The best-loved, bestselling poem ever published - a poem that embraces the theme 'seize the moment' 'One thing is certain, that Life flies; One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies' The epic, beautiful poem Rubaiyat is widely attributed to Omar Khayyam. As much a philosopher as a poet, he was a Persian astronomer, who praised the beauties of nature, the essence of love, the mysteries of existence, the limits of private life and the joys of wine. Translated in 1857 by Edward Fitzgerald it was originally published in English anonymously, but was later discovered and promoted by the Pre-Raphaelites, who would have emphathised with many of the poem's themes. Published here as part of the Great Poets series, it is without doubt one of the greatest works of literature of all time.

What's the right faith for those who clamor for spirituality, but strain at the confines of organized religion? Discordia -- described as a religion disguised as a joke disguised as a religion -- may be the answer. Starting from the "firm belief that it is a mistake to hold firm beliefs," "Discordia lays out a tongue-in-cheek plan for worshipping Eris, the Greek goddess of discord. Loads of laughter and paradox are key to keeping the faith, as well as counter-evangelism, surrealist pranking, and the presentation of absurd rewards to distinguished individuals. Packaged in a trendy new edition, "Discordia brings an underground classic that has sowed chaos for 50 years to a new generation of neo-pagans.

A repository of subversive, melancholic and existentialist themes and ideas, the rubaiyat (quatrains) that make up the collected poems attributed to the 12th century Persian astronomer Omar Khayyam have enchanted readers for centuries. In this modern translation, complete with critical introduction and epilogue, Juan Cole elegantly renders the verse for contemporary readers. Exploring such universal questions as the meaning of life, fate and how to live a good life in the face of human mortality, this translation reveals anew why this singular collection of poems has struck a chord with such a temporally and culturally diverse audience, from the wine houses of medieval Iran to the poets of Western twentieth century modernism.

Omar Khayyam was a Persian astronomer and mathematician born in the later part of the 11th century. His poetry, which received very little notoriety in its day, achieved classic status when it was discovered and rendered into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald over seven hundred years later. Presented here are the traditionally collected first and fifth editions with the original notes and introduction by Edward Fitzgerald.

This contemporary edition of Khayyam has been selected and translated by Persian scholar Peter Avery and poet John Heath-Stubbs.