The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night, by Richard F. Burton

Table of Contents

Editor’s Note to this Web Edition

Dedications to the Original Ten Volumes

• Dedication to Volume One
• Dedication to Volume Two
• Dedication to Volume Three
• Dedication to Volume Four
• Dedication to Volume Five
• Dedication to Volume Six
• Dedication to Volume Seven
• Dedication to Volume Eight
• Dedication to Volume Nine
• Dedication to Volume Ten

The Translator’s Foreword.

The Book of The Thousand Nights and a Night

1. The Story Of King Shahryar and His Brother
   • Tale of the Bull and the Ass.
2. Tale of the Trader and the Jinni.
   • The First Shaykh’s Story.
   • The Second Shaykh’s Story.
   • The Third Shaykh’s Story.
3. The Fisherman and the Jinni.
   • The Tale of the Wazir and the Sage Duban.
     • King Sindibad and his Falcon.
     • The Tale of the Husband and the Parrot.
     • The Tale of the Prince and the Ogress.
   • The Tale of the Ensorcelled Prince.
4. The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad.
   • The First Kalandar’s Tale.
   • The Second Kalandar’s Tale.
     • The Tale of the Envier and the Envied.
   • The Third Kalandar’s Tale.
   • The Eldest Lady’s Tale.
   • Tale of the Portress.
5. The Tale of the Three Apples
6. Tale of Nur Al-Din and his Son.
7. The Hunchback’s Tale.
   • The Nazarene Broker’s Story.
   • The Reeve’s Tale.
   • Tale of the Jewish Doctor.
   • Tale of the Tailor.
   • The Barber’s Tale of Himself.
     • The Barber’s Tale of his First Brother.
     • The Barber’s Tale of his Second Brother.
     • The Barber’s Tale of his Third Brother.
     • The Barber’s Tale of his Fourth Brother.
     • The Barber’s Tale of his Fifth Brother.
     • The Barber’s Tale of his Sixth Brother.
   • The End of the Tailor’s Tale.
8. Nur Al–Din Ali and the Damsel Anis Al–Jalis
9. Tale of Ghanim bin Ayyub , the Distraught, the Thrall o’ Love.
   • Tale of the First Eunuch, Bukhayt.
   • Tale of the Second Eunuch, Kafur.
10. Tale of King Omar Bin Al–Nu’uman and his sons Sharrkan and Zau Al–Makan, and what befel them of things seld–seen and Peregrine.
    • Tale of Taj al-Muluk and the Princess Dunya (The Lover and the Loved).
      • Tale of Aziz and Azizah.
    • The Tale of the Hashish Eater.
    • The Tale of Hammad the Badawi.
11. The Birds and Beasts and The Carpenter
12. The Hermits.
13. Tale of the Water Fowl and The Tortoise.
14. Tale of the Wolf and the Fox.
    • The Tale of the Falcon and the Partridge.
15. Tale of the Mouse and the Ichneumon
16. The Cat and the Crow
17. The Fox and the Crow
    • The Flea and the Mouse
    • The Saker and the Birds.
    • The Sparrow and the Eagle
18. The Hedgehog and the Wood-Pigeons
    • The Merchant and the Two Sharpers
19. The Thief and his Monkey
    • The Foolish Weaver
20. The Sparrow and the Peacock
21. Tale of Ali Bin Bakkar and of Shams Al-Nahar.
22. Tale of Kamar Al Zaman
    • Ni’amah bin al-Rabi’a and Naomi his Slave-girl.
23. Ala Al-Din Abu Al-Shamat.
24. Hatim of the Tribe of Tayy.
25. Tale of Ma’an the Son of Zaidah.
26. Ma’an Son of Zaidah and the Badawi.
27. The City of Labtayt.
28. The Caliph Hisham and the Arab Youth.
29. Ibrahim Bin Al-Mahdi and The Barber-Surgeon.
30. The City of Many Columned Iram and Abdullah Son of Abi Kilabah.
31. Isaac of Mosul.
32. The Sweep and the Noble Lady.
33. The Mock Caliph.
34. Ali the Persian.
