Favourite Quotes

“I despise the zeal of the devout, but I have never said that the One (God) was two.” p. 121

“I am not one of those for whom faith is simply fear of judgement. How do I pray? I study a rose, I count the stars, I marvel at the beauty of creation and how perfectly ordered it is, at man, the most beautiful work of the Creator, his brain thirsting for knowledge, his heart for love, and his senses, all his senses alert or gratified.” p. 12-13

“The whole of eternity in the company of sententious ulama? No, thank you. God promised us something else.” p. 192

“Both paradise and hell are in you” p. 85

“It is to sultans and qadis that one must speak with circumlocution, not to the Creator. God is great, he has nothing to do with out airs and graces. He made me a thinker and so I think, and I have over to Him the undiluted fruits of my thought” p. 141

“On our gaudy earth there walks a man, neither rich nor poor, neither believer nor infidel, he courts no truth, venerates no law… on our gaudy earth, who is this brave and sad man?” p. 1803

“The Rubaiyaat on the Titanic! The flower of the Orient borne by the jewel of the Occident! Khayyam, if you could only see what a beautiful moment has been granted to us!” p. 309

Short Summary

  • this book has four ‘books’ with two main plots

First Plot: Book 1 & 2

  • covers the life of Omar Khayyam and the time in history he lived in. This is the part that is mainly “historical”
  • Book 1: Poets and Lovers
    • his journey starts in Samarkand where he meets his love, Jahan
    • he then travels to Persia at the behest of Nizam al Mulk
    • he meets a young man on the way, Hassan Ibn Sabbah
    • he convinces Nizam to hire Hassan as chief Spy
    • Hassan grows close to the Sultan, which Nizam doesn’t like
    • Hassan tries to undermine Nizam and pays the ultimate price: death. But Omar vouches for him so the Sultan banishes him instead
  • Book 2: The Assassins’ Paradise
    • 7 years have passed since book 1. Omar is married to Jahan
    • Hassan meets with Omar and reveals his plans, his ideology, assassins sect, etc
    • The Sultan’s wife doesn’t like Nizam, and convinces the Sultan to let him go.
    • Nizam grows arrogant, angering the Sultan. He is sentenced to die.
    • Nizam is assassinated by Hassan’s assassin, with collusion from the Sultan
    • The Sultan dies 35 days later, as per Nizam’s “prophecy”
    • the empire is in chaos. Eventually authority is with Jahan, the Sultan’s wife’s close ally and companion. Jahan is killed by Nizam’s loyalists
    • Omar lives the life of a fugitive going from city to city.
    • One day Omar’s manuscript is stolen by Hassan, leaving a note saying your manuscript is in Alamut
    • Omar refuses to go, and instead settles in his home town of Nishapur where he dies
    • the manuscript remained in the hands of the leader of the assassins, first Hassan, then eventually the grandson of his successor
    • the assassins and Alamut are eventually destroyed by the Mongol army and the great library burned. Omar’s manuscript was believed to be part of the destruction.

Second Plot: Book 3 & 4

  • this plot covers the life and journey of Benjamin Omar Lesage (b. 1870s), a fictional character. Time frame is around late 1800s to 1912
  • Book 3: The End of the Millennium
    • Benjamin’s father was an American with French origins, who meets his future wife while on a trip in France. They both happened to be reading Omar’s Rubaiyat and bonded over that. They named their first son Benjamin Omar
    • Benjamin is on a hunt for the original manuscript. He hears that it may be in the possession of Jamaluddin Al Afghani in Istanbul
    • He visits Istanbul to see Jamal and comes across a beautiful Persian woman, who later is identified as Princess Shireen, grand-daughter of the Shah of Iran
    • An associate of Jamal, Mirza Reza has the manuscript so Benjamin travels to Iran. Mirza kills the Shah and Benjamin is viewed as an accomplice so he escapes Persia
    • Benjamin returns home, and later receives a letter from Shireen letting him know she has found the manuscript and he can come to read it.
    • Around this time, the Iranian Constitutional Revolution happens: the Iranian people put an end to arbitrary royal rule. Iran turns into a Constitutional Monarchy
    • Benjamin receives word from Fazel, a prominent merchant and proponent of the new constitution, that his name has been cleared of all charges. Benjamin returns to Iran
    • A young man, Howard Baskerville, who Benjamin had communication with in America, is also in Iran working at a children’s school. Howard is very involved with Iranian politics, secret societies, etc
  • Book 4: A Poet at Sea
    • Howard and Ben go to a “Sons of Adam” (pro-constitution club/group) meeting. Fazel, a leader in this group, reveals there’s a plot by the Tsar backed Cossack regiment to stage a coup to remove pro-constitution elements and bring back the Shah to full glory
    • the coup begins; the Sons of Adam defend Tabriz and defeat the Shah’s men
    • in Tabriz, Shireen is also staying. Ben and Shireen hook up during this time. Ben finally sees and reads Omar’s manuscript.
    • Mirza Reza was the man who gave the manuscript to Jamal. How did Mirza get it? It likely was in his family for generations. He was a native of Kirman, and the last assassin in 1257 known to have it was also from Kirman. He is a descendant of an assassin
    • the Sons of Adam defeat the Shah and take control of Tehran. The coup and battle is over! Howard dies in the fighting. Ben feels guilty because it was him who made Howard go to Iran
    • Ben leaves Iran, visits Samarkand, then returns to Iran. A US diplomat is there having a meeting with Fazel, they want Ben to be the new US representative of Finance for Iran. Ben rejects it.
    • the US selects their man: Morgan Shuster. For 8 months he works on Iran’s financial situation and greatly improves it
    • Russia demands that Morgan get kicked out. Iranian Parliament rejects. They go to war. Russia wins. Morgan is kicked out of Iran.
    • Shireen and Ben decide to leave together. They get aboard the titanic with Omar’s manuscript in a safe
    • the titanic hits the iceberg and sinks… along with it goes Omar’s manuscript, never to be seen again.
    • the manuscript isn’t the only thing that disappears, but upon reaching the US Shireen quickly disappears never to be seen or heard of again by Benjamin, almost as if she never existed to begin with

