Richard Burton - A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments, now entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2 (of 17)

My dear Sir,

Allow me, thus publicly to express my admiration of your magnum opus, "The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night;" and to offer you my cordial thanks for honouring me with the dedication of that scholar-like and admirable version.

Ever yours sincerely,

RICHARD F. BURTON.

Queen's College, Oxford

August 1, 1885 .

Quoth Shahrazad 1 1 Supplementary to note 2, p. 2, and note 2, p. 14, vol. i., I may add that "Shahrazad," in the Shams al-Loghat, is the P.N. of a King. L. Langlès (Les Voyages de Sindibâd Le Marin et La Ruse des Femmes, first appended to Savary's Grammar and reprinted 12mo. pp. 161 + 113, Imprimerie Royale, Paris, M.D.CCC.XIV) explains it by Le cyprès, la beauté de la ville; and he is followed by (A. de Biberstein) Kazimirski (Enis el-Djelis, Paris, Barrois, 1847). Ouseley (Orient. Collect.) makes Shahrzád=town-born; and others an Arabisation of Chehr-ázád (free of face, ingenuous of countenance) the petit nom of Queen Humay, for whom see the terminal Essay. The name of the sister, whom the Fihrist converts into a Kahramánah, or nurse, vulgarly written Dínár-zád, would=child of gold pieces, freed by gold pieces, or one who has no need of gold pieces: Dinzád=child of faith and Daynázád, proposed by Langlès, "free from debt(!)" I have adopted Macnaghten's Dunyazad. "Shahryar," which Scott hideously writes "Shier-ear," is translated by the Shams, King of the world, absolute monarch and the court of Anushirwan while the Burhán-i-Káti'a renders it a King of Kings, and P.N. of a town. Shahr-báz is also the P.N. of a town in Samarcand. : – It hath reached me, O auspicious King of intelligence penetrating, that there was, amongst the Kings of Bassorah, 2 2 Arab. "Malik," here used as in our story-books: "Pompey was a wise and powerful King" says the Gesta Romanorum. This King is, as will appear, a Regent or Governor under Harun al-Rashid. In the next tale he is Viceroy of Damascus, where he is also called "Sultan." a King who loved the poor and needy and cherished his lieges, and gave of his wealth to all who believed in Mohammed (whom Allah bless and assain!), and he was even as one of the poets described him: —

His name was King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni, and he had two Wazirs, one called Al-Mu'in, son of Sawi and the other Al-Fazl son of Khákán. Now Al-Fazl was the most generous of the people of his age, upright of life, so that all hearts united in loving him and the wise flocked to him for counsel; whilst the subjects used to pray for his long life, because he was a compendium of the best qualities, encouraging the good and lief, and preventing evil and mischief. But the Wazir Mu'in bin Sawi on the contrary hated folk 4 4 "He loves folk" is high praise, meaning something more than benevolence and beneficence. Like charity it covers a host of sins. and loved not the good and was a mere compound of ill; even as was said of him: —

And as much as the people loved and fondly loved Al-Fazl bin Khakan, so they hated and thoroughly hated the mean and miserly Mu'in bin Sawi. It befel one day by the decree of the Decreer, that King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni, being seated on his throne with his officers of state about him, summoned his Wazir Al-Fazl and said to him, "I wish to have a slave-girl of passing beauty, perfect in loveliness, exquisite in symmetry and endowed with all praiseworthy gifts." Said the courtiers, "Such a girl is not to be bought for less than ten thousand gold pieces: " whereupon the Sultan called out to his treasurer and said, "Carry ten thousand dinars to the house of Al-Fazl bin Khakan." The treasurer did the King's bidding; and the Minister went away, after receiving the royal charge to repair to the slave-bazar every day, and entrust to brokers the matter aforesaid. Moreover the King issued orders that girls worth above a thousand gold pieces should not be bought or sold without being first displayed to the Wazir. Accordingly no broker purchased a slave-girl ere she had been paraded before the minister; but none pleased him, till one day a dealer came to the house and found him taking horse and intending for the palace. So he caught hold of his stirrup saying: —

Then quoth he, "O my lord, that surpassing object for whom the gracious mandate was issued is at last found; 5 5 The sentence is euphuistic. " and quoth the Wazir, "Here with her to me!" So he went away and returned after a little, bringing a damsel in richest raiment robed, a maid spear-straight of stature and five feet tall; budding of bosom with eyes large and black as by Kohl traced, and dewy lips sweeter than syrup or the sherbet one sips, a virginette smooth cheeked and shapely faced, whose slender waist with massive hips was engraced; a form more pleasing than branchlet waving upon the topmost trees, and a voice softer and gentler than the morning breeze, even as saith one of those who have described her: —