COVE

This edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám was published around 1933 by the Illustrated Editions Company, NY. Originally attributed to Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer Omar Khayyám, the translation was copleted by Edward FitzGerald, a Victorian poet and writer. This particular edition features illustrations from British illustrator Edmund J Sullivan. This gift book features FitzGerald's preface, which precedes a printing of the first version of his translation, each stanza with its own page, facing one of Sullivan's illustrations, with a copy of the fifth version of his translation following the illustrated version. 

This gift book upholds the Victorian tradition and value of gift books as it spread to America in the late nineteenth and into the early twentieth centuries. The Rubáiyát was especially popular during this time period, due to its plain language that granted moral depth to the poetry without becoming inaccessible. FitzGerald first translated this poem after receiving a manuscript as a gift, despite knowing next to nothing about the Persian culture or language. He learned, however, and produced five versions of his translation, each possessing varying degrees of accuracy to the original text. While his text displays echoes of Orientalism and the forced idealization and exoticism of Persian culture, it upheld certain culutral norms of Victorian English society, especially with his allusions to Christian imagery. The text itself remains relateable to the layman, becoming far more accessible than other poetry of the time period, which likely contributed to its popularity as a gift book.