The evening times., 1898-10-20
OMAR KHAYYAM.

He hved in the eleventh century. He
was tent maker. an astronomer. a sci
enlist, but, above all else. a poet. He
was born at Naisapur in Khorasan and
studied the Koran and tradition with two
companions under famous instructor
whose teaching was supposed to endow
the scholar with honor and happiness
One of the youthful triumvirate, Nizam-
ui-Mulk, having been appointed vizier 20
the sultan, remembered a promise made
70 his companions that whoever should
attain distinction should provide for the
friends of his school days. To Hasan Ben
Sabbah he gave position in the govern
ment, position soon forfeited through
intrigue and rebellion. Fleeing from as
sault, Hasan established himself in the
mountainous regions south of the Cas-
plan sea. becoming known to the terror
ized country as the old man of the
mountain 1t was his name that result
ed In the word "assa ssin," and his dagger
that finally killed his benefactor Nizam.
Far different was the privilege asked by
Omar Khayyam. THE greatest boon you
can confer on me is to let me live in a
corner under the shadow of your fortune.
to spread wide the advantages of science
and to pray for your long life and pros
perity.' So Omar spent his life When
the sultan wished to reform the calendar
so great was the poets distinction for
scientific knowledge that he, was appoint
ed one of the eight sages to make the
revisions. The result was the Jaloli era,
which surpasses the Julian and ap-
proaches the accuracy of the GregOrian
style Omar is also the author OF a set
of astronomical tables and an Arabic
treatise on algebra. He died at Naisa par,
a D. 1l23, the very paragon of his age
writer in the Chicago Chronicle sum
marizes his opinions and work as fol-
lows: Omar loved nature and its tropi-
cal luxuriauce in Persia. The rose trails
its branches through all his poems and
drops its fragrPrt petals after every
verse. II was his desire that the final
sleep which should end his questioning
should be in a spot where the north wind
might scatter roses over his grave His
wish was fulfilled. Years after. tells one
of his pupils, when | chanced to revi- il
Naisapur. l went to his final resting
place, and, 10. it was just outside a gar
den, and trees laden with fruit stretched
their boughs over his tomb. so that the
stone was hidden under them.
THE oriental poet was translated into
EngliSh verse by Edward Fitzgerald. q
version which still remains unrivaled in
spite Of the later efforts of Richard l.
GaIlienne Nicolas interpreted The phi
losophy OF his quatrains for the French
people, each commentator regarding the
author from slightly divergent points of
view. Fitzgerald considers him a mate
rial epicurean of the drink and be mer-
ry' school, Nicolas regards him as a mys-
tic shadowing the Deity under the figures
of Wine and Wine-bearer. Certainly
FitZgerald's is the more commonly ac-
cepted Interpretation, and yet even he
acknowledges that while Omar vaunted
the pleasures of physical life and toasted
the ruby gushing from the vine, the Ioet
probably Dragged more than he drank
of it. He certainly preached the vanity
Of human attainments and left 'tomor-
rows tangle 10 the winds Like Faust
in early life he was with much aiming
cursed.
Some OF the lines in the Rubaiyat
have passed into current language, such
as sold my reputation for a song 'Heav-
ems but the vision of fulfilled desire.
Kipling has turned TO 1t for the title of
his book, The Seven Seas"