Khayyam, Omar. viii. Italian Translations of the Rubaiyat

This article is an encyclopaedia entry based on original research, and it is a sub-section of a multi-themed entry on the celebrated Persian mathematician, astronomer and poet, Omar Khayyam (11th-12th century). It describes in detail the encounter with and reception of, Khayyam’s poetic work in Italy from the nineteenth century to the present: Khayyam’s first appearance in the literary milieu of Italian Decadentism and his later more scholarly appreciation in the academic world, by way of a series of indirect translations from English and French, and a few direct translations from Persian. Moreover, several twentieth-century Italian literary and musical works conceived as homages to Khayyam are listed and discussed in the article. The article estimates 28 different volumes in Italian (to 2013) that present a substantial portion of Khayyam’s poetry to the Italian reader.