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The Rose Garden of Omar Khayyam (Thompson translation)

Eben Francis Thompson

An English version of Khayyám's quatrains translated from the Persian by Eben Francis Thompson, with an introduction about Khayyám's life.

An English translation of Khayyám's quatrains, with an introduction describing his life and reputation.

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Front cover of a grey cloth-bound book with gold-stamped decoration of climbing roses and leaves framing a central panel with the title 'Rose Garden of Omar Khayyam' and the name 'Eben Francis Thompson' in gold lettering. A library call number label reading 'PK 6516 .T6' is affixed to the upper left corner.
Omar Khayyám, The Rose Garden of Omar Khayyam, translated by Eben Francis Thompson.

About this source

What it is

This book is an English translation of Omar Khayyám's quatrains made by Eben Francis Thompson, based on the Persian text. Its opening pages describe Khayyám's reputation as an astronomer, philosopher, and poet living in retirement at Nishapur, and a story of a student who traveled to meet him.

Why it matters

The introduction gives readers a picture of how Khayyám was remembered — as a reclusive scholar reluctant to take students, yet admired widely for his poetry and learning. The translation itself shows how later writers reinterpreted his quatrains for English audiences.

Look closer

  • What does the story of the student Hasan suggest about Khayyám's character and reputation?
  • Why might a translator include a biographical introduction before the poems?
  • How does the gold-decorated cover suggest the book's value to its owners?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Omar Khayyam on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Front cover of a green cloth book titled Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, the Astronomer-Poet of Persia, with gold lettering, a gold floral emblem, black decorative arch border, and publisher Houghton, Osgood & Co. at the bottom.Book

Secondary source

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

Edward FitzGerald · 1878

Manuscript page numbered 46 in Arabic script, with a geometric diagram of a rectangle with both diagonals drawn and lettered corners at the top of the page, above several lines of handwritten Arabic text in black ink on aged, yellowish paper.Document

Primary source

Khayyam Geometry Manuscript

Omar Khayyám

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Secondary source

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (First Edition)

Edward FitzGerald · 1859

Painted manuscript page in Persian miniature style: a seated bearded ruler in a crown gestures toward a woman in green kneeling on a rug, while a small attendant in a blue robe stands at a doorway on the left. Persian text fills the bottom panel.Book

Secondary source

Chahar Maqala

Nizami Aruzi · 1155–1157

Wide view of the central courtyard of the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan under a blue sky with clouds. Tall iwans with ornate tiled and muqarnas vaulting frame the square, with a blue-tiled fountain pool in the foreground and a pair of minarets rising behind the central portal.Artifact

Secondary source

Jameh Mosque of Isfahan

841 (rebuilt 1086-1089 under Khayyám's patrons)

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