Omar Khayyam is a poet, philosopher, astronomer and polymath of the 11th century AD. He has many things attributed to him, from being the inventor of Pascal’s triangle to being a supporter of heliocentric theory. What has always stood out to me is his poetry and the incredible depth his quatrains contain. Take this for example:

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.

Despite only being so short, each line holds so much meaning. The first line talks about the “Moving Finger” which represents the actions, decisions and outcomes that occur as we continue through time. However, in the second and third line, Khayyam tells the reader that after an action is taken, no matter how intelligent or devoutly religious you are, it cannot be taken back. The final line somberly adds to this by stating that no matter how much you regret an action or outcome, that too cannot be retracted.

The poem is about the pervasive truth within life: finality. When you have experienced a car crash, there is nothing that can ever undo the crash; it is forever a part of your life now. When you have hurt someone, that too cannot truly be undone. However, this poem isn’t purely filled with gloom. When you have achieved something, that cannot be unwritten. When you have helped build something, that is now permanent within the fabric of time. This poem can be likened to writing with a pen. Anything you place on the paper is permanently there, including the mistakes, the white out and the coffee stains. Life is a continuous journey where every action and decision we make is permanently in our lives and no matter how much we cry or pray, nothing can change that.