Edward Fitzgerald

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Edward Fitzgerald

Omar Khayyám was an eleventh and twelfth century Persian mathematician, scientist and poet who left over one thousand ruba'i, or quatrains, of a deeply philosophical nature. Through these short stanzas, Khayyám explored a variety of human themes including life and death, love, nature, beauty, and faith. In 1859, Edward FitzGerald translated, less literally than figuratively and structurally, seventy-five of these into English in the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. He continued to refine and expand his work over the course of five editions, issued through 1889. FitzGerald's romanticized translations were highly popular in Victorian England and led to widespread interest in Khayyám's works worldwide as well as newfound recognition of his contributions to science and mathematics. This collection presents FitzGerald's first edition text and annotations along with Edmund Sullivan's wonderfully stylized and romantic illustrations. Also included are full text versions of all FitzGerald editions as well as a stanza-by-stanza comparison of their evolution over the course of four decades.