Into this Universe, and why not knowing, Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing: And out of it, as Wind along the Waste, I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.

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Creator: Omar Khayyam, after Edward FitzGerald
Nationality / cultural background: Iranian · Persian
Work / edition: 1859 English adaptation

Translation: Edward FitzGerald · English

Historical public-domain text. Selected passage; line-end whitespace normalised. No generated quotation.

In the source: XXIX

Selected for the Brief on 15 Sep 2026. This date records our selection, rather than when the work was created.