The sayings of Omar Khayyam, the great poet of the East and one of the most famous sages and philosophers, passed down from generation to generation, are filled with deep meaning, the brightness of the image and the grace of the rhythm.
With Khayyam's characteristic wit and sarcasticness, he created sayings that amaze with their humor and slyness.
They give strength to Hard time, help to cope with surging problems, distract from troubles, make you think and reason.
A plucked flower must be given as a gift, a poem that has been started must be completed, and the woman you love must be happy, otherwise you shouldn’t have taken on something you can’t do.
______________________
Giving yourself does not mean selling.
And sleeping next to each other does not mean sleeping with you.
Not taking revenge does not mean forgiving everything.
Not being close does not mean not loving!
Don't do evil - it will come back like a boomerang, don't spit in the well - you will drink water, don’t insult someone of lower rank, in case you have to ask for something.
Don’t betray your friends, you won’t replace them, and don’t lose your loved ones, you won’t get them back, don’t lie to yourself... you'll check with time that you are betraying yourself with a lie.
______________________
Isn’t it funny to save a penny all your life,
If eternal life still can't buy it?
This life was given to you, my dear, for a while, -
Try not to miss time!
What God once measured out to us, friends, cannot be increased and cannot be decreased. Let's try to spend the cash wisely, without coveting something else, without asking for a loan.
______________________
You say, this life is one moment.
Appreciate it, draw inspiration from it.
As you spend it, so it will pass,
Don't forget: she is your creation.
The discouraged one dies ahead of schedule
You can seduce a man who has a wife, you can seduce a man who has a mistress, but you cannot seduce a man who has a beloved woman!
Love in the beginning is always tender.
In memories - always affectionate.
And if you love, it’s pain! And with greed for each other
We torment and torment - always.
In this unfaithful world, don't be a fool:
Don’t you dare rely on those around you.
Look with a steady eye at your closest friend -
A friend may turn out to be your worst enemy.
You must be good with both friend and enemy!
He who is kind by nature will not find malice in him.
If you offend a friend, you will make an enemy,
If you hug an enemy, you will find a friend.
Have smaller friends, don't expand their circle.
And remember: better than close ones, a friend living far away.
Take a calm look at everyone who is sitting around.
In whom you saw support, you will suddenly see your enemy.
______________________
Don't make others angry and don't be angry yourself.
We are guests in this mortal world,
And what’s wrong, then you accept it.
Think with a cool head.
After all, everything is natural in the world:
The evil you emitted
Will definitely come back to you!
Be easier on people. Do you want to be wiser -
Don't hurt with your wisdom.
______________________
Only those who are worse than us think badly of us, and those who are better than us... They simply have no time for us
______________________
Better to fall into poverty, starve or steal,
How to become one of the despicable dishevelers.
It's better to gnaw on bones than to be seduced by sweets
At the table of the scoundrels in power.
We change rivers, countries, cities.
Other doors.
New Years.
But we can’t escape ourselves anywhere, and if we escape, we will only go nowhere.
______________________
You got out of rags to riches, but quickly becoming a prince...
Don’t forget, so as not to jinx it..., princes are not eternal - dirt is eternal...
______________________
Once the day has passed, don’t remember it,
Do not groan in fear before the coming day,
Don't worry about the future and the past,
Know the price of today's happiness!
______________________
If you can, don’t worry about time passing,
Do not burden your soul with either the past or the future.
Spend your treasures while you are alive;
After all, you will still appear in the next world as poor.
Do not be afraid of the wiles of time as it flies,
Our troubles in the circle of existence are not eternal.
Spend the moment given to us in joy,
Don't cry about the past, don't be afraid of the future.
______________________
I have never been repulsed by a person’s poverty; it’s another matter if his soul and thoughts are poor.
Noble people, loving each other,
They see the grief of others and forget themselves.
If you want honor and the shine of mirrors, -
Don't envy others, and they will love you.
______________________
Don't envy someone who is strong and rich.
Sunset always follows dawn.
With this short life, equal
Treat it like it's rented to you!
______________________
I would like to mold my life from the smartest things
I didn’t think of it there, but I didn’t manage to do it here.
But Time is our efficient teacher!
As soon as you give me a slap on the head, you have become a little wiser.
