The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night novel. A total of 542 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.Volume 1.by Richard F. Burton.Foreword.This
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.Volume 1.by Richard F. Burton.Foreword.This work, labourious as it may appear, has been to me a labour of love, an unfailing source of solace and satisfaction. During my long years of official banishment to the
- 142 then he went to the mosque and prayed with the congregation and returned to his work. He did the same upon the call to mid- afternoon prayer, and when I saw him fall to work again thereafterward, I said to him, ?O my friend, verily the hours of labour are
- 141 "Who doth kindness to men shall be paid again; *Ne'er is kindness lost betwixt G.o.d and men."Then he offered to pay them, from the Treasury, the blood-wit for their father; but they refused, saying, "We forgave him only of our desire
- 140 MOHAMMED AL-AMIN AND THE SLAVE-GIRL Ja'afar bin Musa al-Hadi[FN#133] once had a slave-girl, a lutist, called Al-Badr al-Kabir, than whom there was not in her time a fairer of face nor shapelier of shape nor a more elegant of manners nor a more accomp
- 139 THE KAZI ABU YUSUF WITH HARUN AL-RAs.h.i.+D AND QUEEN ZUBAYDAH The Caliph Harun al-Ras.h.i.+d went up one noon-tide to his couch, to lie down; and mounting, found upon the bed-clothes s.e.m.e.n freshly emitted; whereat he was startled and troubled with so
- 138 He must smile and laugh and in pride must cry *?The promise of Night is effaced by Day.'"Last came Abu Nowas and recited the following couplets, "As love waxt longer less met we tway *And fell out, but ended the useless fray; One night in t
- 137 Nor can bear load of heart in secrecy?"Now when the girl took her tablet, she read the verses written thereon and understanding them, wept for ruth of him; then she wrote thereunder these two couplets, "An if we behold a lover love-fordone *Desi
- 136 And agree to swive all who dare slumber and sleep."While they were in this deboshed state behold, there came a knocking at the door; so they bade him who knocked enter, and behold, it was the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Ras.h.i.+d.When they s
- 135 Was faint with joys her love had made me drain: We toyed and joyed and on each other lay; *Then fell to wine and soft melodious strain: And for excess of joyance never knew, *How went the day and how it came again.Fair fall each lover, may he union win *A
- 134 His form a willow-wand, * His fruit, lures manifold; But willow lacketh power * Men's hearts to have and hold.I reared him from a babe * On cot of coaxing roll'd; And now I mourn for him * With woe in soul ensoul'd."Then, turning to th
- 133 As soon as Uns al-Wujud had ended his verse,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.When it was the Three Hundred and Seventy-seventh Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as soon as Uns al-Wuju
- 132 When shows that slender form that doth the willow-branch outvie.If Rose herself would even with his cheek, I say of her *'Thou art not like it if to me my portion thou deny:'[FN#55]His honey-dew of lips is like the grateful water draught *Would
- 131 From the camp, who th' afflicted heart shall tend?"And after thus reciting he wept till he wetted the hard dry ground; but anon without loss of time he rose and fared on again over waste and wold, till there came out upon him a lion, with a neck
- 130 The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.VOL 5.THE EBONY HORSE.[FN#1]There was once in times of yore and ages long gone before, a great and puissant King, of the Kings of the Persians, Sabur by name, who was the richest of all the Kings in store of wea
- 129 [FN#427] Arab. "Muwallad" (fem. "Muwalladah"); a rearling, a slave born in a Moslem land. The numbers may appear exaggerated, but even the petty King of Ashanti had, till the last war, 3333 "wives."[FN#428] The Under-prefect
- 128 [FN#382] There is a pun in the last line, "Khalun (a mole) khallauni" (rid me), etc.[FN#383] Of old Fustat, afterwards part of Southern Cairo, a proverbially miserable quarter hence the saying, "They quoted Misr to Kahirah (Cairo), whereon
