Omar Khayyam is a great Persian poet, scientist and thinker. He was one of the most prominent mathematicians and astronomers of his day. But in the grateful memory of the descendants, first of all, his poems were preserved, in which, it seems, all the wisdom of the East was reflected.
Omar Khayyam created poetry throughout his life. Apparently, they were written in rare moments of rest from scientific studies. Created for the soul and for a narrow circle of friends, they are widely known for their popular folk form - rubai. Rubai are quatrains in which the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines are rhymed. Usually they were not recorded, but passed on "from mouth to mouth."
Each of Khayyam's quatrains evokes comparison with a small poem. In addition, they can be considered philosophical parables, containing answers to the eternal questions of life. The poet reflects in them about good and evil, freedom and bondage, youth and old age, life and death. He could never come to terms with the evil reigning in the world, he thought about the transience of human existence. Doubts about the harmonious structure of the universe forced the poet to look into the depths of his own soul and see in it at the same time heavenly booths and the abyss of hell. However, he never lost faith in life, glorifying love and female beauty: “You, whom I have chosen, are dearest to me. The ardent heart is hot, the light of the eyes is for me."
Few are familiar with the scientific works of Omar Khayyam, but most people have heard at least some lines of his poems. Seemingly absolutely understandable and accessible rubyes make you stop and think about the meaning of life. Here is one of his immortal advices: "You better starve than eat anything, and it is better to be alone than with just anyone."
Omar Khayyam was far ahead of his time. As a result, his poems are of much greater interest to the modern generation than those who lived at the same time as the great poet. During his lifetime, he was known only as an outstanding scientist. After his death, numerous rubyes were attributed to him. Their number grew steadily, and by the beginning of the 20th century exceeded 5000. Today it is almost impossible to establish which of them actually belonged to Khayyam. Researchers consider him to be the author of 300-500 rubles.
For a long time, Omar Khayyam was practically forgotten. Only in the second half of the 19th century did the notebook with his poems fall into the hands of the English poet Edward Fitzgerald. He first translated many of the Rubai into Latin, and then into English. Despite the fact that Fitzgerald's translations interpreted Khayyam's works quite freely, thanks to them the Persian poet gained worldwide fame. Love for the poetry of Omar Khayyam aroused interest in his scientific achievements, which were rediscovered and reinterpreted.
