Volume 1

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments now intituled The book of the thousand nights and a night : with introduction, explanatory notes on the manners and customs of Moslem men and a terminal essay upon the history of The nights / by Richard F. Burton.

Date:
1885-1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A plain and literal translation of the Arabian nights entertainments now intituled The book of the thousand nights and a night : with introduction, explanatory notes on the manners and customs of Moslem men and a terminal essay upon the history of The nights / by Richard F. Burton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    tidings to announce his arrival, and Shahryar came forth to meet him with his Wazirs and Emirs and Lords and Grandees of his realm ; and saluted him and joyed with exceeding joy and caused the city to be decorated in his honour. When, however, the brothers met, the elder could not but see the change of complexion in the younger and questioned him of his case whereto he replied, “ ’Tis caused by the travails of wayfare and my case needs care, for I have suffered from the change of water and air! but Allah be praised for reuniting me with a brother so dear and so rare!” On this wise he dissembled and kept his secret, adding, “ O King of the time and Caliph of the tide, only toil and moil have tinged my face yellow with bile and hath made my eyes sink deep in my head.” Then the two entered the capital in all honour ; and the elder brother lodged the younger in a palace overhanging the pleasure garden ; and, after a time, seeing his condition still un- changed, he attributed it to his separation from his country and kingdom. So he let him wend his own ways and asked no questions of him till one day when he again said, “ O my brother, I see that art grown weaker of body and yellower of colour.” “ O my brother,” replied Shah Zaman “ I have an internal wound : 1,1 still he would not tell him what he had witnessed in his wife. Thereupon Shahryar summoned doctors and surgeons and bade them treat his brother according to the rules of art, which they did for a whole month ; but their sherbets and potions naught availed, for he would dwell upon the deed of his wife, and despond- ency, instead of diminishing, prevailed, and leach-craft treatment utterly failed. One day his elder brother said to him, “ I am going forth to hunt and course and to take my pleasure and pastime ; maybe this would lighten thy heart.” Shah Zaman, how- ever, refused, saying, “ O my brother, my soul yearneth for naught of this sort and I entreat thy favour to suffer me tarry quietly in this place, being wholly taken up with my malady.” So King- Shah Zaman passed his night in the palace and, next morning, when his brother had fared forth, he removed from his room and sat him down at one of the lattice-windows overlooking the pleasure grounds ; and there he abode thinking with saddest thought ovei his wifes betrayal and burning sighs issued from his tortured breast. And as he continued in this case lo! a postern of the 1 i.e., I am sick al heart.