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So I am grateful for Ms. Tillyard's rendering of the man himself. She gives ample proof of the sweetness of his character, showing how his inborn beauty was nurtured and how it blossomed under the doting care of his formidable and unconventional mother. Their tenderness for each other lights what otherwise is a stark and tragic story. More significantly it gives the lie to the masculinist theory that maternal love weakens and "feminizes" male children. True, young Lord Edward had a "strong male role model"-his tutor, who was also his mother's adulterous lover!-but every step of Mr. Ogilvie's tutelege was directed by the attentive and indulgent Duchess of Leinster. The letters between Lord Edward and the Duchess make lovely reading for any mother concerned with the making of boys into men.
Of course, Ms. Tillyard includes the apparently obligatory expressions of horror about "political violence" a phrase used only in reference to Lord Edward's revolutionary enterprise, not to the ongoing repression and dispossession of the native Irish. Taken against the whole of the book, however, this is only a minor stupidity, one so ubiquitous in books about Ireland published since 1969 that Republican readers can pass over it without undue offense.
The main thing is that Lord Edward Fitzgerald lives on these pages as a beloved and loving human being, worthy of all the praise heaped upon him over the centuries. How often does a shining name in history still shine under close inspection?
Anna Bradley
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"Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough / A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse---and Thou / Beside me singing in the Wilderness --- /
And Wilderness is Paradise enow."/
Whose imagination can fail to be stirred? But most people see this as a glorification of wine, women and song -- a handbook of hedonism. Could such an earthy and earthly book be in keeping with Khayyam's reputation as a Sufi mystic and a saint? Now towards the end of the millennium, the Indian saint, mystic and spiritual leader Paramahansa Yogananda has commented on the Rubaiyat in his book "Wine of the Mystic." Omar was indeed a mystic. The divine intoxication of the love and joy of God could only be conveyed to the people of his age through metaphors and allegory that described the pleasures they could understand. One must read the Rubaiyat in conjunction with "Wine of the Mystic" to really get to the heart and soul of one of the world's classic books.
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on "the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam." Also an interpretation. Yogananda made
the fatal error of believing that there was only one religion or truth. And that he,
himself, could discern it in all religions. He did that with the Bible. He does
this here with a Sufi poem. But this is a fine book. Very beautiful. But Yogananda's
Self-Realization Fellowship was and is Hinduism straight up the middle. Not
Original Christianity and Original Yoga as he claimed. So this book is an Islamic
poem as interpreted by a Hindu. And I think that you had better realize that
before you buy this book. And it is a beautiful book. Yogananda was always a
great writer. Most of his books are real "choppy" because they are taken from talks.
But when he wrote, it was excellent. He was quite a writer. And it comes out
in this book. But if you want the "real stuff," buy Yogananda's "God Talks to
Arjuna." Thank you.
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The publisher of Wine of the Mystic has included an eye-opening foreword to this volume that puts these complexities into perspective, including 1) the fact that Edward FitzGerald (translator for the most famous English-language editions) only grudging acknowledged the mystical significance of the work, 2) FitzGerald's poetic techniques that faithfully capture the *spirit* of stanzas even when they are not linear translations, 3) the tradition among Sufi mystical poets of using wine as a symbol for Divine Intoxication.
Why should a poem that is merely (on the surface) a hymn to the joys of drunkenness survive for a millenium and continue to fascinate cultures around the world in languages so unlike its author's? In his introductory words, Yogananda summarizes the miracle of FitzGerald's (apparently materialist) translation by called him "divinely inspired to catch exactly in gloriously musical English words the soul of Omar's writings." To those who have received a hint of the Divine Intoxication, a deep intuitive chord may be struck by Yogananda's explanation: "Profound spiritual treatises by some mysterious divine law do not disappear from the earth even after centuries of misunderstanding, as in the case of the Rubaiyat."
As to the book itself (Wine of the Mystic)? The awards it has won, the beauty of its color illustrations, tastefully selected type faces, and rich reproduction make this volume irresistable immediately upon opening its pages. Readers are then embraced by Yogananda's sensitive and unprecedented bouquet of insights as they are welcomed to a never before dreamed of wine-tasting.