- 127 [FN#338] Arab. "Musamirah"=chatting at night. Easterns are inordinately fond of the practice and the wild Arabs often sit up till dawn, talking over the affairs of the tribe, indeed a Shaykh is expected to do so. "Early to bed and early to
- 126 "There is a pleasure sure in being mad Which none but madmen know."[FN#293] Lane (ii. 449) gives a tradition of the Prophet, "Whoso is in love, and acteth chastely, and concealeth (his pa.s.sion) and dieth, dieth a martyr." Sakar is No
- 125 Edit. (vii. 254) begins They tell that there arose full enmity between Ja'afar Barmecide and a Sahib of Misr" (Wazir or Governor of Egypt). Lane (ii. 429) quotes to this purpose amongst Arab; historians Fakhr al-Din. (De Sacy's Chrestomathi
- 124 [FN#206] In the East cloth of frieze that mates with cloth of gold must expect this treatment. Fath Ali Shah's daughters always made their husbands enter the nuptial-bed by the foot end.[FN#207] This is always done and for two reasons; the first huma
- 123 [FN#161] He sinned only for the pleasure of being pardoned, which is poetical-and hardly practical-or probable.[FN#162] The Kata (sand-grouse) always enters into Arab poetry because it is essentially a desert bird, and here the comparison is good because
- 122 [FN#118] Arab. "Mininah"; a biscuit of flour and clarified b.u.t.ter.[FN#119] Arab. "Waybah"; the sixth part of the Ardabb=6 to 7 English gallons.[FN#120] He speaks in half-jest a la fellah; and reminds us of "Hangman, drive on th
- 121 [FN#72] Lit. "The father of side-locks," a nickname of one of the Tobba Kings. This "Hasan of: the ringlets" who wore two long pig-tails hanging to his shoulders was the Rochester or Piron of his age: his name is still famous for brill
- 120 [FN#29] Arab. "Sikankur" (Gr. {Greek letters}, Lat. Scincus) a lizard (S. officinalis) which, held in the hand, still acts as an aphrodisiac in the East, and which in the Middle Ages was considered a universal-medicine. In the "Adja'ib
- 119 There was once a Sultan's daughter, whose heart was taken with love of a black slave: he abated her maidenhead and she became pa.s.sionately addicted to futtering, so that she could not do without it a single hour and complained of her case to one of
- 118 ABU Ha.s.sAN AL-ZIYADI AND THE KHORASAN.Quoth Abu Ha.s.san al-Ziyadi[FN#417]: "I was once in straitened case and so needy that the grocer, the baker and other tradesmen dunned and importuned me; and my misery became extreme, for I knew of no resource
- 117 Whereupon I brought out the hundred thousand dinars I had by me and gave it to them, thanking them for their kindness; and they pouched the monies and went their way, under cover of the night so that none might know of them. But when morning dawned I exam
- 116 She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Abu Nowas answered, "I hear and I obey, O Commander of the Faithful!" and forthwith he improvised these couplets, "Long was my night for sleepless misery; * Weary of body and of thought
- 115 If thou go to the water closet, thou needest one to wash thy gap and pluck out the hairs which overgrow it; and this is the extreme of sluggish ness and the sign, outward and visible, of stupidity[FN#376] In short, there is no good thing about thee, and i
- 114 The man rejoiced and, emptying his cup, gave the girls to drink.Then he signed to the thin girl and said to her, 'O Houri of Paradise, feed thou our ears with sweet words and sounds.' So she took the lute; and, tuning it, preluded and sang these
- 113 She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the lady exclaimed, 'O Ibn Mansur, the night and the day s.h.i.+ft not upon anything but they bring to it change!' Then she raised her glance to heaven and said, 'O my G.o.d and my Leade
- 112 quoth Harun: and Masrur went out and returned with Ibn Mansur, who said, on entering, "Peace be with thee, O Commander of the Faithful!" The Caliph returned his salutation and said to him, "O Ibn Mansur, tell us some of thy stories." S
- 111 She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth Kurdish Jawan to his mother, "Keep thou watch over her till I come back to thee at first dawn of day," and went his ways. Now Zumurrud said to herself, "Why am I so heedless about
