Omar Khayyám
(1050–1132)

Highly accomplished in the fields of both mathematics and astrology, Persian poet Omar Khayyám has been remembered for centuries as the eminent author of The Rubáiyát, a collection of succinct and remarkable poems.

Khayyám was born in the Persian city of Nishapur, which was alive with knowledge during the Middle Ages and contributed greatly to his extensive education. He limited much of his writing to essays on mathematics, yet The Rubáiyát is considered his greatest achievement and overshadows his scientific contributions.

The poems of this piece are organized into quatrains and reflect philosophical issues, which are lightened by entertaining and pleasure-seeking imagery. It is now acknowledged that Khayyám was not the only author to contribute to The Rubáiyát, as many quatrains were added over the centuries by later authors. In 1859, Edward FitzGerald translated The Rubáiyát into English in such a way that unites the poetry with the philosophy, making the question of authorship of minimal consequence to the readers. Nevertheless, many scholars and supporters still attribute this brilliant work to Khayyám.

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