A somewhat peculiar website is: The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Virginia), that offers the Rubáiyát texts, (1st, 2nd and 4th renderings), a glossary, a bibliographical list, a short biography of Khayyám, a comparison between a number of quatrains by FitzGerald, the Persian text and a literal translation, and the introductions to the three editions.
Also there are two critical essays “Creating Another’s Work: Edward FitzGerald’s The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. A bibliographical essay” by Katie Elliott, and “FitzGerald’s second. Additions and Textual Changes in the 1868 Edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” by Thomas Minnick. You’ll find these in the Criticism chapter.
The website is presented in the form of a book, with various illustrations from a number of artists. Unfortunately there is no year of publication, but it is from a later date than 2002.
That is indeed an interesting find. We just wish it was possible to find out more about why this VCU site was created and who are the two authors of the critical essays. Our guess is that the ‘book’ was created as the basis for a graduate study course at the University – the ENGL624 in the web address. But a look at the courses currently on offer at VCU doesn’t show anything on the Rubaiyat. It might be possible to find out more by writing to the Dean of English at VCU. Meanwhile if anyone finds out more, please let us know.