- 110 Gather his charms all growths of Eden garth * Whereto those Kausar[FN#276]-lips bear testimony.'"When the broker heard the verses she repeated on the charms of Ali Shar, he marvelled at her eloquence, no less than at the brightness of her beauty
- 109 'If a sharp-witted wight e'er tried mankind, * I've eaten that which only tasted he:[FN#257]Their amity proved naught but wile and guile, * Their faith I found was but hypocrisy.'"Quoth Ali, "O my father, I have heard thee an
- 108 Now when I heard this, O Commander of the Faithful, great concern get hold of me and I was beyond measure troubled, and behold, I heard a Voice from behind me extemporise these couplets, 'O Moslem! thou whose guide is Alcoran, * Joy in what brought s
- 107 TALE OF THE LOVER WHO FEIGNED HIMSELF A THIEF.When Khalid bin Abdallah al-Kasri[FN#218] was Emir of Ba.s.sorah, there came to him one day a company of men dragging a youth of exceeding beauty and lofty bearing and perfumed attire; whose aspect expressed g
- 106 When it was the Two Hundred and Ninety-first Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Jeweller continued: "Then she bent towards me and kissed and caressed me; and, as she caressed me, drew me towards her and to her breast she
- 105 When it was the Two Hundred and Eighty-third Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the man, "So I turned aside with the donkey and stood still awaiting the dispersal of the crowd; and I saw a number of eunuchs with staves
- 104 Kindness to him continue * Whether good or graceless wight: Abstain from all reproaching, * An he joy or vex thy sprite: Seest not that what thou lovest * And what hatest go unite?That joys of longer life-tide * Ever fade with hair turned white?That thorn
- 103 Now Ma'an bin Zaidah went forth one day to the chase with his company, and they came upon a herd of gazelles; so they separated in pursuit and Ma'an was left alone to chase one of them. When he had made prize of it he alighted and slaughtered it
- 102 So she said to her husband, "Why and wherefore didest thou not buy him the girl?" and he replied, "What is fit for the lord is not fit for the liege and I have no power to take her: no less a man bought her than Ala Al-Din, Chief of the Six
- 101 Answered Ala alDin, "The Arabs," and Mahmud said, "O my son, the mules and the baggage were thy ransom; so do thou comfort thyself with his saying who said, 'If thereby man can save his head from death, * His good is worth him but a sl
- 100 The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.VOL 4.Ni'amah bin al-Rabi'a and Naomi his Slave-girl.There lived once in the city of Cufa[FN#1] a man called Al-Rabi'a bin Hatim, who was one of the chief men of the town, a wealthy and a healthy,
- 99 [FN#391] Here the formula means "I am sorry for it, but I couldn't help it."[FN#392] A n.o.ble name of the Persian Kings (meaning the planet Mars) corrupted in Europe to Varanes.[FN#393] Arab. "Jallab," one of the three muharramat
- 98 [FN#349] This is a mere phrase for our "dying of laughter": the queen was on her back. And as Easterns sit on carpets, their falling back is very different from the same movement off a chair.[FN#350] Arab. "Ismid," the eye-powder befor
- 97 In Antar his beloved Abla is a tamarisk (T. Orientalis). Others compare with the palm-tree (Solomon), the Cypress (Persian, esp.Hafiz and Firdausi) and the Arak or wild Capparis (Arab.).[FN#309] Ubi aves ibi angel). All African travellers know that a few
- 96 [FN#272] The Egyptian author cannot refrain from this characteristic polissonnerie; and reading it out is always followed by a roar of laughter. Even serious writers like Al- Hariri do not, as I have noted, despise the indecency.[FN#273] "'Long
- 95 "Say:--Refuge I take with the Lord of men *the sovran of men *the G.o.d of men *from the Tempter, the Demon *who tempteth in whisper the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of men *and from Jinnis and (evil) men."[FN#238] The recitations were Nafilah, or superogatory
- 94 [FN#198] i.e. her fair face s.h.i.+ning through the black hair."Camphor" is a favourite with Arab poets: the Persians hate it because connected in their minds with death; being used for purifying the corpse. We read in Burckhardt (Prov. 464) &qu
