Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam
0:17 h Verse Lvl 7.57 7.1 mb
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a collection of poems written by the Persian poet and philosopher Omar Khayyam. The poems are written in quatrains, or rubaiyat, and express themes of love, life, mortality, and spirituality. The first edition English translation of the book was published by Edward FitzGerald in 1859. FitzGerald's translation, which was based on a selection of Khayyam's original quatrains, became popular and is still widely read today. The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is considered a masterpiece of Persian literature and has been translated into many languages. It has also inspired artists, musicians, and thinkers around the world, making it a timeless and influential work of art.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

by
Omar Khayyam

Rendered into English Verse by Edward Fitzgerald


Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

First Edition

I

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has
flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And
Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The
Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light.

II

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Dreaming when Dawn’s Left Hand was in the Sky
I
heard a Voice within the Tavern cry,
“Awake,
my Little ones, and fill the Cup
Before
Life’s Liquor in its Cup be dry.”

III

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The
Tavern shouted — “Open then the Door.
You
know how little while we have to stay,
And,
once departed, may return no more.”

IV

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Now the New Year reviving old Desires,
The
thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,
Where
the WHITE HAND OF MOSES on the Bough
Puts
out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires.

V

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
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