Long Summary

Book One: Poets and Lovers

  • Chapter 1: Omar saves a man named Jaber, a student of Abu Ali Ibn Sina, in return, the mob gangs up on Omar and send him to the chief Qadi Abu Taher
  • Chapter 2: Abu Taher and Omar talk while Omar is in jail. Abu Taher gives him advice: you must know when to be silent, you must keep some of your thoughts and poems a secret. Abu Taher gives him a notebook and tells Omar that whenever a verse comes to mind, write it down rather than saying it out loud.
  • Chapter 3: Abu Taher calls for a public hearing for Omar. He absolves Omar of all crime and sin in front of the crowd. He says that Omar is a great scholar and we should treat him with respect.
  • Chapter 4: Nasr Khan, the ruler who controls Samarkand, comes to visit. He does not have a good relationship with the ulema because previously he destroyed the great mosque in Bukhara that was housing a group of rebels. Abu Taher is close with him and acts as the mediator between ulema and Nasr Khan
  • Chapter 5: at court, a poetess named Jahan recites a poem the Khan approves of. He announces her mouth shall be full of gold - quite a humiliating reward, so she stuffed her mouth full of dinars
    • next is Omar’s turn and the khan gives him the same reward but he refuses, proclaiming that he is fasting. The khan is taken aback, possibly offended, but eventually gives him a hug and now they are friends.
    • Abu Taher urges Omar to write a definitive book on the subjects of math, astronomy, etc, but Omar refuses saying that poetry is better to write than the sciences (see page 29 for explanation)
    • Omar returns home and Jahan is waiting for him
  • Chapter 6: Jahan and Omar are now together and meet up every night. Jahan reveals to him that the Khan is in Samarkand because he anticipates an attack from the Seljuqs
    • Omar recalls his birth city of Nishapur, and how 10 years prior to his birth they were conquered by the Seljuqs. The people lived in great fear because they did not know if the Seljuqs were going to pillage the city. Eventually the 2 Seljuq commanders (also brothers) decided not to
  • Chapter 7: Omar recalls the story of when the Sultan of the Seljuqs (Tughrul) asked for the Caliph’s daughter’s hand in marriage
    • the Caliph was FURIOUS and offended… how dare this Turk whose recent ancestors were pagans with pigs on their flags ask for my daughter’s hand in marriage??
    • The Sultan proclaimed that the Caliph is strange and foolish… he has no problem with the Sultan taking all his land, but has a problem with him marrying his daughter… the only “land” the Caliph is willing to fight to defend is the thighs of a virgin (his daughter)!
    • The Sultan finally proclaims that he’ll take his daughter by force, the same way he took Baghdad
  • Chapter 8: The Sultan gets married to the Caliph’s daughter but dies 6 months later. No children were produced by this union nor any of the Sultan’s marriages because he was infertile
    • Tughruls nephew, Alp Arslan, succeeds him and becomes one of the most famous Seljuq Sultans in history
    • Alp Arslan is on his way to capture Samarkand, but stops to take control over a fortress on his way. The commander of this fortress is captured, but ends up killing Alp Arslan
  • Chapter 9: Nasr Khan and the whole city of Samarkand celebrate the demise of Alp Arslan for they are saved from war! At the same time Nasr Khan receives condolences for the passing of Alp Arslan because he was his father-in-law.
    • a congregation from Nasr Khan’s court goes to express their condolences at the new Sultan’s camp, Malikshah
    • Omar greets Nizam al-Mulk who tells him to meet him in Isfahan exactly a year from now
    • Abu Taher warns Omar about Jahan; he tells Omar that you and Jahan have entirely different outlooks on life, she is a life-long court woman while you just want to be at home
  • Chapter 10: Omar returns to Samarkand, and Jahan meets him. Jahan sees his secret notebook which Omar was hiding from her, but he lets her see it. Jahan reveals she can’t even read and Omar tells her he’ll read it all to her one day, when it’s ready.
    • they get into a small fight, fueled by what Abu Taher told him about Jahan being dedicated to her court life
    • Jahan reveals that she is leaving tomorrow because Nasr Khan is leaving Samarkand. Omar pleads for her to stay, but she rejects him. She worked hard to earn her spot in court, and Omar has “nothing to share” in life.
    • They both cry because they know this is the last time they’ll be together
    • the next day Omar wakes him and she’s gone. She wrote 2 lines in his notebook:
      • “Next to your beloved, Khayyam, how alone you are! Now that she is gone, you can take refuge in her.” - p. 58
  • Chapter 11: this chapter takes place a year later. Omar is on his way to Isfahan to meet with Nizam al-Mulk. He stops at a caravansary and shares a room with a stranger, a 17 year old student: Hassan Ibn Sabbah
    • Omar is immediately distrustful, but shocked at how learned this young guy is. Hassan reveals he’s on his way to see Nizam to hopefully get a job in court. Omar conceals the fact he’s meeting up with Nizam too
    • they have a discussion on Shia beliefs. Hassan comes from a Shia background, but disagrees with the Sunni bashing that Shias perform. Omar calls him a sensible man.
    • They arrive in Isfahan
  • Chapter 12: Omar meets up with Nizam. Nizam reveals his plans to him: he intends on making the Seljuq state the greatest possible, where no poor person is turned away, with Godly justice, with great schools in every city (Madrasa Nizamiyyah).
    • Nizam offers Omar a position with him. To help him build and achieve his dream. Nizam offers him 10k dinars yearly, a great mansion to live in, and all his needs will be fulfilled
    • Omar is overwhelmed. He then says that he always dreamed of building an observatory to measure the exact length of the solar year. Nizam granted the funds right away
    • Nizam then asks him to be the Chief Spy for the Empire. Omar immediately doesn’t want it, but Nizam urges him to think about it
  • Chapter 13: Omar gives his answer to Nizam, he will not accept the post of Chief Spy. Nizam accepts, but still says that he will provide a salary and build the observatory for Omar, he wants to be known as the one who clothed, fed, and took care of the great Omar Khayyam.
    • Omar instead suggests Hassan ibn Sabbah to Nizam as Chief Spy. Nizam quickly gains a liking to him
    • Hassan turns out to be ambitious and undermines Nizam. When 60k dinars go missing, Hassan tells the Sultan that Nizam took it to pay his personal guard.
    • Sultan orders that the an accounting of the Empire treasury be done. Nizam says a large task like this will take 2 years. Hassan promises to complete it in 40 days, again undermining Nizam
  • Chapter 14: At court, Hassan and Nizam are not on good terms, afterall Hassan is undermining Nizam’s status. Jahan meets up with Omar after a long time, she now works for the Sultan’s wife. The wife is witnessing the strife in court and in the harem and is asking Omar to become the new Vizier. Omar refuses because he’s trying to mediate between Nizam and Hasan
    • the day comes, 40 days is up, Hassan must present his report… but pages are missing! He is embarrassed in front of the entire court.
    • turns out Nizam bribed some people to mess with Hassan’s report
    • Hassan is sentenced to die, but Omar vouches for him. Eventually the Sultan settles on banishing Hassan from the Empire

