8 Facts You should Know about Rubaiyat, Khayyam and FitzGerald
Paulin Prifti
I Help New Authors Write, Edit and Publish Books that Stand Out and Stand the Test of Time
In 1912 when the Titanic sank, together with it went down the most expensive book of the 20th Century. It was a brilliantly binded copy of Khayyam’s Rubaiyat; one of the most popular books of all time. Here are a few facts everyone should know about Rubaiyat, the greatest poem translated in English with amazing beauty by Edward FitzGerald.
1. No one bought it: It was published in 1859, the same year as Darwin’s The Origin of Species, and though it had as profound an effect on Victorian society as Darwin’s book, no one bought a single copy when it was first published.
2. Absolutely amazing self-publishing story: Edward FitzGerald self-published the book in a pamphlet form; ordered 250 copies and they went to a basket of books for sale at one penny each. Rossetti, a painter and poet, picked it up by chance and it took off from there.
3. Superb translation: Khayyam wrote the Rubaiyat almost nine centuries ago. It became hugely popular in the 19th Century as a result of the superb translation by Edward FitzGerald. It has often been said FitzGerald’s translation is even better than the original. Some even accused FitzGerald of making a mockery of the original.
4. Top seller: Rubaiyat has been translated in almost every living language and is one the most quoted poems of all time. Critics and the literary world have not been kind to FitzGerald’s work, yet, the public has loved it. The work has sold, tens of millions of copies worldwide.
5. Extraordinary author: Khayyam, apart from a poet, was a philosopher, astronomer, mathematician and historian. He helped revise the solar calendar still in use in Iran today.
6. Two translated versions: FitzGerald translated the Rubaiyat first in Latin, then English. He produced five editions, and only the last edition revealed his name as the translator of the poem.
7. Amazing legacy: Edward FitzGerald rests in a small and peaceful churchyard in Boulge, England. A rose tree stands by his grave that originated from a seed taken from the rose bushes of Omar Khayyam’s grave.
8. Highly collectable: Rubaiyat is a collector's dream; a first edition copy of the Rubaiyat sold a few years ago at Sotheby’s New York for $40,000.
Get a copy of Rubaiyat on Amazon Kindle or paperback and enjoy reading!