ABSTRACT
ABUSA'ioandOmarKhayyamareassociatedinthehistory ofPersianliteraturebythecircumstancethateachofthemis thereputedauthorofafamouscollectionofrubd'iyydtinwhich hisindividualityhasalmostdisappeared.Thatthesecollectionsarewholly,orevenmainly,theworkofAbuSa'idand Omarnoonewhoexaminestheevidenceislikelytoassert: theysho'Qldratherberegardedasanthologies-ofwhichthe nucleus,perhaps,wasformedbythetwoauthorsinquestion -containingpoemsofaparticulartypecomposedatvarious periodsbymanydifferenthands.Itispossible,nodoubt, thatOmar'sviewoflifeandhisgeneralcastofthoughtare moreorlessreflectedinthequatrainsattributedtohim,but wecanlearnfromthemnothingdefiniteanddistinctive.The sameconsiderationsapplywithequalforcetothemystical rubd'ispassingunderthenameofAbuSa'id.Inhiscase, however,wepossessexcellentandcopiousbiographical materialswhichmakeusintimatelyacquaintedwithhimand throwawelcomelightonmanyaspectsofcontemporary Persianmysticism.