Book Two: The Assassins’ Paradise

  • Chapter 15: 7 years have passed. Omar and Jahan have been married for 4 years, lovers for 9 years. Jahan works at court with the Sultan’s wife, Omar is deep into his books and studies. He is also an astrologer, providing horoscopes to Nizam, the Sultan, and other prominent people in the court on a monthly basis.
    • Omar also created the new calendar, and people refer to the years as “such and such year in the era of Omar Khayyam”
    • their union is a happy one, neither of them desire children so they are content with their life
    • a stranger arrives at Omar’s house, it is Hassan ibn Sabbah disguised as a dervish!
    • Hassan reveals his history and plan: he is an Ismaili, he wanted to join the service of Nizam to undermine the Seljuqs from the inside. He wanted to rid Persian of any trace of Turkic power.
    • Hassan says that he is actively preparing for the return of Imam Mahdi. He says that the Prophet Muhammad spoke of him, of a man from Qom that calls people to follow the straight path. Omar says he’s not aware of that tradition and Hassan says you’re not aware of the Shia collections.
  • Chapter 16: the followers of Hassan were called Batinites, ‘the people of the secret’. He is going around the middle east converting people. He even converts the Khan of Samarkand, the nephew of Nasr Khan, Ahmed Khan
    • Qadi Abu Taher flees Samarkand and arrives in Isfahan and tells Omar all about what’s happening. He is taken to Nizam and Nizam decides this is the perfect time and excuse to conquer Transoxiana once and for all
    • The Seljuqs attack and easily conquer Samarkand and Bukhara. Ahmed Khan is captured, but Hassan escapes
  • Chapter 17: Hassan, by divine providence, found Alamut and paid the governor to gain control of it.
  • Chapter 18: the Sultan’s wife Terkan Khatun still wanted Nizam to be kicked out of office as Vizir. He wish is granted… one day the Sultan complains that Nizam elected his own grandson to be governor of Merv and the grandson insulted a man close to the Sultan. The Sultan sends a message to Nizam, and gets an astonishingly arrogant and disrespectful reply. The Sultan vows to kill Nizam.
    • It’s revealed Nizam has a tumor and only has a few months to live, so he doesn’t care anymore
    • Nizam focuses on writing his book, “The Treatise of Government” and is concerned how he’ll be remembered in history… a Persian working for the Turks against the Persians. “scourge of the Aryans” p. 108
    • Sultan knows killing Nizam might have bad consequences, so instead he asks Hassan ibn Sabbah to kill him using his assassins
    • when the Sultan and Nizam are on their way to the place where the assassin will kill Nizam, Sultan Malikshah asks Nizam how long he thinks he’ll live… Nizam says a very long time, because he had a dream that the Prophet granted him a wish, that he won’t outlive Malikshah and instead die 40 days before him. The Sultan become FEARFUL and even reconsidered his plan of killing Nizam
    • although this was just a dream, Nizam took precautions; his men swore that if Nizam is killed, his enemies will not remain living
  • Chapter 19: This chapter talks a lot about Terkan Khatun, the Sultan’s eldest and first wife, and then goes into the death of Nizam
    • she had 3 sons. The first 2 died of fever when they were chosen as heir
    • the third was really young so Malikshah wanted to choose a son (Barkiarok) from another wife as heir. This was a son whose mother was Malikshah’s own cousin
    • Nizam was in favour of this, but Terkan wanted her son to be heir. That’s why she wanted him dead so bad.
    • Malikshah elected no heir because he couldn’t reasonably choose Terkan’s baby son nor could he go against her
    • Nizam is killed by an assassin. The assassin in turn is killed by Nizam’s men.
    • It is likely the case that the use of hashish by the assassins is a fabrication popularized by Marco Polo. See page 118 - 120
    • Assassins = Assassiyun was the name Hassan used for his army/people. It means those who are faithful to the “assass” (foundation). In reference to the “foundation of the faith”
  • Chapter 20: only 35 days after Nizam’s death, Malikshah mysteriously dies. Terkan Khatun keeps his death a secret and ensures her infant son succeeds him, with herself running the show. News of the Sultan’s death comes out and the Empire descends into chaos.
    • Nizam’s men rebel and support Barkiarok.
    • Terkan, in order to gain support, would promise to marry various emirs if they come to her support, then she would backtrack. She also established communication with Hassan and the assassins and they supported her.
    • The tides were in Terkan’s favour, then all of a sudden she is found dead. Killed by a eunuch in her harem, a eunuch who had ties with Nizam
    • at the same time, Terkan’s men have captured Barkiarok and are holding him hostage
  • Chapter 21: With Terkan dead, Jahan is in the position of authority. They have a dilemma, do they free Barkiarok and hope he forgives them? He might kill them though… or do they kill Barkiarok to be certain they never have to answer for their actions
    • Jahan has called upon Omar to help her with this dilemma
    • Omar REFUSES to answer. He encourages Jahan to leave this stupid business and come back home with him.
  • Chapter 22: Omar is at home for the night. One of Nizam’s former bodyguards, Vartan, comes to tell him that they have taken control over the castle and rescued Barkiarok. Jahan and the rest of the opposing side were killed. Omar is in grief over this.
    • the bodyguard (Vartan) reveals he has come to kill Omar by order of the remaining officers, but Vartan would rather run away with him to save him. And that’s exactly what they do.
    • the rest of this chapter talks about the fortifications Hassan has done at Alamut. He truly created an impenetrable fortress
    • Hassan always felt really alone. There was only one man he could converse with: Omar. He sends a letter of invitation to the fugitive Omar
  • Chapter 23: Omar lives the life of a fugitive, traveling from city to city. He would be in a city for a few weeks or days, then would have to leave after some people start calling him out as a kafir.
    • he settles in Merv eventually where the Vizir pays him to be at court. Eventually Omar hates this life and wants to leave, especially after the Qadi calls him an atheist (see quote on page 141)
    • Omar sees the letter from Hassan asking him to come to Alamut. It is at this time that Vartan reveals his true purpose: under the orders of Nizam’s officers, he was to accompany Omar because they suspected Omar would eventually find refuge with Hassan, then Vartan would have the opportunity to kill the ‘demon’ Hassan
    • Omar is moved by this, namely because Vartan has been accompanying Omar for YEARS and has grown close to him. Omar decides to give his most prized manuscript to Vartan. Vartan guards it with his life.
    • Vartan, in the margins of the manuscript, decides to write a history of Omar’s life. Omar helps him to dictate it
    • One day Omar finds Vartan dead in his room. On Vartan’s table he sees a message, ‘Your manuscript has gone on ahead of you to Alamut’
  • Chapter 24: Omar mourns Vartan, but mourns his stolen manuscript even more, he does not plan on going to Alamut to retrieve it. Instead he decides to return to his original home, Nishapur where he has a sister and nieces and nephews.
    • On 4 December 1131, Omar drew his last breath… see the quote below page 148 for his last words
    • Hassan kept the manuscript in his personal room in the Alamut castle. When he died, none of his successors dared look into it.
    • Over time the Assassins order began to weaken and crumble. Those born after Hassan’s death started to question the meaning behind it all and felt this strictness was unnecessary
    • the man to ultimately reform the sect was the grandson of Hassan’s chosen successor, a man born a few years after the death of Hassan, himself named Hassan
    • once this new Hassan became Grand Master of the movement, he decided to take Omar’s manuscript and read it
    • After reading it, he decides to reform the movement: he proclaims himself the Mahdi and says “the sacred Law is abolished for the hour of the resurrection has sounded” - p. 152
    • everything haram is now halal, and vice versa, he proclaims
    • the Assassins order was effectively no more. Their sect turned into a “community of exemplary tolerance” - p. 152
    • the documents signed by new Hassan to proclaim this message was signed in 3 dates:
      • the prophet’s hijra, Alexander the Great’s Greek calendar, and that of the “most eminent man of both worlds, Omar Khayyam of Nishapur”
    • new Hassan proclaimed that Omar’s book be treated as a great book of wisdom and venerated. His quatrains and poems became famous all over the middle east and beyond
    • around this time many people attributed false quatrains to him. This is why today it’s hard for us to know what’s truly his and what’s not, especially with the absence of the original manuscript
    • the Mongols under Hulagu (grandson of Chengiz) invaded and destroyed major cities like Baghdad, Damascus, and Cracow. Alamut surrendered.
    • Before destroying and burning down Alamut castle, Hulagu allowed his Sunni historian to collect what he wanted from Alamut’s great library. He collected much, but not Omar’s manuscript. Maybe he didn’t know if it’s existence, or maybe he simply didn’t care. No one knows.
    • the burning of this library, which took an entire 7 days, led the loss of numerous works which were never reproduced/copies, thus were permanently lost. Omar’s manuscript was believed to be part of that.