Mahmoud Farshchian (c)
No one can tell what roses smell like...
Another of the bitter herbs will produce honey...
If you give someone some change, they will remember it forever...
You give your life to someone, but he won’t understand...
Dear friends! Wisdom of life from talented people are always interesting, and the wisdom of life from Omar Khayyam is doubly interesting. Persian poet, philosopher, astrologer, mathematician... Omar Khayyam is famous in the mathematical world for creating a classification of cubic equations; his calendar, created several centuries ago, surpasses the ancient Roman one from an astronomical point of view Julian calendar, and in accuracy the European Gregorian.
A lot can be said about Omar Khayyam, and I may decide to talk about the biography of this extraordinary man, but today’s post is about him literary heritage. Omar Khayyam became famous in our time, first of all, as the author of the famous wise quatrains - reflections - rubai. Rubai - bright, emotional, written with brilliant wit, at the same time musical and lyrical - have conquered the whole world. Most of Rubai are reflections on the Koran. How many quatrains were written by the poet? Now there are about 1200. According to the Indian scientist and researcher of the work of the poet Swami Govinda Tirtha, up to 2,200 quatrains have survived in our time. In fact, no one knows how much was written, because over nine centuries many rubai have been lost forever.
Was there any wisdom of life from Omar Khayyam?
The controversy about the authorship of the Rubaiyat continues to this day. Some believe that Omar Khayyam has no more than 400 original texts, others are more strict - only 66, and some scientists claim - only 6 (those that were found in the most ancient manuscripts). Everything else, according to researchers of Khayyam’s work, all these wise sayings and poems are the authorship of other people. Perhaps the manuscripts that were passed down from generation to generation were accompanied by other people's quatrains, whose authorship was not established. Someone wrote down their own rubai in the margins, and centuries later they were considered missing insertions and included in the main text.
Osman Hamdy Bey (c)
Perhaps the most laconic, daring, witty and elegant quatrains in all centuries were attributed to Omar Khayyam. Finding authentic rubai of Omar Khayyam is a hopeless task, since today the authorship of any quatrain is difficult to establish. Therefore, let us trust ancient and not very ancient manuscripts, we will read wise thoughts and find the quatrain to which our soul responds in this moment. And then say thank you to the author (regardless of who he is) and the translator.
Osman Hamdy Bey (c)
Learn all the secrets of wisdom! - And there?…
Arrange the whole world in your own way! - And there?…
Live carefree until you are a hundred years old and happy...
You will miraculously last until two hundred!... - And there?
“Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” by E. Fitzgerald
The wisdom of life from Omar Khayyam became known thanks to Edward Fitzgerald, who found a notebook with quatrains and first translated them into Latin language, and then - in 1859 - into English.
These poems amazed the English poet with their wisdom, deep philosophical overtones and at the same time lyricism and subtlety. “After several centuries, old man Khayyam continues to ring like real metal,” Edward Fitzgerald said admiringly. Fitzgerald's translation was arbitrary; in order to connect the quatrains, he made his own insertions, and ultimately created a poem similar to the tales of the Arabian Nights, main character which he constantly feasts on and periodically utters truths over the constant cup of wine.
Thanks to Fitzgerald, Omar Khayyam gained a reputation as a merry fellow, a jokester who loves wine and encourages seizing the moment of pleasure. But thanks to this poem, the whole world learned about the Persian poet, and aphorisms, poems, parables and other everyday wisdom were quoted throughout all countries. The most famous
To live your life wisely, you need to know a lot,
Two important rules remember for starters:
You'd rather starve than eat anything
And it’s better to be alone than with just anyone.
The lower man soul, the higher nose up.
He reaches with his nose to where his soul has not grown.
in the ears or tongues of many.
The appearance of the wise sayings of Omar Khayyam in Russia.
The first publication of Omar Khayyam in Russian appeared in 1891. The translator was the poet V.L. Velichko. He translated 52 quatrains. These were rather paraphrase translations, since the poet did not set himself the task of reproducing the original. A total of 5 sayings were made in the form of quatrains.
