The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One NightsFull of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Shahrazad, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Shahrazad always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever. This volume reproduces the 1932 Modern Library edition, for which Bennett A. Cerf chose the most famous and representative stories from Sir Richard F. Burton's multivolume translation, and includes Burton's extensive and acclaimed explanatory notes. These tales, including Alaeddin; or, the Wonderful Lamp, Sinbad the Seaman and Sinbad the Landsman, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, have entered into the popular imagination, demonstrating that Shahrazad's spell remains unbroken. |
Contents
STORY OF KING SHAHRYAR AND HIS BROTHER | 3 |
A The Tale of the Bull and the Ass | 17 |
SINDBAD THE SEAMAN AND SINDBAD | 19 |
THE FISHERMAN AND THE JINNI | 29 |
THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES | 55 |
THE TALE OF THE THREE APPLES | 145 |
TALE OF NUR ALDIN ALI | 155 |
TALE OF GHANIM BIN AYYUB | 209 |
How ABU HASAN BRAKE WIND | 392 |
THE CITY OF BRASS | 469 |
THE LADY AND HER FIVE SUITORS | 505 |
JUDAR AND HIS BRETHREN | 513 |
JULNAR THE SEABORN AND HER | 556 |
KHALIFAH THE FISHERMAN OF BAGHDAD | 600 |
ABU KIR THE DYER AND ABU SIR | 635 |
THE SLEEPER AND THE WAKER | 665 |
THE TALE OF THE BIRDS AND BEASTS | 242 |
THE HERMITS | 254 |
HATIM OF THE TRIBE OF TAYY | 334 |
THE SWEEP AND THE NOBLE LADY | 345 |
THE MAN WHO STOLE THE DISH OF GOLD | 355 |
THE EBONY HORSE | 361 |
ALAEDDIN OR THE WONDERFUL LAMP | 695 |
ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES | 795 |
MAARUF THE COBBLER AND HIS WIFE | 824 |
NOTES by Sir Richard F Burton | 883 |
COMMENTARY | 1043 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abode Ajib Allah Almighty answered art thou asked aught bade Badr al-Din Hasan Baghdad Bassorah beasts beauty and loveliness befallen behold brother brought Cairo Caliph ceased cried Dahnash damsel daugh daughter death dinars door Dunyazad Emir entered eunuch eyes face fared father fear fell gave Ghanim gold hand haply Harun al-Rashid hath head heard these words heart hither honour horse Ifrit island Ja'afar Judar Kamar al-Zaman Kazi King Kut al-Kulub land looked lord Mamelukes Marid marriage marvelled Marzawan Maymunah merchants mother never night Nur al-Din palace presently Prince Princess Quoth rejoiced replied returned rose saying Shahrazad ship sight sister slave slay sleep stood story strangerhood Sultan tell thee thine thou art thou hast thou shalt thou wilt told tomb took turned Verily Wazir weeping wept whereat wherein whereupon whilst wife young youth