35. Tale of Harun Al-Rashid and the Slave-Girl and the Imam Abu Yusuf.
36. Tale of the Lover Who Feigned Himself A Thief.
37. Ja’afar the Barmecide and the Bean Seller.
38. Abu Mohammed Hight Lazybones.
39. Generous Dealing of Yahya Bin Khalid the Barmecide with Mansur.
40. Generous Dealing of Yahya Son of KhÁLid with A Man Who Forged A Letter in His Name.
41. Caliph Al-Maamun and the Strange Scholar.
42. Ali Shar and Zumurrud.
43. The Loves of Jubayr Bin Umayr and the Lady Budur.
44. The Man of Ai-Yaman and his Six Slave-Girls.
45. Harun Al-Rashid and the Damsel and Abu Nowas.
46. The Man Who Stole the Dish of Gold Wherein the Dog Ate.
47. The Sharper of Alexandria and the Chief of Police.
48. Al-Malik Al-Nasir and the Three Chiefs of Police.
    • The Story of the Chief of Police of Cairo.
    • The Story of the Chief of the Bulak Police.
    • The Story of the Chief of the Old Cairo Police.
49. The Thief and the Shroff.
50. The Chief of the Kus Police and the Sharper.
51. Ibrahim Bin Al-Mahdi and The Merchant’s Sister.
52. The Woman Whose Hands Were Cut Off for Giving Alms to the Poor.
53. The Devout Israelite.
54. Abu Hassan Al-Ziyadi and The Khorasan.
55. The Poor Man and his Friend in Need.
56. The Ruined Man Who Became Rich Again Through A Dream.
57. Caliph Al-Mutawakkil and his Concubine Mahbubah.
58. Wardan the Butcher; his Adventure with the Lady and the Bear.
59. The King’s Daughter and the Ape.
60. The Ebony Horse.
61. Uns Al-Wujud and the Wazir’s Daughter Al-Ward Fi’l-Akmam or Rose-IN-Hood.
62. Abu Nowas with the Three Boys and the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid
63. Abdallah Bin Ma’amar with the Man of Bassorah and his Slave-Girl.
64. The Lovers of the Banu Ozrah
65. Wazir of Al-Yaman and his Young Brother
66. The Loves of the Boy and Girl at School
67. Al-Mutalammis and his Wife Umaymah
68. The Caliph Harum Al-Rashid and Queen Zubaydah in the Bath
69. Harun Al-Rashid and the Three Poets
70. Mus’ab Bin Al-Zubayr and Ayishah his Wife
71. Abu Al-Aswad and his Slave-Girl
72. Harun Al-Rashid and the Two Slave-Girls
73. The Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and the Three Slave-Girls
74. The Miller and his Wife
75. The Simpleton and the Sharper
76. The Kazi Abu Yusuf with Harun Al-Rashid and Queen Zubaydah
77. The Caliph Al-Hakim and The Merchant
78. King Kisra Anushirwan and The Village Damsel
79. Water-Carrier and the Goldsmith’s Wife
80. Khusrau and Shirin and the Fisherman
81. Yahya Bin Khalid the Barmecide and the Poor Man
82. Mohammed Al-Amin and the Slave-Girl
83. The Sons of Yahya Bin Khalid and Sa’id Bin Salim Al-Bahili
84. The Woman’s Trick Against her Husband
85. The Devout Woman and the Two Wicked Elders
86. Ja’afar the Barmecide and the Old Badawl
87. The Caliph Omar Bin Al-Khattab and the Young Badawi
88. The Caliph Al-Maamun and The Pyramids of Egypt
89. The Thief and the Merchant
90. Masrur the Eunuch and Ibn Al-Karibi
91. The Devotee Prince
92. The Unwise Schoolmaster Who Fell in Love by Report
93. The Foolish Dominie
94. Illiterate Who Set Up for A Schoolmaster
95. The King and the Virtuous Wife.
96. Abd Al-Rahman the Maghribi’s Story of the Rukh.
97. Adi Bin Zayd and the Princess Hind.
98. Di’ibil Al-Khuza’i with the Lady and Muslim Bin Al-Walid.
99. Isaac of Mosul and the Merchant.
100. The Three Unfortunate Lovers.
101. How Abu Hasan Brake Wind.
102. The Lovers of the Banu Tayy.
103. The Mad Lover.
104. The Prior Who Became A Moslem.
