Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

The epic, beautiful poem 'Rubaiyat' is widely attributed to Omar Khayyam. As much a philosopher as a poet, he was a Persian astronomer, who praised the beauties of nature, the essence of love, the mysteries of existence, the limits of private life and the joys of wine. Translated in 1857 by Edward Fitzgerald it was originally published in English anonymously, but was later discovered and promoted by the Pre-Raphaelites, who would have emphathised with many of the poem's themes. Published here as part of the 'Great Poets' series, it is without doubt one of the greatest works of literature of all time.