Edward Fitzgerald was an English poet and translator, best known for his version of the Persian poet Omar Khayyam's work, titled The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Born in 1809, Fitzgerald's translation, published in 1859, gained immense popularity and is celebrated for its lyrical beauty and philosophical depth. Fitzgerald was also a member of the Cambridge literary circle and had friendships with notable figures like Alfred Lord Tennyson and Thomas Carlyle. Despite his literary success, he lived a reclusive life and published only a few works during his lifetime, focusing primarily on translation and poetry.