PAGE GENERAL INTRODUCTION xi INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION OF EDWARD FITZGERALD'S TRANSLATION OF THE QUATRAINS OF OMAR KHAYYAM 1 THE COMPLETE FITZGERALD FIRST EDITION 13 Kuza-Nama 25 Notes 29 AN ANALYSIS OF EDWARD FITZGERALD'S TRANSLATION (FIFTH EDITION), BY EDWARD HERON-ALLEN 35 Preface 37 Explanation of References 42 Analysis of Edward Fitzgerald's Quatrains 44 Appendix 107 VARIATIONS BETWEEN THE SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH EDITIONS OF FITZGERALD'S TRANSLATION 115 Stanzas Which Appear in the Second Edition Only 122 COMPARATIVE TABLE OF STANZAS IN THE FOUR EDITIONS OF FITZGERALD 124 Note 127 THE QUATRAINS OF OMAR KHAYYAM TRANSLATED BY E.H. WHINFIELD, M.A. 129 Introduction 131 Note 139 E.H. WHINFIELD TRANSLATION 141 THE QUATRAINS OF OMAR KHAYYAM TRANSLATED INTO PROSE FROM THE FRENCH VERSION OF MONSIEUR J.B. NICOLAS 267 Preface 269 TRANSLATION OF THE NICOLAS TEXT 279 GENERAL INTRODUCTION The earliest reference to Omar Khayyam dates from the middle of the seventh century of the Hijra.[1] Mohammad Shahrazuri, author of a little-used history of learned men, bearing the title of «Nazhet-ul-Arwah,» devotes to Khayyam the following passage: «'Omar Al-Khayyami was a Nishapuri by birth and extraction. He [may be regarded as] the successor of Abu 'Ali (Avicenna) in the various branches of philosophic learning; but he was a man of reserved character and disliked entertaining (_sayyik al-'atan_). While he was in Ispahan he perused a certain book seven times and then he knew it by heart. On his return to Nishapur he dictated it [from memory] and on comparing it with the original copy, it was found that the difference between them was but slight. He was averse both to composition and to teaching. He is the author of a handbook on natural science, and of two pamphlets, one entitled ‹_Al-Wujud_› (or ‹Real Existence›) and the other ‹_Al-Kawn w'al Taklif_.›[2] He was learned in the law, in classical Arabic, and in history.