the pangs that gave them birth. Mr. Swinburne and Lord Houghton
were also impressed by its merits, and its fame slowly spread. Eight
years elapsed, however, before the publication of the second edition.

After the passage of a quarter-of-a-century a considerable stimulus was
given to the popularity of the "Rubaiyat" by the fact that
Tennyson--appropriately enough in view of FitzGerald's translation of
Sophocles' "Oedipus"--prefaced his "Tiresias, and other Poems," with
some charmingly reminiscent lines written to "Old Fitz" on his last
birthday. "This," says Mr. Edmund Gosse, "was but the signal for that
universal appreciation of 'Omar Khayyam' in his English dress, which has
been one of the curious literary phenomena of recent years. The melody
of FitzGerald's verse is so exquisite, the thoughts he rearranges and
strings together are so profound, and the general atmosphere of poetry
in which he steeps his version is so pure, that no surprise need be
expressed at the universal favour which the poem has met with among
critical readers."

Neither the "Rubaiyat" nor his other works are mere translations. They
are better, perhaps, described as consisting of "largely new work based
on the nominal originals." In the "Omar," admittedly the highest in
quality of his works, he undoubtedly took considerable liberties with
his author, and introduced lines, or even entire quatrains, which,
however they may breathe the spirit of the original, have no material
counterpart therein.

In illustration of FitzGerald's capacity for conveying the spirit rather
than the very words of the original, comparison of the Ousely MS. of
1460 A.D., in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, with the "Rubaiyat" as we
know it, is of great interest.

The MS. runs thus:--

For a while, when young, we frequented a teacher;
For a while we were contented with our proficiency;
Behold the foundation of the discourse!--what happened to us?
We came in like Water, and we depart like Wind.

In FitzGerald's version the verses appear thus:--

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same Door as in I went.

With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd--
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."

Similar examples may be found elsewhere, thus:--