Book & Author
Edward Fitzgerald: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
Khayyam, who stitched the tents of science,
Has fallen in grief's furnace and been suddenly burned,
The shears of Fate have cut the tent ropes of his life,
And the broker of Hope has sold him for nothing!
— Omar Khayyam
Persian aka Farsi literature is one the oldest and richest literatures of the world. The galaxy of Persian poetry is studded with many radiant stars like Rudaki, Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyam, Sanai, Saadi, Rumi, Nizami, Hafez, and numerous others. Omar Khayyam (1048–1131) aka Ghiyath al-Din Abu'l-Fath Umar ibn Ibrahim Al-Nisaburi al-Khayyami (al-Khayyami means tent maker; profession of his father), most often remembered as “the Astronomer-Poet of Persia," is known for his work in mathematics, medicine, and astronomy among other subjects. He compiled astronomical tables and contributed to calendar reform and discovered a geometrical method of solving cubic equations by intersecting a parabola with a circle. In 1072 AD, he calculated the most accurate year length ever computed.
Edward Fitzgerald (1809 – 1883) was an English poet and writer. He is best known for the English translation of the Persian poetry of Omar Khayyam. Fitzgerald’s translation of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam first appeared in 1859, and since then it has been published in hundreds of editions and led to translations in many languages.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald, edited by Dr Hossein Ali Nouri Esfandiary, contains English and French translations of Persian script along with fifty miniature renditions of the Rubaiyat by Iran’s celebrated artist Hossein Behzad (1894 – 1968), was first published in February 1970.
In the Prologue the editor, reflecting on the brilliance of Hossein Behzad, observes: “My interest in art and literature which began in the days of my childhood was developed by family education and nurtured by the special attention of my late father. Consequently, from early childhood I was acquainted with the literary masterpieces of distinguished Iranian poets and writers. The greatest benefit which I drew from this period was my personal contact with the leading contemporary miniature painter, the late Hossein Behzad who, according to Malek-O-Shoara Bahar, "was far superior to Kemal-e-din Behzad," the Iranian miniature painter of the 9th century Hejira. By creating a new school and a new style, Behzad raised miniature painting to its apogee. During the many years of association with Behzad, I was greatly impressed by his profound love for the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The philosophical influence and thought of Khayyam often inspired him to select topics for painting from the Rubaiyat.”
Describing the selection of Rubaiyat, the editor states: “During my first trip to the USA, it became evident that the great popularity of Omar Khayyam in the West was due to Fitzgerald's translation. This evidence led me to the decision to obtain all the books and pamphlets published on Omar Khayyam. After some time, I succeeded in glancing over all these readings, most of which were elaborately and artistically prepared. Among these were some exquisite pieces of art, including plates and painting[s] of some of the greatest painters of the world who had depicted the thoughts and ideas of Omar Khayyam through the poetry of Fitzgerald. But, these beautiful books with all their literary values, had one great deficiency, namely they all lacked the oriental spirit of Khayyam. By taking this into consideration I turned my attention to the immortal work of Fitzgerald, who has a world-wide reputation…with the cooperation of Mr Zarengar I gained the needed success in publishing 98 Rubaiyat of Khayyam; their English equivalents rendered into English by Fitzgerald which I hope will be studied by those wishing a further insight into the Rubaiyat.”
Discussing the shortcomings of Fitzgerald’s translation, the editor notes: “I must add that contrary to what people believe, Fitzgerald’s version is not a verbatim or true translation of Omar Khayyam, nor can it be so. Though Fitzgerald had been inspired by the immortal Omar Khayyam and other Iranian poets and their sublime poetry, he had never taken the trouble to bind himself to the terminology, wording and to the ideas represented by Khayyam but, followed his own line of thoughts and mentality entirely. He made a worldwide masterpiece out of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Although his general trend of thoughts, over an extended period, was inspired by the ideas and thoughts of Omar Khayyam's quatrains, yet some of Fitzgerald's verses comprise two or more of Khayyam's quatrains. Furthermore, in translating some of Khayyam's verses, he had changed the names mentioned therein, selecting names of his choice which seemed more familiar to the English-speaking people.”
