Rubai

2009-01-01T21:10:29Z

In Arabic, rubai means four lines. The poetry of Omar Khayyam, Eleventh Century Persian scientist and poet, rhymed the first, second and fourth lines of his quatrains. That rhyme scheme became the established rubai form when Edward Fitzgerald translated The Rubiayat of Omar Khayyam into English in 1859. Now, another scientist and Poet Laureate of the International Society of Poets offers over three hundred rubai quatrains in the challenging Omar Khayyam style.

Mr. Cox's verses were written over a fifty-year period and many have been published in magazines, newspapers, poetry anthologies, chapbooks and his books, The Essence of Jim and As The Mood Prescribes.

Rubai contains Mr. Cox's complete collection of rubai quatrains and the verses explore the realms of passion, humor, logic, philosophy and personal disquietudes.

Since the verses are four lines, the book is excellent on coffee tables, night stands and office waiting rooms.

The following quatrains are rubais:

'Tis Time

'Tis time, indeed, that you appraise

the misspent hours within Life's maze.

There are never enough tomorrows

to amend lost yesterdays.

Poetry

I've writ my veses fifty years.

Those with humor earned most cheers.

The lesson is, "Don't teach or preach,

but loose a balm that veers their tears."

Though not a rubai, the following quatrain is appropriate for this section.

Rubai

When asked how much Rubai is worth

I smile and stifle tears...

for who could pay and costs allay

the toil o'er fifty years.

All of Mr. Cox's books are available through authorHOUSE and local bookstores.