Cleveland Public Library

The People's University

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

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March 31, 2009 marks the 200^th anniversary of Edward FitzGerald's birth, and the 150^th anniversary of the publication of his translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam into English verse. The Rubaiyat is a collection of poems written in verses of four lines, quatrains. The word rubaiyat is derived from the Arabic root verb raba`a, meaning  "to quadruple."

To commemorate these events, the Special Collections Department has on display some of the illustrated editions of this famous book of poetry, written in the 12^th century by the Persian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher, Omar Khayyam.  In 1859, Edward FitzGerald, a Victorian man of letters, a dilettante, and an amateur translator, rendered 75 of these verses into English, and published them privately.

The Cleveland Public Library owns more than 1100 editions of the Rubaiyat thanks to John G. White, a former Library Board President and major benefactor of the Library.  While tracing the literature that discussed the origin and history of chess, he became interested in examining chess references in classical and medieval works. He collected the Rubaiyat because of the chess connection.

         ‘Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days

         While Distiny with Men for Pieces plays :

              Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays,

          And one by one back in the Closet lays.

To view other commemorative exhibits and events, click here.