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OMER KHYYAM - RUBAIS


Omar Khayyam

MY COMMENTS :

 

The work, written by Omar Khayyam, includes quatrains about humanity and religious beliefs of the famous thinker, writer and scientist Omar Khayyam, as well as his views on life.

 

The author, who lived in the 11th century and discovered many astronomy, geometry and mathematical formulas that are still used today, is also known for his literary skills.

 

The author, who lived through the reign of two rulers during the Seljuk period, including the reign of Nizamulmulk, refused many political positions during his time. He mostly focused on scientific studies and wrote texts on literary issues in his spare time.

 

As for the quatrains you will see in the excerpts section, I would like to point out that I specifically wrote the paragraphs after the "-" sign in capital letters, as they are not shared in poetry format.

 

When it comes to the author's view of life, as a result of his fatalistic understanding, he has a belief that almost ignores human will, but he claims that it is not possible for a person to change their fate in this world, and therefore being good or bad is not a choice. Therefore, he argues that what a person should do in this world is to have a good time, pursue worldly pleasures and be happy. As can be seen from the quotes in his quatrains, these views are expressed with sentences that are rebellious even about his belief in God.

 

However, the author, who has very valuable quatrains about the transience of the world, argues that human life should be lived for pleasure and not taken seriously. It is obvious that such a social structure ignores the fact that it will live like a parasite instead of producing nothing and doing things that are beneficial to neither humanity nor the world.

 

Therefore, the author interprets Islam in a way that takes the easy way out and does not even see it necessary for people to do anything to correct their own mistakes. This situation, especially since the 17th century, has been the scene of the efforts of European Orientalists to present the ideas of some Islamic thinkers as if they were the foundation of Islam. As can be seen in this work, the author's claim that heaven is made of wine and houris is exactly the understanding that Orientalists tried to adapt to the Islamic world.

 

Despite all this, Omar Khayyam, who pioneered many scientific developments during his lifetime and signed studies that would guide scientists even in the following centuries, always had only one request from the Seljuk State for the opportunities it wanted to provide him: a laboratory and a room where he could perform his art. In this respect, it is understood that he had an understanding that confirms both his fondness for worldly pleasures and the quatrains he wrote about his satiety with rank and position.

 

Although the author does not seem to be interested in worldly pleasures and does not have permanent pursuits, when the permanence of the works he left behind is taken into consideration, it clearly shows that a person must have other competencies in life. Otherwise, a life lived only for pleasure without doing anything will be a life that will be wasted and wasted.

 

Finally, it is obvious that the messages contained in the work are one of those books that should be carefully examined to learn lessons about life. In this respect, it should be stated that it is definitely one of the books that should be read.

 

MY QUOTATIONS(*) :


  1. Abu'l Feth Omar bin Ibrahim al-Khayyami, known as Omar Khayyam, was born in the city of Nishlabur in Iran. The name "Khayyam", meaning "tentmaker, tent master", was given to him because of his father's profession.

  2. The Seljuks ruled over a region that included Mesopotamia, Syria, Palestine and most of Iran between 1038 and 1040. In 1055, the Seljuk ruler Tugrul Bey captured Baghdad. Omar Khayyam grew up in this region, where education was very difficult and the political structure was mixed under the Seljuk rule. In 1070, he settled in Samarkand, one of the oldest cities in Central Asia.

  3. Tuğrul Bey declared the city of Isfahan as the capital of the empire and in 1073 he assigned his son Melikşah to govern this city.

  4. Khayyam's orderly life and scientific studies were disrupted by the chaos caused by the throne struggles that broke out after the death of Malikshah in 1092 and the assassination of his vizier Nizamulmulk.

  5. In 1118, Melikşah's third son Sanjar became the Seljuk ruler. It is known that during this period, Khayyam left Isfahan and settled in the city of Merv in Turkmenistan, the new capital of the Seljuks. ( End of the preface and quotes about the period when Omar Khayyam lived )

  6. Do you really want to know hell? - Hell in this world is talking to an unqualified person.

  7. From today to tomorrow you cannot reach, - Your thought of tomorrow is an empty dream, know this! - If you are at all sane this moment - Do not waste it, the rest of your life is uncertain!

