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Rubaiyat (meaning quatrains) was originally the composition of Persian poet, mathematician and astronomer Omar Khayyam. Each of the quatrains was originally composed on a particular occasion and forms a complete poem in itself. The poem suggests withdrawal from the sorry scheme f things. Over the centuries Rubaiyat has gained immense fame for its romantic melancholy which still appeals to the senses. It was first published in March 1859 as an unpretentious and anonymous pamphlet, only to be later discovered for its literary worth by Rossetti and Swinburne. In this book two editions of Rubaiyat are reproduced, the first being the one published anonymously in 1859. In 1868, Fitzgerald revised his initial translation which is presented as the second section of this book. About the Author EDWARD FITZERALD (1809-1883) was an English poet and translator. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, where he made intimate friends with Tennyson, Carlyle and Thackeray. Initially he published a few works anonymously, and then freely translated Six Dramasof Caledron (1853) before turning to Oriental studies and mastering Persian. He was an undeniable influence on the late Victorian literature of pessimism mainly through his adaptation of the Rubaiyat. His translation stands on its own as a classic of English literature.