The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam - and Other Persian Poems by Omar Khayyam
This book of Persian poetry became famous in Australia because of the Somerton Man mystery. The version we have in the CGD libraries is not the Edward FitzGerald translation associated with that mystery. The key difference between the Edward FitzGerald version and the translation by Peter Avery and John Heath-Stubbs (the version we have in the library) is that the Avery and Heath-Stubbs translation is more literal and, as a result, loses some of the religious scepticism found in FitzGerald’s version.
Another important thing to know about these poems is that they can be fairly melancholy. While reading them, it became abundantly clear why they were notorious for being used in suicide notes in the 1920s and 1930s. So, if you are feeling depressed or looking for something to lift your mood, this collection of poetry may not serve that purpose and could even make your emotional situation worse.
With that in mind, the poems are very beautiful, and some have a sense of fun and jolliness. One of the best examples is one of my favourites, which I quote below:
They say lovers and drunkards go to hell,
a controversial dictum, not easy to accept.
If lover and drunkard are for hell,
tomorrow paradise will be empty.
I recommend this poetry for adult readers.
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Matthew O
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