Samarkand, Amin Maalouf

"Time has two faces, Khayyam  said to himself. It has two dimensions, its length is measured by the rhythm of the sun but its depth by the rhythm of passion."

"What a strange clan those Abbasids are! Their ancestors conquered the best half of the world, they built the most flourishing cities and just look at them today! I take their empire and they put up with that, I take their capital and they are happy, they shower me with presents and the prince of believers says to me, "I give you all the lands which God has given to me, and I place in your hands all the believers whose fate He has entrusted to me."  He begs me to put his palace, his person and his harem under my protection. However if I ask for his daughter he rises up and wishes to defend his honor. Is the only territory for which the sultan is ready to fight the thighs of a virgin?"

"God, she was beautiful - my first image of the Orient - a woman such as only the desert poet knew how to praise: her face was the sun, her hair the protecting shadow, her eyes fountains of cool water, her body the most slender of palm-trees and her smile a mirage."

"When faced with a chaotic and convoluted situation, one always thinks that it will take centuries to sort it out. Suddenly a man appears and as if by magic, the tree we thought was doomed takes on new life and starts bearing leaves and fruits and giving shade."

"The qualities needed to govern are not those which are needed in order to accede to power. In order to run things smoothly, one must forget oneself and only be interested in others -- particularly the most unfortunate; to get into power, one must be the greediest of men, think only of oneself and be ready to crush one's closest friends. I, however, will not crush anyone."

Comments

  1. B"H

    Omar Kayyam ! , he knew the secrets of LIFE .HE knew what he was doing was not right , and he also knew that if he doesn't do them now ! he will not be able to do them later ....so he took a chance : if there is punishment after he has gone ? so be it ! and if there isn't anything after life ...at least he has lived .


    REGINA BROOKS

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