I'm a big fan of Iranian people and their culture. They have a country that has every kind of landscape and weather conditions imaginable, a rich culture, and women that are simply stunning. Sure, they have a pretty bad regime at the moment, but that, I think is going to change soon.

Equally importantly, they have some of hte most amazing poetry ever written. The poet that I've been reading and listening to mostly nowadays is Omar Al Khayyam. Listening to Um Kulthoum singing his quartets late at night is just great. I'm old school, I know, but I don't give a damn.
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omar al khayyam 

His Roba3eyyat, or quatrains, are simply brilliant. In fact, the philosophy in them is the one I kind of follow nowadays. In fact, I think most of Arabic youth nowaday follow that same philosophy, even if they don't realize it or if they've never read his stuff. His main philosophy is pretty simple: Life is short, it has a lot of pleasures, so why not try to make the most of it and enjoy these pleasures? You never know, you might die tomorrow, and all these pleasures will disapear. As long as you believe in the Almighty himself, then god will forgive for you. (Admittedly, there is debate on whether Al Khayyam meant pleasure as in the pleasure of worshipping god, or more carnal pleasures, such as drinking. Anyway, that's the beauty of poetry each person can read in it whatever he wants.)

My favouite two quatrains are the following two:

أفق خفيف الظل هذا السحر ............... نادى دع النوم وناغِ الوتــــر
فما أطال النوم عمــــراً ولا................ قصر في الأعمار طول السهر

القلب قد اضناه عشق الجمال والصدر قد ضاق بما لا يقال
يا رب هل يرضيك هذا الظما والماء ينساب امامي زلال

(Sorry I couldn't be bothered to find the English translations, but most of the quartets are available in the English site I put down).The first one I like because it's what I'm trying to do right now. I'm a BIG sleeper, and I need to cut down on sleep soon. No, not to enjoy myself, but to do a lot of studying (I'm kind of buggered and I have big exams coming up).

The second I like because it basically says if there are a lot of pleasures and beauty right in front of me, then how can you expect me not to enjoy any of them (again, one can interpret pleasure and beauty here as in more carnal ways, or in more metaphysical, religious ways.)

Anyway, I don't know why, but I thought I should share this. I'm going to stop blabbering now, but I do hope you give them a read.

¶ 10:23 AM