- 93 [FN#158] i.e. when she encamps with a favourite for the night.[FN#159] The Persian proverb is "Marg-i-amboh jashni dared"--death in a crowd is as good as a feast.[FN#160] Arab. "Kanat", the subterranean water-course called in Persia &q
- 92 [FN#118] These are the signs of a Shaykh's tent.[FN#119] These questions, indiscreet in Europe, are the rule throughout Arabia, as they were in the United States of the last generation.[FN#120] Arab. "Khizab" a paste of quicklime and lamp-b
- 91 [FN#73] Lit. "Coals (fit) for frying pan."[FN#74] Arab. "Libdah," the sign of a pauper or religious mendicant. He is addressed "Ya Abu libdah!" (O father of a felt calotte!) [FN#75] In times of mourning Moslem women do not us
- 90 [FN#30] The usual delicate chaff.[FN#31] Such letters are generally written on a full-sized sheet of paper ("notes" are held slighting in the East) and folded till the breadth is reduced to about one inch. The edges are gummed, the ink, much lik
- 89 Save to his Lord? O thou of lords the Lord!"Then, having ended his verse, he rose and donned his clothes but he knew not whither to go or whence to come; so he fed on the herbs of the earth and the fruits of the trees and he drank of the streams, and
- 88 And longing thirst whose fires weet no satiety.Regretful yearnings, singulfs and unceasing sighs, *Repine, remembrance and pain's very ecstacy: Desire I suffer sore and melancholy deep, *And I must bide a prey to endless phrenesy: I find me ne'e
- 87 Now when As'ad made an end of these verses, he strained his brother Amjad in his arms, till they twain were one body, and the treasurer, drawing his sword, was about to strike them, when behold, his steed took fright at the wind of his upraised hand,
- 86 "Fate hath commanded I become thy fere, *O s.h.i.+ning like full moon when clearest clear!All beauty dost embrace, all eloquence; *Brighter than aught within our worldly sphere: Content am I my torturer thou be: *Haply shalt alms me with one lovely l
- 85 'The p.e.n.i.s smooth and round was made with a.n.u.s best to match it, * Had it been made for cunnus' sake it had been formed like hatchet!'And yet another said, 'My soul thy sacrifice! I chose thee out *Who art not menstruous nor ovi
- 84 "Well Allah wots that since my severance from thee, *I wept till forced to borrow tears at usury: 'Patience!' my blamer cried, 'Heartsease right soon shalt see!' *Quoth I, 'Say, blamer, where may home of Patience be?'&qu
- 83 When it was the Two Hundred and Ninth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Lady Budur halted within sight of the Ebony City to take her rest, King Arma.n.u.s sent a messenger, to learn what King it was who had encamped wit
- 82 "Ask of my writ what wrote my pen in dole, *And hear my tale of misery from this scroll; My hand is writing while my tears down flow, *And to the paper 'plains my longing soul: My tears cease not to roll upon this sheet, *And if they stopped I&#
- 81 She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar al- Zaman said to his sire, "O my father, allow this youth to come and sit by my side." Now when the King heard these words from his son, he rejoiced with exceeding joy, though at the f
- 80 "Salams fro' me to friends in every stead; *Indeed to all dear friends do I incline: Salams, but not salams that bid adieu; *Salams that growth of good for you design: I love you dear, indeed, nor less your land, *But bide I far from every need
- 79 Now when Princess Budur saw him, she was seized by a transport of pa.s.sion and yearning and love-longing,--And Shahrazad per ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.When it was the One Hundred and Eighty-fifth Night, She said, It hath
- 78 A Nature Kohl'd[FN#252] eye thou hast that witcheth far and wide; From pure platonic love[FN#253] of it deliverance none I trow!Those glances, fell as plundering Turk, to heart such havoc deal As never havocked scymitar made keenest at the curve.On m
- 77 When it was the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir, said to King Shahriman, "Leave thy son in limbo for the s.p.a.ce of fifteen days; then summon him to thy presence and bid him wed; a
