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Ömer
Hayyam, 12th century poet and philosopher
 Ghiyās od-Dīn Abul-Fatah Omār ibn
Ibrāhīm Khayyām Nishābūrī (Ömer Hayyam,
Turkish), or Omar Khayyam (Nishapur,
current Persia (then a Seljuk capital in Khorasan (present Northeast
Iran), May 18, 1048 – December 4, 1131) was a poet, mathematician,
philosopher and astronomer who lived in Persia. His name is also
given as Omar al-Khayyami[1].
He is best known for his poetry, and outside Iran, for the quatrains
(rubaiyaas) in Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, popularized through Edward
Fitzgerald's re-created translation. His substantial mathematical
contributions include his Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of
Algebra, which gives a geometric method for solving cubic equations
by intersecting a hyperbola with a circle[2]. He also contributed to
calendar reform and may have proposed a heliocentric theory well
before Copernicus.
Early life
Khayyam was born in Nishapur, then a Seljuk capital in Khorasan
(present Northeast Iran), rivalling Cairo or Baghdad. He is thought
to have been born into a family of tent makers (literally, al-khayyami
means "tent maker"); later in life he would make this into a play on
words:
Khayyam, who stitched the tents of science,
Has fallen in grief's furnace and been suddenly burned,
The shears of Fate have cut the tent ropes of his life,
And the broker of Hope has sold him for nothing! [2]
He spent part of his childhood in the town of Balkh (present
northern Afghanistan), studying under the well-known scholar Sheik
Muhammad Mansuri. Subsequently, he studied under Imam Mowaffaq
Nishapuri, who was considered one of the greatest teachers of the
Khorassan region.
According to a well-known legend called Three Schoolmates, two other
exceptional students studied under the Imam Mowaffaq at about the
same time: Nizam-ul-Mulk (b. 1018), who went on to become the Vizier
to the Seljukid Empire, and Hassan-i-Sabah (b.1034), who became the
leader of the Hashshashin (Nizar Ismaili) sect. It was said that
these students became friends, and after Nizam-ul-Mulk became
Vizier, Hassan-i-Sabah and Omar Khayyám each went to him, and asked
to share in his good fortune. Hassan-i-Sabah demanded and was
granted a place in the government, but he was ambitious, and was
eventually removed from power after he participated in an
unsuccessful effort to overthrow his benefactor, the Vizier. Omar
Khayyám was more modest and asked merely for a place to live, study
science, and pray. He was granted a yearly pension of 1,200 mithkals
of gold from the treasury of Nishapur. He lived on this pension for
the rest of his life.
Mathematician
Omar Khayyam was famous
during his times as a mathematician. He wrote the influential
Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra (1070), which laid
down the principles of algebra, part of the body of Arabic
Mathematics that was eventually transmitted to Europe. In
particular, he derived general methods for solving cubic equations
and even some higher orders:
From the Indians one has methods for obtaining square and cube
roots, methods which are based on knowledge of individual cases,
namely the knowledge of the squares of the nine digits 12, 22, 32
(etc.) and their respective products, i.e. 2 × 3 etc. We have
written a treatise on the proof of the validity of those methods and
that they satisfy the conditions. In addition we have increased
their types, namely in the form of the determination of the fourth,
fifth, sixth roots up to any desired degree. No one preceded us in
this and those proofs are purely arithmetic, founded on the
arithmetic of The Elements. - Omar Khayyam: Treatise on
Demonstration of Problems of Algebra[3]
His method for solving cubic equations by intersecting a conic
section with a circle (see some examples with a parabola worked out
on a calculator[4]). Although his approach at achieving this had
earlier been attempted by Menaechmus, Mahavira Acharya and others,
Khayyám provided a generalization extending it to all cubics. In
addition he discovered the binomial expansion. His method for
solving quadratic equations is also similar to what is used today.
In the Treatise he also wrote on the triangular array of binomial
coefficients known as Pascal's triangle. In 1077, Omar wrote Sharh
ma ashkala min musadarat kitab Uqlidis (Explanations of the
Difficulties in the Postulates of Euclid). An important part of the
book is concerned with Euclid's famous parallel postulate, which had
also attracted the interest of Thabit ibn Qurra. Al-Haytham had
previously attempted a demonstration of the postulate; Omar's
attempt was a distinct advance, and his criticisms made their way to
Europe, and may have contributed to the eventual development of
non-Euclidean geometry.
Omar Khayyám also had other notable work in geometry, specifically
on the theory of proportions.
Astronomer
Like most mathematicians of the period, Omar Khayyám was also famous
as an astronomer. In 1073, the Seljuk dynasty Sultan Sultan Jalal
al-Din Malekshah Saljuqi (Malik-Shah I, 1072-92), invited Khayyám to
build an observatory, along with various other distinguished
scientists. Eventually, Khayyám and his colleagues measured the
length of the solar year as 365.24219858156 days (correct to six
decimal places). This calendric measurement has only an 1 hour error
every 5,500 years, whereas the Gregorian Calendar, adopted in Europe
four centuries later, has a 1 day error in every 3,330 years, but is
easier to calculate.
