The collection of humorous, sparkling, yet also peculiar and contemplative sayings from the 11th century gained great fame early on and has long been part of world literature. It consists of quatrains (ruba'i = four-line poem) by the ancient Persian scholar and poet Omar Khayyam. The collection is simply called "Rubaiyat" in other countries and is a classic of Oriental literature, now newly typeset and adorned with ornamental book decorations in the Insel-Bücherei. "As far as I can think, fate has always cruelly held me captive in its claws. It is a pity that the time we spent without wine and love is counted against us.".