Born on May 18, 1048 in Nishapur, Iran, the Persian mathematician, astronomer and sometime poet, Omar Khayyam, passed away on December 4, 1131.  But not before his work with cubic equations and the composition of a calendar more accurate than that of Pope Gregory’s work five centuries later.  A tradition came to be attributed to Khayyam for writing in the quatrain format.

The most famous of his poetic works, was translated by Edward FitzGerald.  The Rubaiyat was very successful once popularized by Whitley Stokes as its admiration grew in Pre-Raphaelite circles.

You may read the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam as translated by Edward FitzGerald here:

http://www.bartleby.com/41/623.html

Alternatively, this may be listened to in an audiobook format here: