The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam

John Hay is the editor behind The Britannica Library of Great American Writing - Volume II. He has a keen eye for American literature, bringing together significant voices in the genre.

Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī", commonly known as Omar Khayyam (Persian: عمر خیّام), was a Persian polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, and poetry. He was born in Nishapur, the initial capital of the Seljuk Empire. As a scholar, he was contemporary with the rule of the Seljuk dynasty around the time of the First Crusade.