Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Le Gallienne translation)

What it is

This is an English verse rendering of the Rubáiyát, the short four-line poems attributed to the Persian scholar Omar Khayyám. It was translated by Richard Le Gallienne and published in 1902, following earlier famous translations such as that of Edward FitzGerald.

Why it matters

The Rubáiyát spread Omar Khayyám's name across the English-speaking world, long after his death. Each translator reshapes the original Persian into new English verse, so this text tells us as much about how Victorian and Edwardian readers imagined Khayyám as it does about the poems themselves.

Look closer

• Why might a translator feel the need to write a long explanation before the poems begin?
• How might translating poetry change its meaning compared to the original language?
• What does the popularity of many different translations tell you about Khayyám's reputation in the West?