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TheCup of Jamshid (Persian:جام جم,jām-e Jam) is a cup ofdivination, which inPersian mythology was long possessed by the rulers of ancientGreater Iran. Its name is associated withJamshid (Jam in short), a mythological figure of Greater Iranian culture and tradition. The cup has also been calledJam-e Jahan nama,Jam-e Jahan Ara,Jam-e Giti nama, andJam-e Kei-khosrow. The latter refers toKaei Husravah in theAvesta, andSushrava in theVedas.
The cup has been the subject of many Persian poems and stories. Many authors ascribed the success of thePersian Empire to the possession of this artifact. It appears extensively inPersian literature.
The cup ("Jām") was said to be filled with anelixir of immortality and was used inscrying. As mentioned byAli-Akbar Dehkhoda, it was believed that all seven heavens of the universe could be observed by looking into it (از هفت فلک در او مشاهده و معاینه کردی). It was believed to have been discovered inPersepolis in ancient times. The whole world was said to be reflected in it, and divinations within the cup were said to reveal deep truths. Sometimes, especially in popular depictions such asThe Heroic Legend of Arslan, the cup has been visualized as acrystal ball. Helen Zimmern's English translation of theShahnameh uses the term "crystal globe".[1]
The seven-ringed Cup ofJamshid is spoken of in the classic poemRubaiyat byOmar Khayyam, the 11th century Persian poet and polymath. See the 5th verse in the 5th translation byEdward Fitzgerald:
Iram indeed is gone with all its Rose, And Jamshyd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows; But still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields, And still a Garden by the Water blows.
It also finds mention in the Sawāneḥ, authored by Persian Sufi mysticAhmad Ghazali:[2]
As long as the world-displaying goblet is in my hand, the wheel ofheaven on high lowers itself before me / As long as theKaʿba ofnon-being is theqebla of my being, the most sober man in the world is intoxicated by me.
In 20th century literature, the cup was mentioned in by the poet, philosopher, and one of the founder fathers ofPakistan,Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his poemTasvīr-i Dard "The Portrait of Anguish":
Urdu (romanized): "Agar Dekha Bhi Uss Ne Sare Aalam Ko To Kya Dekha? Nazar Ayi Na Kuch Apni Haqiqat Jaam Se Jam Ko".English(translated): Even if he viewed the whole world, what did he see? Jam could not see his own reality in the wine cup.[3][4]
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