Edward FitzGerald’s The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a celebrated and highly liberal English translation of quatrains by the 12th-century Persian polymath. First published in 1859, it is renowned less for its scholarly accuracy than for its sublime poetic achievement. FitzGerald distilled and reordered the original verses into a cohesive meditation, famous for its lush, melancholic, and quotable language. The poem passionately advocates for seizing the present moment, embracing earthly pleasures like wine and love, and expresses a profound skepticism towards divine justice and the afterlife. This translation, initially a commercial failure, was later rediscovered and became an enduring classic of English literature, cherished for its philosophical depth and lyrical beauty.
Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám – Edward FitzGerald 1916 | Art Nouveau Illus.
$35.00
- Author:
Edward FitzGerald - Publisher:
Dodge Publishing Co., 1916 - Binding:
Hardcover - Condition:
Very Good - Size:
8vo - Attributes:
First Edition, Illustrated
First edition, first printing. Binding tight, light rubbing at spine and foxing to boards, internally clean and bright, unmarked. Beautifully illustrated with 4 tipped-in color plates with captioned tissue guards and numerous Art Nouveau decorations. A nice addition of collector of illustrated Rubaiyat. VG.
