A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments: Now Entitled the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night; Volume 8 of 16

The Arabian Nights #8 of 16

by Anonymous, Richard Francis Burton (Translator)

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Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Classics, Poetry

384 pages, Hardcover

First published July 23, 2015

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[The Usual · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not, it must be said, a great appreciator of poetry. Poetry, it seems to me, is either an attempt to take something that would like to be quite large, and torture it into being small and pretty – bonsai language effectively – or to take something very simple and swathe it in layer after layer of gaudy wrapping paper. Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress is an example of the latter. There’s some wonderful sounding language, certainly, but all he’s really saying is “Get your knickers off, love, we don’t have all day.” and I suspect that had he tried that line on the young lady he’d have saved a lot of ink and achieved the same effect. Which is to say, probably, a well-deserved slap.

Which relates to the Nights where?

Which relates to the Nights in that there’s an awful lot of that kind of thing in some of the stories. There are an awful lot of poems that basically say, when you throw away the tissue paper and vacuum up the glitter: “What a nice rose!”, “He/she’s good looking.”, “Oh no! She isn’t here!” , and so on and so forth. All very well in moderation, of course; all very well when it’s neatly giftwrapped with a lovely bow. Perhaps all very well when sung in Arabic – I couldn’t possibly comment. In Burton’s translation, though, a tedious, unwelcome and rather frequent drag on the story. Some of the stories. Not all of the stories.

And, of course, the stories are getting horribly familiar. Ideas that are wonderful the first time get a bit tired when they’re trotted out again, and again, and again. The nested structure has broken down completely by this point, and I’m frankly getting a bit bored. Honestly, I’d have strangled Sheherazade (or whatever her name is) by this stage. I’d be looking forward to a good night’s sleep or two before moving on to the next wife.

Which concludes this wholly unjustified whinge, because, after all, I decided to read this thing, and I have no intention of giving up. It’s not all torture when Burton can say something like:

“Then she uncovered her wrists and laying the lute in her lap, bent over it with the bending of mother over babe, and swept the strings with her finger-tips; whereupon it moaned and resounded and after its olden home yearned; and it remembered the waters that gave it drink and the earth whence it sprang and wherein it grew and it minded the carpenters who cut it and the polishers who polished it and the merchants who made it their merchandise and the ships that shipped it; and it cried and called aloud and moaned and groaned; and it was as if she asked it of all these things and it answered her with the tongue of the case, reciting these couplets…”

Even if I’d rather not bother with the couplets themselves. If you really care, you can look them up.

And still, somehow, I want to know what happens next. On to volume 9…

[Caroline Kjos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good collection of stories. It never fails to surprise me the level of humor, passion, drama, action these stories have. 8 down, 8 to go. Halfway!