- 76 She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the jeweller thus continued:--"A woman caught hold of my hand; and I looked at her and lo! it was the slave-girl who used to come from Shams al-Nahar, and she seemed broken by grief. When we knew
- 75 Hath failed, and showeth wrath without disguise;[FN#207]Choose one more leal from your many friends *Who, truth approving, disapproves of lies."To proceed: Verily, I have not entered upon perfidy * nor have I abandoned fidelity * I have not used crue
- 74 Nor see I boon of union far or near."And these the words of another, "She split my casque of courage with eye-swords that sorely smite; * She pierced my patience' ring-mail with her shape like cane-spear light: Patched by the musky mole on
- 73 When it was the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shams al-Nahar filled a goblet and handed it to Ali bin Bakkar; after which she bade another damsel sing; and she began singing these couplets, "
- 72 There was once in a certain village a weaver who worked hard but could not earn his living save by overwork. Now it chanced that one of the richards of the neighbourhood made a marriage feast and invited the folk thereto: the weaver also was present and f
- 71 Once upon a time, a crow and a cat lived in brotherhood; and one day as they were together under a tree, behold, they spied a leopard making towards them, and they were not aware of his approach till he was close upon them. The crow at once flew up to the
- 70 Thou hast sown so reap Ill!"Quoth the wolf, "O gentlest of ravenous beasts, I fain hold thee too faithful to leave me in this pit." Then he wept and complained and, with tears streaming from his eyes, recited these two couplets, "O tho
- 69 and he said to her, 'O thou woman, what was it invited thee to this my retreat? I have no need of thee, nor is there aught betwixt me and thee which calleth for thy coming in to me." Quoth she, "O man, cost thou not behold my beauty and lov
- 68 Ho thou, Hammad, a lion hast upstirred, *Shall show thee speedy death like viper brood."Now when I heard his verse, I was perplexed as to my case and considering my condition and how I was become a captive, I was lowered in my own esteem. Then I look
- 67 When it was the One Hundred and Forty-third Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the man sat down by the fountain basin and ceased not pouring water on his head till he was tired. Then he went out to the room in which was the ciste
- 66 When it was the One Hundred and Forty-first Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the wounded rider spake thus to Kanmakan, "Then came out the same Kahrdash, and fell on the old woman and her men and bore down upon them bas.h.i
- 65 Here am I by G.o.d's ruth no ill I sue!Good sooth my bones, whenas they hear thy name, *Quail as birds quailed when Nisus o'er them flew:[FN#72]Ah! say to them who blame my love that I *Will love that face fair cousin till I die."And when h
- 64 What strength withstand a.s.sault of severance?"Then sobs burst from her breast, and she recited also these couplets, "What's this? I pa.s.s by tombs, and fondly greet *My friends' last homes, but send they no reply: For saith each fri
- 63 In pride of spirit thinkest thou to win the star Soha[FN#36]? *Albe thou may not reach the Moon which s.h.i.+nes through upper air?How darest thou expect to win my favours, hope to clip *Upon a lover's burning breast my lance like shape and rare?Leav
- 62 The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.VOL 3.When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Night Shahrazad continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Aziz pursued to Taj al-Muluk: Then I entered the flower garden and made for the pavilion,
- 61 [FN#496] The men who cry to prayer. The first was Bilal, the Abyssinian slave bought and manumitted by Abu Bakr. His simple cry was "I testify there is no Ilah (G.o.d) but Allah (G.o.d)! Come ye to prayers!" Caliph Omar, with the Prophet's
- 60 [FN#451] Racing was and is a favourite pastime with those hippomanists, the Arabs; but it contrasts strongly with our civilised form being a trial of endurance rather than of speed. The Prophet is said to have limited betting in these words, "There s
