Lines by Omar Khayyam
Omar Khayyam
عمر خیام
Persian mathematician, astronomer and poet · 1048–1131
Omar Khayyam worked on algebra and on reforming the Persian calendar. The quatrains attributed to him became famous in English through Edward FitzGerald's free version of 1859.
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, quatrain LI, first edition
Tr. Edward FitzGerald, 1859 · Public domain · Source (opens the digitised edition in a new tab)