  8. When God created us from clay - He knew what our work would be in this world - The sins I commit are all by his command - Then why will he burn me on the Day of Judgment!

  9. There is no science left in the universe that I do not know; - There are very few secrets that I do not know. - I thought day and night for seventy-two years; - Finally, I understood that everything remained unknown.

  10. In my right hand is a rose glass, in my left is the Quran-i Mubin, (rose-colored, clear: distinguishing right from wrong, obvious) - Sometimes we are companions of the lawful, sometimes the forbidden is our companion. - We are not immature but we are not mature at all, - We are neither complete infidels nor complete Muslims

  11. There was a drop of water, it became one with the sea, - There was a particle of soil, it was leveled to the ground, - What is the use of you coming to the world and going away? - As if a fly came and then disappeared.

  12. We are truly on a puppet stage: - Puppeteer Master Felek, and we are the puppets. - We go out to the play, one by one, two by two; - when the play is over, we are all in the ballot box.

  13. A glass in one hand, the Quran in the other; - One of our actions is lawful, the other is forbidden. - In this half-baked world - We are neither complete infidels nor complete Muslims!

  14. To kill and to give life is your business; - You are the one who arranges this world as you wish. - Let's say I am bad, whose fault is it? - Aren't you the one who created me like this?

  15. Many people came, they wanted everything; - Finally they left the world and went; - It seems like you will never leave, right? - Those who went were all like you.

  16. For the truly saintly, beautiful and ugly are all the same; - For lovers, heaven and hell are all the same; - Whether the one who gives himself is dressed in silk or sackcloth; - Whether his pillow is cotton or thorns, it is all the same.

  17. A person cannot live without food and clothing: - There is no harm in struggling for these. - Beyond that, whether it happens or not: - It is not worth selling this beautiful life.

  18. This world will not be left to anyone, you should know; - Sooner or later, it digs a pit for everyone. - Suppose you lived as long as Nu with difficulty - Won't you disappear in the end?

  19. If a man earns bread every other day, - If he drinks a sip of cool water from a broken jug, - Why should he be a servant to someone lesser? - Why should he be a servant to his equal?

  20. The sustenance distributed by the just does not increase one jot, nor decrease one jot. Therefore, we should not grieve over what is not there, and we should not care about what is there!

 

MY EVALUATIONS:

 

Subject : The work includes quatrains and life views of the famous thinker, writer and scientist Omar Khayyam regarding his humanity and religious beliefs.

 

Style: Although the work is in the verse genre and was written in the 11th century, it definitely has an exemplary style due to the simplicity and clarity of the author's use of language. In this respect, it continues to be read 1000 years after it was written, which is an indication of how enduring the works of the famous author were still able to leave.

 

Originality : The work provides advice on religious thought and lifestyle according to the period in which it was written. However, considering that many works from the period in question contain didactic elements in this way, it is difficult to consider it as an original work.

 

Character : The work will not be evaluated in this category due to its nature.

 

Fluency : Considering the issues mentioned in the style section, it should be stated that although the work is in the verse genre, it is among the fluent books when the messages it contains and the harmony of rhymes and rhymes in the quatrains are taken into account. However, it should be noted that it is not a gripping work in terms of its subject.

 

General : In the evaluation made out of 10 according to the criteria stated above:

 

Subject: 8

Style: 9

Originality: 6

Fluency: 9

 

The overall average of the work that received these scores is 8 points . Although it may not seem interesting to many prose readers as a work of poetry, it should be stated that it is one of the books that should be carefully examined at length and learned from by the messages that can definitely break this prejudice.

 

(*) : All parts in the title Quotations:

RUBAIS

Author : Omar Khayyam

Publisher : Olympia Publications

The photo used on the cover was used as a quote from the book.

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