The Thousand Nights And One-night Vol.1 Translated by Edward Powys Mathers













To read The Thousand Nights and One Might — that center of miracles, the sole unparalleled Arabian Nights — ^is to lose oneself in a world of magical beauty; to become one with the East and its enchantments; to be in turn a handsome Prince, a dignified Imam, a stern Cadi, a rich Syndic, seeing the universe through the indulgent eyes of the Orient. It is a mistake to regard the Arabian Nights as gross in the vulgar sense. It must be remembered that terms and phrases which could not be used in a European drawing-room do not give offense in what Kipling called ‘the unblushing East’. The Mathers’ translation is for the reader who admires candor in language as well as to conduct. Those who comprehend their origin and background will not misunderstand the character of these tales, but will enjoy them for; what they are — the world’s most vivid and absorbing stories.The Tale of Kamar al-Zaman and the PrincessBudur, Moon of Moons iThe Tale of Happy-Handsome and Happy-Fair 94The Tale of Ala al-Din Abu Shamat 129The Tale of Sympathy the Learned 197An Adventure of the Poet Abu Nuwas 236The Tale of Sindbad the Sailor 245containingThe First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor 249The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor 260The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor 271The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor 283The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor 296•The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor 305The Seventh and Last Voyage of Sindbad theSailor 313;The Tale of Zumurrud the Beautiful, and ofAli Shar, Son of Glory 329The Tale of the Six Different ColouredGirls 379The Extraordinary Tale of the City of Brass 399The Tale of Ibn al-Mansur and the TwoGirls 426The Tale of Wardan the Butcher and theWazir's Daughter 449The Tale of Yamlika, Queen of the Serpents 456containingThe Tale of Bulukiya 463The Tale of the Fair Sad Youth 480The Flowering Terrace of Wit and Garden • ,OF Gallantry Jn containingAl-Rashid and the Fart piThe Youth and His Master i^ijThe Wonderful Bag ^i6Al-Rashid judges of Love 520Which is the better, a Youth or a Ripe Man? 521The Price of Cucumbers ^23White Hair ^26A Difficulty Resolved 527Abu Nuwas and Zubaidah’s Bath 529Abu Nuwas Improvises 532The Ass ^3^Zubaidah caught in the Act ^37Male or Female? ^39The Share 542The Schoolmaster 5^43Inscription on a Chemise 546Inscription on a Cup ^47The Khalifah in the Basket 5^48The Tripe-Cleaner 5-56The Girl Cool-of-the-Eyes 562Girls or Boys? 569The Strange Khalifah 578The Tale of Rose-in-the-Bud and Worlds- Delight 595The Magic Tale of the Ebony Horse 636The Tale of the Shifts of Delilah-the-Wily AND Her DaughterZainab-the-Cheat, with Ahmad-the-Moth, Hasan-the-Pest, and Ali Quicksilver 679The Tale of Judar the Fisherman or theEnchanted Bag 771Author: Edward Powys Mathers Publication Date: 1901