COVE

The poem, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, rose to popularity, in some ways, out of luck. The right person got their hands on it, told their friends, and suddenly people were lining up to purchase copies of this poem. Many different versions were published and produced, ranging from a $25 version, featuring gold leaf designs, all the way to a $1 version and many options in between. Different versions featured different textual embellishments as well, such as biographies on Khayyám or Fitzgerald, and illustrations, which found their way into the poem as well. The versions only continued to grow and develop into parodies, new poems, and choreography. Through these many recreations, Barbara Black argues that some of these versions have lessened the poem's value and instead de-emphasized the cultural significance of the poem’s contents, and made it into something familiar for the non-Persian audience. Black cites the Americans, British, and Celtic people as all being fans of the Rubáiyát (Black, 59). Black believes that in some of these recreations, the content is being “thoroughly objectified,” but simultaneously acknowledges that the Rubáiyát was more of an inspiring point for other artists to jump from. (Black). 

In many ways, the 1910 publication of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám shows Orientalism in its creation. This is most heavily seen through the detailed illustrations by Frank Brangwyn, who uses eight lines/stanzas of the poem to inspire eight detailed oil paintings. These paintings exist in an interesting space between depicting Persian life and objectifying/idealizing Persian life. The detailing on the front of the text and the illustrations throughout the main pages of the book include iconography that, at first glance, appears to be Orientalism, but once the poem has been read, it ties into the content of the poem as well as the context. 

Looking first at the oil paintings, one instance of appropriation is that of a girl who is seemingly white appearing on the page (see figure 1). The Rubáiyat was written by a Middle Eastern writer about Middle Eastern people, so many of the illustrations are accurate depictions, though potentially stereotypical. As a viewer, the images appear to be accurate representations of Persian life, featuring people in head wraps and flowy clothing. Both would have benefited Persian people, both because of religious modesty and the desert climate that exists in Persia. However, this specific painting features a more Western-looking dress and bonnet, rather than the rich, deep colors portrayed in the rest of the oil paintings that show Middle Eastern people. This painting pairs with the lines “And this delightful Herb whose tender Green / Fledges upon the River’s Lip on which we lean- / Ah, lean upon it lightly! For who knows / From what once lovely Lip it springs unseen!” (Fitzgerald, XIX). This stanza is discussing the unknown and how looking too far forward into the unknown can be damaging because one will risk being anxious about the future rather than fully enjoying the moment. Black described the creation of illustrations as being done by “appreciative reader-converts” and that the fact that illustrations were made for so many versions was a testament to the “poem’s status as a compelling curiosity” (Black, 60). While the line is not directly talking about people, and therefore the race of those being discussed is never stated, it is talking about newness and the future, and personifies it as a white woman. Rather than judging this image solely as Orientalist vs. non-Orientalist, Black’s argument gives space for the image to be seen as inspired by the poem rather than a direct visual translation of the words on the page. 

Second, the gold embellishments lead viewers to understand that this book is partially significant because of its outward appearance. The cover features a leaf-like design with grapes hanging off of it that one can assume were once bright purple but, with age and handling, have faded to a blue tone (see figure 2). The outer edge of the book, opposite the spine, is also gold. These designs on the cover give off a first impression that this book is something to be cherished and a talking point on one’s bookshelf. The gilt makes it look important, especially paired with purple, as both gold and purple are colors often associated with royalty. This ties into Black’s argument that by producing so many different copies with so many different types of embellishments, it lessens the cultural significance of the poem itself. 

The third piece of the text that exhibits Orientalism are the designs on the inside pages of the text. Each page contains the same grape vine design as the cover, with green stems and either green or purple grapes printed onto the page (see figures 3 and 4). Grapes are a symbol often associated with religion, particularly being considered a blessed fruit in Islam (Atabik, 1). By choosing to put a fruit associated with Islam on the border of the pages of a poem that says it isn’t sure what parts of religion one should believe, it seems a bit contradictory. Additionally, the inclusion of grapes on the borders is a bit stereotypical because grapes are known to grow well in the Middle East because of the Mediterranean climate. On the other hand, the poem mentions wine several times and spends many stanzas discussing the importance of worldly pleasures, such as wine. It is up to the reader’s discretion if this choice to include the grape border is tying into the poem’s themes and topics, or if it is leaning into stereotypes. 

Atabik, Ahmad. “Scientific miracles of grapes in the Qur’an and Hadith: Perspectives on religious studies and herbal treatment.” Riwayah : Jurnal Studi Hadis, vol. 8, no. 2, 26 Jan. 2023, p. 323, https://doi.org/10.21043/riwayah.v8i2.16228. 

Black, Barbara J. “Fugitive Articulation of an All-Obliterated Tongue: Edward Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyámand the Politics of Collecting.” On Exhibit: Victorians and Their Museums, The University Press of Virginia, 2000, pp. 48–66. 

Brangwyn, Frank. Rubáiyat of Omar Khayyám. Translated by Edward Fitzgerald, T.N. Foulis, 1910.