A.A. Seyed-Gohrab

The Rub√°iy√°t by the Persian poet ‚ÄòUmar Khayy√¶m (1048-1131) is used in contemporary Iran as a resistance literature, symbolizing the secularist voice in cultural debates. While Islamic fundamentalists criticize Khayy√¶m as an atheist and materialist philosopher who questions God‚Äôs creation and the promise of reward or punishment in the hereafter, secularist intellectuals see in him an example of a scientist who scrutinizes the mysteries of the world. Others see a spiritual master, a Sufi, who guides people to the truth. This volume collects eighteen essays on the history of the reception of ‚ÄòUmar Khayy√¶m in various literary traditions, exploring how his philosophy of doubt, carpe diem, hedonism, and in vino veritas has inspired generations of poets, novelists, painters, musicians, calligraphers and film-makers.

The Great Umar Khayyam

A.A. Seyed-Gohrab

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