134. The Blacksmith Who, etc.
Having glanced through the Nights, let us now compare the two famous
translations. As we have already mentioned, Burton in his
Translator's Foreword did not do Mr. Payne complete justice,
but he pays so many compliments to Mr. Payne's translation elsewhere
that no one can suppose that he desired to underrate the work of his
friend. In the Foreword he says that Mr. Payne "succeeds admirably
in the most difficult passages and often hits upon choice and
special terms and the exact vernacular equivalent of the foreign
word so happily and so picturesquely that all future translators
must perforce use the same expression under pain of falling far
short." Still this does not go far enough, seeing that, as we said
before, he made his translation very largely a paraphrase of
Payne's. Consequently he was able to get done in two broken years
(April 1884 to April 1886) and with several other books in hand,
work that had occupied Mr. Payne six years (1876-1882). Let us now
take Mr. Payne's rendering and Burton's rendering of two short tales
and put them in juxtaposition. The Blacksmith who could handle Fire
without Hurt and Abu Al Hasan and Abu Ja'afar the Leper will suit
our purpose admirably.
The portion taken by Burton from Payne are in italics.
Payne Burton
Vol. V. p. 25 Vol. V. p. 271
(Lib. Ed., vol. iv., p. 220)
THE BLACKSMITH WHO THE BLACKSMITH WHO
COULD HANDLE FIRE COULD HANDLE FIRE
WITHOUT HURT WITHOUT HURT
A certain pious man It reached the ears of
once heard that there a certain pious man that
abode in such a town a there abode in such a town
blacksmith who could a blacksmith who could
put his hand into the fire put his hand into the fire
and pull out the red-hot and pull out the iron red-hot,
iron, without its doing without the flames
him any hurt. So he set doing him aught of hurt.
out for the town in question So he set out for the town in
and enquiring for the question and asked for
blacksmith, watched him the blacksmith; and when
at work and saw him do the man was shown to
as had been reported to him; he watched him at
him. He waited till he work and saw him do as
had made an end of his had been reported to him.
day's work, then going He waited till he had made
up to him, saluted him an end of his day's work;
and said to him, "I then, going up to him,
would fain be thy guest saluted him with the salam
this night." "With all and said, "I would be thy
my heart," replied the guest this night." Replied
smith, and carried him to the smith, "With gladness
his house, where they and goodly gree!" and
supped together and lay carried him to his place,
down to sleep. The guest where they supped together
watched his host, but and lay down to sleep.
found no sign of [special] The guest watched but saw
devoutness in him and no sign in his host of praying
said to himself. "Belike through the night or
he concealeth himself from of special devoutness, and
me." So he lodged with said in his mind, "Haply
him a second and a third he hideth himself from
night, but found that he me." So he lodged with
did no more than observe him a second and a third
the ordinary letter of the night, but found that he
law and rose but little did not exceed the devotions
in the night [to pray]. At prescribed by the
last he said to him, "O law and custom of the
my brother, I have heard Prophet and rose but little
of the gift with which in the dark hours to pray.
God hath favoured thee At last he said to him, "O
and have seen the truth of my brother, I have heard
it with mine eyes. Moreover, of the gift with which
I have taken note of Allah hath favoured thee,
thine assiduity [in and have seen the truth of
religious exercises], but it with mine eyes. Moreover,
find in thee no special I have taken note
fervour of piety, such as of thine assiduity in
distinguisheth those in religious exercises, but find
whom such miraculous in thee no such piety as
gifts are manifest. distinguished those who work
"Whence, then, cometh saintly miracles; whence,
this to thee?" "I will then cometh this to thee?"
tell thee," answered the "I will tell thee,"
smith. answered the smith.
"Know that I was once "Know that I was once
passionately enamoured of passionately enamoured
a certain damsel and of a slave girl and oft-times
required her many a time sued her for loveliesse,
of love, but could not but could not prevail
prevail upon her, for upon her, because she
that she still clave fast still held fast by her
unto chastity. Presently chastity. Presently there
there came a year of came a year of drought and
drought and hunger and hunger and hardship, food
hardship; food failed and failed, and there befell a
there befell a sore famine sore famine. As I was
in the land. I was sitting sitting one day at home,
one day in my house, somebody knocked at the
when one knocked at the door; so I went out, and,
door; so I went out and behold, she was standing
found her standing there; there; and she said to
and she said to me, 'O me, 'O my brother, I am
my brother, I am stricken sorely an hungered and I
with excessive hunger, and lift mine eyes to thee,
I lift mine eyes to thee, beseeching thee to feed me,
beseeching thee to feed for Allah's sake!' Quoth
me for God's sake!' I, 'Wottest thou not how
Quoth I, 'Dost thou not I love thee and what I have
know how I love thee suffered for thy sake? Now
and what I have suffered I will not give thee one
for thy sake! I will give bittock of bread except
thee no whit of food, thou yield thy person
except thou yield thyself to me.' Quoth she,
to me.' But she said, 'Death, but not
'Better death than disobedience to the Lord!'
