The Arabian Nights

[serhanbener]

What are the differences between "The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights Giftset" and normal 3 -volume set?
Do they feature the same content?
Note :the version translated by Malcolm C.Lyons

[PeterL]

There have been many translations of the Arabian Nights. Some of the translations are good, and others not so much so. You probably should look for reviews of the particular edition that interests you.

It looks like some people like Malcolm C.Lyons' translation, but they may be shills.

[serhanbener]

There are 3 translations to buy:
1-Penguin(Lyons)
2-Burton
3-Mathers

Penguin released 2 versions of Lyons translation
1-Hardback-3 volume gift set
2-Paperback 3 volume set

Lyons version is missing some prayers. For example we say "Allah" but Malcolm Lyons is saying "God". Burtpon sees more correct but it is very archaic and expensive.

[Des Essientes]

Burton's translation is the best because of the footnotes he includes many of which diverge from textual exposition into the incredibly bizzarre such as the one in which he considers breeding monkeys with humans to create a servile hybrid species.

[serhanbener]

I found the Burton translation in Cosimo Books. But I don't know if they can be trusted.

[Des Essientes]

What are the differences between "The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights Giftset" and normal 3 -volume set?
Do they feature the same content?
Note :the version translated by Malcolm C.Lyons

The Burton translation entitled "The Arabian Nights" is only one volume and it does not include all 1001 nights and if I remember correctly his complete translation fills more than 3 volumes. So I doubt either of the Lyons translations will have all 1001 nights. The title of the unabridged nights is not "The Arabian Nights" but rather "The Thousand Nights And A Night" (Alf Laya Wah Laya).

[PeterL]

Most, if not all, of Sir Richard Francis Burton's writings are available as free downloads. I think that he put entirely too much effort into trying to give the flavor of the language of the Arabian Nights, and as a result he used many very obscure words. That makes it more difficult to read than a good translation should be.

Anyway, the following links are to places where some of his writings can be found:
http://burtoniana.org/books/1885-Ara...ghts/index.htm
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/sear...oads&query=898
http://www.manybooks.net/authors/burtonri.html

[mal4mac]

Both Lyons version are the same (apart from paper quality...), and they are complete, at least according to Hart:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co....cle5331420.ece

[serhanbener]

The Burton translation entitled "The Arabian Nights" is only one volume and it does not include all 1001 nights and if I remember correctly his complete translation fills more than 3 volumes. So I doubt either of the Lyons translations will have all 1001 nights. The title of the unabridged nights is not "The Arabian Nights" but rather "The Thousand Nights And A Night" (Alf Laya Wah Laya).

According to Cosimo Books it is 16 volumes.

http://www.cosimobooks.com/Arabian+Nights.s9

[serhanbener]

Many Thanks mal4mac
Many Thanks PeterL

[Jive One]

A question to anyone very knowledgeable on the 1001 Nights and/or Arabian literature in general. The stories of course have some pretty amazing settings and imagery, but I feel as if these are symbolic of other things and that this symbolism is going right over my head.

For example I'm currently on the story Hasib Karim and the Snake Queen and the sub-story of Buluqiya. In this story Buluqiya is Jewish and finds a manuscript about Mohammad which sets him off on a quest to find the man himself(and allegorically to find Islam). During this quest he visits several islands all of which have exotic and fantastic scenery. For example one has glass-like ground with flowers that glow at night, another has a giant guarding an apple tree(symbolic of the one in Eden), another is barren except with hawks/falcons nesting in the sand.

While this is all interesting from a setting perspective, I feel these are representative of concepts which I am not familiar with. This concern also applies to many other sections of 1001 Nights. I'd like to think that there's a sympolic and allegorical depth to the tales that somewhat compares with say, the Divine Comedy or the Iliad, but I'm not so sure.

So am I attempting to "over-read" what is there, or assuming there are deeper meanings that I'm missing, how can I familiarize myself with them to better appreciate the work?



EDIT: After looking at the Burton translation and its footnotes, it looks like there are indeed lots of external references, especially to the Koran. It seems most of these notes refer to proper nouns and not settings, although it may be that a lot of the more fantastic settings are no more than eye-candy. A lot of these stories are folk tales anyway and wouldn't have the meticulous planning that goes into a more profound novel or narrative poem.

[PeterL]

I haven't read all of the stories, but there may be references to other works in all of them. One of the joys of reading is figuring out what things mean.

[Des Essientes]

According to Cosimo Books it is 16 volumes.

http://www.cosimobooks.com/Arabian+Nights.s9

I now remember that Burton includes an immense number of "supplemental nights" in addition to the 1001 in his translation and so I now believe that the translation in 3 volumes the original poster is inquiring about could indeed contain all 1001 nights.

[serhanbener]

MCL translation isn't featuring supplemental nights. It only features Calcutta 2 edition.
It is not featuring words from Kuran. It seems to be a Christianized version.

[JCamilo]

I now remember that Burton includes an immense number of "supplemental nights" in addition to the 1001 in his translation and so I now believe that the translation in 3 volumes the original poster is inquiring about could indeed contain all 1001 nights.

THere is no original arabic with all 1001 nights, they are all incomplete. What people did since Galland is either split some nights, include material from other sources (such as Simbad), make up stories (as Alladim) or just use two different sources mixed, with the stories that belong to just one in a whole work. Hence all translations are different from each other, not just on style, but on content too.

(Original arabic as medieval source, of course, not more moderm sources)

Jive:

It is possible that the description of heaven, hell, etc from Dante has influence from medieval arabian cosmogony. Dante has most likely access to translated arabian texts, so the feeling can be explained this way. Now about the symbolism, the 1001 is an open source, with several people working on. Its oral origem certainly add to the allegorization, but of course, a fable-like tale is by very nature allegorical and not literal.