[Ivan Segura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having to read this outrages crazy story for a group project to present to my class was very entertaining. It was just as great piece and very easy to read that when you read it, it would make you go on a shock and rethink about how precious life is. Richard pays to much attention to the fact wealth over powers people in this world or makes them blind.
Myself being the oldest son in my family having a younger brother it was very easily for me to relate to the story at first, but very disgrace the way Richard made Cassim be greedy and ugly but at the same time scary. It was scary because you see how his attitude changes dramatically when he founds out Ali Baba is rich now too. When he found out it drew him crazy when actually it should of have made him happy I mean that's what big brothers do he looks after his younger siblings, Then Cassim grew so envious that he could not sleep, and went to his brother in the morning before sunrise. Ali Baba, he said, showing him the gold piece, "you pretend to be poor and yet you measure gold."By this Ali Baba perceived that through his wife's folly Cassim and his wife knew their secret, so he confessed all and offered Cassim a share.That I expect, said Cassim; but I must know where to find the treasure, otherwise I will discover all, and you will lose all. I mean right here we clearly seen greed and loyal I would think being the oldest I would actually come and congratulated my little brother staying strong and coming up on his on two feet but no! Cassim just wants everything for himself and you see the loyalty that Ali Baba has for his older when he doesn't even hesitate to tell him about the secret gold. Cassim fails to see that loyalty and love that Ali Baba has for him his eyes and heart and mind are already blind and completely over run with that treasure his eager to get his hand on to become even more richer not just for himself but also to be ahead of his younger brother Ali Baba. Its sad for Cassim because eventually he finds the secret cave with all the gold but unfortunately his natural desire became his doom. I always said that when a human starts to have evil desire or evil thought its the beginning of a ending road, He said, Open, Sesame! and the door opened and shut behind him. He could have feasted his eyes all day on the treasures, but he now hastened to gather together as much of it as possible; but when he was ready to go he could not remember what to say for thinking of his great riches. Instead of Sesame, he said, Open, Barley! and the door remained fast. He named several different sorts of grain, all but the right one, and the door still stuck fast. He was so frightened at the danger he was in that he had as much forgotten the word as if he had never heard it. About noon the robbers returned to their cave, and saw Cassim's mules roving about with great chests on their backs. This gave them the alarm; they drew their sabers, and went to the door, which opened on their Captain's saying, Open, Sesame! Cassim, who had heard the trampling of their horses' feet, resolved to sell his life dearly, so when the door opened he leaped out and threw the Captain down. In vain, however, for the robbers with their sabers soon killed him. On entering the cave they saw all the bags laid ready, and could not imagine how anyone had got in without knowing their secret. They cut Cassim's body into four quarters, and nailed them up inside the cave, in order to frighten anyone who should venture in, and went away in search of more treasure (Lines16-18). This clearly showed how blinded Cassim was already way before in stepping a foot inside that cave, the most important thing in life is to stay alive and live a happily wonderful life and not even him could that by just remembering a simple phrase to let him out of the cave Open Sesame but it also show who had the brains in the family but overall I could just imagine the feeling of Ali Baba and pain he went through having to pick up his brother in pieces and return him back so he could sow and to make it seem as regular death to project not just family but also Cassim wifes. I mean this shows the difference in the man's heart to be now the new rich guy in the town and to still care for the poor and for other needs it does shows that Ali Baba was meant to find that gold or that simply he was at the right place at the right time or also like he explain before it was a gift from god. Ali Babe is that person that our parents raises us to be in life strong and giving, The wife of Cassim, on learning the fate of her husband, broke out into cries and tears, but Ali Baba offered to take her to live with him and his wife if she would promise to keep his counsel (Line22).
Than we get to the ending just like in a movie the big epic battle scene except that in this great amazing story it was done differently and very twisted that made me say wow! After everything is almost settle down just like in the real nothing ever goes as the way someone plans it theirs always a catch or a situation that pops out. That's where all the upcoming events Richard does an amazing job writing it on a way that I think nobody ever it saw it coming. This what actually made me fall in love with the story because he uses a character that we seen her role in many other stories that shes just in the background. Morgiana is the brain and master assasins and the best I have actually read about it,"this means succeeded; the robber partly led him, and was partly guided by him, right in front of Cassim's house, the door of which the robber marked with a piece of chalk. Then, well pleased, he bade farewell to Baba Mustapha and returned to the forest. By and by Morgiana, going out, saw the mark the robber had made, quickly guessed that some mischief was brewing, and fetching a piece of chalk marked two or three doors on each side, without saying anything to her master or mistress. The thief, meantime, told his comrades of his discovery. The Captain thanked him, and bade him show him the house he had marked. But when they came to it they saw that five or six of the houses were chalked in the same manner. The guide was so confounded that he knew not what answer to make, and when they returned he was at once beheaded for having failed (Line30-31). This just showed us how brilliant she was not smart but brilliant and this where Richard grabs my whole attentions its like if he just came out of the book and drag inside the book to be able to see with my own eyes. Really who doesn't love a good ending epic and excited battle scene. Of course it's not over that's what makes the story more exceeding towards the end because, The Captain now resolved to go himself, but, wiser than the others, he did not mark the house, but looked at it so closely that he could not fail to remember it. He returned, and ordered his men to go into the neighboring villages and buy nineteen mules, and thirty-eight leather jars, all empty except one, which was full of oil. The Captain put one of his men, fully armed, into each, rubbing the outside of the jars with oil from the full vessel. Then the nineteen mules were loaded with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, and reached the town by dusk. The Captain stopped his mules in front of Ali Baba's house, and said to Ali Baba, who was sitting outside for coolness, I have brought some oil from a distance to sell at tomorrow's market, but it is now so late that I know not where to pass the night, unless you will do me the favor to take me in. Though Ali Baba had seen the Captain of the robbers in the forest, he did not recognize him in the disguise of an oil merchant. He bade him welcome, opened his gates for the mules to enter, and went to Morgiana to bid her prepare a bed and supper for his guest. He brought the stranger into his hall, and after they had supped went again to speak to Morgiana in the kitchen, while the Captain went into the yard under pretense of seeing after his mules, but really to tell his men what to do. Beginning at the first jar and ending at the last, he said to each man, As soon as I throw some stones from the window of the chamber where I lie, cut the jars open with your knives and come out, and I will be with you in a trice. He returned to the house, and Morgiana led him to his chamber. She then told Abdallah, her fellow slave, to set on the pot to make some broth for her master, who had gone to bed. Meanwhile her lamp went out, and she had no more oil in the house. Do not be uneasy, said Abdallah; go into the yard and take some out of one of those jars. Morgiana thanked him for his advice, took the oil pot, and went into the yard. When she came to the first jar the robber inside said softly, Is it time? Any other slave but Morgiana, on finding a man in the jar instead of the oil she wanted, would have screamed and made a noise; but she, knowing the danger her master was in, bethought herself of a plan, and answered quietly, Not yet, but presently. She went to all the jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil. She now saw that her master, thinking to entertain an oil merchant, had let thirty-eight robbers into his house. She filled her oil pot, went back to the kitchen, and, having lit her lamp, went again to the oil jar and filled a large kettle full of oil. When it boiled she went and poured enough oil into every jar to stifle and kill the robber inside. When this brave deed was done she went back to the kitchen, put out the fire and the lamp, and waited to see what would happen" (Line35-44). I mean how great is she not only she outsmarts them once or twice but three times and for woman who back then were consider weak and not as much as important come on she's like wonder-man and just imagine being able to see this in the big screen that's the kind of scene that makes you wanna squeeze your hand and be like damn what just happen. I think Richard did this epic ending scene to show us that life is to short to want it all, all that you need in life is to be surrounded with those who love you back as you love them because without them our life wouldn't matter or be as beautiful as it is.

[James F · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly variant duplicates and slowed down by a lot of bad poetry (maybe not bad in Arabic but wretched in Burton's English.)

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 7 pages at the beginning of this book that finish up the last story in the last volume. Why couldn't they have put that in the last volume instead of waiting for this one. Of course that's Richard Burton's fault.
The first three stories were quite good. The fourth was just a medium for poetry, and was not particularly enjoyable. The final tale had some potential, but is continued in the next volume so I don't know if it is ever reached.