disobedience to God.' Then Then she went away and
she went away and returned after two days with
returned after two days the same prayer for food
with the same petition as before. I made her a
for food. I made her a like like answer, and she
answer, and she entered entered and sat down in my
and sat down, being nigh house, being nigh upon
upon death. I set food death. I set food before
before her, whereupon her her, whereupon her eyes
eyes ran over with tears, brimmed with tears, and
and she said, 'Give me she cried, 'Give me meat
to eat for the love of God, for the love of Allah, to
to whom belong might whom belong Honour and
and majesty!' 'Not so, Glory!' But I answered
by Allah,' answered I, 'Not so, by Allah, except
'except thou yield thyself thou yield thyself to me.'
to me.' Quoth she, Quoth she, 'Better is
'Better is death to me death to me than the wrath
than the wrath of God and wreak of Allah the
the Most High.' And Most Highest; and she
she left the food rose and left the food untouched
untouched [461] and went away [461] and went away
repeating the following repeating these couplets:
verses:
O, Thou, the only God, whose O, Thou, the One, whose grace
grace embraceth all that be, doth all the world embrace;
Thine ears have heard my Thine ears have heard, Thine
moan, Thine eyes have seen eyes have seen my case!
my misery;
Indeed, privation and distress Privation and distress have dealt
are heavy on my head; I me heavy blows; the woes
cannot tell of all the woes that weary me no utterance
that do beleaguer me. can trace.
I'm like a man athirst, that I am like one athirst who eyes
looks upon a running stream, the landscape's eye, yet may
yet may not drink a single not drink a draught of
draught of all that he doth streams that rail and race.
see.
My flesh would have me buy its My flesh would tempt me by the
will, alack, its pleasures sight of savoury food whose
flee! The sin that pays their joys shall pass away and
price abides to all eternity. pangs maintain their place.
[The girl, "worn out with want," came a third time, and met with the
same answer. But then remorse seized upon the blacksmith and he
bade her, "eat, and fear not."]
"When she heard this "Then she raised her eyes
she raised her eyes to to heaven and said,
heaven and said,
"'O my God, if this "'O my God, if this man
man be sincere, I pray say sooth, I pray thee
Thee forbid fire to do forbid fire to harm him
him hurt in this world in this world and the
and the next, for Thou art next, for Thou over all
He that answereth prayer things art Omnipotent and
and art powerful to do Prevalent in answering the
whatsoever Thou wilt!' prayer of the penitent!'
"Then I left her and Then I left her and went
went to put out the fire to put out the fire in
in the brasier. Now the the brazier. Now the
time was the winter-cold, season was winter and the
and a hot coal fell on weather cold, and a live
my body; but by the coal fell on my body, but
ordinance of God (to by the decree of Allah (to
whom belong might and whom be Honour and
majesty), I felt no pain Glory!) I felt no pain, and
and it was born in upon it became my conviction
me that her prayer had that her prayer had been
been answered." answered."
[The girl then praised God, who "straightway took her soul to Him."
The story finishes with some verses which are rendered by Payne and
Burton each according to his wont.]
135. Abu al-Hasan.
We will next take "Abu al-Hasan and Abu Ja'afar the Leper."
Payne Burton
V. 49 V. 294
(Lib. Ed., iv., 242)
ABOULHUSN ED DURRAJ ABU AL-HASAN
AND ABOU JAAFER THE AND
LEPER ABU JA'AFAR THE LEPER
Quoth Aboulhusn ed I had been many times
Durraj, I had been many to Mecca (Allah increase
times to Mecca (which its honour!) and the folk
God increase in honour) used to follow me for my
and the folk used to follow knowledge of the road and
me by reason of my knowledge remembrance of the water
of the road and stations. It happened one
the watering-places. It year that I was minded to
chanced one year that I make the pilgrimage to
was minded to make the the Holy House and visitation
pilgrimage to the Holy of the tomb of His
House of God and visit the Prophet (on whom be
tomb of His prophet (on blessing and the Peace!)
