Omar Khayyam Poems: A Modern Translation
Ebook
The poems attributed to Omar Khayyam have a universal and timeless philosophical theme: life is a meaningful journey even if brief and uncertain. They inspire an unconstrained free-thinking mindset and a wise realization that guides thinking persons: it is impossible to see the absolute truth, as the universe has its own reality that remains largely hidden, and that one must think and act accordingly. This book presents a selection of Khayyam's poems in their original Persian language along with their English translations in a faithful and modern version. By relying only on the original Persian version of Khayyam's poems, and using the author's own body of literary and linguistic knowledge, this book presents a modern translation of Omar Khayyam's poems since Edward Fitzgerald's Rubaiyat in 1859.
“Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat remains a source of inspiration
for generations to come. In his lucid translation or perhaps
rendition of the Rubaiyat, Siamak Akhavan has provided a
balance between accuracy and eloquence for the modern
reader.”
—Mehdi Aminrazavi, Professor, University of Mary Washington
“Akhavan’s translations of Khayyam’s poems emanate light,
verve, and compassion. His quatrains paint vivid and intense images
in the mind’s eye, capturing the joy and complexity of a brilliant
thinker—one who embraced life in his eleventh-century Persian
culture, which denied him freedom to voice his inner thoughts for
fear of persecution. Unlike the Victorian and hedonistic style of
Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat, Akhavan’s translations flow
gracefully and are eloquently simplistic, enticing the poetry lover
to languor in the richness of Omar’s world.”
—Virginia Bria, Instructor, Sonoma State University
“These rhymed quatrains, more faithful to the original Persian,
offer a necessary and long-overdue corrective to the well-known
renderings of Edward Fitzgerald. They can be read in the spirit of
Omar Khayyam’s original writing, simultaneously for wisdom and for
pleasure.”
—Roger Sedarat, Professor, Queens College MFA Program in Literary
Translation
- Title: Omar Khayyam Poems: A Modern Translation
- Authors: Omar Khayyam, Siamak Akhavan
- Publisher: Resource Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2021
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666715521, 9781666715507, 9781666715514, 1666715522, 1666715506, 1666715514
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666715521
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T19:53:02Z
Siamak Akhavan is an independent researcher, published author of
works such as The Universal Sign (2006), and an avid reader
and translator of Persian poetry. Siamak will dedicate all proceeds
from the sales of this book to charitable educational
causes.