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Rubaiyat Of Omar Khayyam: Translated Into English Verse By

Of special note in this still youthful age of self-published books (digital ebooks as well as books ‘Printed-on-Demand’), is the truly astonishing fact that the Rubáiyát was a self-published book, and not only self-published, but anonymously so by its translator, Edward FitzGerald! It was also a financial flop, with the unsold copies remaindered to the penny box in one small bookstore. Were it not for Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Algernon Charles Swinburne, two famous Victorian authors, happening quite by chance to see a pamphlet advertising second-hand books, and being curious about one titled Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám the Astronomer-Poet of Persia, Translated into English Verse (no translator named), the entire batch was destined to be reborn as waste paper. This CreateSpace/Kindle edition of the Rubáiyát, edited and with a Preface by H.D. Greaves, is unique in that it contains all of the FitzGerald editions: the First, the Second, and the Fifth, as well as FitzGerald’s extensive variations in his Third and Fourth Editions. You will also find here FitzGerald’s Notes to the Second Edition, his Introduction to the Third Edition, his essay on Omar Khayyám, and a complete Glossary. Although FitzGerald’s translation is not literal (he called it a “transmogrification” from the Persian), it is by far the greatest English language version of these extraordinary quatrains. This inexpensive CreateSpace paperback and its Kindle ebook companion contain no illustrations. As lovely—and as beloved—as many of those are, it may be wise to consider that Omar Khayyám’s immortal words ultimately need no artist’s palette. Our imagination and discernment are more than enough to give them life.

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; Tra edition (September 14, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1502377667

ISBN-13: 978-1502377661

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Best Sellers Rank: #1,588,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #364 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > Middle Eastern #1099 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Ancient, Classical & Medieval > Ancient & Classical

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