Book Three: The End of the Millennium

  • Chapter 25: this chapter shifts focus to Benjamin Omar Lesage, a man born in the 1870s on a hunt to find the original manuscript of Omar’s quatrains
    • his father was an American with French origins. He travelled to France to find out more about his roots and met a young lady there. Just coincidentally, they both happened to be actively reading Omar Khayyam’s quatrains, and so that is what brought them together and they bonded over that.
    • eventually they get married and vowed their first son will be named Omar; thus they gave Benjamin his middle name of Omar
    • in the late 1800s, that’s when Omar Khayyam’s name started to be become widespread in Europe & America. More and more people were finding out about his works. “Omar societies” were popping up everywhere. His books were selling out like crazy
  • Chapter 26: Benjamin’s grandfathers cousin, Henri, tells him that he’s seen an original manuscript of Omar with his own eyes in Paris. Up until this point, Benjamin had lost interest in Omar and looking more towards financial studies
  • Chapter 27: Henri tells the story of meeting a man named Jamaluddin in Paris. He had a copy of the original manuscript of Omar Khayyam. But he had lost the copy when he went back to Persia, the Shah got rid of his belongings when they exiled him.
    • I think this is referring to Jamaluddin al-Afghani
  • Chapter 28: Benjamin arrives in Istanbul, where Jamaluddin is staying as a guest of the Caliph… or rather as a prisoner since he’s not technically allowed to leave, but he’s been giving a big mansion and a salary
    • Benjamin sees a beautiful woman there: “God, she was beautiful - my first image of the Orient - a woman such as only the desert poet knew how to praise” - p. 176. Later Jamaluddin reveals to him that this is the princess Shireen, grand-daughter of the Shah of Iran.
    • Jamal tells Benjamin that the manuscript was giving to him by a man named Mirza Reza, a staunch supporter of Jamal. The manuscript was lost when the Shah’s men captured Jamal and exiled him, but Mirza vowed to find it.
    • Jamal tells Benjamin that his best bet would be to go to Iran, find Mirza Reza and inquire about the manuscript
  • Chapter 29: Benjamin begins his journey to Iran. He eventually finds Mirza who tells him he already tracked down the soldier who has the manuscript, he just needs money to pay him. Benjamin gives Mirza some money that Jamaluddin gave him. Mirza tells Benjamin to return on Saturday to collect the manuscript from him.
  • Chapter 30: News comes out that the Shah has been assassinated by Mirza Reza. Mirza had on him a letter for Jamaluddin, the same letter Benjamin gave him therefore his name is on it.
    • Benjamin goes on the run for he is technically an accomplice
    • he is in an alleyway and pulled into a house. There is a mother and her 2 daughters living there. They are anti-Shah.
    • in order to remove the awkwardness, the mother forces Benjamin to suckle her breast. Now he is technically her adopted son and the girls are his sisters.
  • Chapter 31: Benjamin sends a letter to Princess Shireen for help. She agrees to smuggle him out of Persia with the help of her loyal uncle. She gives Benjamin the transcript of Mirza Reza’s interrogation.
    • eventually Benjamin makes it out of Persia without trouble
    • he reads the transcript. Mirza says that Jamaluddin told him to kill the Shah.
  • Chapter 32: he arrives in Constantinople to meet with Jamaluddin. Jamaluddin does not approve of Mirza’s actions.
    • he reveals to Benjamin that he has cancer of the jaw and won’t live long
    • a few months after Benjamin returned to Annapolis, he received word that Jamaluddin has died
    • a little while after that he received the letter from Princess Shireen. She told him that found Khayyam’s manuscript and he can consult it when he returns to Persia
  • Chapter 33: at home, Benjamin started writing for his newspaper about Persian affairs, and then international affairs. He continued to receive letters from Princes Shireen informing him about events occurring in Persia.
    • the rest of this chapter covers some backstory on the Persian Revolution, and how it started due to a Belgian minister dressing up as a mullah at an event
  • Chapter 34: the story continues on the Persian Revolution. This was the revolution that effectively ended arbitrary royal rule, and brought a constitution to the country
    • the man who read the Shah’s speech in the first ever parliament was Prince Malkom Khan, but he was more well known by the title given to him: Nizam al-Mulk
  • Chapter 35: the constitution was opposed largely by the ulema, but even they gained no popular support and were defeated. As Princess Shireen said “I can hardly believe it - fanaticism is dead in Persia”
    • Benjamin receives letter from his friend Fazel, a prominent merchant, who says the Iranian government has cleared Benjamin of all charges as an accomplice to regicide
    • Benjamin immediately leaves for Iran
    • Howard Baskerville, a student who wrote a letter to Benjamin, has moved to Iran and works as a missionary school. Benjamin decides to visit him first once he arrives in Iran
    • once he arrives at the school, the pastor tells Benjamin that Howard has involved himself too much in Iranian politics, Iranian secret societies, etc, and he fears it might damage the reputation of the school