whom be peace and blessing), and I said in myself. "I
and I said to myself, well know the way and
"I know the road and will will fare alone." So I
go alone." So I set out set out and journeyed till I
and journeyed till I came came to Al-Kadisiyah, and
to El Cadesiyeh, and entering entering the Mosque there,
the Mosque there, saw saw a man suffering from
a leper seated in the black leprosy seated in
prayer-niche. When he the prayer-niche. Quoth he
saw me, he said to me, on seeing me, "O Abu
"O Aboulhusn, I crave al-Hasan, I crave thy company
thy company to Mecca." to Meccah." Quoth I
Quoth I to myself, "I to myself, "I fled from all
wished to avoid companions, my companions and how
and how shall I shall I company with lepers."
company with lepers?" So I said to him, "I will
So I said to him, "I will bear no man company,"
bear no one company," and he was silent at my
and he was silent. words.
Next day I continued Next day I walked on
my journey alone, till I alone, till I came to
came to Acabeh, where Al-Akabah, where I entered
I entered the Mosque and the mosque and found the
was amazed to find the leper seated in the prayer
leper seated in the prayer- niche. So I said to myself,
niche. "Glory be to God," "Glory be to Allah!
said I in myself. "How how hath this fellow preceded
hath this fellow foregone me hither." But
me hither?" But he he raised his head to me
raised his eyes to me and said with a smile, "O
and said, smiling, "O, Abu al-Hasan, He doth
Aboulhusn, He doth for for the weak that which
the weak that which the surpriseth the strong!"
strong wonder at." I I passed that night confounded
passed that night in at what I had
perplexity, confounded at seen; and, as soon as
what I had seen, and in morning dawned, set out
the morning set out again again by myself; but
by myself; but when I when I came to Arafat
came to Arafat and entered and entered the mosque,
the mosque, behold, behold! there was the leper
there was the leper seated seated in the niche. So I
in the niche! So I threw threw myself upon him
myself upon him and kissing and kissing his feet said,
his feet, said, "O my "O my lord, I crave thy
lord, I crave thy company." company." But he answered,
But he said, "This may in no
"This may nowise be." way be." Then I began
Whereupon I fell a-weeping weeping and wailing at
and lamenting, and the loss of his company
he said: "Peace: weeping when he said, "Spare thy
will avail thee nothing," tears, which will avail thee
And he recited the naught!" and he recited
following verses: these couplets:
For my estrangement dost thou Why dost thou weep when I
weep,--whereas it came depart and thou didst parting
from thee,--And restoration claim; and cravest union
dost implore, when none, when we ne'er shall re-unite
alas! may be? the same?
Thou sawst my weakness and Thou lookedest on nothing save
disease, as it appeared, and my weakness and disease;
saidst, "He goes, nor comes, and saidst, "Nor goes, nor
or night, or day, for this his comes, or night, or day, this
malady." sickly frame."
Seest not that God (exalted be Seest not how Allah (glorified
His glory) to His slave His glory ever be!) deigneth
vouchsafeth all he can conceive to grant His slave's petition
of favour fair and free! wherewithal he came.
If I, to outward vision, be as If I, to eyes of men be that and
it appears and eke in body, for only that they see, and this
despite of fate, e'en that my body show itself so full
which thou dost see. of grief and grame.
And eke no victual though I And I have nought of food that
have, unto the holy place shall supply me to the place
where crowds unto my Lord where crowds unto my Lord
resort, indeed, to carry me. resort impelled by single aim.
I have a Maker, hidden are His I have a high Creating Lord
bounties unto me; yea, whose mercies aye are hid;
there's no parting me from a Lord who hath none equal
Him, and without peer is He. and no fear is known to Him.
Depart from me in peace and So fare thee safe and leave me
leave me and my strangerhood; lone in strangerhood to wone.
For with the lonely For He the only One, consoles
exile still the One shall my loneliness so lone.
company.
