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Omar Khayyam’s Epicureanism: The Spanish Translations of Rubaiyats (1904-1930)

Omar Khayyam’s Epicureanism: The Spanish Translations of Rubaiyats (1904-1930). A. Gasquet.
In: Peripheral Transmodernities: South-to-South Intercultural Dialogues between the Luso-Hispanic World and ‘the Orient’. Ed. by Ignacio López-Calvo. Newcastle upon Tyne, Cambridge Scholars, 2012. pp. 155-177. ISBN 9781443837149.

The author gives a brief summary of a number of translations published in Spanish-American countries. Here, and in the Phillipines twelve translations of the Rubáiyát were issued in twenty-six years. The first translation was by Juan Dublan (Mexico, 1904), followed by Gregorio Martinez Sierra (Madrid, 1907), and finally by Francisco Propata (Paris, 1930). Four works are discussed more in detail: the versions by Dublan, Muzzio Sáenz-Peña, González and Bernabé. Gasquet describes the socio-cultural conditions of their time, and the sources of their work. He also shows how the hedonist-mystic debate played a role in these works.

FitzGerald, Rámí, and Umm Kulthúm: the Making of ‘Umar Khayyám in Arabic

FitzGerald, Rámí, and Umm Kulthúm: the Making of ‘Umar Khayyám in Arabic. Huda J. Fakhreddine.
Al-Abhath, 60-61 (2012-2013), pp. 87-110.

This article traces the journey of the Rubá’iyyát of ‘Umar al-Khayyám into Arabic literature via English and primarily the highly influential translation made by Edward FitzGerald. Ahmad Rámí’s translation, which was the first direct translation from Persian into Arabic, was nevertheless greatly informed by FitzGerald’s translating decisions.

Cognitive poetics as a literary theory for analyzing Khayyam’s poetry

Cognitive poetics as a literary theory for analyzing Khayyam’s poetry. L.S. Esfehani.
Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 32 (2012 ), pp. 314-320.

According to Freeman (1998), conceptual mapping in literary texts can operate at three levels including “attribute”, “relational” and “system” mapping. In this paper, the study of Khayyam’s poetry demonstrates that how system mapping of his text world could illustrate the unique aspects of his thoughts as well as showing the reason for his preferred patterns. Additionally, there are several controversies over the originality of some poems attributed to him. In conclusion, the function of different system mappings could differentiate the quatrains belong to different authors as well as offering a close systematic reading.

The Reflection of “The Rubaiyat of Omar Kheyam in “The Fruits of Earth” by Andre Gide

The Reflection of “The Rubaiyat of Omar Kheyam in “The Fruits of Earth” by Andre Gide. Hassan Emami, E. Mohammadi, M. Zarei.
Research in Contemporary World Literature / Pazhuhesh-e Zabanha-ye Khareji, (2012) 63.

This research, based on the fundamental theories of comparative literature, indicates that the treasure of Persain culture and literature has played a vital role in creating and inspiring several literary masterpieces of the world. Andre Gide –the eminent French writer–is one of those who under the influence of this rich heritage has created such a unique work as “The Fruits Of Earth”. He has created this famous work under the influence of Persian literature. By mentioning a line of Hafiz and a verse of Quran at the beginning of his book, Gide has indicated his special attention to oriental works. To some extent, his “The Fruits of the Earth” is related to oriental literature, especially Persian. Although he has mentioned the name of Khayyam just one time, the influence of Khayyam on his work is more than other Persian writers. This research shows the different ways and the extent of Gide’s familiarity with Khayyam and offers a comparison of common concepts in “Rubaiyyat” and “The Fruits of Earth”.

Victorian Poetry and Translation

Victorian Poetry and Translation. Richard Cronin
In: Reading Victorian Poetry. Richard Cronin. Chichester, Wiley-Blackwell, 2012, pp. 114-140.

