The Wine of Wisdom: The Life, Poetry and Philosophy of Omar Khayyam

by Mehdi Aminrazavi

Overview

The intoxicating message of Khayyam’s famous Ruba‘iyyat created an image of exotic Orientalism in the West but, as author Mehdi Aminrazavi reveals, Khayyam’s achievements went far beyond the intoxicating message within these verses. Philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and mystic – his many different identities are examined here in detail, creating a coherent picture of this complex and often misunderstood figure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780744742
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	10/01/2013
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Author Mehdi Aminrazavi is Professor of Philosophy and Religion and Co-Director of the Center for Asian Studies at Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, Virginia, US.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi
Introduction 1
1. Khayyam’s Life and Works 18
2. Reconstructing a Tarnished Image: Omar Khayyam 40
According to his Contemporaries and Biographers
3. Khayyam within the Intellectual Context of his Time 67
4. The Ruba‘iyyat 90
5. Khayyam and Sufism 134
6. Khayyam’s Philosophical Thought 157
7. Khayyam the Scientist 188
8. Khayyam in the West 204
Epilogue 278
Appendix A: Translations of the Philosophical Treatises 283
Appendix B: The Ruba‘iyyat – Edward FitzGerald’s 328
Translation
Appendix C: Arabic Poems of Omar Khayyam 347
Notes 349
Bibliography 378
Index 387

Editorial Reviews

Known primarily in the West for his poem, The Rubaiyyat, Omar Khayyam was far more than an aesthete. A mathematician and philosopher as well as something of a heretic in 11th-century Persia, he challenged religious doctrines that readers in both cultures found highly secularist and deeply antireligious, making him something of a darling to rationalists like Voltaire. As Aminrazavi (philosophy & religion, Mary Washington Coll., Fredericksburg, VA) points out, Khayyam ultimately serves as a mirror for Western Victorian consciousness-those who like what they see praise him, those who don't view him as emblematic of the moral degeneration of civilized culture. Aminrazavi then offers a comprehensive view of Khayyam for English-speaking audiences, introducing not only Edward Fitzgerald's magisterial translation of The Rubaiyyat but also historical context on the poet-scientist, including a rerereading of his Sufism, philosophical thought, scientific contributions, and ever-changing reception in the West. The appendixes provide translations of Khayyam's philosophical treatises and other Arabic poems, which alone makes this a valuable work. Engaging and readable, this is recommended for Islamic, medieval history, and philosophy collections.-Sandra Collins, Univ. of Pittsburgh Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

"Loved by the free-spirited, hated by his orthodox peers; a stranger in both his homeland and the West : the complexities and contradictions surrounding the life of Omar Khayyam are reconstructed for the first time in this authoritative new biography."

The Watkins Review

"Though centrally concerned with the Persiquatrains known as the Rubaiyat, he also covers Omar's career as a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher as well as his poetry in Arabi."

The Times Literary Supplement

Loved by the free-spirited, hated by his orthodox peers; a stranger in both his homeland and the West: the complexities and contradictions surrounding the life of Omar Khayyam are reconstructed for the first time in this authoritative new biography.-- "The Watkins Review"

Though centrally concerned with the Persiquatrains known as the Rubaiyat, he also covers Omar's career as a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher as well as his poetry in Arabi.-- "The Times Literary Supplement"

From the Publisher