105. The Loves of Abu Isa and Kurrat Al-Ayn.
106. Al-Amin Son of Al-Rashid and his Uncle Ibrahim Bin Al-Mahdi.
107. Al-Fath Bin Khakan and the Caliph Al-Mutawakkil.
108. The Man’s Dispute with the Learned Woman Concerning the Relative Excellence of Male and Female.
109. Abu Suwayd and the Pretty Old Woman.
110. The Emir Ali Bin Tahir and The Girl Muunis.
111. The Woman Who Had A Boy and the Other Who Had A Man to Lover.
112. Ali the Cairene and the Haunted House in Baghdad.
113. The Pilgrim Man and the Old Woman.
114. Abu Al-Husn and his Slave-Girl Tawaddud.
115. The Angel of Death with The Proud King and the Devout Man.
116. The Angel of Death and the Rich King.
117. The Angel of Death and the King of the Children of Israel.
118. Iskandar Zu Al-Karnayn and A Certain Tribe of Poor Folk.
119. The Righteousness of King Anushirwan.
120. The Jewish Kazi and his Pious Wife.
121. The Shipwrecked Woman and her Child.
122. The Pious Black Slave.
123. The Devout Tray-Maker and his Wife.
124. Al-Hajjaj and the Pious Man.
125. The Blacksmith Who Could Handle Fire Without Hurt.
126. The Devotee to Whom Allah Gave A Cloud for Service and the Devout King.
127. The Moslem Champion and The Christian Damsel.
128. The Christian King’s Daughter and the Moslem.
129. The Prophet and the Justice of Providence.
130. The Ferryman of the Nile and the Hermit.
131. The Island King and the Pious Israelite.
132. Abu Al-Hasan and Abu Ja’afar the Leper.
133. The Queen of the Serpents.
     • The Adventures of Bulukiya.
     • The Story of Janshah.
134. Sindbad The Seaman and Sindbad The Landsman.
     • First Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.”
     • The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
     • The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
     • The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
     • The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
     • The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
     • The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.
     • A Translation of The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman according to the version of the Calcutta Edition which differs in essential form from the preceding tale
135. The City of Brass.
136. Craft and Malice of Women, or The Tale of the King, His Son, His Concubine and the Seven Wazirs.
     • The King and his Wazir’s Wife.
     • Story of the Confectioner, his Wife, and the Parrot.
     • The Fuller and his Son.
     • The Rake’s Trick against the Chaste Wife.
     • The Miser and the Loaves of Bread.
     • The Lady and her Two Lovers.
     • The Kings Son and the Ogress.
     • The Drop of Honey.
     • The Woman who made her Husband Sift Dust.
     • The Enchanted Spring.
     • Wazir’s Son and the Hammam–Keeper’s Wife.”
     • The Wife’s Device to Cheat her Husband.”
     • Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing–Girl.
     • The Man who never Laughed during the Rest of his Days.
     • The King’s Son and the Merchant’s Wife.
     • The Page who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds.
     • The Lady and her Five Suitors.
     • The Three Wishes, or the Man who Longed to see the Night of Power.
     • The Stolen Necklace.
     • The Two Pigeons.
     • Story of Prince Behram and the Princess Al–Datma.
     • The House with the Belvedere.
     • The King’s Son and the Ifrit’s Mistress
