Statue of Khayyam at his Mausoleum in Neyshabur

Omar Khayyam, born: May 18, 1048 in Nishapur, Iran (Persia) – died: December 4, 1131), was a Persian poet, mathematician, philosopher and astronomer. He is best known for the collection of poetry, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

Omar Khayyám is famous today not only for his scientific accomplishments, but for his literary works. He is believed to have written about a thousand four-line verses. In the English-speaking world, he is best known for The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám in the English translations by Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883).

Other people have also published translations of some of the rubáiyát (rubáiyát meaning "quatrains"), but Fitzgerald's are the most well known. Translations also exist in languages other than English.

In one of his rubaiya, he says: "Enjoy wine and women and don't be afraid, God has compassion".