Edward FitzGerald, Anthony Rado - Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - 1940-1940

Scarce First Edition c1940s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald Illustrated by Anthony Rado, Published by Edgar Backus Leicester 29p


DESCRIPTION

Publishers' Original Binding
Illustrated with eight tipped in plates by prolific children's illustrator Anthony Rado. Collated, complete.



'The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam' was the title that Edward Fitzgerald gave to his 1859 translation of the Persian quatrains attributed to second century Persian mathematician and astronomer Omar Khayyam. Fitzgerald's was the first English translation.

Fitzgerald's translations, however, are fairly loose; he referred to his work on them as a 'transmogrification'. Some therefore considering that his translation of 'Rubaiyat' could be considered as Fitzgerald's own original poetry, only loosely based on Khayyam's quatrains.

Undated. C1940s

Very good condition first edition. Gilt-decorated Morocco binding. owner’s inscription to front endpaper and slight rip to outer edge of middle page

Synopsis
Philosopher, astronomer and mathematician, Khayyam as a poet possesses a singular originality. His poetry is richly charged with evocative power and offers a view of life characteristic of his stormy times, with striking relevance to the present day.

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is the title that Edward FitzGerald gave to his 1859 translation from Persian to English of a selection of quatrains (rubāʿiyāt) attributed to Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), dubbed "the Astronomer-Poet of Persia".

Although commercially unsuccessful at first, FitzGerald's work was popularised from 1861 onward by Whitley Stokes, and the work came to be greatly admired by the Pre-Raphaelites in England. FitzGerald had a third edition printed in 1872, which increased interest in the work in the United States. By the 1880s, the book was extremely popular throughout the English-speaking world, to the extent that numerous "Omar Khayyam clubs" were formed and there was a "fin de siècle cult of the Rubaiyat".[1]

FitzGerald's work has been published in several hundred editions and has inspired similar translation efforts in English, Hindi and in many other languages.

PLEASE NOTE:

- This item will be shipped from UK. Depending on your country of residence, you may be subject to import taxes and additional duties such as VAT! Make sure that you are aware of the import rules in the country of destination. These custom charges cannot be calculated prior to shipping since the amount you may pay is determined by customs officials in the country of destination. Please keep this information in mind before bidding!

- Always take a very good look at the pictures before bidding. The pictures and the descriptions provide the most possible accurate condition of the item.

- In the event that you come across any problem after you purchase the lot, please always contact the seller before leaving a negative feedback, because we will always find out a solution to overcome any inconvenience and to resolve any problem you encounter.

- The lot will be neatly and properly packaged with no expense spared and it will be shipped by tracked expedited courier UPS, aiming to ship within 48 hours after payment. You will immediately receive the tracking number of the shipment. Also please be aware that we cannot have any control over shipping and the methods of the courier once the lot is sent. If you come across any problem with the shipment, please contact us and we will always find out a solution together.