Edward Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

The book presents the text of Edward FitzGeraldrs"s three main versions of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in an easily accessible form, together with a non-technical commentary on the origins, role and influence of the poem. The reader is given a chance to evaluate each of FitzGeraldrs"s alternative texts as a whole and to examine how the poet presented his texts to the public and annotated the verses. The commentary discusses the lives and work of Khayyam and FitzGerald, and recounts the fascinating story the publication of the Rubaiyat and its rise to great fame and popularity, including a look at the wide-ranging spin-offs the poem has generated in art, music and other fields. The editors use the latest research to analyze the poemrs"s worldwide influence during the 150 years since its first appearance and the continuing relevance of the poem in the world of the 21st century.

William H. Martin and Sandra Mason are independent researchers with a long-standing interest in the Rubiyt of Omar Khayym. Their first study, The Art of Omar Khayyam: Illustrating FitzGerald's Rubaiyat, was published in 2007.