The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Wordsworth Classics)

“The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” is a collection of poems written by the Persian poet and scholar Omar Khayyam, who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. The poems are written in the form of quatrains, or four-line stanzas, and are known for their themes of love, beauty, and the transience of life.

The Rubaiyat was first translated into English by the Victorian scholar Edward FitzGerald in the mid-19th century. FitzGerald’s translation became hugely popular and has remained so to this day, inspiring numerous subsequent translations and adaptations.

The poems of the Rubaiyat are marked by their lush imagery, their use of metaphors drawn from nature, and their contemplative tone. Many of the poems express a sense of melancholy and yearning, as the poet reflects on the fleeting nature of human existence and the transience of beauty.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is considered a classic of world literature, and has been widely admired for its beauty and depth of feeling. The poems have been set to music, adapted for the stage, and used as inspiration for numerous works of art and literature.