Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Edward FitzGerald's translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, perhaps the most frequently read Victorian poem and certainly one of the most popular poems in the English language, poses formidable challenges to an editor. FitzGerald compulsively revised his work, alternately swayed by friends' advice, importuned by his publisher's commercial interests, and encouraged by public acclaim. In consequence, the editor is faced with four published editions as well as manuscript and proof versions of the poem. Christopher Decker's critical edition of the Rubaiyat is the first to publish all exta...