Edward Fitzgerald English writer, poet, first translator of Omar Khayyam Date of Birth: 31.03.1809 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Edward FitzGerald

Edward FitzGerald, an English writer and poet, is best known for his translation of the works of the great poet Omar Khayyam. It is noteworthy that the manuscripts of Khayyam's poems reached FitzGerald by chance, seven centuries after Khayyam's death. Therefore, it can be confidently stated that if it weren't for FitzGerald, the world would never have known Omar Khayyam.

Edward FitzGerald, whose real name was Edward Purcell, was born in 1809 in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. From 1816, his family lived in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, and later in Paris, before returning to England in 1818. In the same year, his father, John Purcell, took his wife's surname, and young Edward became FitzGerald. He attended Bury St Edmunds School and then Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became friends with William Makepeace Thackeray and William Hepworth Thompson.

After completing his education, FitzGerald went to live in France, but soon returned to his family. He lived a comfortable life, as his mother's wealth allowed him not to seek employment. Therefore, his main activities at that time were gardening, music, and his childhood love of literature. His friends, including Thackeray, had long surpassed him and published their own books, but FitzGerald did not seem to compete with them. He published his first book, 'Euphranor,' in 1851, which was a collection of memories from his happy days in Cambridge.

In the 1850s, FitzGerald became interested in Spanish poetry, and later, Persian poetry. In 1856, he married Lucy, the daughter of poet Bernard Barton, but the marriage was not happy and the couple stayed together for a short time. The likely cause of their separation was FitzGerald's sexual preferences.

In 1859, FitzGerald translated and published a manuscript by a certain Omar Khayyam, which had accidentally come into his possession. This accidental discovery introduced one of the most significant Persian poets and philosophers to the world. Even in Khayyam's native Persia (Iran), he was known only as a scholar, not as a poet. Khayyam's famous Rubaiyat, wise and full of humor, wit, and audacity, have become one of the greatest achievements in world poetry. The first edition of FitzGerald's translation of the Rubaiyat, consisting of several dozen quatrains, was published in 1859 and surprisingly gained incredible success over time.

In the following decades, FitzGerald had to work extensively on the Rubaiyat, consolidating disparate quatrains into a single poem. Later in life, he became interested in sailing and bought a yacht named 'The Scandal,' on which he enjoyed spending his time. He also became a partner in the company 'Meum and Tuum.' FitzGerald found joy in his books, flowers, and the sea. He passed away on June 14, 1883, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of literature. His brilliant English translations played an undeniably important role in this history. His famous quote, "Old Khayyam rings true like real metal," is well known.