Omar Khayyam's Quatrains, in English and Persian

These verses, which we anglophones have come to intone as though they were scripture, are not those of Omar Khayyam (meaning Omar the tentmaker in Farsi), but those of a less celebrated Victorian poet, Edward FitzGerald. Our affection for the rhyme scheme, the aliteration, the meter, the very image the words evoke, is not for Omar, but for his tranlator, Edward FitzGerald. It was not Omar who wrote, "oh, but the long, long while the world shall last," but FitzGerald. FitzGerald translated this Twelfth Century poetry in the very early years of the Nineteenth Century, seven hundred years after Omar. It is FitzGerald to whom we should be grateful. FitzGerald's verse is literally accurate only to the extent of its a, a, b, a rhyme scheme; and even so, the final combination of phonics comprising the cadence in each line is constructed in our language, not in Omar's. Only in the figurative meaning of the verse is the translation from Farsi accurate. What we anglophones think of as Omar's verse is not at all Farsi and not at all Twelfth Century. It sounds much more familiar to our ears because FitzGerald has cut the time gap by seven centuries and the language barrier to nothing. But don't take my word for it; speak to any Iranian (if you permit them to speak for their ancestral Persians) and they will tell you that Omar is known principally for astrology and alchemy. Some will say he was a mathmetician, but no evidence remains to support that claim. Omar is never quoted as a poet by his ancestral Iranians. I have asked a dozen university-educated Iranians to recite a single verse of Khayyam and none have been able to do so. Not one. One explanation for this omission is Omar's obsession with hedonism in general and wine in particular, which is now so stridently verboten by his militantly muslim ancestors. FitzGerald drew inspiration only from Omar, and that inspiration has positioned him in an orbit around Omar's star. Our current affection for Omar Khayyam's verse is not remotely due to the accuracy of FitzGerald's translation, but rather to his own creativity and originality. The reason for the historical coincidence making blood-brothers of Omar and FitzGerald is the shocking nature of their verses. Omar's rebellion against the muslim propriety of his age paralleled FitzGerald's rebellion against the Elizabethian propriety of his age. Yet even to us these verses still sounds racy, and as long as they do they'll titillate our sensibilities, irrespective of their authorship. "Perplext no more with human or divine, Tomorrow's tangle to the winds resign, And lose your fingers in the tresses of The cypress-slender minister of wine."

My copy of the Rubaiyat (ISBN 0517491958) is the Classic Collector's Series published by Weathervane Books/distributed by Crown Publishers. It's a translantion by Edward Fitzgerald and illustrated by Edmund Dulac. The burgandy hardcover with embossed gold lettering and elegant designs is beautiful enough to feature on your bookshelf. Each page of poems is set off by a border with plenty of white space. Full-page color illustrations by the masterful Dulac are sprinkled throughout. They show scenes of graceful Persian maidens, rajahs and palaces. A very handsome treatment of classic poetry.

This is a beautiful edition of the classic, with delicate Art Deco illustrations by Rene Bull. Khayyam's rubai (quatrains), written in the twelfth century, had lain forgotten in a library until the middle of the nineteenth century, when they were discovered by Edward Fitzgerald. His inspired, loose translation organizes the poems into a cycle describing a day. Some references are obscure, some of the language is as difficult as Shakespeare, but for those who enjoy complicated metaphysical poetry this is a delicious treat. Others can simply look at the pictures, which are a fairytale in themselves.

The first time I encountered this book was in the 10th Grade and I have been mesmerized by it ever since. The author gives extraordinary metphors and allows the reader to interpret the poetry how it best fits them. He speaks of most of the joys there is on this wonderful world and takes you to places you have never been before. I would recommend this wonderful book to anyone who loves poetry.

This was an interesting book by a yoga master. It fully and in depth explains Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat. It was an interesting reading experience that gives you a taste of Persian poetry. Yoganda has certainly outdone himself in this explained Rubaiyat based on Edward Fitzgerald's first translation of the mysterious persian poet's masterpiece.