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The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám and its poetry has touched thousands of people's lives and hearts across hundreds of years. Apparently, there was a lost copy - the most luxurious in the world - which was lost on the sinking of the Titanic. This BBC Culture article explores this just a little bit further, which you can read here. I love reading these type of articles as it expands my understanding of these books; I'm almost ashamed to say that I had ever hear of the Rubáiyát before we started Bijou Books, but know its words seem to be ever-present in a rather chaotic world in which we live.
Over the time that we have been investing in antique and vintage books, we have seen a few versions of the Rubáiyát, some of which are well-thumbed and you can see that Khayyám’s poetry has stood the test of time and when it includes words such as;
How swiftly does this caravan of life pass; Seek thou the moment that with joy does lapse. Saghi, why lament tomorrow’s misfortunes today? Bring forth the chalice, for the night shall pass.
What I'm really pleased to have in our collection right now is one copy of the book which has been produced by The Folio Society, who are renown for their beautiful illustrations and editions that are a bonus for any bookshelf. Our Folio Society Rubáiyát book is still up for grabs, so look no further than here.
I end this blog in the indeniable style of Oscar Wilde who described the Rubáiyát as a “masterpiece of art”, placing it alongside Shakespeare’s sonnets as one of his greatest literary loves (credit: Alamy).