- 59 [FN#407] The Kantar (quintal) of 100 ratls (Ibs.) =98-99 Ibs.avoir.[FN#408] Arab. "Jurab (bag) mi'adat- ih (of his belly)," the "curdling of the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es" in fear is often mentioned.[FN#409] Clearly alluding to the magic s
- 58 [FN#369] An Egyptian doctor of the law (ninth century).[FN#370] Koran lxxvii. 35, 36. This is one of the earliest and most poetical chapters of the book.[FN#371] Abu Hanifah was scourged for refusing to take office and was put to death in prison, it is sa
- 57 [FN#322] This should have a.s.sured him that he stood in no danger.[FN#323] Here ends the wearisome tale of the brother and sister, and the romance of chivalry begins once more with the usual Arab digressions.[FN#324] I have derived this word from the Per
- 56 "Ali" and "Gebr." Ali is a n.o.ble figure in Moslem history.[FN#279] The emanc.i.p.ation from the consequences of his sins; or it may mean a holy death.[FN#280] Battle fought near Al-Medinah A.D. 625. The word is derived from "sha
- 55 iii. 89). Abraham, t.i.tled "Khalilu'llah," ranks next in dignity to Mohammed, preceding Isa, I need hardly say that his tomb is not in Jerusalem nor is the tomb itself at Hebron ever visited. Here Moslems (soi disant) are allowed by the je
- 54 [FN#192] An idea evidently derived from the aeolipyla (olla animatoria) the invention of Hero Alexandrinus, which showed that the ancient Egyptians could apply the motive force of steam.[FN#193] Kuthayyir ibn Abi Jumah, a poet and far-famed Rawi or Tale-r
- 53 It is the "groaning-chair" of Poor Robin's Almanac (1676) and we find it alluded to in Boccaccio, the cla.s.sical sedile which according to scoffers has formed the papal chair (a curule seat) ever since the days of Pope Joan, when it has be
- 52 [FN#103] Arab. "Khara," the lowest possible word: Ya Khara! is the commonest of insults, used also by modest women. I have heard one say it to her son.[FN#104] Arab. "Kamah," a measure of length, a fathom, also called "Ba'a.&
- 51 [FN#59] "Wa'llahi tayyib!" an exclamation characteristic of the Egyptian Moslem.[FN#60] The pretended fisherman's name Karim=the Generous.[FN#61] Such an act of generosity would appear to Europeans well- nigh insanity, but it is quite
- 50 (i.e. a pa.s.sive catamite) Nay, I am the thick one (the p.e.n.i.s which gives pleasure) and thou art the thin! And so forth with most unpleasant pleasantries.[FN#16] In the old version she is called "The Fair Persian,"probably from the owner: h
- 49 She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the young merchant continued to Taj al-Muluk: "So I entered the house and when my mother saw me she said, "Her death lieth heavy on thy neck and may Allah not acquit thee of her blood! A plag
- 48 "The longing of an Arab la.s.s forlorn of kith and kin * (Who to Hijazian willow wand and myrtle[FN#497] cloth incline, And who, when meeting caravan, shall with love-lowe set light *To bivouac fire, and bang for conk her tears of pain and pine) Exce
- 47 Then he looked about him at the caravan, and remounted and was about to ride onwards, when his glance fell on a handsome youth in fair attire, and a comely and shapely make, with flower white brow and moon like face, save that his beauty was wasted and th
- 46 families and inform them that all were safe and satisfied, and acquaint them saying, "We are encamped before Constantinople and we will either destroy it or die; and, albeit we be obliged to abide here months and years, we will not depart hence till
- 45 When it was the Ninety-sixth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sharrkan and his brother, Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan set off with an hundred horse for the hermitage described to them by that accursed Zat al-Dawahi, and the
- 44 Then all went away to their tents and when it was morning he gave orders for marching. So they marched for three days, till, on the fourth day, they drew near to Baghdad. When they entered the city, they found it decorated, and Zau al-Makan, the Sultan, w
- 43 She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Chamberlain bade the tent pitchers set up a pavilion s.p.a.cious enough to receive the subjects flocking to their Sultan, they planted a splendid Shahmiyanah[FN#327] befitting Kings. And as th