Book Four: A Poet at Sea

  • Chapter 36: Benjamin finds Howard participating in a Persian play. Howard says it helps him build rapport with the people and his student’s teachers. As one parent said “I have entrusted my son to the teacher who cried for the Imam Hussein” - p. 234
    • Howard teaches his students that the Shah is bad and so are the religious elite
    • Howard teaches his students Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, to the liking of some Persian parents and disliked by others
  • Chapter 37: Benjamin and Howard attend a gathering of the “Sons of Adam” a secret society Howard is involved in. Fazel happened to be there and is reunited with Benjamin. They later meet up privately with Howard to discuss what’s happening politically in the country.
    • Fazel uncovered a plot to demolish democracy and the constitution by the Shah. He presented this to parliament and suggested the Shah be removed, but representatives from both England and Russia came and put a stop to it
    • England didn’t want this happening because it might give ideas to British India
    • Russia didn’t want this happening because they didn’t want a true democracy near their borders, they want the Shah to remain as is
    • the coup d’état was already underway. The Cossacks had surrounded the parliament building and eventually destroyed it. They were acting under the orders of the Tsar of Russia who wanted the Shah to remain in power
      • The Cossacks were an elite Persian battalion but were acting under the Tsar
  • Chapter 38: Benjamin, Howard, and Fazel flee to a Sons of Adam compound in Tabriz as the Tsar/Shah troops are about to attack them. The sons of Adam, with about 50 men, fight back and defeat the 1000 strong army of the Shah. For now they are victorious.
  • Chapter 39: the Sons of Adam slowly retake more and more districts in Tabriz - Tabriz remains the last constitutional stronghold.
    • Princess Shireen has also joined them and resides in a palace in Tabriz. Many of the resistance leaders visit her.
    • one day after a big meeting at Shireen’s palace, Benjamin forgets his brief case so he goes back to find Shireen alone in the room
    • she reveals to him that she kept Omar’s manuscript and reads it every night.
    • they end up hooking up
  • Chapter 40: Benjamin leaves Shireen’s palace and as he’s walking back to his caravansary he hears multiple canon shots, the siege by the Cossacks has begun!
    • more and more cities rebelled against the Shah. It seems the Sons of Adam are really winning
    • Tabriz is starving due to the siege and blockade. Howard has an idea that all the army guys thought was a suicide mission. They do it anyways because they are desperate. Howard is killed in action.
    • Benjamin returns to Shireen and they read Omar’s manuscript together
    • Benjamin asks if the last person to have it was an assassin in 1257 who returned to his birthplace Kirman, how did it end up in Jamaluddin’s hands 6 centuries later?
    • Shireen reminds him that Mirza Reza gave it to Jamaluddin, and Mirza was from Kirman. He had the manuscript because he is a descendant of the assassin
      • it makes sense that Mirza was a madman, afterall his ancestors were too
  • Chapter 41: the international community forces the Russians to allow a humanitarian mission to Tabriz to provide food for the starving people. Tabriz accepts.
    • the Sons of Adam and other pro-constitution forces march on Tehran to attack the capital and end the coup once and for all. They are successful!
    • A new Shah is put into power, the 12 year old son of the former Shah, and the constitution is put back in place.
  • Chapter 42: the new Shah struggled to adapt to his position, always crying out for his parents, but eventually adjusted and became a fine Shah. Real power was in the hands of Fazel and the Sons of Adam. They executed several traitors and anti-constitutionalists, including prominent religious leaders who were against them.
    • all of Iran is celebrating, but Benjamin is feeling conflicted. He can’t get rid of the feeling of guilt for Howard. Afterall, it was him who made Howard go to Iran.
    • Benjamin spends most his time with Shireen. But eventually he has to leave. Shireen is upset saying “I thought you were happy.”
    • Benjamin says he’s going away for the summer so that he may return in the winter to find her again. She replies saying “Summer, winter. You go away, you come back. You think that you can dispose of the seasons, the years, your life and mine with impunity. Have you learnt nothing from Khayyam?”
    • Benjamin still has the entire Orient to explore; Turkey, Afghanistan, and many of the great cities of Iran that he hasn’t visited like Isfahan, Shiraz, and Kirman.
    • Benjamin decides: He’s going to Samarkand
  • Chapter 43: Benjamin arrives in Samarkand and meets a Russian archeologist. He tells him that anything pre-Tamerlane is buried under heaps of sand and dirt - nothing remains from Khayyam’s time. The city was destroyed by the Mongols and was subsequently abandoned.
    • Benjamin leaves and decides he should go back home. But first he wants to go back to Iran to fetch Shireen and convince her to go with him
    • He arrives in Iran and is greeted by an American who tells him the US diplomat wants to have a meeting with Benjamin to discuss an important matter
  • Chapter 44: At the meeting, Fazel and the US diplomat, Russel were waiting for Benjamin. The US is offering to help the government of Iran with finances because Iran is too dependent on Russia and Britain
    • Fazel wanted Benjamin to be the US representative for finance, afterall he had a finance degree, but Benjamin refused citing that he never used his degree in real life
    • Benjamin did offer to provide any assistance to whichever American is eventually chosen
    • a few days after this was announced, the Persian minister of finance was assassinated. Russia was behind it
  • Chapter 45: the US Treasurer of Iran is selected, Morgan. He has a frank talk with Benjamin, he is not in Iran to die, he’s not going to give his life to the ‘cause’, but he is going to work in the best interest of Iran and Iran alone, he will give it his absolute best.
    • it seems that Morgan is the best candidate for this job, even Princess Shireen thinks so. She says “Suddenly a man appears and as if by magic, the tree we thought was doomed takes on new life and starts bearing leaves and fruit and giving shade. This foreigner has given me back my faith in my countrymen.” - p. 288
  • Chapter 46: Iran was finally improving GREATLY, and all thanks to Morgan Shuster. He got rid of the corruption that plagued the high positions of government. The Tsar desperately needed Morgan OUT of Iran so he can gain influence again.
    • the former Shah, acting under Russia’s blessings, tried to re-gain control militarily but failed
    • the Tsar then staged another incident: he was protecting the property of the ex-Shah’s brothers in Iran, but Morgan wanted to confiscate it. Morgan forcefully sent the police to take control over it. Since this was under Russia’s protection, the Tsar demanded Iran apologize and DISMISS Morgan, and never again hire a foreign person without the consent of Russia and Britain
  • Chapter 47: the Parliament convenes and votes to reject the Tsar’s demands. They tried to take a stand against the Tsar, but lost the battle. Shuster was kicked out of Iran
    • Great dialogue between Shireen and Benjamin page 298-300
    • Shireen basically says that Morgan made a mistake, he did nothing wrong… that was his mistake
      • “In the eyes of the weak, it is wrong to be right… Persia is weak and (he) should have known how to behave like a weak person” - p. 299
    • Shireen tells Benjamin that she is leaving with him
  • Chapter 48: Shireen and Benjamin are aboard the titanic heading to the US. They got married just a few weeks prior in Paris. Omar’s manuscript was being stored in a safe on the titanic.
    • the titanic hits the iceberg… Benjamin and Shireen both get a place on a life boat and are rescued, but Omar’s manuscript is forever lost, laying at the bottom of the ocean
    • they arrive in the US. Shortly after, Shireen disappears. Benjamin never sees or hears from her ever again. He wondered if she ever existed or if she was simply a figment of his imagination, a representation of his obsession with the Orient.

