Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

'One thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies'

The epic, beautiful poem Rubaiyat is widely attributed to Omar Khayyam. As much a philosopher as a poet, he was a Persian astronomer, who praised the beauties of nature, the essence of love, the mysteries of existence, the limits of private life and the joys of wine.

Translated in 1857 by Edward Fitzgerald it was originally published in English anonymously, but was later discovered and promoted by the Pre-Raphaelites, who would have empathised with many of the poem's themes.