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Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam; rendered into English verse

by Edward Fitzgerald






Contents:



  Introduction。

  First Edition。

  Fifth Edition。

  Notes。






Introduction











Omar Khayyam;

The Astronomer…Poet of Persia。





Omar Khayyam was born at Naishapur in Khorassan in the latter half of

our Eleventh; and died within the First Quarter of our Twelfth

Century。  The Slender Story of his Life is curiously twined about that

of two other very considerable Figures in their Time and Country: one

of whom tells the Story of all Three。  This was Nizam ul Mulk; Vizier

to Alp Arslan the Son; and Malik Shah the Grandson; of Toghrul Beg the

Tartar; who had wrested Persia from the feeble Successor of Mahmud the

Great; and founded that Seljukian Dynasty which finally roused Europe

into the Crusades。  This Nizam ul Mulk; in his Wasiyator

Testamentwhich he wrote and left as a Memorial for future

Statesmenrelates the following; as quoted in the Calcutta Review;

No。 59; from Mirkhond's History of the Assassins。



〃'One of the greatest of the wise men of Khorassan was the Imam

Mowaffak of Naishapur; a man highly honored and reverenced;may God

rejoice his soul; his illustrious years exceeded eighty…five; and it

was the universal belief that every boy who read the Koran or studied

the traditions in his presence; would assuredly attain to honor and

happiness。  For this cause did my father send me from Tus to Naishapur

with Abd…us…samad; the doctor of law; that I might employ myself in

study and learning under the guidance of that illustrious teacher。

Towards me he ever turned an eye of favor and kindness; and as his

pupil I felt for him extreme affection and devotion; so that I passed

four years in his service。  When I first came there; I found two other

pupils of mine own age newly arrived; Hakim Omar Khayyam; and the ill…

fated Ben Sabbah。  Both were endowed with sharpness of wit and the

highest natural powers; and we three formed a close friendship

together。  When the Imam rose from his lectures; they used to join me;

and we repeated to each other the lessons we had heard。  Now Omar was

a native of Naishapur; while Hasan Ben Sabbah's father was one Ali; a

man of austere life and practise; but heretical in his creed and

doctrine。  One day Hasan said to me and to Khayyam; 〃It is a universal

belief that the pupils of the Imam Mowaffak will attain to fortune。

Now; even if we all do not attain thereto; without doubt one of us

will; what then shall be our mutual pledge and bond?〃  We answered;

〃Be it what you please。〃  〃Well;〃 he said; 〃let us make a vow; that to

whomsoever this fortune falls; he shall share it equally with the

rest; and reserve no pre…eminence for himself。〃  〃Be it so;〃 we both

replied; and on those terms we mutually pledged our words。  Years

rolled on; and I went from Khorassan to Transoxiana; and wandered to

Ghazni and Cabul; and when I returned; I was invested with office; and

rose to be administrator of affairs during the Sultanate of Sultan Alp

Arslan。'



〃He goes on to state; that years passed by; and both his old school…

friends found him out; and came and claimed a share in his good

fortune; according to the school…day vow。  The Vizier was generous and

kept his word。  Hasan demanded a place in the government; which the

Sultan granted at the Vizier's request; but discontented with a

gradual rise; he plunged into the maze of intrigue of an oriental

court; and; failing in a base attempt to supplant his benefactor; he

was disgraced and fell。  After many mishaps and wanderings; Hasan

became the head of the Persian sect of the Ismailians;a party of

fanatics who had long murmured in obscurity; but rose to an evil

eminence under the guidance of his strong and evil will。  In A。D。

1090; he seized the castle of Alamut; in the province of Rudbar; which

lies in the mountainous tract south of the Caspian Sea; and it was

from this mountain home he obtained that evil celebrity among the

Crusaders as the OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS; and spread terror through

the Mohammedan world; and it is yet disputed where the word Assassin;

which they have left in the language of modern Europe as their dark

memorial; is derived from the hashish; or opiate of hemp…leaves (the

Indian bhang); with which they maddened themselves to the sullen pitch

of oriental desperation; or from the name of the founder of the

dynasty; whom we have seen in his quiet collegiate days; at Naishapur。

One of the countless victims of the Assassin's dagger was Nizam ul

Mulk himself; the old school…boy friend。



  Some of Omar's Rubaiyat warn us of the danger of Greatness; the

  instability of Fortune; and while advocating Charity to all Men;

  recommending us to be too intimate with none。  Attar makes Nizam…ul…

  Mulk use the very words of his friend Omar 'Rub。 xxviii。'; 〃When

  Nizam…ul…Mulk was in the Agony (of Death) he said; 'Oh God!  I am

  passing away in the hand of the wind。'〃



〃Omar Khayyam also came to the Vizier to claim his share; but not to

ask for title or office。  'The greatest boon you can confer on me;' he

said; 'is to let me live in a corner under the shadow of your fortune;

to spread wide the advantages of Science; and pray for your long life

and prosperity。'  The Vizier tells us; that when he found Omar was

really sincere in his refusal; he pressed him no further; but granted

him a yearly pension of 1200 mithkals of gold from the treasury of

Naishapur。



〃At Naishapur thus lived and died Omar Khayyam; 'busied;' adds the

Vizier; 'in winning knowledge of every kind; and especially in

Astronomy; wherein he attained to a very high pre…eminence。  Under the

Sultanate of Malik Shah; he came to Merv; and obtained great praise

for his proficiency in science; and the Sultan showered favors upon

him。'



〃When the Malik Shah determined to reform the calendar; Omar was one

of the eight learned men employed to do it; the result was the Jalali

era (so called from Jalal…ud…din; one of the king's names)'a

computation of time;' says Gibbon; 'which surpasses the Julian; and

approaches the accuracy of the Gregorian style。'  He is also the

author of some astronomical tables; entitled 'Ziji…Malikshahi;' and

the French have lately republished and translated an Arabic Treatise

of his on Algebra。



〃His Takhallus or poetical name (Khayyam) signifies a Tent…maker; and

he is said to have at one time exercised that trade; perhaps before

Nizam…ul…Mulk's generosity raised him to independence。  Many Persian

poets similarly derive their names from their occupations; thus we

have Attar; 'a druggist;' Assar; 'an oil presser;' etc。  Omar

himself alludes to his name in the following whimsical lines:



 〃'Khayyam; who stitched the tents of science;

   Has fallen in grief's furnace and been suddenly burned;

   The shears of Fate have cut the tent ropes of his life;

   And the broker of Hope has sold him for nothing!'



  Though all these; like our Smiths; Archers; Millers; Fletchers;

  etc。; may simply retain the Surname of an hereditary calling。



〃We have only one more anecdote to give of his Life; and that relates

to the close; it is told in the anonymous preface which is sometimes

prefixed to his poems; it has been printed in the Persian in the

Appendix to Hyde's Veterum Persarum Religio; p。 499; and D'Herbelot

alludes to it in his Bibliotheque; under Khiam。



〃'It is written in the chronicles of the ancients that this King of

the Wise; Omar Khayyam; died at Naishapur in the year of the Hegira;

517 (A。D。 1123); in science he was unrivaled;the very paragon of his

age。  Khwajah Nizami of Samarcand; who was one of his pupils; relates

the following story: 〃I often used to hold conversations with my

teacher; Omar Khayyam; in a garden; and one day he said to me;

'My tomb shall be in a spot where the north wind may scatter roses

over it。'  I wondered at the words 

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