Calendar Reform
Omar Khayyam was part of a panel that introduced several reforms to
the Persian calendar, largely based on ideas from the Hindu
calendar. On March 15, 1079, Sultan Malik Shah I accepted this
corrected calendar as the official Persian calendar[5].
This calendar was known as Jalali calendar after the Sultan, and was
in force across Greater Iran from the 11th to the 20th centuries. It
is the basis of the Iranian calendar which is followed today in Iran
and Afghanistan. While the Jalali calendar is more accurate than the
Gregorian, it is based on actual solar transit, (similar to Hindu
calendars), and requires an Ephemeris for calculating dates. The
lengths of the months can vary between 29 and 32 days depending on
the moment when the sun crossed into a new zodiacal area (an
attribute common to most Hindu calendars). This meant however, that
seasonal errors were lower than in the Gregorian calendar.
The modern day Iranian calendar standardizes the month lengths based
on a reform from 1925, thus minimizing the effect of solar transits.
Seasonal errors are somewhat higher than in the Jalali version, but
leap years are calculated as before.
Omar Khayyám also built a star map (now lost), which was famous in
the Persian and Islamic world.
Heliocentric Theory
It is said that Omar Khayyam also estimated and proved to an
audience that included the then-prestigious and most respected
scholar Imam Ghazali, that the universe is not moving around earth
as was believed by all at that time. By constructing a revolving
platform and simple arrangement of the star charts lit by candles
around the circular walls of the room, he demonstrated that earth
revolves on its axis, bringing into view different constellations
throughout the night and day (completing a one-day cycle). He also
elaborated that stars are stationary objects in space which if
moving around earth would have been burnt to cinders due to their
large mass. Some of these ideas may have been transmitted into the
Christian science post Renaissance.
Poet
Main article: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyám's poetic work has eclipsed his fame as a mathematician
and scientist.
He is believed to have written about a thousand four-line verses or
quatrains (rubaai's). In the English-speaking world, he was
introduced through the The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám which are rather
free-wheeling English translations by Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883).
Other translations of parts of the rubáiyát (rubáiyát meaning
"quatrains") exist, but Fitzgerald's are the most well known.
Translations also exist in languages other than English.
Omar Khayyam's personal beliefs are not very clearly known, but much
is discernible from his poetic oeuvre. However, he was clearly quite
liberal in his views; e.g. in one of his rubaiya, he apparently
says: "Enjoy wine and women and don't be afraid, God has
compassion".
Poetry
(These poems were translated by Edward FitzGerald and are
potentially more revealing of the thoughts of Edward than Omar.)
And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted - "Open then the Door!
You know how little time we have to stay,
And once departed, may return no more."
Alike for those who for TO-DAY prepare,
And that after a TO-MORROW stare,
A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries
"Fools! your reward is neither Here nor There!"
Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss'd
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter'd, and their mouths are stopt with Dust.
Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out of the same Door as I went.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd -
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
Into this Universe, and why not knowing,
Nor whence, like Water willy-nilly flowing:
And out of it, as Wind along the Waste,
I know not whither, willy-nilly blowing.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coop't we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help - for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
Views on Islam
Despite a strong Islamic training, it is clear that Omar Khayyam
himself was undevout and had no sympathy with popular religion,[6]
but was not a convinced atheist. It is almost certain that he
objected to the notion that every particular event and phenomenon
was the result of divine intervention. Nor did he believe in any
Judgment Day or rewards and punishments after life. Instead, he
supported the view that laws of nature explained all phenomena of
observed life. One hostile orthodox account of him shows him as
"versed in all the wisdom of the Greeks" and as insistent that
studying science on Greek lines is necessary.[6] He came into
conflict with religious officials several times, and had to explain
his views on Islam on multiple occasions; there is even one story
about a treacherous pupil who tried to bring him into public odium.
The contemporary Ibn al Kifti wrote that Omar Khayyam "performed
pilgrimages not from piety but from fear" of his contemporaries who
divined his unbelief.[6]
Khayyam's viewpoint regarding Islam in general and its various
aspects such as eschatology, Islamic taboos and divine revelation
can be clearly discerned through an unbiased examination of his
writings, particularly the quatrains, which as a rule reflect his
intrinsic conclusions. Although a great number of quatrains
erroneously attributed to Khayyam manifest a more colorful
irreligiousness and hedonism, nevertheless, the number of his
original quatrains that advocate laws of nature and deny the idea of
resurrection and eternal life readily outweigh others that express
the slightest devotion or praise to God or Islamic beliefs. The
following two quatrains are representative of numerous others that
serve to reject many tenets of Islamic dogma:
خيام اگر ز باده مستى خوش باش
با ماه رخى اگر نشستى خوش باش
چون عاقبت كار جهان نيستى است
انگار كه نيستى، چو هستى خوش باش
which translates in Fitzgerald's work as:
And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in the Nothing all Things end in — Yes —
Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what
Thou shalt be — Nothing — Thou shalt not be less.
