"

"Wake! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight the Stars before him from the Field of Night, drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes the Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light."

"Waste not your Hour, nor in the vain pursuit of This and That endeavor and dispute; better be jocund with the fruitful Grape than sadden after none, or bitter, Fruit."

"We source of joy and sorrow mine. We container are an abomination and a clear spring. People like in the mirror world of many faces. It is void and yet immensely great!"

"We are no other than a moving row of Magic Shadow-shapes that come and go round with the Sun-illumined Lantern held in Midnight by the Master of the Show."

"We come into this world in the waters and leave it in the winds."

"We shall perish along the path of Love. Fate will trample us. Yeah, tempting young woman, get up and give me your lips before I return to dust."