Title: The Coffee Rubaiyat
Author: Rhys Hughes
Publisher: Alien Buddha Press
Introduction
The famous old poem called The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is known to many through the translation Edward FitzGerald published in 1859. His first edition, a selection of 75 quatrains, is considered the best. He revised the quatrains several times, losing poetic force each time he did so.
His translations are regarded as highly inaccurate anyway, but they are musical, evocative and wistful, and I like them very much. They are among my favourite poems and I once resolved to learn them all by heart.
As it happens, I failed in that attempt, mainly through laziness, which is appropriate really, for FitzGerald himself was an especially lazy man, who wrote and did very little in his life.
The quatrains are all about the joys of wine. At any time of the day or night wine is good to drink. That is the essential message.
I have heard it said that Omar Khayyam’s wine is actually a metaphor, perhaps for God or enlightenment, but personally I find the idea unconvincing. Or rather, I lack the scholarly insight to feel the truth of that interpretation.
The verses seem to be about real wine, the kind that can get you drunk, though I am willing to entertain the notion that I am missing the point. At the very least they can be plausibly quoted in connection with real wine, and I have used them to justify drinking an extra glass, for yes, Omar is keen to insist that more is better than less, indulgence superior to restraint.
But although I am fond of wine, I am fonder of coffee by far. I can easily live without wine, but only with difficulty live without coffee.
Thus, I decided to write a Coffee Rubaiyat, matching FitzGerald’s first edition quatrain for quatrain but making mine all about coffee.
I daydream that copies of my slim collection will one day be found in the coffee shops of the world. If the cappuccino fits, wear it. So say I.
And now it is time for a coffee break and I shall say no more.
Rhys Hughes, June 2023
The Coffee Rubaiyat I. Awake! for the alarm clock next to the bed Is ringing the bells that can wake the dead: And Lo! The ruby rays of the rising sun colour the espresso machine a pinkish red. II. Dreaming when Dawn’s Left Hand was in the Sky I turned to Dawn with a very deep sigh, “Crikey, dear, that’s a massive hand you’ve got. Why not get out of bed and bring me coffee—a lot?” III. And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before The coffee shop shouted—“Open then the door. We all rather fancy a round of cappuccinos Before grappling with our foes upon the floor.” IV. Now the New Year reviving caffeine desires, The thoughtful soul to the kitchen retires, Where the white froth on the large cappuccino Flows out, and steam from the kettle perspires. V. Biscuits indeed are gone with all their crumbs, And Sinbad is reduced to sucking his thumbs; But still the coffee bush her lovely beans yields, And still the waiter with our beverages comes. VI. And Dawn’s lips are coffee smeared; but in divine Extra-strong roast, sighing, “The coffee’s all mine! Cream but no sugar!”—the fox cries to the toad But those dregs have gone cold and that’s not fine. VII. Come, fill the mug, and into the boiling kettle Pour more pure water to cool the red-hot metal. Strange folks prefer fashionable herbal teas To sip—and Heck! They include leaves of nettle. VIII. And smells—a thousand aromas within one year Wafted—and a thousand had no aroma to revere: And this first breakfast time that brings burnt toast Shall smear Sinbad’s ear on the sheer frontier. IX. Come with Coffee Khayyam and leave the lot of juice bars and water bottles forgot: Let gym instructors rant about overconsumption Or doctors cry Enough—heed them not. X. With me at the quiet table of a terrace café That divides the indolent from those gone astray, Where one may slurp and dribble in peace And pity the pedestrians who hurry on their way.
About the Book:
Settle into the enchanting rhythm of this coffee-themed adaptation of the classic Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, as each stanza awakens the senses with witty, humorous, and thought-provoking reflections on the joys and quirks of coffee culture.
The Coffee Rubaiyat embraces the essence of morning awakenings, midday pick-me-ups, and contemplative sips, all while exploring the comical and heart-warming encounters that revolve around this beloved brew.
This collection celebrates the endless nuances and pleasures that coffee brings. Coffee lovers, literature enthusiasts, and anyone with a penchant for the art of the bean will relish in the fusion of two worlds – the timeless verses of Omar Khayyam and the contemporary charm of Rhys Hughes.
A delightful literary adventure that will leave you yearning for another sip.
About the Author
Rhys Hughes is a writer of Fantastika and Speculative Fiction.
His earliest surviving short story dates from 1989, and since that time he has embarked on an ambitious project of writing a story cycle consisting of exactly 1000 linked tales. Recently, he decided to give this cycle the overall name of PANDORA’S BLUFF. The reference is to the box of troubles in the old myth. Each tale is a trouble, but hope can be found within them all.
His favourite fiction writers are Italo Calvino, Stanislaw Lem, Boris Vian, Flann O’Brien, Alasdair Gray and Donald Barthelme, all of whom have a well-developed sense of irony and a powerful imagination. He particularly enjoys literature that combines humour with seriousness, and that fuses the emotional with the intellectual, the profound with the light-hearted, the spontaneous with the precise.
His first book was published in 1995 and sold slowly but it seemed to strike a chord with some people. His subsequent books sold more strongly as my reputation gradually increased. He is regarded as a “cult author” by some and though pleased with that description, he obviously wants to reach out to a wider audience!
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