A more literal translation could read:
If with wine you are drunk be happy,
If seated with a moon-faced (beauty?), be happy,
Since the end purpose of the universe is nothing-ness;
Hence then you shall be naught, then while you are, be happy!
آنانكه ز پيش رفتهاند اى ساقى
درخاك غرور خفتهاند اى ساقى
رو باده خور و حقيقت از من بشنو
باد است هرآنچه گفتهاند اى ساقى
which Fitzgerald has boldy interpreted as:
Why, all the Saints and Sages who discuss’d
Of the Two Worlds so learnedly — are thrust
Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn
Are scatter’d, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust.
A literal translation, in an ironic echo of "all is vanity", could
read:
Those who have gone forth, thou cup-bearer,
Have fallen upon the dust of pride, thou cup-bearer,
Drink wine and hear from me the truth:
(Hot) air is all that they have said, thou cup-bearer.
In Popular Culture
Historical Fiction
Omar Khayyam appears as major character in the novel Samarkand by
Amin Maalouf.
Omar's life is dramatized in the 1957 film Omar Khayyam starring
Cornel Wilde, Debra Paget, Raymond Massey, Michael Rennie, and John
Derek.
Most recently, his life was dramatized by the Iranian-American
director Kayvan Mashayekh in The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam
released in independent theaters June 2005.
A lunar crater Omar Khayyam was named after him in 1970.
An asteroid 3095 Omarkhayyam was named after him in 1980.
Khayyam's soul has a pivotal role in a well-versed 1997 novel in
Persian, titled "خيام و آن دروغ دلاويز" (English "Khayyam and That
Delightful Fabrication") and authored by Hooshang Mo'eenzadeh (هوشنگ
معينزاده). The story's protagonist, "Haj Rajab (حاج رجب)", meets
-among many other personalities- Khayyam's soul in the afterworld
who recites his materialistic poems in public and mocks divine power
eventhough he is presumably residing in God's paradise, leading Haj
Rajab to strongly question fundamentals of his pious past earthly
life.
Cultural References
Salman Rushdie's novel Shame makes reference to Omar Khayyam with a
character by the same name.
Khayyám is quoted in Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, Why I oppose
the war in Vietnam. "It is time for all people of conscience to call
upon America to come back home. Come home America. Omar Khayyám is
right 'The moving finger writes and having writ, moves on.'"
Omar Khayyám appears as a comedic sidekick in the film Son of
Sinbad. He is portrayed by Vincent Price and parts of his poems are
distributed throughout his dialogue.
He is also a topic of discussion between two characters in Jack
London's novel The Sea-Wolf.
In a series of "Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoons, the story line
revolves around the "Ruby Yacht of Omar Khayyam" - a jewelled toy
boat.
One of the two founders of Discordianism, Omar Khayyam Ravenhurst,
named himself after Omar Khayyam.
The 1953 musical Kismet features a character based on Omar Khayyám.
A sparkling wine made in India, sometimes referred to as Indian
Champagne is called Omar Khayyam.
References
1. "Omar Khayyam". Encyclopædia Britannica. (2007). Retrieved on
2007-06-09. Gives his name as Ghiyath al-Din Abu al-Fath 'Umar ibn
Ibrahim al-Nisaburi al-Khayyami (the last two differ from the
version here), and lists mathematician before poet in his identity.
2. Omar Khayyam. The MacTutor History of Mathematics archive.
3. Muslim extraction of roots. Mactutor History of Mathematics.
4. June Jones. Omar Khayyam and a Geometric Solution of the Cubic.
5. "Omar Khayyam". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition..
(2001-05). Retrieved on 2007-06-10. Here Omar Khayyam is described
as "poet and mathematician", i.e. poet appearing first.
6. Robertson (1914). "Freethought under Islam", A Short History of
Freethough, Ancient and Modern Volume I (Elibron Classics). Watts &
Co., London, 263. ISBN 0543851907. “A hostile orthodox account of
him, written in the thirteenth century, represents him as "versed in
all the wisdom of the Greeks," and as wont to insist on the
necessity of studying science on Greek lines. Of his prose works,
two, which were stand authority, dealt respectively with precious
stones and climatology.
Beyond question the poet-astronomer was undevout; and his astronomy
doubtless helped to make him so. One contemporary writes: "I did not
observe that he had any great belief in astrological predictions;
nor have I seen or heard of any of the great (scientists) who had
such belief." In point of fact he was not, any more than Abu';-Ala,
a convinced atheist, but he had no sympathy with popular religion.
"He gave his adherence to no religious sect. Agnosticism, not faith,
is the keynote of his works." Among the sects he saw everywhere
strife and hatred in which he could have no part.”
Other References
-E.G. Browne. Literary History of Persia. (Four volumes, 2,256
pages, and 25 years in the writing). 1998. ISBN 0-700-70406-X
-Jan Rypka, History of Iranian Literature. Reidel Publishing
Company. 1968 OCLC 460598. ISBN 90-277-0143-1
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