The current British Library foyer exhibtion of The Rubaiyat of Omar
Khayyam (first published 1859) is delightful; the final showcase is
of parodies, and mentions "The Rupayiat of Oamar Kal'vin", one of the
Other Verses published with "Departmental Ditties" in 1886. A large
number of authors wrote such parodies, a list is on the internet.
I had never read this verse of RK; the headnote refers to reproducing
the sense of ..."Sir A------" having struck 2 per cent from incomes;
this presumably refers to an Indian Finance Minister - Who? The verse
- not very good I think -is all about finance.
Verse 5 begins "
"Whether a Boileaugunge or Babylon,
I know not how the wretched Thing is done"
Boileaugunge is a height near Simla, "Babylon" is presumably merely
an alliterative comparison, but how is either "done"?
Bryan Diamond
|