In general, more than 40 names are known in Russia who have translated Omar Khayyam. Some of the most famous are the translations of V. Derzhavin, A.V. Starostin, G. Plisetsky, N. Strizhkov, G.S. Semenov. I specifically focus on these names, because I give the quatrains below without indicating the name of the translator (I couldn’t find it, alas). Perhaps these poets are their authors. To date, more than 700 Khayyam rubai have been translated.
We have already said that translations reflect the essence of the translator, because everyone brings into the translation not only their own talent, but also their own understanding of quatrains (by the way, I “fell ill” with the topic of interlinear translation after, which simply stunned me with its conversation). Therefore, the same lines can be interpreted differently. I liked the comparative translation of this original text (interlinear) by Omar Khayyam.
Be cheerful, for there is no end to suffering in sight.
More than once will luminaries in the same zodiac sign come together in the heavens,
[representing the predestination of fate].
The bricks that will be molded from your ashes
Smash into the wall of a house for other people
Mahmoud Farshchian (c)
Compare!
Translation by C. Guerra (1901):
Surrender to joy! The torment will be eternal!
The days will change: day - night, day - night again;
The earthly hours are all small and fleeting,
And soon you will leave us from here.
You will mix with the earth, with lumps of sticky clay,
And the bricks will be covered with you at the stoves,
And they will build a palace for the lowly cattle,
And at that bookmark they will make a series of speeches.
And your spirit, perhaps, is a former shell
Back to yourself again, it will be in vain to call!
So sing and have fun while they give you a reprieve
And death has not yet come to visit you.
Translation by G. Plisetsky (1971):
Have some fun! The sad ones go crazy.
Eternal darkness shines with eternal stars.
How to get used to what is made of thinking flesh
Will the bricks be made and laid at home?
Unfortunately, I cannot list (due to the blog format) 13 more varieties of this translation. Some rubai have 1 translation, and some (the most popular) have up to 15!
But let's just read and enjoy these poetic lines, because we receive precious advice and instructions. Despite the fact that ten centuries separate his work from us, the wise thoughts of Omar Khayyam still relevant and close to everyone. Indeed, in the quotes of Omar Khayyam about life, about love, about wisdom, the truth is revealed that all people of the world are looking for. Despite the fact (or maybe precisely because) that the statements of his poems are sometimes opposite and contradictory, his rubai captivate people of any age.
Osman Hamdy Bey (c)
Young people, thanks to the wisdom of his poems, have the opportunity to avoid some mistakes. Young people just entering great life, learn worldly wisdom, because the poems of Omar Khayyam give answers to different life situations. Elderly people, who have already seen a lot and are themselves able to give advice for all occasions, find in his quatrains rich food for the mind. They can compare their life wisdom with thoughts extraordinary person who lived a thousand years ago.
Behind the lines one can see the searching and inquisitive personality of the poet. He returns to the same thoughts throughout his life, revising them, discovering new possibilities or secrets of life.
Osman Hamdy Bey (c)
For many years I reflected on earthly life.
There is nothing incomprehensible to me under the sun.
I know that I know nothing, -
This is the last secret I have learned.
Quotes from Omar Khayyam are an opportunity to step away from the hustle and bustle and look into yourself. Even after a thousand years, the voice of Omar Khayyam carries a message of love, understanding of the transience of life and a careful attitude towards every moment of it. Omar Khayyam gives advice on how to succeed in business, how to raise children, how to live in love and peace with your husband, how to build relationships with people around you. These tips are given beautifully, gracefully and expressively. They captivate with their brevity and depth of thought. Every moment of life is priceless, the poet never tires of reminding us.
Osman Hamdy Bey (c)
Wisdom of life from Omar Khayyam
You will say this life is one moment.
Appreciate it, draw inspiration from it.
As you spend it, so it will pass,
Don't forget: she is your creation.
***
Everything is bought and sold,
And life openly laughs at us.
We are indignant, we are indignant,
But we buy and sell.
***
Don't share your secret with people,
After all, you don’t know which of them is mean.
What do you do with God's creation?
Expect the same from yourself and from people.
***
Don't let a scoundrel into your secrets - hide them,
And keep secrets from a fool - hide them,
Look at yourself among the people passing by,
Keep silent about your hopes until the end - hide them!
***
Everything we see is only one appearance.
Far from the surface of the world to the bottom.
