A repository of subversive, melancholic and existentialist themes and ideas, the rubaiyat (quatrains) that make up the collected poems attributed to the 12th century Persian astronomer Omar Khayyam have enchanted readers for centuries. In this modern translation, complete with critical introduction and epilogue, Juan Cole elegantly renders the verse for contemporary readers. Exploring such universal questions as the meaning of life, fate and how to live a good life in the face of human mortality, this translation reveals anew why this singular collection of poems has struck a chord with such a temporally and culturally diverse audience, from the wine houses of medieval Iran to the poets of Western twentieth century modernism.

Omar Khayyam's magical poetry with its rich sensual glow and evocative oriental imagery, once again available in Edward Fitzgerald's famous translation. Oen of the great classics of world literature. Large print edition PPERSIAN POETRY

Rooted in tales both ancient and modern, these vibrant images date from the early twentieth century's Golden Age of Illustration. Edmund Dulac, a prominent artist of the period, created them for books published between 1905 and 1928. Their moods range from the shadowy foreboding of Jane Eyre to the venturesome spirits of Treasure Island and the lighthearted fantasies of A Fairy Garland. Other featured titles include Shakespeare's The Tempest, The Arabian Nights, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam, and the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. French-born Edmund Dulac arrived in London in 1904, when new advances in the printing process kindled a rage for picture books. Dulac's imaginative powers and technical skills assured the popularity of his book illustrations, many of which were sold separately as fine art paintings. After World War I, when the appetite for deluxe volumes waned, the artist turned his talents in many new directions, including portraiture, theatrical costume and set design, newspaper caricature, and stamp design. This retrospective of his early works is the only such anthology available, offering a singular tribute to an artist from a halcyon era of art inspired by literature.

The poems attributed to Omar Khayyam have a universal and timeless philosophical theme: life is a meaningful journey even if brief and uncertain. They inspire an unconstrained free-thinking mindset and a wise realization that guides thinking persons: it is impossible to see the absolute truth, as the universe has its own reality that remains largely hidden, and that one must think and act accordingly. This book presents a selection of Khayyam's poems in their original Persian language along with their English translations in a faithful and modern version. By relying only on the original Persian version of Khayyam's poems, and using the author's own body of literary and linguistic knowledge, this book presents a modern translation of Omar Khayyam's poems since Edward Fitzgerald's Rubaiyat in 1859.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam by Edward Fitzgerald do it; the result was the Jalali era (so called from Jalal-ud-din, one of the king's names)--'a computation of time, ' says Gibbon, 'which surpasses the Julian, and approaches the accuracy of the Gregorian style.' He is also the author of some astronomical tables, entitled 'Ziji-Malikshahi, ' and the French have lately republished and translated an Arabic Treatise of his on Algebra. "His Takhallus or poetical name (Khayyam) signifies a Tent-maker, and he is said to have at one time exercised that trade, perhaps before Nizam-ul-Mulk's generosity raised him to independence. Many Persian poets similarly derive their names from their occupations; thus we have Attar, 'a druggist, ' Assar, 'an oil presser, ' etc. Omar himself alludes to his name in the following whimsical lines: -- "'Khayyam, who stitched the tents of science, Has fallen in grief's furnace and been suddenly burned; The shears of Fate have cut the tent ropes of his life, And the broker of Hope has sold him for We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

For all its fame in the wider world, Edward FitzGerald's 'Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám' (1859) has been largely ignored by the academic establishment. This volume explores the reasons for both its popularity and neglect.