Omar Khayyam and His Rubaiyat

Bookstores in Iran, and the Bodlean Library in England, and the Widener Library at Harvard, and the NYC Public (2 lions) Library provided the research that went into my book on Omar Khayyam (see Books by Robert Fenton Gary on Amazon.com). Lucretius and Democritus were already well known to me. Omar’s best translation was by Edward Fitzgerald, the 5th Edition. Omar’s theme is purpose and intent in life. And one’s fate in life. I do not speak Farsi or Persian. I read the “Great Books” that are the tradition of the West. My paintings were inspired by an Iranian artist. His colors were thin and dull and faded. I used guasche and watercolors that are bright like the French Fauvist artists. Tajvidi was excellent in capturing Omar’s intent in images. Omar was perhaps the best and most concise philosopher ever, and he was modest, and sensible. He negotiated his own life with great skill. 1 Omar is worth 5 Aristotles and 30 Platos — fellows with abstract ideas and no guidance on how to live.