Omar khayyam

Iranians used to praise AHURA MAZDA, during their prayers in about 2500 years ago, for the enjoyment granted to them. This enjoyment-loving became a secondary nature and as a part of Iranian habitudes.

But due to wars imposed to Iran and the influence of Greek Philosophy, such enjoyment-seeking morale mixed with grief and pain, manifested eventually in eternal Quatrains of OMAR KHAYYAM (about l048-1123) of Nishabour-Khorasan, Iran.

Although Khayyam is considered to be a pessimist poet, like most Iranian poets, to Khayyam, it has a high philosophical aspect. On one hand, his thoughts are always mixed with sorrow, grief, death and annihilation, and at the same time, he invited human beings to happiness and enjoyment. "Let us be happy, Time is passing by. There is no return, when you go, you are gone." We observe such reflection at Hafez Poems about 250 years after Khayyam, as well.

Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883), of BRITAIN was the first who keenly and sharply found that Khayyam's Quatrains would reflect the common spritual needs of human beings. By receiving inspiration from the quatrains, he published 75 Rubaiys, at London, for the first time, without mentioning the name of the translator. At first no one paid much attention to it, but later on, when the scholars discovered the philosophical and literary values, the public paid a welcoming attention as well, praising the totality, comprehensiveness of Khayyam thoughts and elequence of Fitzgerald. The Second, third and fourth editions of the book were sold as if they were precious jewels, bringing about the worldwide fame.

As a poet, writer and philosophical thinker, Fitzgerald was sufficiently qualified to understand the ideas of Iranian great thinker. He was the first one who made distinction between the numerous original quatrians attributed to Omar Khayyam. This was the reason, why he selected initially 75 and later on 101 quarrians.

After death of Fitzgerald, another scholar, Mr. Edward Heron-Allen, introduced the Farsi (Persian) Sources of Fitzgerald translation, enlightening the European readers. He reminded that, in addition to Khayyam Rubaiyyat, the other Farsi master works, such as Mantegh-ol-Teyr of Attar, had been the inspiring source of Fitzgerald. Yet other scholars continued the way. George F. Maine included all the four revised editions of Fitzgerald in his own fourth edition in 1965.

Omar Khayyam, comprehended the nature and characteristics of human being. He was able to compose his eteranl quaturians. in an understandable language of yesterday, of today and for tommorow.

Once Omar Khayyam said, "My grave Will be in a spot where trees will shed their blossoms on me". If one happenes to travel to Nishobour, Iran, he would find Khayyam's tomb situated at the foot of a garden wall and on his grave, have fallen so many flowe-leaves, that is hidden beneath the flowers. But one may dare to go further and say the blossoms of Khayyam Quatrians has been flowered in the heart and mind of milions of people all over the world.