The Thousand and One Nights

Doesn't contain all the known Arabian fairy tales, if such a thing is possible. Most notable exception is Ali Baba and the fourty thieves. This edition is based on one of the early french compilations by Antoine Gallard, and translated inot English by Andrew Lang. In the process Gallard dropped the poetry and "a great deal of what the Arabian authors thought funny, though it seems wearisome to us". I'm not sure it would have been that dull actually. Then Lang cut some more out "shortened here and there, and omissions are made of pieces only suitable fro Arabs and old gentlemen" Ie bowdlerised. Which is also a shame and very notable on some stories.

The famous opening remains in place with the tale of Scheherazade beguiling her Sultan show more with stories to prevent his murdering of a new wife each morning. From here the collection rapidly fragments into new stories sometimes intertwinned as characters in one story narrate their adventures in the form of a new story. Once this loop fails to close, utterly abandoning the reader. Scheherazade is quickly forgotten and never reappears. Indeed only Sinbad lasts fro more than a tale or two, and he is limited to his famous seven exploits.

The stories themselves are all very similar. A Prince or princess or merchant suffers a hardship, bemoans their fate, meets a magical being, and regains a rich life full of treasure. Strangely teh singular form of genii is given as genius throughout which is a bit confusing. Likewise the difference between the various sorts of beings and human castes is never explained, but expected to be known to the reader. Kings seem to be a kind on minor noble much below the tank of Sultan or Caliph which seems odd to western traditions.

Notably different from western Fairy Tales in setting, if not in morals, it makes interesting reading to start with, but quickly becomes overly similar. I'm glad not all 1001 nights are reproduced here. show less

vertaald uit het Frans

Traducción al castellano de la traducción libre que hizo Antoine Galland al francés a partir de 1704. Este autor fue también quien añadió a la colección algunos de los cuentos más famosos, como "Aladino y la lámpara maravillosa", "Ali Babá y los cuarenta ladrones" y "Simbad el marino". Las dos primeras historias fueron transmitidas oralmente por el maronita sirio Hanna Diyab​ en París.​ Los cuentos de Simbad proceden de diversas tradiciones, algunas de las cuales ya se contaban en el Egipto antiguo, como la historia del náufrago​.

« Ces contes très amusants, et que M. Galland a vraiment presque entièrement traduits de l'arabe, ont commencé à paraître en 1704 en 6 volumes, et ont été successivement poussés jusqu'à 10 et même à 12 volumes, les deux derniers ayant été trouvés après sa mort dans ses papiers. Dans cette édition, les 12 volumes ont été refondus en 6, qui contiennent tout ce que M. Galland a publié de ces contes, qu'il aurait poussés plus loin, s'il eût vécu davantage. Il est mort en 1715, professeur d'arabe au Collège royal, depuis 1709. Il était né en 1646, près de Montdidier. • D.P.