The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam [Illustrated by M V Dhurandhar]

Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Bombay: Thacker & Co., 1944

98 pages, including 19 black and white sketches by M V Dhurandhar, stapled book with covers worn. Issued as No. 40 in the publisher's Rampart Library series
7.25 x 5 in (18.5 x 12.5 cm)

Edward FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, (a collection of rubái or quatrains), first published in 1859, is widely regarded as one of the most influential—and controversial—literary translations in history. The book's popularity among the pre-Raphaelites (a group of English painters, poets, and critics) did not commence until the 1860s, when it was discovered and sold at a magnificent sum of one penny per copy by the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. While the work introduced the Persian poet Omar Khayyam to English-speaking audiences and became a cultural phenomenon, it has long been criticized for its departure from the original text.

FitzGerald, who had minimal knowledge of Persian, based his translation on earlier European interpretations of Khayyam’s quatrains rather than directly from Persian manuscripts. His version reflects a highly personal and poetic reinterpretation, combining selected verses to suit his philosophical outlook. As a result, his Khayyam emerges not as the scientific thinker or spiritual poet known in Persian literature, but as a disenchanted sceptic, dismissive of religious dogma and devoted to sensual pleasures—especially wine and the fleeting nature of life.

This image of Khayyam diverged sharply from traditional understandings of the poet, especially in Persian and Sufi contexts, where many of the rubáiyát are interpreted as allegorical reflections on divine love and existential longing. Critics argue that FitzGerald’s translation distorts the poet’s voice, reducing its philosophical and spiritual depth in favour of Victorian romanticism and fatalism. It lends some truth to the Italian saying traduttori traditori—translators [are] traitors.

Despite scholarly criticism, FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát struck a deep chord with readers and artists in the West. It inspired generations of illustrators, from Elihu Vedder to Edmund Dulac, and influenced literary giants such as T S Eliot and Jorge Luis Borges. Additionally, Indian artists such as Abdur Rahman Chughtai, M V Dhurandhar, Asit Kumar Haldar and Abanindranath Tagore offered unique visual interpretations, merging Indian artistic sensibilities with Persian poetry. The book has since been published in over 2,000 editions and translated into more than 70 languages (from Japanese to Swahili), by almost 800 publishers and illustrated by over 220 artists worldwide, cementing its place in global literary heritage—even as debates about its authenticity continue.

Khayyam, a Persian astronomer and mathematician, passed away in the 12th century CE. He was reincarnated as a poet in the 19th century to fulfill, as Borges put it, "the literary destiny that had been suppressed by mathematics in Nishapur [in the Persian province of Khorasan]." FitzGerald's translations not only altered Khayyam's poetry but also his identity, depicting him as an "anti-Sufi, hedonist, and atheist." The Rubáiyát was characterized as "a masterpiece of art" by the Irish poet Oscar Wilde.

In this edition Dhurandhar's illustrations provide a visual narrative to Khayyam's quatrains, employing cross-hatching techniques to create detailed imagery that reflects the themes of the poetry. This edition stands out for its fusion of Persian poetry with Indian artistic interpretation, offering readers a unique visual and literary experience.

This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each book.