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FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát and agnosticism

FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát and agnosticism. Marta Simidchieva.
In: FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Popularity and neglect. Ed. by A. Poole et al. London, Anthem Press, 2011. pp. 55-72.

The author tries to find a possible answer to Pound’s question about the success of FitzGerald’s translation. She puts the first two editions of the Rubáiyát in the intellectual context of the times, in an attempt to discover how the Persian transplants ‘correlate with the [host] system’. She contends that the poetic persona of the Persian sage, and the agnostic overlay which FitzGerald created through his choices as an editor and interpreter of the Khayyámic legacy, were as instrumental in ensuring the worldwide fame of the Rubáiyát as FitzGerald’s prowess as a translator.

‘Umar Khayyám au mirroir de quelques interprétations modernes, de FitzGerald à Hedáyat

‘Umar Khayyám au mirroir de quelques interprétations modernes, de FitzGerald à Hedáyat. Jacques Huré.
Luqmán 17 (2001) nr. 1, p. 7-15.

‘Umar Khayyám peut être vu, aujouid’hui, comme un «agitateur d’idées», le carrefour où se rassemblent ceux qui s’interrogent sur la portée des textes anciens d’où émane cette notion moderne qu’est l’incertitude du sens, ceux qui s’interrogent sur le rapport entre le discours spirituel et le discours philosophique, et, plus généralement ceux qui discutent de la pensee “oriëntale”, telle qu’elle doit prendre place dans tout débat ouvert aujourd’hui en Occident.

‘Umar Khayyám: philosopher-poet-scientist.

‘Umar Khayyám: philosopher-poet-scientist. S.H. Nasr.
In: Islamic Intellectual Tradition in Persia. Ed. by M. Aminrazavi. London, Routledge, 1996, p. 175-178.

Originally as preface in “Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam” , by A. Saidi, 1991

Umar Khayyam

Umar Khayyam
In: Dalal (Ed.) Ethics in Persian poetry (with special reference to Timurid period). Ghulam Abbas Dalal. New Delhi : Abhinav Publications, 1995. ISBN: 8170173140 . Pp. 71–95.

Discusses life of Khayyam and his works, and the views thereon. Was he a poet or not, a drunkard and heretic, and what was his character?

The enigma of Edward FitzGerald

The enigma of Edward FitzGerald. J.L. Borges.
In: Other inquisitions, 1937-1952. London : Souvenir Press, 1973. ISBN: 0-285-64711-3

Borges ponders on the mysterious connection between Khayyám and FitzGerald. A miracle that happened: from the fortuitous conjunction of a Persian astronomer who condescends to write poetry, and an eccentric Englishman who peruses Oriental and Hispanic books, emerges a poet who does not resemble either of them. He suggests a deep-seated, a-Platonic connection between philosophy, mathematics, and poetry.

The Fame of Omar Khayyam

The Fame of Omar Khayyam. Abd al-Haqq Fádil.
The Muslim World, 50 (1960) 4, pp. 259-268

Omar Khayyam’s popularity has two phases. In his life he was tremendously famous for his copious learning; after his death he became celebrated for his brilliant Rubáiyyát. In both he was unique and matchless. But he did not enjoy his fame completely either in life or in death. It is time now for us to grant him his due in full as a man of learning and as a poet.

Omar and the new era

Omar and the new era. Achtenhagen, Olga. The English Journal, 16 (1927) 8 (October), pp. 598–602

Students reflecting on reading and thinking about the Rubáiyát.

Omar Khayyám : Some Facts and Fallacies

Omar Khayyám : Some Facts and Fallacies by Reynold A. Nicholson.
In: Aberdeen University Review. Nr. 2 (1914), Feb., p. 138-142

Since FitzGerald introduced him to Europe, Omar Khayyám has enjoyed a world-wide reputation exceeding that of all the rest of the Persian poets together. Does he deserve it? What was his character and philosophy? Was he a materialist or a mystic, or neither? How far is the English version an original poem, and can we fairly use it as a key to the riddle? These are some of the questions that I am going to discuss and in part, I hope, to answer.