There is *no* edition to compare. This volume will reward your reading and re-reading for years. A gorgeous gift item.
CONTENTS:
Introduction of author's (Yogananda) insights.
Foreword of publisher's (Self-Realization Fellowship) history and spiritual perspectives on the Rubaiyat's.
Presentation of each Rubaiyat quatrain, along with FitzGerald's translation, Yogananda's glossary of spiritual symbolism, Spiritual Commentary, and Practical Implications for the reader's spiritual work.
Addendum reprinting all of the verses (FitzGerald translation) without interruption.
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However, if it is not translated in verse, then it is no longer has the quality of the original poetry. So what shall we do here?
I think that Fitzgerald has done an excellent job in translating Khayyum. It is said that good poetry has a balance of two things - beautiful language and meaning. Ftizgerald has achieved this.
If you are looking for a more "literal" translation, to get exactly what Khayyum said and thought, then you are better to look to a word for word, unrhyming translation, that has taken care to keep the authentic quatrains only - not all the ones ascribed to him. The "Persian Heritage Series" has produced a good translation like this.
Also beware of "commentaries" telling you that Omar Khayyum was a sufi, mystic, or whatever... and that his verses have special meanings outside of the literal interpretation. It is true that poets in Persia used such imagery as "may" (wine), "maykhana" (tavern), "saqi" (cup-bearer), "yar-e nazanin" (lovely maiden) etc. etc. to bring across meanings of God, and heaven, though this doesn't mean that these things are always implied.
One of the qualities of poetry is that it is ambiguous. It must be recognised that people like Omar Khayyum and Hafez were living in times of religious persecution. If you said something against the established sect, then you could be accused of "kufr" (blasphemy) and punished accordingly. Khayyum himself was accused of kufr, as was Hafez in his time through a line of poetry he had written. Hafez protected himself through the ingenious adding of another line of poetry, clearing his name. Khayyum protected himself because he was a guest at the royal court.
:)
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success in the English-speaking world: millions of copies
have been sold and it has been included in all the major
anthologies. It is now well-established as a minor
classic.
As a result, many scholars have determined to read the
Persian original, since translations are always
unsatisfactory shadows of the glorious original (or so
we are usually told). However, while the quest for
the original quatrains by Khayyam makes an intriguing
journey, at the end one is forced to admit that the
FitzGerald poems far outshine the Persian originals!
Borges wondered whether this might not be the case, but
was unable to consult the original Farsi. I have done
that (looked at the original) and can bring back the
following report:
1. Iranians in general are puzzled by the success of the
FitzGerald poem. For them, Khayyam has always been
renowned as a mathematician, philosopher, and man of
science; he wrote quatrains indeed, but is very definitely
not in the poetic league of Hafez, Sa'adi, and Rumi.
2. The standard texts of Khayyam have been stuffed with
imitations and forgeries over the centuries, so that
separating the real Khayyam from the spurious can get to
be a mare's nest.
3. FitzGerald definitely took themes, images, and moods
from Khayyam. Everyone who has ever looked into the matter
instantly realizes that his translation are very loose.
And therefore, we are left to conclude that FitzGerald
composed something analogous to a "Rhapsody and Variations
on Themes of Omar Khayyam."
To illustrate, consider a point made by Borges in his
lectures ("This Craft of Verse"):
Dreaming when Dawn's Left Hand was in the Sky
I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry,
"Awake, my little ones, and fill the Cup
Before Life's liquor in its Cup be dry."
The single word which turns the first line into something
magical and poetic is the word "left." It is very hard
to explain logically why this should be so (Borges has
a try at it) -- but in any case, that word "left" is not
in the original. What you will find in the original
are taverns, wine, cups, and cups being filled, along with
the "carpe diem" theme which has been around forever.
But the beauty and the magic of the FitzGerald "Rubaiyat"
came from FitzGerald. The most impressive poetry is the
English "transation," not the Persian "original."
Now there's a hat-trick for you!!
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"Omar" still sends a message of love that transcends to all people.
My favorite is:
"Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough,
A Flask if Wine, a Book of verse--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
And Wilderness is Paradise enow"
That is a pot of gold! Cherish it if you can?
