Omar Khayyam – His Poetry and Reminiscence

Omar Khayyam’s quatrains are both humorous and philosophical, and they continue to inspire readers around the world today.

SHOUKAT LOHAR

Omar Khayyam was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. He is known for his contributions to mathematics and astronomy, but he is perhaps best known for his poetry, which has been widely translated and has inspired countless readers over the centuries.

Khayyam’s poetry is known for its themes of love, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life. His quatrains, or rubaiyat, are four-line poems that often contain a mix of humor, melancholy, and philosophical musings. Khayyam’s poetry reflects his deep understanding of the human condition and his belief in the importance of living life to the fullest.

Here are a few excerpts from Khayyam’s quatrains:

The moving finger writes; and, having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,

Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.

This quatrain reflects Khayyam’s belief in the inevitability of fate and the importance of accepting the past and moving forward. It suggests that once something is done, it cannot be undone, and that we must accept the consequences of our actions.

Ah, my beloved, fill the Cup that clears

To-day of past Regrets and future Fears–

To-morrow?–Why, To-morrow I may be

Myself with Yesterday’s Sev’n thousand Years.

In this quatrain, Khayyam encourages his readers to live in the present and to enjoy life while they can, rather than worrying about the past or the future. He suggests that life is short and that we should make the most of it while we can.

Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,

A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse–and Thou

Beside me singing in the Wilderness–

And Wilderness is Paradise enow.

This quatrain is a celebration of the simple pleasures of life, such as good food, good wine, and good company. Khayyam suggests that these simple pleasures are enough to create a paradise, even in the midst of the wilderness.

Each Morn a thousand Roses brings, you say;

Yes, but where leaves the Rose of Yesterday?

And this first summer month that brings the Rose

Shall take Jamshyd and Kaikobad away.

In this quatrain, Khayyam reflects on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. He suggests that even the most beautiful things in life are fleeting and that we must appreciate them while we can.

Overall, Omar Khayyam’s poetry is a celebration of life and a reflection on the human condition. His quatrains are both humorous and philosophical, and they continue to inspire readers around the world today.

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Shoukat Lohar is Assistant professor in English at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. He can be reached at Shoukat.ali@faculty.muet.edu.pk