The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

14 December 2009 - 21 February 2010

3 December 2009

Opening on 14 December in the Folio Society Gallery at the British Library, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam marks the 150th anniversary of Edward FitzGerald's publication of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - an interpretation of the poetical work attributed to an 11th century Persian mathematician, astronomer and philosopher.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is one of the best known poems in the world. It has been translated into 85 languages. It is among the most widely illustrated of all literary works, with over 130 known illustrators, and it has also inspired many composers. Since the English translation by Edward FitzGerald (1809-83) was first published 150 years ago, the poem has been continually reissued, with some 2000 new editions and reprints worldwide by 2009. It has also been widely parodiedand used in advertising. This exhibitiontells the unlikely story of a medieval Persian scientist and poet and a Victorian English writer, and the way their verses achieved international acclaim.

Edward FitzGerald published his 'translation' of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam in 1859. The title Ruba'iyat is simply the plural of ruba'i, a 4-line verse. The verses were originally written in Persian and were popularly ascribed to Omar Khayyam (1048-1131). Rather than being a literal translation, FitzGerald's versionreflects his own interests and depicts a day in the life of a poet. The verses deal with the uncertainties and fleeting pleasures of life.

Among the 48 exhibits are:

• The Great Omar
  The original Great Omar was a lavish, jewel-encrusted binding for the Rubaiyat, which went down with the Titanic in 1912. A recreation of the binding was destroyed in 1941 in the London Blitz. Some of the jewels were saved and in 1985 Stanley Bray began work on the third Great Omar which is on display here. This amazing binding is inlaid and tooled in gold, with a design featuring peacocks and grapes on the upper cover. In total there are some 1000 jewels including Topazes, turquoises, amethysts, garnets, olivines and an emerald.

• 16th century Persian manuscript
  This beautifully decorated manuscript contains the poems of Hafiz (1315-90), interspersed with over 350 of Omar Khayyam's quatrains which follow each ode of Hafiz, individually inserted in especially illuminated panels. Dating from the mid-16th century, it was copied by Muhammad al-Qavam al-Shirazi.

• The earliest quotation of Omar Khayyam's poetry in the West
  Thomas Hyde (1636-1703), in his Historia religionis veterum Persarum (Oxford, 1700), was the first scholar to attempt to write a comprehensive description of the religion of pre-Islamic Iran, using contemporary travel accounts, Latin, Greek and above all, Islamic sources. Hyde mentions Khayyam's role in founding the Jalali calendar - still used in Iran today. He quotes a short biographical passage about him from a Persian manuscript, including one of his verses, and mentions that the manuscript contained many more quatrains.

• Menus, pictures and more from a club that celebrates the Rubaiyat
  In 1892, a group of Rubaiyat enthusiasts established the UK Omar Khayyam Club. This dining club had 59 members, marking the year of the first publication of FitzGerald's Rubaiyat. Club menus were decorated, often with Rubaiyat illustrations, and specially written poems were recited. These items were collected together with other records for the period 1892-1910. Many famous literary figures, including Thomas Hardy and Arthur Conan Doyle, were among the early members. The London-based club is still active today. A similar US club was founded in 1900 but no longer exists.

• Some parodies of the Rubaiyat from the early 20th century
  The craze for the Rubaiyat in the USA and the UK from the late 1880's encouraged many parodies of the poem. Some versions were published in book form, often with amusing illustrations; others had a more satirical and serious content. On display are Rubaiyat of a motor car, The Golfer's Rubaiyat, The Rubaiyat of a Persian Kitten, and The Rubaiyat of a Maconochie Ration. This last was a tinned stew, issued as army rations in World War One.

• A special gift for Georgina Burne-Jones
  In 1872, William Morris (1834-96) created a one-off special version of the Rubaiyat, hand written by him with hand painted and coloured decorations and illustrations designed by him and Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-98). The book was made as a gift to Georgina Burne-Jones, Edward's wife and a close friend of Morris. Both Morris and Burne-Jones were among the early enthusiasts for FitzGerald's Rubaiyat. During the exhibition, the original manuscript will be on show nearby in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery.