So I left him and continued Accordingly I left him,
my journey; and but every station I came
every stage I came to, I to, I found he had foregone
found him before me, till me, till I reached Al-Madinah,
I came to Medina, where where I lost sight
I lost sight of him and of him, and could hear
could hear no news of no tidings of him. Here
him. Here I met Abou I met Abu Yazid
Yezid el Bustani and Abou al-Bustami and Abu Bakr
Beker es Shibli and a al-Shibli and a number of
number of other doctors, other Shaykhs and learned
to whom I told my case, men to whom with many
and they said, "God complaints I told my case,
forbid that thou shouldst and they said, "Heaven
gain his company after forbid that thou shouldst
this! This was Abou gain his company after
Jaafer the leper, in whose this! He was Abu Ja'afar
name, at all tides, the folk the leper, in whose name
pray for rain, and by whose folk at all times pray for
blessings prayers are answered." rain and by whose blessing
When I heard prayers their end attain."
this, my longing for his When I heard their words,
company redoubled and my desire for his company
I implored God to reunite redoubled and I implored
me with him. Whilst I the Almighty to reunite me
was standing on Arafat, with him. Whilst I was
one plucked me from behind, standing on Arafat one
so I turned and pulled me from behind, so
behold, it was Abou Jaafer. I turned and behold, it
At this sight I gave a loud was my man. At this
cry and fell down in a sight I cried out with a
swoon; but when I came loud cry and fell down in
to myself, he was gone. a fainting fit; but when I
came to myself he had disappeared
from my sight.
This increased my yearning This increased my yearning
for him and the ways for him and the
were straitened upon ceremonies were tedious to
me and I prayed God to me, and I prayed Almighty
give me sight of him; Allah to give me sight of
nor was it but a few days him; nor was it but a few
after when one pulled me days after, when lo! one
from behind, and I turned, pulled me from behind,
and behold, it was he and I turned and it was
again. Quoth he, "I conjure he again. Thereupon he
thee, ask thy desire said, "Come, I conjure
of me." So I begged him thee, and ask thy want of
to pray three prayers to me." So I begged him to
God for me; first, that pray for me three prayers:
He would make me love first, that Allah would make
poverty; secondly, that I me love poverty; secondly,
might never lie down to that I might never lie down
sleep upon known provision, at night upon provision
and thirdly, that assured to me; and
He, the Bountiful One, thirdly, that he would
would vouchsafe me to vouchsafe me to look upon
look upon His face. So he His bountiful face. So
prayed for me, as I wished, he prayed for me as I
and departed from me. wished, and departed from
And, indeed, God hath me. And indeed Allah
granted me the first two hath granted me what the
prayers; for He hath devotee asked in prayer;
made me in love with to begin with he hath made
poverty, so that, by Allah, me so love poverty that, by
there is nought in the the Almighty! there is
world dearer to me than nought in the world dearer
it, and since such a year, to me than it, and secondly
I have never lain down since such a year I have
upon assured provision; never lain down to sleep
yet hath He never let me upon assured provision,
lack of aught. As for the withal hath He never let
third prayer, I trust that me lack aught. As for the
He will vouchsafe me that third prayer, I trust that
also, even as He hath he will vouchsafe me that
granted the two others, also, even as He hath
for He is bountiful and granted the two precedent,
excellently beneficient. And for right Bountiful and
may God have mercy on Beneficient is His Godhead,
him who saith: and Allah have mercy on
him who said;
Renouncement, lowliness, the Garb of Fakir, renouncement,
fakir's garments be; In lowliness;
patched and tattered clothes His robe of tatters and of rags
still fares the devotee. his dress;
Pallor adorneth him, as on their And pallor ornamenting brow
latest nights, The moons as though
with pallor still embellished 'Twere wanness such as waning
thou mayst see. crescents show.
Long rising up by night to pray Wasted him prayer a-through
hath wasted him; And from the long-lived night,
his lids the tears stream down. And flooding tears ne'er cease
as 'twere a sea. to dim his sight.
The thought of God to him his Memory of Him shall cheer his
very housemate is; For lonely room;
bosom friend by night, th' Th' Almighty nearest is in
Omnipotent hath he. nightly gloom.
God the Protector helps the fakir The Refuge helpeth such Fakir
in his need; And birds and in need;
beasts no less to succour him Help e'en the cattle and the
agree. winged breed;
On his account, the wrath of Allah for sake of him of wrath
God on men descends, And is fain,
by his grace, the rains fall And for the grace of him shall
down on wood and lea. fall the rain;
And if he pray one day to do And if he pray one day for plague
away a plague, The oppressor's to stay,
slain and men from 'Twill stay, and 'bate man's
tyrants are made free; wrong and tyrants slay.
For all the folk are sick, While folk are sad, afflicted one
afflicted and diseased, And he's and each,
the pitying leach withouten He in his mercy's rich, the
stint or fee. generous leach;
His forehead shines; an thou Bright shines his brow; an thou
but look upon his face, Thy regard his face
heart is calmed, the lights of Thy heart illumined shines by
heaven appear to thee. light of grace.
