Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám

This book of mystic Sufi poetry, attributed to the 11^th century poet and mathematician Omar Khayyám and first translated by Englishman Edward FitzGerald in 1859, has been a source of controversy for hundreds of years but is still one of the most popular books in the world. The controversies focus mainly on the authenticity of Khayyám’s authorship and the liberties FitzGerald took in translation. Be that as it may, this Art Nouveau-styled edition is a beautiful example of early 20^th century book arts and helps us understand the Western orientation toward Islamic design, however accurate or not it may be.