Iranians mark national day honoring towering polymath Omar Khayyam

Born on May 18, 1048 (28 Ordibehesht 427 in the Persian calendar) in the historic city of Nishapur, Khayyam was a philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, and poet of the Seljuk era.

Though his scientific achievements, especially in mathematics and astronomy, are considered superior to his literary contributions and earned him the title “Hujjat al-Haqq” (The Proof of Truth), Khayyam is best known worldwide for his quatrains (Rubaiyat). His poetry, often meditative and philosophical, has gained enduring fame across cultures.

The global recognition of Khayyam’s poetry owes much to the 19th-century English translation by Edward FitzGerald, which introduced the Rubaiyat to the Western world and significantly boosted Khayyam’s literary reputation outside Iran.

Today, his verses are translated into most major languages and remain celebrated for their reflection on fate, existence, and the human condition.