Consider the obvious in the world to be unimportant,
For the secret essence of things is not visible.
***
We change rivers, countries, cities...
Other doors... New Years...
And we can’t escape ourselves anywhere,
And if you go, you’ll go nowhere.
***
Hell and heaven are in heaven,” say the bigots.
I looked into myself and became convinced of the lie:
Hell and heaven are not circles in the palace of the universe,
Hell and heaven are two halves of the soul.
***
Mahmoud Farshchian (c)
We don’t know if life will last until the morning...
So hurry up and sow the seeds of goodness!
And take care of love in this perishable world for your friends
Every moment is more than gold and silver.
***
We went to look for You, but we became an angry crowd:
And the poor, and the rich, and the generous, and the stingy.
You talk to everyone, none of us hears.
You appear before everyone, any of us is blind.
Giyasaddin Abu-l-Fath Omar ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam Nishapuri (Omar Khayyam) - born May 18, 1048, Nishapur, Iran. Outstanding Persian poet, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher. Author of the special poetic style “rubai”. Author of works - “Treatises”, “On direct kustas”, “Speech on childbirth that is formed by a quart”, etc. He died on December 4, 1131, Nishapur, Iran.
Aphorisms, quotes, sayings, phrases Omar Khayyam
- Those who lose heart die before their time.
- Don't complain about pain - that's the best medicine.
- It's better to be alone than with just anyone.
- To grow a shoot of despondency in the soul is a crime.
- Where, when and who, my dear, managed to please yourself before losing your desires?
- In order for the ears, eyes and tongue to be intact, one must be hard of hearing, blind, and dumb.
- Evil is not born from good and vice versa. Human eyes are given to us to distinguish them!
- You find a reason for every step - Meanwhile, it has long been predetermined in heaven.
- If a vile person pours medicine for you, pour it out! If a wise man pours poison on you, accept it!
- Those who have not sought the way are unlikely to be shown the way - Knock - and the doors to destiny will open!
- Passion cannot deep love to be friends, If he can, then they won’t be together for long.
- It is better to gnaw on bones than to be seduced by sweets at the table of scoundrels in power.
- Life is a desert, we wander through it naked. Mortal, full of pride, you are simply ridiculous!
- We change rivers, countries, cities. Other doors. New Years. But we can’t escape ourselves anywhere, and if we escape, we will only go nowhere.
- From feigned love there is no quenching, No matter how the rotten thing shines, there is no burning. Day and night there is no peace for a lover, For months there is no moment of oblivion!
- You will say this life is one moment. Appreciate it, draw inspiration from it. As you spend it, so it will pass. Don’t forget: she is your creation.
- Although a wise man is not a miser and does not accumulate goods, the world is bad for a wise man without silver. Under the fence the violet fades from beggary, And the rich rose is red and generous!
- Communicating with a fool will not bring you shame. Therefore, listen to Khayyam’s advice: Accept the poison offered to you by the sage, but do not accept balm from the hands of a fool.
- No one saw either heaven or hell; Has anyone returned from there to our corruptible world? But these ghosts are fruitless for us And the source of fears and hopes is unchanging.
- He is too zealous and shouts: “It’s me!” The gold coin in the wallet is strumming: “It’s me!” But as soon as he has time to get things going, Death knocks on the braggart’s window: “It’s me!”
- I have made knowledge my craft, I am familiar with the highest truth and base evil. I have unraveled all the tight knots in the world, Except death, tied in a dead knot.
- One work that is always shameful is to extol yourself. Are you so great and wise? - dare to ask yourself. Let the eyes serve as an example - huge seeing the world, They do not complain because they cannot see themselves.
- Someone wise inspired me, who was dozing off: “Wake up! You can't become happy in a dream. Give up this activity, which is similar to death. After death, Khayyam, you will get a good night’s sleep!”
- It’s better to give happiness to someone close than to suffer uselessly for the sake of common happiness. Better than a friend To bind to oneself with kindness, Than to free humanity from its shackles.
- To live your life wisely, you need to know a lot. Remember two important rules to begin with: You’d better starve than eat anything, And it’s better to be alone than with just anyone.
- Since the truth always gets out of hand. Don’t try to understand the incomprehensible, friend! Take the cup in your hands, remain ignorant. Believe me, there is no point in studying science! I don’t remember who translated it, honestly.
