A repository of subversive, melancholic and existentialist themes and ideas, the rubaiyat (quatrains) that make up the collected poems attributed to the 12th century Persian astronomer Omar Khayyam have enchanted readers for centuries. In this modern translation, complete with critical introduction and epilogue, Juan Cole elegantly renders the verse for contemporary readers. Exploring such universal questions as the meaning of life, fate and how to live a good life in the face of human mortality, this translation reveals anew why this singular collection of poems has struck a chord with such a temporally and culturally diverse audience, from the wine houses of medieval Iran to the poets of Western twentieth century modernism.
| ISBN: | 9780755600519 |
| Publication date: | 30th April 2020 |
| Author: | Omar Khayyam |
| Publisher: | I.B. Tauris an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 176 pages |
| Genres: |
Poetry by individual poets Literary studies: poetry and poets Literary studies: plays and playwrights Middle Eastern history |