The Rubaiyat

By: Omar Khayyam

Narrated by: David Ian Davies

Length: 27 mins

Publisher's summary

The ethereal words of the great thinker Omar Khayyam will echo through time eternal. The poet's profound and magical thoughts will blend into your consciousness and you will be transported into a different realm. David Davies captures the essence of this unusual poem in a remarkable reading.

© One Voice Recordings, All Rights Reserved

My favourite poem

I love the pace and rhyme, not too fast, allows you time to recall the verses and enjoy them. Remember listeners don't have the poem in front. The accent is a little funny, maybe to create an oriental mood.
I understand poetry business is dwindling, as the space in book shelves in bookstores for poetry. It isn't necessarily so. If you have no "feel"on a poem, try to hear it recited by professionals/ actors. It makes all the difference. Overall, very pleased to buy I.

Classic I'd never read

This was always something I knew existed- but nothing about -save Rocky & Bullwinkle's "Ruby Yacht". It's classic for a reason. It's a long poem, apparently by a Muslim, that positively revels in the joys of Drink and bemoans the shortness of life. It is full of quoteworthy sayings for fancy bar/restaraunt walls. It's really really short, but a delight.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam

This story hold one of the greatest philosophies. Aman or woman could know. I thought it sounded great but Ias a poet I recommend reading it or following along with the script.
For a poem that is 700 years old I think it was wonderful!!

Michael MacLiammoir's rendition is far superior

This review is written in response to the disappointment expressed by the preceding reviewers. I own multiple Audible.com recordings of "The Rubaiyat" (including this one). Perhaps the BEST, by British actor Michael MacLiammoir, is the second poem [157-22:50] of "The World's Greatest Poetry Volume 5." It also happens to be the complete, original (= canonical) Edward Fitzgerald "translation," whereas Davies reads here an alternate, non-standard version which I consider inferior.

What is the point of this recording?

I've been looking for an English recording, and I was pointed to this one. I have to agree with the first reviewer that this is pretty monotonous and pointless.

I don't understand why, if it is supposed to be in RP, it has 'shaft' with a short 'a' and 'herb' without the 'h'.

It seems to fall between many stools. It lacks all passion - and the poem is passionate. It isn't read in either English, or Yank, so why would anybody want it?

As i say, I was looking for a good, passionate and engaging reading with an RP delivery. There doesn't seem such a thing, so my intention is to produce one.

Not Worth It

I bought this audio book because it had a high rating. I don't know how it got that rating but I feel it is underserved.

As a person who loves the poem and has read it many, many times I have to say that this reading is not just boring, it is down right sleep-inducing.

The reader, whose voice is soft, maintains a rhythm that does not fit the poem and makes it appear he is concentrating on the meter and not the words themselves. The tempo is off, pauses are awkward and lines that should roll rather fall, and slowly, with each word almost followed by a half-pause. I forced myself to listen to the whole thing and it never gets better.

If you click the sample you can understand what I mean. The tempo in the sample is maintained throughout the whole poem and the delivery is identical, un-shifting, soporific and drama-less.

But it’s a remarkably good cure for insomnia!

- Pete McHugh