It was not a great age of poetic translation, but in D.G. Rossetti and Edward FitzGerald it had two great translators, and almost all the most important Victorian poets produced translations of one kind or another. Greek tragedy proved particularly attractive: Barrett Browning translated Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound not once but twice (1833 and 1850), and Augusta Webster translated it too, before going on to publish a version of Euripides’ Medea (1866 and 1868). Robert Browning accommodated within two of his later poems, Balaustion’s Adventure (1871) and Aristophanes’ Apology (1875), complete translations of two other plays by Euripides, Alcestis and Heracles . Edward FitzGerald translated the Agamemnon (1865) as well as Omar Khayyám.

An ‘Umar Khayyám database

An ‘Umar Khayyám database. Jos Coumans.
In: The great ‘Umar Khayyám. Leiden, Leiden University Press, 2012. pp. 242–252.

Coumans studies Khayyám’s popularity worldwide, offering a methodology to establish a database to view all the information on the Rubáiyát, on the original Persian source, and on the secondary literature.

Vernacularizing Rubaiyat: the politics of Madhushala in the context of the Indian nationalism

Vernacularizing Rubaiyat: the politics of Madhushala in the context of the Indian nationalism. A. Castaing.
In: The great ‘Umar Khayyám. Leiden, Leiden University Press, 2012. pp. 215–232.

Anne Castaing shows the influence of Khayyám on the young Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bacchan (1907-2003), who translated the quatrains into Hindi under the title of Umar khayyám kī Madhuśálá (“Omar Khayyám’s House of Wine”). Bacchan wrote his own collection of quatrains entitled Madhuśálá (“The house of wine,” 1935) that deals with the same motifs and symbolism and are interpreted as an “allegory of poetic creation, homeland, universe, love etc., with wine and intoxication symbolising the duality of existence, both sweet and bitter.” By using themes and motifs from Khayyám’s poetry, Bacchan readdresses the questions of orthodoxy versus free thinking, hierarchy of being and man’s place in the universe.

Other Persian quatrains in Holland: the Roseraie du savoir of Husayn-i Ázád

Other Persian quatrains in Holland: the Roseraie du savoir of Husayn-i Ázád. J.T.P. de Bruijn.
In: The great ‘Umar Khayyám. Leiden, Leiden University Press, 2012. pp. 105-114.

De Bruijn explains how, from the nineteenth century onwards, Persian quatrains became fashionable in Dutch poetry. After briefly referring to two great Dutch poets, P.C. Boutens (1870-1943) and J.H. Leopold (1865-1925), De Bruijn concentrates on their common source, an anthology of Persian quatrains in two parts published in 1906 under the titles Gulzár-i ma ‘rifat and La Roseraie du Savoir respectively. The author of these Persian and French anthologies was a Persian by the name of Husayn-i Ázád, who was a physician at the provincial Qajar court of Isfahan. He travelled to London and Paris, but later settled in Paris, where he concentrated on European and Persian poetry. In his chapter, De Bruijn gives a vivid picture of Husayn-i Ázád’s life and how he tried to introduce treasures from the Persian literary tradition to a western public.

How ‘Umar Khayyám inspired Dutch visual artists

How ‘Umar Khayyám inspired Dutch visual artists. Jos Biegstraaten.
In: The great ‘Umar Khayyám. Leiden, Leiden University Press, 2012. pp. 135-142.

Biegstraaten examines the work of four Dutch artists who were inspired by Khayyám’s quatrains: Willem Arondéus (1894-1943), Ger Gerrits (1893-1965), Siep van den Berg (1920-1998) and Theo Forrer (1923-2004).

Between tavern and madrassa: ‘Umar Khayyám the scientist

Between tavern and madrassa: ‘Umar Khayyám the scientist. Bagheri, Mohammad.
In: The great ‘Umar Khayyám. Leiden, Leiden University Press, 2012. pp. 67-72.

This contribution focuses on Khayyám as a scientist and how his scientific merits are combined with his literary genius. Bagheri’s study includes Khayyám’s classification of cubic equations, his commentary on Euclid’s Elements, and Khayyám’s scientific achievements.