Rubáiyat of Omar Khayyám

The origins of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám represent one of the most fascinating accidental success stories in the history of international publishing. The verses were originally composed in 11th-century Persia by Omar Khayyám, a brilliant astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher who wrote these rubáiyát (four-line stanzas) as a private, secular outlet to contemplate the fleeting nature of time, love, and the divine. For centuries, these poems remained largely obscure in the West until the eccentric English scholar Edward FitzGerald discovered a rare Persian manuscript in Oxford's Bodleian Library. In 1859, FitzGerald anonymously published a highly liberal, poetic English translation that deliberately prioritized the emotional texture and rhythmic beauty of the verses over literal, word-for-word accuracy. The initial print run of 250 booklets was a colossal commercial failure, ending up in the "penny dump" discount bins of London booksellers until it was accidentally discovered by Pre-Raphaelite poets Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Algernon Charles Swinburne, who championed its intoxicating, exotic imagery and triggered a massive literary revival.

The poem’s unapologetic, epicurean philosophy—summarized by its famous call to live for the present moment and its iconic imagery of a "Loaf of Bread, a Jug of Wine, and Thou"—deeply resonated with a Western society wrestling with industrialization and religious doubt. By the early 20th century, a sweeping "Omariana" cult took hold, sparking the creation of international Omar Khayyám dining clubs, theatrical adaptations, musical compositions, and a massive merchandise market featuring themed pottery, calendars, and playing cards. For bibliophiles, the poem holds an unparalleled status as one of the most frequently and lavishly illustrated works in global publishing history, rendered in breathtaking editions by Golden Age artists like Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, and Willy Pogany, making early or finely bound copies an essential, prized capstone for any classic poetry collection.

Deep green leather binding with gilt lettering and stiffness to upper board and spine. Gilt edges. Softened head and foot of spine. Fine condition.