The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám · Chapter
LXXIX explained
The speaker questions the fairness of a divine transaction, where a helpless creature is expected to repay pure gold for dross, and is sued for a debt never contracted, lamenting the sorry trade.
What happens
The speaker questions the fairness of a divine transaction, where a helpless creature is expected to repay pure gold for dross, and is sued for a debt never contracted, lamenting the sorry trade.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Themes in this chapter
- Skepticism and Doubt
The chapter questions the fairness and logic of divine justice, expressing doubt about the moral contract between creator and creature.
- The Quest for Meaning
The speaker grapples with the existential injustice of being held accountable for a debt never contracted, seeking meaning in an unfair cosmic arrangement.
Key passages
“What! from his helpless Creature be repaid Pure Gold for what he lent him dross-allay'd— Sue for a Debt he never did contract, And cannot answer—Oh, the sorry trade!”
What! Expect a helpless creature to repay pure gold for what was lent as impure dross—to sue for a debt he never agreed to and cannot pay—what a wretched bargain!
The speaker criticizes the unfairness of divine expectation and judgment.