O thou that shunnest these, their O thou that shunnest souls of
virtues knowing not, Woe's worth innate,
thee! Thou'rt shut from Departs thee (woe to thee!) of
them by thine iniquity. sins the weight.
Thou think'st them to o'ertake, Thou thinkest to overtake them,
for all thou'rt fettered fast; while thou bearest
Thy sins from thy desire Follies, which slay thee whatso
do hinder thee, perdie. way thou farest.
Thou wouldst to them consent Didst not their worth thou hadst
and rivers from thine eyes all honour showed
Would run from them, if thou And tears in streamlets from
their excellence could'st see. thine eyes had flowed.
Uneath to him to smell, who's To catarrh-troubled men flowers
troubled with a rheum, Are lack their smell;
flowers; the broker knows And brokers ken for how much
what worth the garments be. clothes can sell;
So supplicate thy Lord right So haste and with thy Lord
humbly for His grace And re-union sue,
Providence, belike, shall And haply fate shall lend thee
help thy constancy; aidance due.
And thou shalt win thy will and Rest from rejection and
from estrangement's stress estrangement stress,
And eke rejection's pains And joy thy wish and will shall
shall be at rest and free. choicely bless.
The asylum of His grace is wide His court wide open for the
enough for all That seek; The suer is dight:--
one true God, the One, very God, the Lord, th'
Conqueror, is He! Almighty might.
We may also compare the two renderings of that exquisite and tender
little poem "Azizeh's Tomb" [462] which will be found in the
"Tale of Aziz and Azizeh."
Payne Burton
I passed by a ruined tomb in the I past by a broken tomb amid
midst of a garden way, Upon a garth right sheen, Whereon
whose letterless stone seven on seven blooms of Nu'aman
blood-red anemones lay. glowed with cramoisie.
"Who sleeps in this unmarked Quoth I, "Who sleepeth in this
grave?" I said, and the tomb?" Quoth answering
earth, "Bend low; For a earth, "Before a lover
lover lies here and waits for Hades-tombed bend reverently."
the Resurrection Day."
"God keep thee, O victim of Quoth I, "May Allah help thee,
love!" I cried, "and bring O thou slain of love, And
thee to dwell In the highest grant thee home in heaven
of all the heavens of Paradise, and Paradise-height to see!
I pray!
"How wretched are lovers all, "Hapless are lovers all e'en
even in the sepulchre, tombed in their tombs,
For their very tombs are Where amid living folk the
covered with ruin and decay! dust weighs heavily!
"Lo! if I might, I would plant "Fain would I plant a garden
thee a garden round about, blooming round thy grave
and with my streaming tears And water every flower with
the thirst of its flowers tear-drops flowing
allay!" free!" [463]
136. The Summing Up.
The reader will notice from these citations:
(1) That, as we have already said, and as Burton himself partly
admitted, Burton's translation is largely a paraphrase of Payne's. This
is particularly noticeable in the latter half of the Nights. He takes
hundreds--nay thousands--of sentences and phrases from Payne, often
without altering a single word. [464] If it be urged that Burton was
quite capable of translating the Nights without drawing upon the work
of another, we must say that we deeply regret that he allowed the
opportunity to pass, for he had a certain rugged strength of style, as
the best passages in his Mecca and other books show. In order to ensure
originality he ought to have translated every sentence before looking to
see how Payne put it, but the temptation was too great for a very busy
man--a man with a hundred irons in the fire--and he fell. [465]
(2) That, where there are differences, Payne's translation is invariably
the clearer, finer and more stately of the two. Payne is concise, Burton
diffuse. [466]
(3) That although Burton is occasionally happy and makes a pat couplet,
like the one beginning "Kisras and Caesars," nevertheless Payne alone
writes poetry, Burton's verse being quite unworthy of so honourable a
name. Not being, like Payne, a poet and a lord of language; and, as he
admits, in his notes, not being an initiate in the methods of Arabic
Prosody, Burton shirked the isometrical rendering of the verse.