     • Sandal–Wood Merchant and the Sharpers.
     • The Debauchee and the Three–Year-Old Child.
     • The Stolen Purse.
     • Story of the Fox and the Folk.
137. Judar and his Brethren.
138. History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib.
139. Otbah and Rayya.
140. Hind, Daughter of Al-Nu’man and Al-Hajjaj.
141. Khuzaymah Bin Bishr and Ikrimah Al-Fayyaz.
142. Yunus the Scribe and the Caliph Walid Bin Sahl.
143. Harun Al-Rashid and the Arab Girl.
144. Al-Asma’i and the Three Girls of Bassorah.
145. Ibrahim of Mosul and the Devil.
146. The Lovers of the Banu Uzrah.
147. The Badawi and his Wife.
148. The Lovers of Bassorah.
149. Ishak of Mosul and his Mistress and the Devil.
150. The Lovers of Al-Medinah.
151. Al-Malik Al-Nasir and his Wazir.
152. The Rogueries of Dalilah The Crafty and her Daughter Zaynab the Coney-Catcher.
     • The Adventures of Mercury Ali of Cairo.
153. Ardashir and Hayat Al-Nufus.
154. Julnar the Sea-Born and her Son King Badr Basim of Persia.
155. King Mohammed Bin Sabaik and the Merchant Hasan.
     • Story of Prince Sayf al-Muluk and the Princess Badi’a al-Jamal.
156. Hasan of Bassorah.
157. Khalifah the Fisherman of Baghdad
158. Khalifah The Fisherman of Baghdad.
159. Masrur and Zayn Al-Mawasif.
160. Ali Nur Al-Din and Miriam The Girdle-Girl
161. The Man of Upper Egypt and his Frankish Wife.
162. Ruined Man of Baghdad and his Slave-Girl
163. King Jali’ad of Hind and His Wazir Shimas; Followed by the History of King Wird Khan, Son of King Jali’ad, with His Women and Wazirs.
     • The Mouse and the Cat.
     • The Fakir and his Jar of Butter.
     • The Fishes and the Crab.
     • The Crow and the Serpent.
     • The Wild Ass and the Jackal.
     • The Unjust King and the Pilgrim Prince.
     • The Crows and the Hawk.
     • The Serpent charmer and his Wife.
     • The Spider and the Wind.
     • The Two Kings.
     • The Blind Man and the Cripple.
     • The Foolish Fisherman.
     • The Boy and the Thieves.
     • The Man and his Wife.
     • The Merchant and the Robbers.
     • The Jackals and the Wolf.
     • The Shepherd and the Rogue.
     • The Francolin and the Tortoises.
164. Abu Kir the Dyer and Abu sir the Barber.
165. Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman.
166. Harun Al-Rashid and Abu Hasan, the Merchant of Oman.
167. Ibrahim and Jamilah.
168. Abu Al-Hasan of Khorasan.
169. Kamar Al-Zaman and the Jeweller’s Wife.
170. Abdullah Bin Fazil and his Brothers.
171. Ma’aruf the Cobbler and his Wife
172. Conclusion.

Terminal Essay

• Preliminary
• § I — The Origin of the Nights.
  • A.—The Birth place.
  • B.—The Date.
  • C.—The Author.
• § II. — The Nights in Europe.
• § III. — The Matter and the Manner of the Nights.
  • A.—The Matter.
  • B.—The Manner of the Nights.
• § IV. — Social Condition.
  • A.—Al–Islam.
  • B.—Woman.
  • C.—Pornography.
  • D.—Pederasty.
• § V — On the Prose-Rhyme and the Poetry of the Nights
  • A.—The Saj’a.
  • B.—The Verse.

Appendix

• Memorandum

Appendix I

• Index I
• Index II
• Index III.-A
• Index III.-B
• Index IV.—A.
• Index IV.—B.
• Index IV.—C.
• Index IV.—D.

Appendix II

• Contributions to the Bibliography of The Thousand and One Nights, and their imitations, with a table showing the contents of the principal editions and translations of the Nights.
• Conclusion.
• Comparative table of the Tales in the principal editions of the Thousand and One Nights, viz.:—