- If I had power over this evil sky, I would crush it and replace it with another, So that there would be no barriers to noble aspirations and a person could live without being tormented by melancholy.
- At heart you are an atheist with Scripture in your hand, Even though you have memorized the letters in each line. It's no use hitting the ground with your head, but hit the ground with everything that's in your head!
- Love is a fatal misfortune, but the misfortune is by the will of Allah. Why do you blame what is always by the will of Allah? A series of both evil and good arose - by the will of Allah. Why do we need thunder and flames of Judgment - according to the will of Allah?
- It is better to drink and caress cheerful beauties, Than to seek salvation in fasting and prayers. If there is a place in hell for lovers and drunkards, then who will you order to allow into heaven?
- You, the Almighty, in my opinion, are greedy and old. You deal blow after blow to the slave. Paradise is the reward of the sinless for their obedience. Would you give me something not as a reward, but as a gift!
- If a mill, a bathhouse, luxurious palace A fool and a scoundrel receive a gift, And a worthy one goes into bondage for bread - I don’t care about your justice, creator!
- If you recognize the superiority of others, that means you are a husband. If you are the master of your actions, that means you are a husband. There is no honor in the humiliation of one who is defeated, Kind to those who have fallen in misfortune, that means a husband!
- Not appropriate good people to offend, It is not proper to growl like a predator in the desert. It’s not smart to boast about the wealth you’ve acquired, It’s not appropriate to honor yourself with titles!
- Only the essence, how worthy of men, speak, Only answering - the words, master - speak. There are two ears, but one tongue is not given by chance - Listen twice and speak only once!
- I know this type of pompous asses: Empty as a drum, but so many loud words! They are slaves of names. Just make up a name for yourself, And any of them is ready to crawl before you.
- Don’t let a scoundrel into your secrets - hide them, And keep secrets from a fool - hide them, Look at yourself among the people passing by, Keep silent about your hopes until the end - hide them!
- How long will you please all sorts of beasts? Only a fly can give his soul for food! Feed on the blood of your heart, but be independent. Better than tears swallow than to gnaw on scraps.
- He who, from his youth, believes in his own mind, has become dry and gloomy in pursuit of the truth. Claiming from childhood to know life, without becoming a grape, he turned into a raisin.
- Nobility is born through suffering, friend, Is it given to every drop to become a pearl? You can lose everything, save only your soul, - The cup will be filled again, if only there was wine.
And today we have the wise sayings of Omar Khayyam, time-tested.
The era of Omar Khayyam, which gave birth to his wise sayings.
Omar Khayyam (18.5.1048 - 4.12.1131) lived during the Eastern Middle Ages. Born in Persia (Iran) in the city of Nishapur. There he received a good education.
The outstanding abilities of Omar Khayyam led him to continue his education in the largest centers of science - the cities of Balkh and Samarkand.
Already at the age of 21, he became a major scientist - mathematician, astronomer. Omar Khayyam wrote mathematical works that were so outstanding that some of them have survived to this day. Some of his books have also reached us.
He left a major scientific legacy, including a calendar according to which the entire East lived from 1079 until the mid-19th century. The calendar is still called that way: the Omar Khayyam Calendar. This calendar is better and more accurate than the one introduced later Gregorian calendar, according to which we live now.
Omar Khayyam was the wisest and most educated man. Astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, horoscope specialist - everywhere he was an advanced, greatest scientist.
Still, Omar Khayyam became especially famous for his wise sayings, which he rhymed in quatrains - rubai. They have reached our time, there are many hundreds of them different topics: about life, about love, about God, about wine and women.
With some of wise sayings We will meet Omar Khayyam, dear readers, here.
Wise sayings of Omar Khayyam about life.
Do not mourn, mortal, yesterday's losses,
Don’t measure today by tomorrow’s standard,
Believe neither the past nor the future minute,
Believe the current minute - be happy now!
Silence is a shield from many troubles,
And chatter is always harmful.
A person's tongue is small
But how many lives he ruined!
In this dark world
Consider it true only
Spiritual wealth,
For it will never depreciate.
