"My dear son Said,

I dedicate this book, which I have written about Omar Khayyam—who is famous throughout the civilized world—to you; and on this occasion, I briefly present my own ideas and beliefs regarding the philosophy of life through a rubai. From the rubai below, you will understand that my "guiding principle" in this matter is not an aspiration born of my own desires, but the formal expression of a "relative" truth that I have deduced from the arduous experiences of a life spent in long-standing struggle and combat; because this simple truth has taken the form of a creed in me with the strength of faith, it has provided me with a guiding principle for action. I know very well that most of our aspirations are the products of fantasy. Seeking happiness in their realization is as futile an effort and as groundless a hope as expecting the sun to rise from the western horizons. Wherever the sun rises, that is the east. In this mortal world, absolute happiness is a vain fantasy. It leads helpless people who are thirsty for happiness down a completely wrong path. It gives them a dangerous hope, like a mirage in the desert. In the subject of happiness, there is no bargaining with fate. Fate consists of natural forces that resist the innate tendencies of our "inherited" character. In addition to the influence of these, there are also the obstacles that our social and political environment invents against our determination, all of which together form a solid network. Our greatest strength against all these difficulties, our most precious asset, that is to say our capital, is our "will." There can be no will without consciousness; thus, the will—which can only be realized through action—is not our reflective intellect, but the active one; that is, it is the "intellect that truly governs our life." If we can give value to our lives with our deeds, that is to say, if we do not spend that day or that hour idly, and do not waste it on fruitless tasks, but instead pass it pleasantly with a useful service, we will be content. One of the most important experiences in my life is this contentment. There is a true happiness for people, which is being able to attain such a victory. And this is according to everyone's own capacity. I am not counting coincidences. Losing oneself in fantasies and harboring unattainable ambitions is an excess of greed and weakness of will; and in the name of contentment, to accept a wretched and miserable way of life and drag our lives to the grave in laziness and helplessness is the deficiency of a lack of will. For a person with self-respect, relative happiness is to strive for the realization of a noble purpose and to give value to life through contentment. The rubai I have written for you today summarizes what I have said.

There is no bargaining with fate—for happiness,
There is no asset in man like the will.
Give value to your life—with your service,
My son!.. There is no other happiness for you!”

Your father
Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı"