Edward FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

Bill Martin and Sandra Mason are independent researchers with a long-standing interest in the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, particularly the interpretation of these quatrains by Edward FitzGerald. They were actively involved in creating exhibitions and other projects to celebrate the FitzGerald anniversaries in 2009 as a Year of the Rubaiyat.

• Introduction; Acknowledgements; List of Illustrations; Part 1. Edward FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám; A Note on the Texts; First Edition (1859); Second Edition (1868); Fourth Edition (1879); Edward FitzGerald’s Notes; Edward FitzGerald’s Prefaces; Part 2. The Rubáiyát, Its Story and Its Influence; Omar Khayyám and his Rubáiyát; Edward FitzGerald and his Rubáiyát; The Poem Itself; How the Rubáiyát Became Popular; Worldwide Spread and Influence; Exploitation in Many Forms; Relevance to the Modern Day; Notes to Part 2; Part 3. Further Notes and References; The Texts Presented – Editors’ Notes; Quatrain Numbers in the Rubáiyát; Note References in the Rubáiyát; Glossary of Names and Terms; Further Reading and Online Resources; Index

‘William H. Martin and Sandra Mason’s edition is a worthy addition. Seeming to respond to Edmund Gosse’s entreaty, in an introduction to a deluxe 1902–1903 American edition of FitzGerald’s works, to “regain in the study of him a little of his own chaste moderation,” Martin and Mason have succeeded, as is their stated aim, in producing a highly accessible version of the text.’ —Ailise Bulfin, ‘English Literature in Transition, 1880–1920’