If you can, don’t worry about time passing,
Do not burden your soul with the past or the future,
Spend your treasures while you're alive,
After all, you will still appear in the next world as poor.
To live your life wisely, you need to know a lot,
Remember two important rules to get started:
You'd rather starve than eat anything
And it’s better to be alone than with just anyone.
Omar Khayyam 
If you have a nook to live in,
In our vile times, even a piece of bread,
If you are not a servant to anyone, not a master,
You are happy and truly high in spirit.
Nobility and meanness, courage and fear -
Everything is built into our bodies from birth.
Until death we will become neither better nor worse -
We are the way Allah created us!
The wind of life is sometimes fierce.
In general, however, life is good.
And it’s not scary when black bread
It's scary when a black soul...
Don't make others angry and don't be angry yourself,
We are guests in this mortal world.
And, if something goes wrong, accept it!
Be smart and smile.
Think with a cool head.
After all, everything is natural in the world:
The evil you emitted
Will definitely come back to you!
I know the world: in it a thief sits on a thief,
A wise man always loses an argument with a fool,
The dishonest shames the honest,
And a drop of happiness drowns in a sea of grief...
Wise sayings of Omar Khayyam about love.
Beware of causing wounds
The soul that protects and loves you.
It hurts a lot more.
And, having forgiven everything, he will understand and will not judge.
Taking all the pain and bitterness from you,
Resignedly will remain in torment.
You will not hear insolence in words.
You will not see an evil tear sparkle.
Beware of causing wounds
To the one who brute force won't answer.
And who cannot heal the scars.
Anyone who will humbly meet your blow.
Beware of cruel wounds yourself,
Which inflicts on your soul
The one you keep as a talisman,
But whoever carries you in his soul does not.
We are so cruel to those who are vulnerable.
Helpless for those we love.
We keep traces of countless wounds,
Which we will forgive... but we will not forget!!!
Can only be shown to sighted people.
Sing the song only to those who hear.
Give yourself to someone who will be grateful
Who understands, loves and appreciates you.
We are unlikely to enter this world again,
We won’t find our friends again.
Seize the moment! After all, it won't happen again,
Just as you yourself will not repeat yourself in it.
In this world, love is the adornment of people;
To be deprived of love is to be without friends.
The one whose heart has not clung to the drink of love,
He's a donkey, even though he doesn't wear donkey ears!
Woe to the heart that is colder than ice,
Doesn't glow with love, doesn't know about it,
And for the heart of a lover - a day spent
Without a lover - the most wasted of days!
Don't count your friends against each other!
Not your friend who is driven by curiosity,
and the one who will happily share the takeoff with you...
And whoever is in trouble... will hear your quiet cry...
Omar Khayyam
Yes, a woman is like wine
Where's the wine?
It's important for a man
Know a sense of proportion.
Don't look for reasons
In wine, if drunk -
It's not the culprit.
Yes, in a woman, as in a book, there is wisdom.
Can understand its great meaning
Only literate.
And don't be angry with the book,
Kohl, an ignoramus, could not read it.
Omar Khayyam
Wise sayings of Omar Khayyam about God and religion.
God exists, and everything is God! This is the center of knowledge
I took it from the Book of the Universe.
I saw the radiance of Truth with my heart,
And the darkness of godlessness burned to the ground.
They rage in cells, mosques and churches,
Hope to enter heaven and fear of hell.
Only in the soul who understands the secret of the world,
The juice of these weeds has dried up and withered away.
Not a word in the Book of Fate can be changed.
Those who suffer forever cannot be excused.
You can drink your bile until the end of your life:
Life cannot be shortened and cannot be lengthened. Omar Khayyam
The goal of the creator and the pinnacle of creation is us.
Wisdom, reason, the source of insight are us.
This circle of the universe is like a ring.
—
There is a cut diamond in it, without a doubt, we are!
What a contemporary said about the wisdom of Omar Khayyam, about his life and death.
Omar Khayyam had many students who left memories of him.
Here are the memories of one of them:
4“Once in the city of Bali, on the street of slave traders, in the emir’s palace, at a feast during a cheerful conversation, our teacher Omar Khayyam said: “I will be buried in a place where always in the days spring equinox a fresh wind will shower the flowers of the fruit branches.” Twenty-four years later I visited Nishapur, where this great person, and asked to show me his grave. I was taken to the cemetery of Khaira, and I saw the grave at the foot of the garden wall, shaded by pear and apricot trees and showered with flower petals so that it was completely hidden under them. I remembered the words spoken in Balkh and began to cry. Nowhere in the whole world, up to its inhabited borders, was there a man like him.”
