#edward fitzgerald

[transistoradio]

Adelaide Hanscom Leeson (1876-1932): two photo-illustrations — Frontispiece and Plate XXV — for Edward FitzGerald’s translation of “The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám” (New York: Dodge Publishing Company, 1905).

[lesewut]

XXXVII

Ah, fill the Cup:— what bouts it to repeat How Time is slipping underneath our feet:

Unborn To-MORROW, and dead YESTERDAY Why fret about them if To-Day be sweet!

XXXVIII

One Moment in Annihilation's Waste, One Moment, of the Well of Life to taste—

The Stars are setting and the Caravan Starts for the Dawn of Nothing Oh, make haste!

//

XXV

Why, all the Saints and Sagés who discuss'd Of the Two Worlds so learnedly, are thrust

Like foolish Prophets forth; their Words to Scorn

Are scatter'd, and their Mouths are stopt with Dust

XXVI

Oh, come with old Khayyám, and leave the Wise To talk; one thing is certain, that Life flies;

One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;

The Flower that once has blown for ever dies.

//

XLVI

For in and out, above, about, below, 'Tis nothing but a Magic Shadow-show Play'd in a Box whose Candle is the Sun,

Round which we Phantom Figures come

and go.

//

XXVII

Myself when young did eagerly trequent Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument

About it and about: but evermore Came out by the same Door as in I went.

XXVIII

With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand labour'd it to grow: And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd— "'I came like Water, and like Wind I go."

[thefugitivesaint]

Stephen Gooden (1892-1955), 'Annihilation's Waste', 1940 ‘’The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam’’ trans. by Edward FitzGerald 

[historicconfessions]

[gorrus]

Oh, come with old Khayyam, and leave the wise

To talk; one thing is certain, that life flies

One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies

The Flower that once has blown forever dies

- The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

[freakmindbeliefs]

When the first guy to translate the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam into English passed away, his friend traveled to Khayyam's ancient tomb to make sure he could have the same type of roses at his grave. I found this footnote so beautiful that I couldn't really concentrate on the rest of the poem

[pathofregeneration]

You know how short the Time we have to stay, And yet, with useless Trifles waste the Day. The Mysteries of Life you fail to solve, Then burdened with regret, you steal away.

Edward FitzGerald, Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

[thebeautifulbook]

THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM translated by Edward Fitzgerald (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1913). Illustrated by René Bull

source