The Great 'Umar Khayyam: A Global Reception of the Rubaiyat

The Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer ‘Umar Khayyám (1048-1131), is best known for his remarkable and highly influential poem cycle, The Rubáiyát. These poems, of which there are nearly a thousand, have been used in contemporary Iran as resistance literature, symbolizing the secularist voice in cultural debates. Offering a unique overview of a selection of poems, this anthology collects eighteen essays on the history of the reception of the celebrated work in various literary translations and editions, exploring how Khayyám’s philosophy as presented in his poetry has inspired generations of poets, novelists, painters, musicians, calligraphers, filmmakers, and freethinkers.