ENG 470 / 570 Spring 2025

The edition of Omar Khayyam's Rubáiyát that I have chosen is a 1946 publication produced by the Grosset & Dunlap publishing house. These details are included in a small attribution behind the cover page of this edition, alongside the notation that the volume was "Printed in the United States of America". As Grosset & Dunlap was based in New York City, this is no… more

Within stanza 95 Khayyam writes, "And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel,/And robb'd me of my Robe of Honor - Well,/I wonder often what the Vitners buy/One half so precious as the stuff they sell". Adjacent to these phrases, Katchadourian has illustrated a man lounging beside the riverbed. He is accompanied by a cask of wine, a tome, and the setup to burn incense. This verse follows the… more

Dear Miki,

Knowing how picky you are with your novels, I am gifting this book to you after searching long and hard for the perfect version for you. The illustrator of this book, like you, is a lover of beautiful things. You’ll find in the beginning of this version of the Rubáiyát an introduction where the illustrator, M. K. Sett, states, “[D. B. Taraporevala Sons & Co.]… more

November 15, 1907

My dearest Lizzie,

I was overjoyed to hear of your recent safe arrival in America. Residing here in Boston these past few years since my own voyage has been a delight, and I hope to pay you a visit in New York as soon as my husband’s schedule allows.… more

This 1951 edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a charming and quite mysterious little book. It presents itself to readers through its rust-colored cloth boards, a black buckram spine featuring delicate golden stars, and a very noticeable small golden cameo of Shakespeare… more

Dear Margaret, 

I was at the bookstore the other day when I saw this darling little book in the shop window. It sat on a table right in view for a little girl or boy to see if they were to turn their head in the direction of the store. The little dog on the bright mustard yellow cover is powerful enough to… more

For my dear friend, 

I hope this letter reaches you well. I’ve been missing you so much recently and I found this book that made me think of you. I’m sure you’ve heard of the book before, the Rubáyát of Omar Khayyám translated… more

This edition of the Rubáiyát, an 11th century Persian poem, translated by Edward FitzGerald to English in Victorian-era Britain, attributed in full to a man named Omar Khayyám, was published in 1900 by Doxeys Publishing House. It was published in New York, even though Doxeys was located in San Francisco, because they wanted to stay competative within the east coast market, so it… more

The bookplate [Figure 1] on the front endpaper of this edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám shows that it was donated to the Oregon State University Library by Charles Fox. A photograph found in Oregon Digital, an online repository of images from the OSU and University of Oregon special collections and archives, suggests that Charles Fox may have been a trustee of Oregon State… more

To my dearest wife, 

In celebration of our tenth anniversary, I present to you this book, with two translations of Rubáiyát, one of your favorite poems.