• Original illustrations by Niroot Puttapipat
  Four original illustrations by Niroot Puttapipat from the new Folio Society edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Niroot Puttapipat is one of the most gifted young illustrators working today. His affinity with the late Victorian period and his lyrical, almost dreamlike style make him ideally suited to the Rubáiyát. The images he has created are beautifully detailed, rich in texture, capturing the opulence of the poem, filled with the rich lapis blue and gold decoration that is such a feature of Eastern art.

• An early pirate edition of the Rubaiyat from India
  In 1862, an unauthorized edition of the Rubaiyat appeared in the Indian city of Madras (modern Chennai). The slim volume included a reproduction of the London first edition of 1859, together with some other material. Recent research has established that the likely publisher of this pirate edition was Whitley Stokes, one of the two people who had 'discovered' the first edition in 1861. When FitzGerald learnt about the publication, in 1871, he commented 'So I have lived not in vain, if I have lived to be Pirated!'

• Edward FitzGerald's letter to George Borrow quoting Omar Khayyam
  FitzGerald first met the novelist and travel writer George Borrow (1803-81) in 1850. They were drawn together by a common interest in languages and their individual independence of character. This letter of 1857 thanks Borrow for a copy of his book The Romany Rye and refers to Omar Khayyam, on whose rubaiyat FitzGerald was then working, as 'an Epicurean Infidel'. FitzGerald quotes a verse from the original Persian, which eventually appeared as one of the final quatrains in his English translation.

Describing the exhibition, the British Library's Curator of Iranian Collections, Ursula Sims-Williams commented:

"This exhibition marks 200 years since the birth of Edward FitzGerald and 150 years since the first publication of his Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. It tells the story of a medieval Persian scientist and poet, his reputation in the Islamic world, and how his poetry, via FitzGerald's 'translation', achieved such amazing popularity, with new editions being published almost every year. We are delighted to be able to show for the first time manuscript material from our Asian and Western collections alongside some of the most lavishly produced printed material of the last 150 years."

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was curated with the assistance of William H Martin and Sandra Mason, independent researchers and authors of The Art of Omar Khayyam: Illustrating FitzGerald's Rubaiyat (London, 2007).

Events accompanying the exhibition include:

A Lunchtime Concert of Persian Classical Music
Tuesday 16 February 13.00 - 14.00
Entrance Hall, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1

In celebration of the magnificent poetry of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, join us for a free recital of Persian classical music. Vida Edalat and the Saba Ensemble perform with complex yet subtle traditional instruments Santoor, Daf and Tomback. With readings from the Rubaiyat by Lobat Vala and Narguess Farzad. This is not a seated event.

This event is presented in association with Iran Heritage Foundation.

Free / no booking required

A Celebration of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
Tuesday 16 February 18.30 - 20.30
Conference Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1

A packed and diverse programme celebrating Omar Khayyam's meditations on life, death, happiness and the pleasures of imbibing. Discover too the translator of the Rubaiyat, Edward FitzGerald, who made the poem his own and created one of the masterpieces of English verse. The evening will feature readings in Farsi by Lobat Vala and Narguess Farzad (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) accompanied by live Persian classical music performed by Vida Edalat and the Saba Ensemble; a recitation of Edward FitzGerald's Rubaiyat by Emily Bruni and Michael Maloney; introductions to Omar Khayyam himself by Francois de Blois (School of Oriental and African Studies) and to Edward FitzGerald by Tony Briggs, editor of the most recent edition of the poem (Phoenix, 2009). Bar open from 17.30.

This event is presented in association with Iran Heritage Foundation.

£7.50 / £5 concessions. Tickets bookable at: http://boxoffice.bl.uk on +44(0)1937 546546 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or at the British Library Information Desk.

For more information please contact
Julie Yau, Arts Press Officer, British Library
+44(0)20 7412 7237 / julie.yau@bl.uk

Notes to editors

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyamis open from 14 December 2009 to 21 February 2010, seven days a week, in the Folio Society Gallery at the British Library. Admission is free.

Exhibition opening hours

• Monday, Wednesday-Friday 10.00-18.00, Tuesday 10.00-20.00, Saturday 10.00 17.00, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday 11.00-17.00.
• All galleries are accessible by wheelchair. Information can be requested from Visitor Services staff on: +44(0)20 7412 7332.
• For further information about the British Library and its exhibitions please see www.bl.uk/whatson.

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