Edward Fitzgerald
Edward FitzGerald – Life, Poetry, and Enduring Quotes
Delve into the life and works of Edward FitzGerald (1809-1883), the English poet and translator best known for his version of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Explore his biography, literary significance, and memorable quotes.
Introduction
Edward FitzGerald (31 March 1809 – 14 June 1883) was an English poet, translator, and man of letters, most famous for his eloquent English rendering of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám.
Although he published little original poetry of vast renown, FitzGerald’s translation of the Persian quatrains brought him lasting fame and influence. His version is often considered a creative reinterpretation rather than a literal translation, blending poetic mood, philosophy, and Victorian sensibility.
Early Life and Family
Edward FitzGerald was born Edward Marlborough Purcell on 31 March 1809 at Bredfield House in the village of Bredfield, Suffolk, England.
His parents were John Purcell (later Purcell FitzGerald) and Mary Frances (née FitzGerald). In 1818, his father assumed the surname and arms of his wife’s family, and the family name shifted accordingly.
As a child, FitzGerald lived partly in France (St. Germain, Paris) before the family returned to England following an inheritance.
Youth, Education & Early Influences
FitzGerald’s early education was largely under private tutors. Later, he attended King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds.
In 1826, he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, although his academic career there was undistinguished by conventional success.
At Cambridge and afterward, he cultivated friendships with literary figures such as Thomas Carlyle, William Makepeace Thackeray, and others. He was close to but never formally part of the Cambridge Apostles.
Over time, he withdrew from active social ambitions, choosing a quieter life in Suffolk and its environs, focused on reading, translation, gardens, friendships, and correspondence.
Literary Career & Major Works
Oriental Interests & Translation Work
FitzGerald’s literary turn toward Oriental literature started around the 1850s. In 1853, he published Six Dramas of Calderón, a free translation.
In 1856, he rendered the Persian allegory Salámán and Absál (by Jami) into English-influenced verse, anonymously.
His encounter with a collection of Persian quatrains (“rubáiyát”) attributed to Omar Khayyám in 1857 initiated what would become his signature work: The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám.
The first edition of his Rubáiyát appeared anonymously in 1859. It initially attracted little attention, but from 1861 onward, through the support of literary circles (notably the Pre-Raphaelites), it gained traction.
FitzGerald produced multiple editions (1859, 1868, 1872, 1879, and a posthumous 1889 edition), revising wording, arrangement, and phrasing.
In addition, he produced translations of parts of Oedipus (Greek tragedies) late in life and compiled Readings in Crabbe (1882).
One lesser-known work is A Bird’s-Eye View of the Bird Parliament, a trimmed translation of The Conference of the Birds (Sufi allegory) from Persian.
Style and Philosophy
FitzGerald’s approach was not literal translation, but rather “transmogrification” — he said that in many cases he reshaped or merged original quatrains to produce something that would “live” in English poetic idiom.
His style emphasizes musicality, imagery, philosophical reflection, and a tone that blends skepticism, carpe diem attitude, and existential melancholy.
Because of the popularity of his Rubáiyát, many individual lines have become widely known and quoted (sometimes detached from their original quatrains).
Later Years & Death
FitzGerald lived much of his life in Suffolk and nearby areas, rarely traveling far from home.
His friendships and correspondence remained important to him; his letters were published posthumously in Letters and Literary Remains.
He died on 14 June 1883 (though some older sources sometimes misdate) in Merton, Norfolk, England.
He is buried at St Michael’s Church, Boulge, Suffolk.
After his death, his Works were collected (in 1887) and his reputation continued to grow through the popularity of Rubáiyát.
Legacy and Influence
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Definitive English Rubáiyát: His version remains the most famous English rendering of Omar Khayyám’s quatrains and brought Persian poetry into the Victorian literary mainstream.
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Influence on English literature: Many later poets, translators, and poets of spiritual skepticism have referenced or alluded to his work.
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Lines entering popular culture: Some of his lines from Rubáiyát are widely quoted, anthologized, adapted, and sometimes parodied.
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Translational example: His balance between fidelity and poetic freedom has been studied in translation theory and comparative literature.
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Revival and criticism: Over time, scholars have critiqued his liberties with the Persian originals, but his influence in English letters is unquestioned.
Personality & Values
FitzGerald was a reserved, introspective, and somewhat eccentric figure. He was not widely social or ambitious in the conventional literary scene.
He is known to have had few close romantic relationships; his marriage (in 1856) to Lucy Barton, daughter of Quaker poet Bernard Barton, was unhappy and ended in separation after a few months.
His emotional attachments leaned more toward friendships and his correspondence. Some modern critics have speculated about his orientation and emotional life, though evidence is inconclusive.
He lived modestly, with interests in nature, the sea (he owned a yacht and later boats), and a simpler diet (some say “almost vegetarian”).
He once reportedly told a visiting pastor that years of reflection on faith and belief had led him away from church attendance—and refused further visits.
Famous Quotes
Here are a selection of memorable lines attributed to Edward FitzGerald:
“A Book of Verses underneath the Bough, A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread — and Thou Beside me singing in the Wilderness — Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!”
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, / Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit / Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, / Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it.”
“Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why: / Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where.”
“Whether we wake or we sleep, / Whether we carol or weep, / The Sun with his Planets in chime, / Marketh the going of Time.”
“I am all for the short and merry life.”
“Science unrolls a greater epic than the Iliad. The present day teems with new discoveries in Fact … which are greater … than all the disquisitions … of the Schoolmen.”
These lines reflect his themes of time, fate, existential questioning, the fleetingness of life, and a tempered sensuality.
Lessons from Edward FitzGerald
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Translation as creation. FitzGerald shows how translation can be an act of poetic reimagining rather than mere literal fidelity.
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Patience in recognition. His Rubáiyát did not gain instant fame—its ascent was gradual, aided by literary endorsement and readers’ recognition.
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Embrace of impermanence. His work consistently meditates on time, chance, and the necessity of living deeply in the moment.
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Quiet influence. Though not a flamboyant public figure, his writings left a significant imprint on English verse and translation culture.
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Integrity of taste. He adhered to his own voice, unbothered by trends, focusing on what felt true to him.
Conclusion
Edward FitzGerald may not have produced a voluminous body of original poetry, but his catalytic role as translator and interpreter of Omar Khayyám's quatrains endowed him with a rare, enduring place in English letters. His sensibility—melancholy, skeptical, lyrical—resonated across Victorian and modern sensibilities.
His Rubáiyát continues to be read, quoted, adapted, and debated. The lines he shaped remain, for many readers, portals into reflection on life, time, fate, and beauty.