Commenting on the format of the book, the editor states: “…I decided to publish the Persian texts of Khayyam, Fitzgerald's translation and also the French translation so that both the French speaking people and Iranians who know French, could judge the flow of the translation. Among the different translations of Omar in French I believe Mr Ettessamzadeh's translation is the best. He began with a translation of a few quatrains and later on to other quatrains. He translated these later ones at my request, for besides the fact that this translation was approved by the French Academy, and was awarded ‘L'angulera,’ as the best translation it has another privilege over other published translations, or so it seems in my opinion.”
Stating the objectives of compiling the book, the editor observes: “My motive in preparing this book is first to introduce Fitzgerald, who has truly been more effective in introducing Omar Khayyam to the people of the world than any other Iranian scholar: Secondly, to the Iranian people, with the intention of further bringing to this country some of the quatrains of Omar Khayyam, about which Hossein Behzad has made certain paintings.”
The following renderings of selected Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam represent Fitzgerald’s craft:
Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultan's Turret in a Noose of Light.
Wither resorting from the vernal Heat
Shall Old Acquaintance Old Acquaintance greet,
Under the Branch that leans above the Wall
To shed his Blossom overhead and feet.
Now the New Year reviving old Desires,
The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,
Where the White Hand of Moses on the Bough
Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires.
I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
Some letter of that After life to spell:
And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
And answered "I Myself am Heav’n and Hell."
Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the Wise
To talk, one thing is certain, that Life flies;
One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labored it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reaped-
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
Then to this Earthen Bowl did I adjourn
My Lip the secret Well of Life to learn:
And Lip to Lip it murmured—"While you live,
Drink!—for once dead you never shall return!"
I think the Vessel, that with fugitive
Articulation answered, once did live,
And merry-make; and the cold Lip I kiss’d
How many Kisses might it take—and give!
For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day,
I watched the Potter thumping his wet Clay:
And with its all obliterated Tongue
It murmured—"Gently, Brother, gently, pray!"
One Moment in Annihilation's Waste,
One Moment, of the Well of Life to taste-
The Stars are setting and the Caravan
Starts for the Dawn of Nothing—Oh, make haste!
How long, how long, in infinite Pursuit
Of This and That endeavor and dispute?
Better be merry with the fruitful Grape
Than sadden after none, or better, Fruit.
For "Is" and "Is-Not" though with Rule and Line,
And "Up—And-Down" without, I could define,
I yet in all I only cared to know,
Was never deep in anything but—Wine.
And that inverted Bowl we call The Sky,
Whereunder crawling coopt we live and die,
Lift not thy hands to It for help—for It
Rolls impotently on as Thou or I.
With Earth's first Clay They did the Last Man's Knead,
And then of the Last Harvest sow’d the Seed:
Yea, the first Morning of Creation wrote
What the Last Dawn of Reckoning shall read.
So while the Vessels one by one were speaking,
One spied the little Crescent all were seeking:
And then they jogged each other, "Brother! Brother!
Hark to the Porter's Shoulder-knot a-creaking!"
That even my buried Ashes such a Snare
Of perfume shall fling up into the Air,
As not a True Believer passing by
But shall be overtaken unaware.
Indeed the Idols I have loved so long
Have done my Credit in Men's Eye much wrong:
Have drown'd my Honor in a shallow Cup,
And sold my reputation for a Song.
Whether at Naishapur or Babylon,
Whether the Cup with sweet or bitter run,
The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop,
The Leaves of Life keep falling one by one.
Why, if the Soul can fling the Dust aside,
And naked on the Air of Heaven ride,
Were't not a Shame—were'it not a Shame for him
In this clay carcass crippled to abide?
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam contains English and French translations along with Farsi script. The Persian text is wonderfully written with gilt scripts of the leading calligraphists, rendering it as a genuine piece of art. Fitzgerald’s translation, despite its fidelity issues, coupled with Hossein Behzad’s exquisite miniature renditions make it easier for readers not versed in Persian to perceive the meaning of Omar’s Rubaiyat. The book is a wonderful treat for poetry lovers around the globe.
[Dr Ahmed S. Khan (dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org) is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar (2017-2022)]