Quotes and Aphorisms 16.09.2017
Dear readers, today I invite you to a philosophical conversation. After all, we will talk about the statements of the famous poet and philosopher Omar Khayyam. The poet is considered one of the greatest minds and philosophers of the East. Composing aphorisms about life with meaning, Omar Khayyam wrote short quatrains- rubai. It is interesting, however, that during his lifetime he was much better known as an astronomer and mathematician.
Before victorian era they knew about him only in the East. Because of the breadth of views for a long time Khayyam the poet and Khayyam the scientist were considered different people. The collection of quatrains, rubaiyat, was published after the death of the author. Europeans read the rubaiyat in the translation of the English naturalist and poet Edward Fitzgerald. According to writers, Hayam's collection of poems includes more than 5,000 works. Historians are cautious: experts say that Khayyam wrote only 300 to 500 poems.
The philosopher had a keen sense of life and accurately described the characters of people. Noticed behavioral patterns in different situations. Despite the fact that he lived many years ago, Khayyam’s sayings and thoughts are still relevant today, and many of his sayings have become famous aphorisms.
And now I invite you, dear readers, to receive subtle pleasure from poetic wisdom and the wit of aphorisms and quotes from the great thinker Omar Khayyam.
Quotes and aphorisms of Omar Khayyam about love
The poet could not ignore the eternal theme of relations between men and women. Sincerely and simply he writes:
Days spent without the joys of love,
I consider the burden unnecessary and hateful.
But idealism is alien to Khayyam. Love's tossing is described in several lines:
How often, when we make mistakes in life, we lose those we value.
Trying to please others, sometimes we run away from our neighbors.
We exalt those who are not worthy of us, and betray the most faithful.
Those who love us so much, we offend, and we ourselves expect an apology.
The poet also thought a lot about how true intimacy and love between people is manifested:
Giving yourself does not mean selling.
And sleeping next to each other does not mean sleeping with you.
Not taking revenge does not mean forgiving everything.
Not being around doesn’t mean not loving.
Physical distances mattered more in the distant past than they do now. But mental alienation can still be the same. Master of souls o eternal problem families, seducing husbands, he said briefly: “You can seduce a man who has a wife, you can seduce a man who has a mistress, but you cannot seduce a man who has a beloved woman.”
At the same time, the philosopher admits:
A weak man is an unfaithful slave of fate,
Exposed, I am a shameless slave!
Especially in love. I myself, I am the first
Always unfaithful and weak towards many.
About the ideal female beauty On behalf of the men, Khayyam wrote:
You, whose appearance is fresher than wheat fields,
You are a mihrab from the temple of heaven!
When you were born, your mother washed you with ambergris,
By mixing drops of my blood into the aroma!
Surprisingly, more than ten centuries have passed since these lines were written, and the actions of the lovers have hardly changed. Maybe that’s why the wittiest quotes and aphorisms of Omar Khayyam are still so popular?
Quotes from Omar Khayyam about the joy of life
During the life of the scientist in the Islamic world (in modern borders from Azerbaijan to India) religion in literature imposes strict restrictions on the description of love. For more than thirty years, there has been a strict ban on mentioning alcohol in poetry. But the philosopher seems to laugh at the imams. Famous verses are broken down into aphorisms.
They tell us that in the depths of paradise we will embrace the wondrous houris,
Blissfully delighting yourself with the purest honey and wine.
So if then the Eternal One himself in the holy heaven allowed,
Is it possible to forget beauties and wine in a fleeting world?
However, Khayyam’s notorious wine is not so much alcoholic as a symbol of the joy of life:
Drink! And into the fire of spring chaos
Throw away the holey, dark cloak of winter.
The earthly path is short. And time is a bird.
The bird has wings... You are at the edge of darkness.
Wine is also a way to comprehend the wisdom of seemingly ordinary phenomena and images:
Man is the truth of the world, the crown
Not everyone knows this, but only a sage.
