Edward FitzGerald’s Interpretation of Omar Khayyam’s Quatrains: A Study in Carpe Diem by Mohammad Amin Ebrahimi Fard Sh. and Manjet Kaur Mehar Singh
ABSTRACT
This study critically examines Edward FitzGerald’s 1859 translation of Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, focusing on how the work reflects Victorian England's cultural and ideological biases. FitzGerald’s version, while renowned for introducing Khayyam’s philosophy to the Western world, is also a product of its time, shaped by the Victorian worldview. By analyzing the translation through the lens of power dynamics and cultural mediation, this study explores how FitzGerald’s creative liberties – including his selective interpretation and significant reductions of the original text – reshaped the themes and messages of Khayyam’s poetry to align with Victorian sensibilities. The theme of carpe diem (seize the day), central to Khayyam’s quatrains, serves as a focal point for this inquiry, highlighting the universal appeal of Khayyam’s reflections on the transient nature of life. FitzGerald’s rendering of this theme, however, was informed by Victorian attitudes towards the East, with the translation’s emphasis on hedonism and the celebration of the present moment reflecting Western values of individualism and materialism. Despite the significance of FitzGerald’s work in both Eastern and Western literary traditions, little attention has been paid to the ideological underpinnings that influenced his interpretation of Khayyam. This research, therefore, contributes to translation studies and comparative literature by underscoring the role of translators as cultural mediators. By interrogating FitzGerald’s translation choices, this study offers a deeper understanding of how cultural biases shape the reception of foreign texts, and it highlights the enduring legacy of the Rubaiyat across time and cultural boundaries.
Keywords: Edward FitzGerald, Omar Khayyam, Quatrains, Victorian ideology, carpe diem