The Thousand Nights - II

The Thousand Nights - I [English, London, 2004]

The Thousand Nights - II [English, London, 2005]

The Thousand Nights - III [English, London, 2005]

The Thousand Nights - IV [English, London, 2005]

The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night - II

Powys Mathers

Routledge

But when the hundred-and-seventieth night had come

Little Dunyazad, who could not contain her impatience, rose from her carpet and said to Shahrazad:

‘Sister, I pray you hasten to tell us the tale which you have promised; for its title alone has filled my heart with joy.’
Shahrazad smiled at her sister, saying: ‘I wait the good pleasure of the King.’

King Shahryar, who that night had hurried over his usual embrace because of his anxiety to hear the story, said: ‘O Shahrazad, you may begin the fairy tale which you have so agreeably announced.’

So Shahrazad told the following tale:

It is related, O auspicious King, that there was once, in the antiquity of time, a sultan called Shahriman, master of armies and great wealth, who ruled over the land of Khalidan. Although he was in all other things happy, and possessed seventy concubines and four wives, he suffered the grief of being childless; for he had ... 

Contents of Volume II

The tale of Kamar al-Zaman and the
Princess Budur, moon of moons / 1
The tale of happy-handsome and happyfair / 69
The tale of Ala al-din Abu Shamat / 93
The tale of sympathy the learned / 141
An adventure of the poet Abu Nuwas / 169
The tale of Sinbad the sailor / 177

Containing
The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 180
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 188
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 195
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 203
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 211
The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 217
The Seventh and Last Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor / 224

The tale of Zumurrud the beautiful, and of Ali Shar, son of glory / 235
The tale of the six different coloured girls / 271
The extraordinary tale of the city of brass / 287
The tale of Ibn al-Mansur and the two girls / 307
The tale of Wardan the butcher and the Wazir’s daughter / 323
The tale of Yamlika, queen of the serpents / 329

Containing
The Tale of Bulukiya / 334
The Tale of the Fair Sad Youth / 345

The flowering terrace of wit and garden of gallantry / 367

Containing
Al-Rashid and the Fart / 367
The Youth and His Master / 368
The Wonderful Bag / 370
Al-Rashid judges of Love / 373
Which is the better, a Youth or a Ripe Man? / 374
The Price of Cucumbers / 375
White Hair / 377
A Difficulty Resolved / 378
Abu Nuwas and Zubaidah’s Bath / 380
Abu Nuwas Improvises / 381
The Ass / 384
Zubaidah caught in the Act / 385
Male or Female? / 387
The Share / 389
The Schoolmaster / 390
Inscription on a Chemise / 391
Inscription on a Cup / 392
The Khalifah in the Basket / 393
The Tripe-Cleaner / 398
The Girl Cool-of-the-Eyes / 403
Girls or Boys? / 408

The strange Khalifah / 415

The tale of rose-in-the-bud and world’s delight / 429

The magic tale of the ebony horse / 461

The tale of the shifts of Delilah-the-wily and her daughter Zainab-the-cheat, with Ahmad-the-moth, Hasan-the-pest, and Ali quicksilver / 491

The tale of Judar the fisherman or the enchanted bag / 555

THE TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN AND THE PRINCESS BUDUR, MOON OF MOONS

But when the hundred-and-seventieth night had come

Little Dunyazad, who could not contain her impatience, rose from her carpet and said to Shahrazad:

‘Sister, I pray you hasten to tell us the tale which you have promised; for its title alone has filled my heart with joy.’
Shahrazad smiled at her sister, saying: ‘I wait the good pleasure of the King.’

King Shahryar, who that night had hurried over his usual embrace because of his anxiety to hear the story, said: ‘O Shahrazad, you may begin the fairy tale which you have so agreeably announced.’

So Shahrazad told the following tale:

It is related, O auspicious King, that there was once, in the antiquity of time, a sultan called Shahriman, master of armies and great wealth, who ruled over the land of Khalidan. Although he was in all other things happy, and possessed seventy concubines and four wives, he suffered the grief of being childless; for he had already reached a great age, and the marrow had begun to dry within him without Allah having granted him an heir to the throne.

One day he confided his secret sorrow to his grand-wazir, saying: ‘I can find no reason for this torturing sterility.’ The Wazir reflected for an hour before raising his head and answering: ‘The problem is a delicate one, soluble by none save Allah. I can only think of one remedy. Before you enter the women’s quarter to-night, fulfil the duties of faith with unusual care, make your ablutions fervently, and pray to Allah with a submissive heart, so that your union may become fertile through His blessing.’

‘Master of wise words,’ cried Shahriman, ‘your remedy is an excellent one.’ He gave the Wazir a robe of honour; and that evening ...

Powys Mathers

The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night - II

Routledge

Routledge, Taylor & Francis group
The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night
Volume II
Powys Mathers

Rendered into English from the literal and complete
French translation of Dr J.C.Mardrus
By Powys Mathers

Routledge
London and new york

First published as a paperback in 1986
By Routledge & Kegan Paul plc

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.

“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or
Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”

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ISBN 0-203-35912-7 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-37168-2 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-04540-1 (Print Edition) (vol. II)
ISBN 0-415-04543-6 (Print Edition) (set)