Drink a drop of wine so you don't think
That creations are all based on the same pattern.
Although the most important thing is the ability to enjoy life:
Do not worry that your name will be forgotten.
Let the intoxicating drink comfort you.
Before your joints fall apart,
Comfort yourself with your beloved by caressing her.
The main feature of the sage’s works is integrity without the currently fashionable conflict. A person is not only integral, but also influences his environment:
Only the dawn will be barely visible in the sky,
Draw from the cup the juice of the invaluable vine!
We know: the truth is in the mouth people are bitter, –
So, then, we must consider wine to be the truth.
This is the whole of Khayyam - he suggests looking for the meaning of life in its endless manifestations.
Aphorisms of Omar Khayyam about life
This is the essence of philosophers - to constantly think about what is happening around and be able to express it accurately and succinctly. Omar Khayyam expressed a very unusual view:
And the nights gave way to days
Before us, oh my dear friend,
And the stars did everything the same
Your circle is predetermined by fate.
Ah, hush! Walk carefully
To the dust under your foot -
You trample the ashes of beauties,
The remains of their wondrous eyes.
Khayyam is also wise in his attitude towards death and suffering. Like anyone a wise man he knew that there was no point in regretting the past and that in constant anticipation better happiness can't be found either.
Don’t curse heaven for your suffering.
Look at the graves of your friends without sobbing.
Appreciate this fleeting moment.
Don't look at yesterday and tomorrow.
And about different perceptions life he wrote:
Two people were looking out the same window. One saw rain and mud.
The other is green elm foliage, spring and blue sky.
Two people were looking out the same window.
And, of course, all the basic laws of the universe were obvious to him, which even now indicate that the best thing in life is to do good:
Don't do evil - it will come back like a boomerang,
Don't spit in the well - you will drink the water,
Don't insult someone of lower rank
What if you have to ask for something?
Don't betray your friends - you can't replace them,
And don’t lose your loved ones - you won’t get them back,
Don't lie to yourself - you'll find out over time
That you are betraying yourself with this lie.
The philosopher considered labor to be the main thing, and position in society, wealth and social benefits to be only transitory attributes. About swagger he wrote:
Sometimes someone proudly glances: “It’s me!”
Decorate your outfits with gold: “It’s me!”
But only his affairs will go well,
Suddenly death emerges from ambush: “It’s me!”
In the fleeting nature of existence, the poet valued humanity and the ability to focus on one’s tasks:
Don't envy someone who is strong and rich
Sunset always follows dawn.
With this short life, equal to a breath,
Treat it as if it was rented to you.
Omar Khayyam was able to treat many things with humor:
When I lay my head under the fence,
In the clutches of death, like a bird in the plucking, I will please -
I bequeath: make a jug out of me,
Involve me in your revelry!
Although, like wine, the revelry and joy of the poet cannot be understood only literally. The rubaiyat contains several layers of wisdom.
Reflections on God and Religion
Due to the peculiarities of the worldview of the East at that time, Khayyam could not ignore religion.
God is in the veins of days. All life is His game.
From mercury it is living silver.
It will sparkle with the moon, become silver with a fish...
He is all flexible, and death is His game.
Omar Khayyam took a long time to understand God. God, according to Khayyam, is very different from the Christian trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In moments He is visible, more often he is hidden.
He keeps a close eye on our lives.
God whiles away eternity with our drama!
He composes, directs and watches.
Strictly speaking, in Islam, only the Holy Spirit is present from the trinity. According to the Koran, Jesus, or rather Isa, is one of the greatest prophets. The scientist openly did not like them:
Prophets came to us in droves,
And they promised light to the dark world.
But they all have their eyes closed
They followed each other down into the darkness.
Although the philosopher took part in raising the children of noble families, he did not leave behind any theological works. The fact is all the more surprising that during 10 years of work in Bukhara, the scientist published 4 fundamental additions to Euclid’s geometry and 2 works on astronomy. Apparently, Theosophy remained outside his interests. His humorous verse speaks about his attitude towards the cult of religion:
I enter the mosque. The hour is late and dull.
I am not thirsty for a miracle and not with a prayer:
Once upon a time I pulled a rug from here,
And he was worn out. We need another...