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this edition is extremely useful, with christopher decker's insightful notes always a helpful guide to the multiple editions of the poetry and an excellent source of knowledge on khayyam's work as well as the victorian age.
i would recommend this book to all readers, since it's the essential translation of the rubaiyat. christopher decker is to be highly commended for his excellent work.
to quote keats on another translation-
Then felt I like some watcher of the skies
When a new planet swims into his ken;
Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes
He star'd at the Pacific--and all his men
Look'd at each other with a wild surmise--
Silent, upon a peak in Darien.
...BR>buy this book and enjoy it-- it's a good friend.
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In this edition, an introduction written by Decker provides very good and much needed background for Khayyam's work. Most importantly, all four of the author's editions are included in their entirety, first individually and then, in an appendix, by quatrain, so one can compare the texts. A table providing the sequence of the quatrains is also provided, a pronunciation guide and a small glossary. An added bonus, to be found only in this edition, I believe, is the inclusion of FitzGerald's Latin translation of the poems.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is beautiful and classic poetry encompassing simple quatrains where East seems to meet West in a mingling of Eastern mysticism and Western language and expression of the nineteenth century.
Anyone who is serious about these gorgeous poems will find this text most useful. Although this is not the most visually beautiful of the translations, it is certainly the most comprehensive and the one that will most enhance your knowledge. Definitely worthy of adding to your collection. In fact, a necessity.
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"Here with a Loaf of Bread beneath the Bough, A Flask of Wine, a Book of Verse -- and Thou," or "The Moving Finger writes; and having writ, Moves on."?
These lines are from the first translation of The Rubaiyat by the English translator and man of letters, Edward FitzGerald (1809 - 1883). While it retains the spirit and philosophy expressed in the original quatrains, FitzGerald's translation was so free in its rendition as to be virtually an original work.
Omar Khayyam, poet, astronomer and mathematician was born in Persia in the latter part of the 11th century. His surname, Khayyam, means "tent-maker" although that undoubtedly referred to his father's trade more than to his own because actually, he was independently wealthy. He was a friend of Nizami, the Vizier of Baghdad who founded the great college of Baghdad, where Omar Khayyam was taught. Omar Khayyam lived in seclusion until Malik Shah appointed him Astronomer Royal, who, along with eight other scholars, revised the Muslim calendar. It seems certain that Khayyam was a Sufi mystic and kept his spiritual life hidden from superficial worldly minds.
"Omar," Paramhansa Yogananda has said, "by a very large number of Western readers, has come to be regarded as a rather erotic pagan poet, a drunkard interested only in wine and earthly pleasure. This is typical of the confusion that exists on the entire subject of Sufism. The wine is the joy of the spirit, and the love is the rapturous devotion to God?"
The Rubaiyat as well as the Tales of the Arabian Nights are not love stories about drunkards, genies, and magic caves filled with treasures, but mystical stories based on the religion of Sufism. Their encoded symbolism, when revealed, is deeply mystical and meaningful.
One example is the magic lamp of Aladdin. First, the meaning of the name: AL is Arabic for God, "ALLAH." DDIN is a transcription of the word DJINN (or we would say in the West, "Genie.") But in Arabic it means SPIRIT. Thus, ALADDIN means "The Spirit of God." Well, what is the magic lamp, then? The magic lamp is something we all possess in the depths (cave) of the subconscious, the MIND. What would it mean then that the "Spirit of God" rubs the "Mind"? This refers to the practice of meditation. By focussing on an idea, a single thought, our minds are capable of bringing about any reality we dream of. We are the co-creators of our own universe, our own lives. As Pogo, the comic strip character, said: "We have met the enemy, and it is we-uns." We are responsible for our own self-undoing, just as we are responsible for creating our own lives.
Secrecy and the practice of hiding deep truths behind a veil of exotic symbolism was the way the Sufis protected themselves against persecution for their unorthodox views. It is similar to the deep mysticism of the Jewish Kabala. The Sufis called their secret language QBL. The alchemists of the West used another example of hidden mysticism. Do you think they were really trying to transmute lead into gold, or were they trying to transmute the gross material of our bodies and souls into the golden glory of the spirit? If you think so, read John Randolph Price?s book published by Hay House, The Alchemist?s Handbook. Nostradamus and Leonardo daVinci also hid their writings in obscure diaries and secret codes.