Lessons Learned & Ideas

Omar’s rubai / quatrains

Pray tell, who has not transgressed your law? Pray tell the purpose of a sinless life. If with evil You punish the evil I have done, pray tell what is the difference between You and me? p. 1

  • context:

You have broken my jug of wine, Lord. You have barred me from the path of pleasure, Lord. You have split my ruby wine on the ground. God forgive me, but perchance You are drunk, Lord. p. 7

  • On face value this is quite ‘blasphemous’, by Khayyam believes that if there’s anyone who you should not hold back from, it is God. Afterall, God gave you the ability to think, so why hold back your thoughts from your creator?

They know nothing, neither do they desire to know. Men with no knowledge who rule the world! If you are not of them, they call you infidel. Ignore them, Khayyam, go your own way. p. 7

  • context

It was not poverty that drove me to you. I am not poor for my desires are simple. The only think I seek from you is honour The honour of a free and steadfast man. p. 27

  • Khayyam said this to the Khan of Samarkand after he refused to follow the humiliating commands of the Khan

Once in a while a man arises boasting; He shows his wealth and cries out, ‘It is I!’ A day or two his puny matters flourish; Then death appears and cries out, ‘It is I!’ p. 48

  • This is in reference to Alp Arslan and his arrogance. He was boastful. Then a prisoner, a captured commander of an enemy garrison, stabs him. For 4 days he is suffering the finally dies. Alp Arslan himself while dying calls himself out, saying he was arrogant and that God sent the man to kill him

“Next to your beloved, Khayyam, how alone you are! Now that she is gone, you can take refuge in her. p. 58

  • a two stanza poem written by Jahan inside Omar’s manuscript after they had an emotional last night together

The blessed time of my youth passes by, I pour out the wine of my oblivion. Bitter it is, and thus it pleases me. For this bitterness is the zest of my life. p. 72

  • quite a sad quatrain. He can find no joy outside of his drink!

A drop of water fell into the sea. A speck of dust came floating down to earth. What signifies your passage through this world? A tiny gnat appears - and disappears. p. 148

  • shortly after Omar dies, the book mentions this quatrain. Omar believed that’s what his life would be - a gnat appears and disappears - but he was very wrong. His quatrains would become legend after his death all the way up to modern times

On our gaudy earth there walks a man, neither rich nor poor, neither believer nor infidel, he courts no truth, venerates no law… on our gaudy earth, who is this brave and sad man? p. 180

  • quoted by Jamaluddin to Benjamin Lesage
  • Jamal says he feels like Omar was describing him when he wrote that quatrain

We are the pawns, and Heaven is the player; This is plain truth, and not a mode of speech. We move about the chessboard of the world. Then drop into the casket of the void. p. 229

  • this is on the cover page for Book Four
  • I feel like this quatrain perfectly explains the fate of Omar’s manuscript. The manuscript is the pawn, and heaven / predestination / God is the player. The Titanic sank. The manuscript dropped into “casket of the void”
  • Furthermore, Benjamin tells Shireen “not even God can sink the Titanic!” to which Shireen responded horrifyingly, saying that not even an atheist in her country would dare utter those words.

