"The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam"

"The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, Fifth Edition" by Edward Fitzgerald (1889)

Published posthumously, the fifth edition of Fitzgerald’s “The Rubaiyat” differs significantly from the first both in its translation and in the total number of verses. The fifth edition contains 101 verses in contrast to the 75 quatrains of the first version. While the fifth edition is considered by some literary scholars to be Fitzgerald’s most polished translation, others like Daniel Karlin believe the first edition is a masterpiece the revisions cannot match. Fitzgerald took up the revisions because of frequent criticisms that his translation was erroneous and too loose. It is useful to contrast the various versions of “The Rubaiyat” to gain a deeper understanding of the processes of Fitzgerald’s translation and editing.

"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell (1681)

Written a few centuries before Fitzgerald translated “The Rubaiyat,” “To His Coy Mistress” (likely written in the 1650s and published posthumously) explores similar themes of carpe diem or making the most of the present moment. Marvell and the poem’s influence are clear in Fitzgerald’s translation. Like “The Rubaiyat,” in which the quest for pleasure is informed by the awareness of time running out, “To His Coy Mistress” cannot shake off the scepter of impending death.