Omar Khayyam (1048-1131), mathematician, astronomer and poet, was born in Nishapur, Iran. Dreaded by Sufis, whose practice he ridiculed, Khayyam refused to hide under mysticism or its guise of formal recognition of Islam. He found no World but This, and preferred to soothe the soul into a quiet acquiescence with things as he saw them rather than with what might be.

classic mystic poetry: translated by Edward FitzgeraldKhayyam's original manuscript is thought to have been comprised of more than seven hundred and fifty quatrains (Rubaiyat)—each a separate poem, an expression of a single thought. It is ironic that a man of the Victorian era and sensibilities became so captivated by the here-and-now world view of an unknown Persian poet, so much so that he devoted a number of years translating a selection of his Rubaiyat, and hence introducing Khayyam's poetry and his expressions of life and philosophy to the West. Edward Fitzgerald, born in 1809, came from a very wealthy English family and spent most of his life reading, writing and gathering knowledge. His circle of friends included such luminaries as Alfred Tennyson, Frederick Pollock, W. M. Thackeray, and W. B. Donne. In summer of 1859, Fitzgerald published a twenty-four page pamphlet of his translations of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The publication was not well-received and before long found its way into the "Penny Bin" of book stores. However, these pamphlets found their way into the hands of those who recognized their worth.

Here is a letter dated September 2, 1853, addressed to Fitzgerald from art critic John Ruskin:

My dear and very dear Sir,

I do not know in the least who you are, but I do with all my soul pray you to find and translate some more of Omar Khayyam for us: I never did—till this day—read anything so glorious, to my mind as this poem—(10th. 11th, 12th pages if one were to choose)—and that, and this is all I can say about it. More-more-please more-and that I am ever gratefully and respectfully yours.

J. Ruskin

It is no exaggeration that Fitzgerald's beautiful translations of Khayyam's poetry are responsible for the Western audience's familiarity with this great poet. Many of these translations are Fitzgerald's renderings of Khayyam's Rubaiyat and hence, understandably, are at odds with the sensibilities of many scholars of our time; however these rendition/translations, imbued with the spirit of Omar Khayyam, are disarmingly beautiful and independently powerful.

In this issue of the Levantine Review, I present you with a selection of Fitzgerald's fifth edition (1889) of Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. I hope you enjoy them and are moved to further explore these and other translations of this great poet.

—Sholeh Wolpé, poetry editor