You ask what is this life so frail, so vain. ‘Tis long to tell, yet will I make it plain; ‘Tis but a breath blown from the vasty deeps, And then blown back to those same deeps again! p. 303

  • Benjamin recites this to Shireen. She is sad hearing it. I wrote more about this in Notes & Quotes

Notes & Quotes

Omar Khayyam’s Religious Views

  • “I despise the zeal of the devout, but I have never said that the One (God) was two.” p. 12
    • ‘One’ is a reference to God.
  • “I am not one of those for whom faith is simply fear of judgement. How do I pray? I study a rose, I count the stars, I marvel at the beauty of creation and how perfectly ordered it is, at man, the most beautiful work of the Creator, his brain thirsting for knowledge, his heart for love, and his senses, all his senses alert or gratified.” p. 12-13
  • “For my part, I would not touch a drop. I am hoping for a place in paradise. You do not seem anxious to join me here.’ ‘The whole of eternity in the company of sententious ulama? No, thank you. God promised us something else.” p. 19
    • Scar-face said the first quote, and Omar replied with the second.
    • Sententious = moralistic, self-righteous
  • “When Hassan spoke of certainties, raised his voice, proclaimed ‘empirical truths’ and enjoined his companion to admit them, Omar remained skeptical. He slowly weighed the merits of certain opinions but seldom settled for any of them, and willingly displayed his ignorance. He found himself repeating untiringly: ‘What do you want me to say? These things are veiled, and you and I are on the same side of the veil. When it falls, we will no longer be here.’ ” p. 63
    • Omar is essentially saying that these things are unknown (veiled), so there’s no point in proclaiming you have the ‘empirical truth’.
    • When the veil falls, i.e. when you die, you’ll no longer be here!
    • reminds me of the teacher who tells a young Hassan “truth is unknowable” in Alamut… maybe that teacher was actually Omar Khayyam!
    • this doesn’t necessarily mean Omar believes that “truth is unknowable”, he’s saying don’t proclaim you have the empirical truth… instead STRIVE to gain more knowledge. Maybe it’s simply just about the process of trying to learn and understand the divine
  • “If You punish with evil the evil that I have done, tell, what is the difference between You and me?” - p. 141
    • Omar is saying this to God
    • A Qadi is offended that Omar speaks to God in this ‘tone’. Omar replies:
      • “It is to sultans and qadis that one must speak with circumlocution, not to the Creator. God is great, he has nothing to do with out airs and graces. He made me a thinker and so I think, and I have over to Him the undiluted fruits of my thought” - p. 141
  • “My God, You know that I have sought to perceive You as much as I could. Forgive me if my knowledge of You has been my only path towards You!” - p. 148
    • Omar’s last words on his death bed.

Omar Khayyam’s Character & Opinions

  • “my only ambition is that one day I will have an observatory with a rose garden and that I will be able to throw myself into contemplating the sky, a goblet in my hand and a beautiful woman at my side.” - p. 28
    • Omar says this to Abu Taher
    • he is but a simple man!
  • He was profoundly averse to violence and domination - p. 89
  • “My suffering is the fault of my progenitor, let no one else’s suffering be my fault” - p. 89, Abu Al-Ala, Syrian poet
    • this is why Omar doesn’t want kids
  • “Happy is he who has never come into the world” - p. 89, Omar Khayyam
    • Omar viewed life and existence too heavy to bear, that’s why he preferred to not have children. He was by no means a cynic or a misanthropist (hater of mankind).
  • “Khayyam is perhaps the most curious man to study in order to understand what the unfettered genius of Persia managed to become with the bounds of Muslim dogmatism” - p. 163
    • said by Ernest Renan, around the time Omar’s quatrains were becoming popular in the west

Words of Wisdom

  • “You must have two faces. Show one to the crowd, and keep the other for yourself and your Creator. If you want to keep your eyes, your ears and your tongue, forget that you have them.” - p. 13
  • “All violence here is born of fear. - p. 18
    • Omar asks Abu Taher, why such a generous and hospital city like Samarqand could treat him and Jaber with such disrespect. Abu Taher says because of fear. Their faith is being attacked on all sides by infidels, the people are naturally fearful and are on high alert.
  • “I know how to be sensible, just as I know how to be a fool. I can be likeable or disagreeable.” - p. 62
  • “Both paradise and hell are in you” - p. 85, Omar Khayyam
  • “In monotony lurks happiness” - p. 88, Jahan
    • sometimes it’s just the simple things in life that bring you happiness
  • “when unhappiness overwhelms you, when you end up wishing for an eternal night to fall on the world, think of the greenery which springs up after the rain, think of the awakening of a child” - p. 89, Omar Khayyam
    • there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Sure life can be difficult sometimes, existence can sometimes be very difficult to bear, but you can always get through it
  • “Are you afraid of the hereafter, Khayyam?’ ‘Why should one be afraid? After death there is either nothing or forgiveness.’ ” p. 107
    • Nizam asks Omar
    • Meaning, you only have a reason to fear the hereafter if you did bad stuff, if you did stuff you feel guilty about.
  • “If you cannot love, what use is the rising and the setting of the sun?” p. 142
    • ‘rising and the setting of the sun’ is a metaphor for life. If you cannot love, what’s the point of life?
  • “Arise, we have eternity for sleeping! - p. 157
    • get off your ass and work hard!
  • “You do not arrive only at your destination. At every stage of the journey you arrive somewhere and with every step you can discover a hidden facet of our planet. All you have to do is look, wish, believe, and love.” - p. 226
    • the value of taking things slow! Take your time. There’s no rush.
  • when talking about Morgan’s departure, Shireen tells Benjamin that:
    • “It is always better for a misfortune to happen later” p. 299
    • she then tells the story of Mullah Nasrudin’s talking donkey
    • gist of the story is that the Mullah was sentenced to die by the king for stealing a donkey, but told him the donkey is actually his brother who was turned into a donkey. He asked the king to just give him 1 year to teach the donkey to speak, the king granted his request.
      • his wife was upset that he made a stupid promise. Mullah replied “during the year the king might die, the donkey might, or even I might”
    • moral of the story: it’s better for misfortune to be delayed

