Essay, Biography or Paragraph on “Omar Khayyam” complete biography for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Omar Khayyam

Persia : Renowned Arabic poet

Born : 1049        Died : 1123

Omar Khayyam was born in Persia (now Iran) near Nishapur. Khayyam in Persian means `maker of tents’. As such it is presumed that his hereditary profession must have been tent-making. Omar Khayyam is famous in the western world because of his four-line `rubaiyats’. Fitzgerald translated them in English and then his name became known in west. Apart from English, his rubaiyats have been translated in other languages. His poems make it apparent that Omar Khayyam was free from religious bigotry and was liberal in thoughts. He has described the beauty of nature in his poems and at the same time praised love and wine. Some people think that he was an epicurean who loved the good things of life. Others feel that he might have used `beloved’ as a symbol for God as many sufis attributed God as their beloved. Some of his quatrains have pessimistic undercurrent, but generally they encourage people not to worry about the future, in order to enjoy life to the full.

Though the western world was quite uncivilized at that time, the Moslems had made great strides in Mathematics, Algebra and Astronomy. Generally, people think that Omar Khayyam was an Arabic poet. They hardly know that he was a great mathematician. He formulated many principles of Algebra in Arabic. He also devised a calendar for Sultan Malik Shah and was appointed as an official astronomer in his court. Verily, Omar Khayyam was one of the leading lights of twelfth century who gave a lot to the world.