Omar Khayyam is a great Persian poet, scientist and thinker. He was one of the most prominent mathematicians and astronomers of his time. 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 poems throughout his life. Apparently, they were written in rare moments of relaxation from scientific studies. Created for the soul and for a narrow circle of friends, they gained wide fame thanks to the popular folk form - ruby. Rubai are quatrains in which the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines rhyme. Usually they were not recorded, but transmitted “by word of mouth”.
Each of the quatrains of Khayyam evokes a comparison with a small poem. In addition, they can be considered philosophical parables containing answers to the eternal questions of being. The poet reflects in them about good and evil, freedom and bondage, youth and old age, life and death. He could never reconcile himself with the evil reigning in the world, he thought about the transience of human existence. Doubts about the harmonious arrangement of the universe made the poet look into the depths of his own soul and see in it both paradise and the abyss of hell. However, he never lost faith in life, glorifying love and feminine beauty: "You whom I have chosen are sweetest to me. Heated heat of heart, light of eyes for me."
Few are familiar with the scientific works of Omar Khayyam, but most people have heard at least certain lines of his poems. It seems to be absolutely understandable and affordable rubyes make you stop and think about the meaning of life. Here is one of his immortal advice: "You are better off starving than anything horrible, and better be alone than with anyone horrible."
Omar Khayyam is far ahead of his time. As a result, his poems are much more interested in 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 began to be attributed to him. Their number was constantly growing, and by the beginning of the 20th century exceeded 5, 000. Today it is almost impossible to establish which of them actually belonged to Khayyam. Researchers consider him the author of 300-500 rubles.
For a long time, Omar Khayyam was almost forgotten. Only in the second half of the 19th century the notebook with his poems fell into the hands of the English poet Edward Fitzgerald. At first he translated many rubyes into Latin, and then into English. Despite the fact that Fitzgerald's translations very freely interpreted the works of Khayyam, thanks to them the Persian poet gained world fame. The love of Omar Khayyam's poetry aroused interest in his scientific achievement, which was rediscovered and rethought.
