Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

"RUBAIYAT (meaning quatrains) was originally the composition of Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer Omar Khayyam. Each of the quatrains was originally composed on a particular occasion and forms a complete poem in itself. The poem suggests withdrawal from the sorry scheme of things. Over the centuries Rubaiyat has gained immense fame for its romantic melancholy which still appeals to the senses. It was first published in March 1859 as an unpretentious and anonymous pamphlet, only to be later discovered for its true literary worth by Rossetti and Swinburne."--Jacket.