The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Omar Khayyam, 1048-1122

Contributor:

FitzGerald, Edward, 1809-1883

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" by Omar Khayyam is a collection of Persian quatrains (rubaiyat) poetically rendered into English by Edward Fitzgerald. This work, rooted in the 11th to 12th century, reflects the philosophical musings of Khayyam, who was not only a poet but also an accomplished mathematician and astronomer. As a seminal piece of Persian literature, the collection delves into themes related to the transience of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness amidst the inevitability of death. The content of the "Rubaiyat" encapsulates a dialogue between the speaker and the cosmos, often expressed through the metaphor of wine and revelry. Each quatrain reflects on existential questions, the joys of earthly pleasures, and the futility of seeking answers to life's mysteries. Khayyam emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and encourages readers to live fully in the moment-"Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night" heralds the call to embrace life. The poems blend a sense of hedonism with deep philosophical inquiry, offering a profound reflection on the human condition that resonates across centuries, inviting readers to ponder their own existence and mortality. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Judy Boss, Gregory Walker, and David Widger

Notes:

Reading ease score: 71.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubaiyat_of_Omar_Khayyam

Release date is 1995-04-01