Consequently we find him constantly annexing Payne's poetry bodily,
sometimes with acknowledgement, oftener without. Thus in Night 867 he
takes half a page. Not only does he fail to reproduce agreeably the
poetry of the Nights, but he shows himself incapable of properly
appreciating it. Notice, for example, his remark on the lovely poem of
the Fakir at the end of the story of "Abu Al-Hasan and Abu Ja'afer the
Leper," the two versions of which we gave on a preceding page. Burton
calls it "sad doggerel," and, as he translates it, so it is. But Payne's
version, with its musical subtleties and choice phrases, such as "The
thought of God to him his very housemate is," is a delight to the ear
and an enchantment of the sense. Mr. Payne in his Terminal Essay singles
out the original as one of the finest pieces of devotional verse in the
Nights; and worthy of Vaughan or Christina Rossetti. The gigantic nature
of Payne's achievement will be realised when we mention that The Arabian
Nights contains the equivalent of some twenty thousand decasyllabic
lines of poetry, that is to say more than there are in Milton's Paradise
Lost, and that he has rendered faithfully the whole of this enormous
mass in accordance with the intricate metrical scheme of the original,
and in felicitous and beautiful language.
(4) That Burton, who was well read in the old English poets, also
introduces beautiful words. This habit, however, is more noticeable
in other passages where we come upon cilice, [467] egromancy, [468]
verdurous, [469] vergier, [470] rondure, [471] purfled, [472] &c. Often
he uses these words with excellent effect, as, for example, "egromancy,"
[473] in the sentence: "Nor will the egromancy be dispelled till he fall
from the horse;" but unfortunately he is picturesque at all costs. Thus
he constantly puts "purfled" where he means "embroidered" or "sown," and
in the "Tale of the Fisherman and the Jinni," he uses incorrectly the
pretty word "cucurbit" [474] to express a brass pot; and many other
instances might be quoted. His lapses, indeed, indicate that he had no
real sense of the value of words. He uses them because they are pretty,
forgetting that no word is attractive except in its proper place, just
as colours in painting owe their value to their place in the general
colour scheme. He took most of his beautiful words from our old
writers, and a few like ensorcelled [475] from previous translators.
Unfortunately, too, he spoils his version by the introduction of antique
words that are ugly, uncouth, indigestible and yet useless. What, for
example, does the modern Englishman make of this, taken from the "Tale
of the Wolf and the Fox," "Follow not frowardness, for the wise forbid
it; and it were most manifest frowardness to leave me in this pit
draining the agony of death and dight to look upon mine own doom,
whereas it lieth in thy power to deliver me from my stowre?" [476] Or
this: "O rare! an but swevens [477] prove true," from "Kamar-al-Zalam
II." Or this "Sore pains to gar me dree," from "The Tale of King Omar,"
or scores of others that could easily be quoted. [478]
Burton, alas! was also unscrupulous enough to include one tale which, he
admitted to Mr. Kirby, does not appear in any redaction of the Nights,
namely that about the misfortune that happened to Abu Hassan on his
Wedding day. [479] "But," he added, "it is too good to be omitted." Of
course the tale does not appear in Payne. To the treatment meted by each
translator to the coarsenesses of the Nights we have already referred.
Payne, while omitting nothing, renders such passages in literary
language, whereas Burton speaks out with the bluntness and coarseness of
an Urquhart.
In his letter to Mr. Payne, 22nd October 1884, he says of Mr. Payne's
translation, "The Nights are by no means literal but very readable which
is the thing." He then refers to Mr. Payne's rendering of a certain
passage in the "Story of Sindbad and the Old Man of the Sea," by which
it appears that the complaint of want of literality refers, as usual,
solely to the presentable rendering of the offensive passages. "I
translate," he says **********. "People will look fierce, but ce n'est
pas mon affaire." The great value of Burton's translation is that it is
the work of a man who had travelled in all the countries in which the
scenes are laid; who had spent years in India, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and
the Barbary States, and had visited Mecca; who was intimately acquainted
with the manners and customs of the people of those countries, and who
brought to bear upon his work the experience of a lifetime. He is so
thoroughly at home all the while. Still, it is in his annotations and
not in his text that he really excells. The enormous value of these no
one would now attempt to minimize.
All over the world, as Sir Walter Besant says, "we have English
merchants, garrisons, consuls, clergymen, lawyers, physicians,
engineers, living among strange people, yet practically ignorant of
their manners and thoughts..... it wants more than a knowledge of
the tongue to become really acquainted with a people." These English
merchants, garrisons, consults and others are strangers in a strange
land. It is so very rare that a really unprejudiced man comes from a
foreign country to tell us what its people are like, that when such a
man does appear we give him our rapt attention. He may tell us much that
will shock us, but that cannot be helped.