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The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám by Omar Khayyám.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Omar Khayyám, the Astronomer-Poet of Persia

    This chapter introduces Omar Khayyám as a philosopher and poet whose honest skepticism set him apart from the mystical Sufi tradition of Persia. Unlike poets such as Háfiz, who used wine and pleasure as metaphors for divine union, Omar celebrated literal wine and sensual enjoyment as a response to a world without providence or afterlife. The chapter discusses the rarity of his manuscripts, his comparison to Lucretius, and the debate over whether he was a material Epicurean or a mystic, with the author arguing for the former interpretation against Monsieur Nicolas' Sufi reading.

  2. Chapter 2

    The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

    This chapter presents the complete text of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, a collection of quatrains exploring themes of mortality, the fleeting nature of life, and the call to seize the moment with wine and love. The poems reflect a skeptical and hedonistic philosophy, often using the metaphor of the potter and clay to question divine determinism, and culminate in a final plea for mercy.

  3. Chapter 3

    I

    The poem opens with a vivid image of dawn, as the Sun chases away the stars and night, striking the Sultán's turret with light, symbolizing the awakening of a new day.

  4. Chapter 4

    II

    The speaker reflects on the fleeting nature of false dawn and hears a voice from a tavern questioning why a worshipper lingers outside when the temple within is ready.

  5. Chapter 5

    III

    The chapter uses the imagery of a cock crowing at dawn to call for the opening of the tavern door, emphasizing the brevity of life and the finality of death.

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  1. Chapter 6IV
  2. Chapter 7V
  3. Chapter 8VI
  4. Chapter 9VII
  5. Chapter 10VIII
  6. Chapter 11IX
  7. Chapter 12X
  8. Chapter 13XI
  9. Chapter 14XII
  10. Chapter 15XIII
  11. Chapter 16XIV
  12. Chapter 17XV
  13. Chapter 18XVI
  14. Chapter 19XVII
  15. Chapter 20XVIII
  16. Chapter 21XIX
  17. Chapter 22XX
  18. Chapter 23XXI
  19. Chapter 24XXII
  20. Chapter 25XXIII
  21. Chapter 26XXIV
  22. Chapter 27XXV
  23. Chapter 28XXVI
  24. Chapter 29Chapter XXVII
  25. Chapter 30XXVIII
  26. Chapter 31XXIX
  27. Chapter 32The Forbidden Wine
  28. Chapter 33XXXI
  29. Chapter 34XXXII
  30. Chapter 35XXXIII
  31. Chapter 36XXXIV
  32. Chapter 37XXXV
  33. Chapter 38XXXVI
  34. Chapter 39XXXVII
  35. Chapter 40XXXVIII
  36. Chapter 41XXXIX
  37. Chapter 42XL
  38. Chapter 43XLI
  39. Chapter 44XLII
  40. Chapter 45XLIII
  41. Chapter 46XLIV
  42. Chapter 47XLV
  43. Chapter 48XLVI
  44. Chapter 49XLVII
  45. Chapter 50XLVIII
  46. Chapter 51XLIX
  47. Chapter 52L
  48. Chapter 53LI
  49. Chapter 54LII
  50. Chapter 55LIII
  51. Chapter 56LIV
  52. Chapter 57LV
  53. Chapter 58LVI
  54. Chapter 59LVII
  55. Chapter 60LVIII
  56. Chapter 61LIX
  57. Chapter 62LX
  58. Chapter 63LXI
  59. Chapter 64LXII
  60. Chapter 65LXIII
  61. Chapter 66LXIV
  62. Chapter 67LXV
  63. Chapter 68LXVI
  64. Chapter 69LXVII
  65. Chapter 70LXVIII
  66. Chapter 71LXIX
  67. Chapter 72LXX
  68. Chapter 73LXXI
  69. Chapter 74LXXII
  70. Chapter 75LXXIII
  71. Chapter 76LXXIV
  72. Chapter 77LXXV
  73. Chapter 78LXXVI
  74. Chapter 79LXXVII
  75. Chapter 80LXXVIII
  76. Chapter 81LXXIX
  77. Chapter 82LXXX
  78. Chapter 83LXXXI
  79. Chapter 84LXXXII
  80. Chapter 85LXXXIII
  81. Chapter 86LXXXIV
  82. Chapter 87LXXXV
  83. Chapter 88LXXXVI
  84. Chapter 89LXXXVII
  85. Chapter 90LXXXVIII
  86. Chapter 91LXXXIX
  87. Chapter 92XC
  88. Chapter 93XCI
  89. Chapter 94XCII
  90. Chapter 95XCIII
  91. Chapter 96XCIV
  92. Chapter 97XCV
  93. Chapter 98XCVI
  94. Chapter 99XCVII
  95. Chapter 100XCVIII
  96. Chapter 101XCIX
  97. Chapter 102C
  98. Chapter 103CI