Jamaluddin al-Afghani

  • Jamaluddin on page 179 talks about how “the three friends” Nizam, Omar, and Hassan represent 3 aspects of the Persian soul, and that he himself (Jamal) feels that he is all three at once
    • Nizam: represents the dream of establishing a great Muslim state
      • Jamal’s goal in life was to do this: create a strong modern Islamic state that was independent of any western powers
    • Hassan: represents the sowing of subversion in the lands of Islam. He had disciples who would follow him to death
      • Jamal also had a network of staunch, sometimes radical, followers. Within the Shah’s government, many officials are spies and loyalists to Jamal
    • Omar: represents the pleasures of life, searching for the joys in existence and being present in the moment
      • Jamal is also like this, he would write poetry similar to Omar’s, verses about wine, pleasure, etc

The Orient / Persia

  • “Disconcerting Persia, so immutable in its convulsions but how unchanged after so many metamorphoses!” - p. 222
    • Persia had just had a revolution in 1906 and is now a constitutional monarchy. The man to read the Shah’s speech in the first ever parliament was titled Nizam Al-Mulk (the famous vizier in Omar’s time)
    • after so many centuries, Persia still has the same essence!
  • “I bear the deep conviction that if, at the beginning of this century, the Orient does not manage to wake up, the West soon will not be able to sleep any more” - p. 224
    • a student at Princeton, Howard Baskerville, said this to Benjamin in a letter
    • it basically means that for world peace to be established, there must be global balance between the Orient and the Occident (west). This is so true!

Howard Baskerville

  • “In the language of Fazel and his friends, Baskerville was a martyr; in my eyes he was a dead friend, a friend who had died in a foreign country for a foreign cause, a friend whose parents would one day write to me to ask me in the most poignantly polite of terms why I had led their son astray.” - p. 270
    • Benjamin says this. He feels guilty about Howard’s death

Fazel

  • “If we are ready to fight, it is solely in order to safeguard the future. Does Persia not still live in the memory of the Imam Hussein? Yet this martyr did no more than lead a lost battle. He was defeated, crushed and massacred and it is he whom we honour. Persia needs blood in order to believe. There are 72 of us, the same number as Hussein’s companions. If we die, this Parliament will become a place of pilgrimage and democracy will be anchored for centuries in the ground of the Orient” - p. 297
    • Fazel gives a great speech about safeguarding the democracy of Iran

Morgan Shuster

Shireen and Benjamin

  • Shireen and Benjamin’s conversation on the titanic
    • Benjamin had recited a rubai from Khayyam (quoted in length above, page 303), it’s about the fleeting nature of life, it comes and goes quickly
    • Shireen got emotional, “I know that rubai by heart… and I suddenly had the impression that I was hearing it for the first time. It is as if…” - p. 303
    • this is super interesting… it’s foreshadowing what’s to come… almost like Shireen knew what was going to happen.
    • this could have two meanings:
      • either she was foreseeing the tragedy with the titanic
      • or she was foreseeing that her life with Benjamin is going to come to a sudden and quick end
  • significance of the manuscript for Shireen and Benjamin:
    • “I knew that the manuscript was for her, as it was for me, more than a jewel, more than a precious antique - that it was, to some extent, our reason for being together. It’s disappearance, come after so many misfortunes, had to have a serious effect on Shireen” - p. 307
    • when they arrive in the US, Shireen disappears without notice. Benjamin would never see or hear from her ever again
    • Benjamin wondered if she ever existed… “Was she anything other than the fruit of my oriental obsessions?” - p. 308
  • Benjamin recalls what Shireen told him on the titanic, this is how the book ends too:
    • “The Rubaiyaat on the Titanic! The flower of the Orient borne by the jewel of the Occident! Khayyam, if you could only see what a beautiful moment has been granted to us!” - p. 309
    • This represents Omar’s legacy. He became well known in the west due to Fitzgerald’s translation of his poems. His work certainly is the “flower of the Orient”. He bridged the gap between east and west, orient and occident
  • Their love is similar to Jahan and Omar
    • Jahan wrote in Omar’s journal “Next to your beloved, Khayyam, how alone you are! Now that she is gone, you can take refuge in her.” - p. 58
    • this is what happens to Benjamin at the end, his beloved Shireen leaves him. He takes refuge in all the past letters he received from her over the years.

Main Idea of the Book

  • As opposed to other works of fiction like Tolstoy, this book isn’t trying to teach a central concept, theme, lesson, or message, rather this book is more of a journey through time. We get to see the manuscript change hands multiple times over a period of 1000 years. There’s obviously LOTS of lessons to be learned, especially from Omar’s quatrains, but nothing specific
  • I will say that his quatrains do focus on one central idea: that life is short and fleeting

Random Reflections

  • it’s really crazy how the Mongols left such a lasting impact. Such great cities like Merv, Balkh, Nishapur, etc, never recovered after the Mongols destroyed them. They destroyed so much like Baghdad’s Bayt al-Hikma and Alamut’s great library. It’s a shame so much was lost…
  • There were two scenes in the book that were arguably the two saddest scenes in the entire book: Jahan’s (Omar’s lover) death, and Shireen leaving Benjamin. Personally, I thought Shireen leaving to be a lot more emotional/moving

StoryGraph Review

A terrific read. Never a dull moment anywhere! This is one of the best works of historical fiction ever written. The book revolves around Omar Khayyam, the poet and polymath of Nishapur, and his Rubaiyaat (poems/quatrains). I would say the manuscript of his Rubaiyaat is the main focus of the book overall. The author takes us all over the orient, from Samarkand to Istanbul, and even the occident like France and the US. We see the manuscript travelling from place to place, a 1000 year history. From the Seljuq Empire in the 11th century, to the Iranian constitutional revolution in the 20th century, this book has something in store for everyone.

Footnotes

  1. when the Qadi asks Omar if he is an infidel, Omar responds with this

  2. Omar is talking about heaven here

  3. said by Omar, quoted by Jamaluddin to Benjamin Lesage