Ref.: O. 19, C. 64, L. 40, S.P. 37, P. ii. 7, P. 95, B. ii. 77, T. 309.—W. 42, N. 38, V. 220.
After a momentary silence spake
Some Vessel of a more ungainly make;
«They sneer at me for leaning all awry:
What! did the Hand then of the Potter shake?»
This quatrain is a perfect reflection and companion of all these Kuza Nama quatrains, but I have not found a ruba'i in O. or C. which can be pointed out as having directly inspired[85] it. It must, I think, be considered together with No. 88.
Whereat some one of the loquacious Lot—
I think a Sufi pipkin—waxing hot—
«All this of Pot and Potter—Tell me, then,
Who is the Potter pray, and who the Pot?»
LXXXVII. Ante sub LXXXIII.
«Why,» said another, «Some there are who tell
Of one who threatens he will toss to Hell
The luckless Pots he marr'd in making—Pish!
He's a Good Fellow, and 'twill all be well.»