The Rubáiyát by ‘Umar Khayyám (1048-1131) is used in contemporary Iran as a resistance literature, symbolizing the secularist voice in cultural debates. While Islamic fundamentalists criticize Khayyám as an atheist and materialist philosopher who questions God’s creation and the promise of reward or punishment in the hereafter, secularist intellectuals see in him an example of a scientist who scrutinizes the mysteries of the world. Others see a spiritual master, a Sufi, who guides people to the truth. This volume collects eighteen essays on the history of the reception of ‘Umar Khayyám in various literary traditions, exploring how his philosophy of doubt, carpe diem, hedonism, and in vino veritas has inspired generations of poets, novelists, painters, musicians, calligraphers and film-makers.

INTRODUCTION
Khayyám’s Universal Appeal: Man, Wine, and the Hereafter in the Quatrains. A.A. Seyed-Gohrab

KHAYYÁM IN PERSIA
Reading the Rubá’iyyát as “Resistance Literature”. M. Aminrazavi
Some ‘Umarian Quatrains from the Lifetime of ‘Umar Khayyám. A.H. Morton
Between Tavern and Madrasa: ‘Umar Khayyám the Scientist. M. Bagheri

KHAYYÁM IN THE ARAB WORLD AND TURKEY
The Arab ‘Umar Khayyám. M. Alsulami
Ahmad Rámí’s Arabic translation of the Quatrains of ‘Umar Khayyám. Jan Just Witkam
Quatrains of ‘Umar Khayyám in Turkish and Turkish Quatrains. S. Sötemann

KHAYYÁM IN THE NETHERLANDS
Other Persian Quatrains in Holland: the Roseraie du Savoir of Husayn-i Ázád. J.T.P. de Bruijn
Khayyám’s Impact on Modern Dutch Literature. M. Goud
Bitter Certainty: J.H. Leopold on ‘Umar Khayyám. J.D.F. van Halsema
How ‘Umar Khayyám Inspired Dutch Visual Artists. J. Biegstraaten
The Legacy of ‘Umar Khayyám in Music of the Netherlands. R. de Groot

THE RUSSIAN AND GEORGIAN RECEPTION OF KHAYYÁM
The Russian perception of Khayyám: from text to image. F. Abdullaeva, N. Chalisova, Ch. Melville
The Translation of ‘Umar Khayyám’s Poetry into Georgian – a Touchstone for Translators. T. Shurgaia

KHAYYÁM’S RECEPTION IN VICTORIAN ENGLAND
The Reception of FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of ‘Umar Khayyám by the Victorians. E. Zare-Behtash

KHAYYÁM IN INDIA
Vernacularizing Rubaiyat: the Politics of Madhushala in the context of the Indian Nationalism. A. Castaing
Attempts at Locating the Rubáiyát in Indian Philosophical Thought. A. Rangarajan

INTERNATIONAL KHAYYÁM DATA-BASE
An ‘Umar Khayyám Database. J. Coumans