Scientist, poet and master of words Fikrat Asgarov has donated his new book entitled “Rubaiyat” to the Presidential Library. The publication contains around 760 rubai composed by the author with punning rhymes. The book opens with a foreword entitled “A Treasury of Puns” by Doctor of Philological Sciences and poet Islam Sadig. The foreword emphasises that Fikrat Asgarov has written more rubai than any other poet in Azerbaijani literature to date, that tajnis (a form of verse based on punning rhyme) is a complex poetic form, and that finding suitable rhymes in this genre is particularly challenging. According to Islam Sadig, Fikrat Asgarov has succeeded in demonstrating his poetic abilities in this complex form of poetry.

Fikrat Asgarov has grouped the rubai into five chapters according to their themes. The first chapter brings together rubai under the headings “A Strange and Wondrous World”, “Pages of Life”, “Time, Duration, Life”, “Enduring Values: Homeland, Nature, Beauty”, “Society, Family, Individual” and “Language, History, Ancestry, Identity”. The second chapter contains rubai devoted to the themes “Reason, Thought, Imagination, Endeavour”, “Joy, Sorrow, Grief and Concern”, “Friend, Foe, Communication” and “Absolute Truths: Falsehood, Reality, Truth, Justice”. The third chapter brings together rubai under the heading “Whispers of ‘Eternal Need’”. The fourth chapter comprises rubai under the headings “Pillars of Morality”, “Word, Art, Artist” and “Science, Knowledge, Skill”. The final chapter addresses universal human themes under the headings “The Human Being: As a Threat to Oneself and to Life”, “Intentions that Serve the Devil” and “Questions Whose Answer Is a Question”. 

A mathematician by profession, Fikrat Asgarov attaches particular importance to precision in word choice and the logical progression of thought. These qualities are reflected in his rubai both in the rhyme scheme built on wordplay and in the way poetic thought is brought to a logical conclusion. The Presidential Library collection also includes the poet’s book “The Train of No Return. Poems and a Narrative Poem”, published in 2023. Continuing his interest in the art of words in his other publications, Fikrat Asgarov published the 623-page book “A Treasury of Wisdom” in 2025, bringing together selected aphorisms and poetic expressions of wisdom from the works of Bakhtiyar Vahabzade under various headings.

The Presidential Library expresses its gratitude to Fikrat Asgarov for donating his book “Rubaiyat” to its collection and wishes him continued success in his creative endeavours.