Paramhansa Yogananda accomplished much of the mystic discovery about Omar Khayyam in his book, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam Explained. Paramhansa Yogananda was one of the great spiritual beacons of the 20th century. His Autobiography of a Yogi, first published in 1946, has been a best-selling autobiography for the past fifty years. Yogananda was born in India in 1893 and sent to this country in 1920 where he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, California, a non-sectarian and universal organization. His close friend and editor of the book on the Rubaiyat, J. Donald Walters, also known as Kriyananda, wrote: "Yogananda's charity, compassion, unshakable calmness, loving friendship to all, delightful sense of humor and deep insight into human nature were such as to leave me constantly amazed."
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Even though the commentaries are full of esoteric wisdom, Yogananda writes in a poetic style that is easy on the eyes, mind, and soul.
I quote from Yogananda here: "Come, fill the Cup of Consciousness with the divine wine of bliss! Cast away your material desires (deceitful, because forever disillusioning), and fling into the crackling fire of fresh spiritual enthusiasm your robe of penitence for having ever indulged in them."
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Chapter I tells of Oswald's youth. His favorite program was 'I Led Three Lives for the FBI", his ambition was to join the Marine Corps (p.59). He was elected president of his 8th grade class, his intelligence was above average. But schooling in NY city gave him Karl Marx as a hero (p.60)! Oswald joined the Marines, took the Radar Operator's course, and was sent to Atsugi where the CIA's U-2 was flown. Oswald minded his business and did his job well (p.68); he would travel to Tokyo on a 48-hour pass and keep it a secret (p.71). Oswald romanced a high-class hostess and brought her to the base. "There was nothing dumb about Oswald" (p.82). After he left the Marines he went to Moscow; someone there told him "the USSR is only great in literature" [fiction?] and he should go back home (p.106). Oswald was sent to Minsk, and again advised to go back home (p.108). Oswald learned more about "The New Class" and the reality behind the fiction. Pages 110-1 analyze Oswald's diary, and why it was fabricated. Page 137 wonders about Lee's marriage to Marina; but don't girls with an unhappy life at home marry the first chance they get? Oswald's changing statements when preparing his return are analyzed (p.153).
Book Three introduces George De Mohrenschildt, who made arrangements in October 1962 to move the Oswalds to Dallas from Fort Worth (p.189). (You wonder who was in control then?) Page 212 claims Oswald took a shot at General Walker, but presents no physical evidence. Oswald's' activities portrayed him as pro-Castro (p.229).
Other sources said Oswald had David Ferrie's library card in his possession; there is no mention in this book. Were other facts omitted? The 'Epilogue' says Nosenko was sent to deliver disinformation to the CIA, FBI, and Warren Commission (p.260); the latter wanted to believe this double-agent. Appendix D has a number of questions to clarify Oswald's life. Was this the last book to repeat the conclusions of the Warren Commission? You can find other books that offer more insight into the events of November 22-24 1963, and the aftermath. (The book "High Treason" goes into more detail on the JFK assassination and cover-up.)
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However that should not lead people to think she has a flare for dubious tabloid presentation. She is quite ruthless in ensuring that her facts are correct, and in 'Citizen Lord' she has stripped away many of the romantic layers that have concealed the true story of Lord Edward Fitzgerald. These were myths that had been spread by Lord Edward's family following his death, and have coloured his story since. The stripping away of these layers makes this book no less interesting, indeed the true story still very much romantic and tragic.
A younger son of the first Duke of Leinster and his wife Emily, a daughter of the Duke of Richmond, Lord Edward was born into privelege and influence. Tillyard traces his gradual move from this life, to one of revolutionary in Ireland of 1798 without descending into either pathos or into judgement.
I was first introduced to Tillyard's writing with her first book, 'Aristocrats' which is also available at Amazon. I would recommend this book as also worth reading, and gives marvellous background to 'Citizen Lord' - it is about his mother, Lady Emily Lennox, and her three sisters.
I think Tillyard is a "Must Read!"