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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Author: Edward Fitzgerald
Philosopher, astronomer and mathematician, Khayyam as a poet possesses a singular originality. His poetry is richly charged with evocative power and offers a view of life characteristic of his stormy times, with striking relevance to the present day. This translation by Peter Avery and John Heath-Stubbs is beautifully and lavishly illustrated in...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780936347608
ISBN-10: 0936347600
Pages: 104
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0 stars, based on 0 rating
Publisher: Ibex Publishers
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
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sphinx avatar reviewed The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam on + 97 more book reviews
I cannot read or speak Persian/Farsi, so this refers only to the English interpretation, without reference to the original.

I found this to be a beautiful, touching, and contemplative poem, which can be read literally, as a celebration of wine and the beauty of the world that surrounds us, or symbolically, as a reminder to welcome in to one's soul the 'wine of divine light'. Khayyam implores the reader to remember that life is short and a beautiful gift, and that one needs no church or priest or holy book to access heaven, as it is available all around us, if only we can sense its presence. This is the sort of mysticism found in Walt Whitman, and if you like one, you'll probably like the other.

The translation seems very fluid and expresses the dual meaning of the text well.


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