In this charming and ironic Rubai, Omar Khayyam explores the human tendency to delay Tauba (Repentance). He captures the internal conflict of the Aasi (the sinful servant) who resolves to turn away from worldly pleasures every night, only to have his resolve melted by the beauty of the Spring season. It is a brilliant meditation on the Philosophy of human weakness and the intoxicating nature of Divine beauty mirrored in the physical world.
Thematic Connections: The Path of Tauba (Repentance)
Explore the essence of repentance and Divine forgiveness across the Sufi tradition:
◈ Pir Mehar Ali Shah: “Tauba Raah Ki Ain Haqiqat” — Understanding repentance as the fundamental reality of the spiritual journey.
◈ Pir Naseer: “Bakhshish Ki Riwayat” — A beautiful perspective on how broken repentance becomes a reason for Divine Mercy.
◈ Explore the “Tauba” Collection: See all Sufi verses dedicated to the heart’s return to the Divine.
ہر روز بر آنم کہ کنم شب توبہ
از جام و پیالۂ لبا لب توبہ
اکنوں کہ رسید وقت گل تر کم دہ
در موسم گل توبہ یا رب توبہ
Har Roz Bar Aanam Ke Kunam Shab Tauba
Az Jaam-o-Pyala-e-Lab-a-Lab Tauba
Aknoon Ke Raseed Waqt-e-Gul Tar Kam Deh
Dar Mausam-e-Gul Tauba Ya Rab Tauba
Every day I resolve that I will repent at night,
Repent from the brimful glass and the overflowing cup.
But now that the season of fresh roses has arrived,
Repentance in the season of flowers? O Lord, forgive me!
Insight: The Dilemma of the Mausam-e-Gul
In this verse, Khayyam uses Wine and Spring as metaphors for the overwhelming beauty of existence. The poet plays the role of the Aasee (sinful servant) who knows the moral requirement of Tauba, yet finds the Divine manifestation in the “fresh rose” so intoxicating that he cannot bring himself to turn away.
The phrase “Tauba Ya Rab Tauba” at the end is a clever double entendre. It is both a plea for forgiveness for his delay and a humorous exclamation that repenting during such beauty is itself unthinkable. It reflects a core Khayyamian Philosophy: that God’s creation is so wondrous it often overwhelms our human attempts at formal Mazhab.
Vocabulary: Har Roz Bar Aanam
- Tauba (توبہ): Repentance; turning back to God.
- Lab-a-Lab (لبا لب): Brimful; overflowing.
- Gul (گل): Rose; flower.
- Mausam-e-Gul (موسم گل): The season of flowers; Spring.
- Aknoon (اکنوں): Now; at this moment.