The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Summary

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a collection of quatrains (four-line verses) attributed to the 12th-century Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer, Omar Khayyam. While the original Persian text is complex and open to interpretation, it is the English translation by Edward Fitzgerald that popularized the work in the Western world.

Fitzgerald's translation portrays a world view that is often characterized as:

Carpe Diem: Seize the day, emphasizing the fleeting nature of life and the importance of enjoying the present moment.

Skepticism: Questioning traditional beliefs and religious dogma, particularly in relation to the afterlife.

Epicureanism: Focusing on pleasure and the senses as the primary goods in life.

Fatalism: Accepting one's fate and the inherent unpredictability of existence.