Customer Reviews

The Quatrains of Omar Khayyam: Three translations of the Rubaiyat

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I should start off by saying that I am not familiar with Omar Khayyam or his work. I should also state that Richard La Gallienne's translation is likely completely unlike the literal translation. His effort was only to produce a witty and stylish version reminiscent of Khayyam's original intent. From what I have read, it is excellent on its own. I do not generally go in for poetry, but found that I couldn't stop reading this work. Here are some especially interesting excerpts:

Look not above, there is no answer there;
Pray not, for no one listens to your prayer;
Near is as near to God as any Far,
And Here is just the same deceit as There.

[...]

And do you think that unto such as you;
A maggot-minded, starved, fanatic crew:
God gave the secret, and denied it me?--
Well, well, what matters it! Believe that, too.

[...]

"Did God set grapes a-growing, do you think,
And at the same time make it sin to drink?
Give thanks to Him who foreordained it thus--
Surely He loves to hear the glasses clink!"

I was aware of the Fitzgerald translation. The other two translations in the book are equally high quality.