OMAR KHAYYÁM
Statue of Omar Khayyám
This is a website on OMAR KHAYYÁM, the famous Persian poet-astronomer from the eleventh century, about his life and works, the Rubáiyát and the countless translations and editions thereof.
The website has recently been reorganized. Some features have to be reinstalled such as the rss feeds, and some chapters still need more content. But the work will continue. Thanks for your patience, and please, come back soon.
W.H. Holyoak
"I have lived not in vain, if I have lived to be Pirated". So wrote Edward FitzGerald to his publisher Quaritch after hearing (somewhat belatedly in 1872) that his Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám had been published in an Indian pirate edition a full decade previously, just three years after its first edition had famously fallen dead from the press in London.
John Drew managed to dig up some copies of this edition, titled 'An octogenerian's recreation in 1898 Being "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam"'. He also did some research into the remarkable history of the little pamphlet, that looked even more obscure and unpretentious than its famous predecessor of 1859. The edition that we here deal with is the 'Cyclostyle edition' by William Henry Holyoak, produced between 1885 and 1898. John Drew's article draws mainly on the piracy aspects and the troubles caused to its maker.
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Omar in writing. The pirate of the Rubáiyát interviewed [120 KB] . In: The Morning Leader, April 29th, 1899
Last update 18-4-2012 at 22:24