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ORIENTAL LITERATURE
THE LITERATURE OF ARABIA
With Critical and Biographical Sketches by
Epiphanius Wilson, A.M.
1900
CONTENTS
THE ROMANCE OF ANTAR
Introduction
The Early Fortunes of Antar
Khaled and Djaida
The Absians and Fazareans
ARABIAN POETRY
Introduction
SELECTIONS.—
An Elegy
The Tomb of Mano
Tomb of Sayid
On the Death of His Mistress
On Avarice
The Battle of Sabla
Verses to My Enemies
On His Friends
On Temper
The Song of Maisuna
To My Father
On Fatalism
To the Caliph Harun-al-Rashid
Lines to Harun and Yahia
The Ruin of Barmecides
To Taher Ben Hosien
The Adieu
To My Mistress
To a Female Cup-bearer
Mashdud on the Monks of Khabbet
Rakeek to His Female Companions
Dialogue by Rais
To a Lady Weeping
On a Valetudinarian
On a Miser
To Cassim Obio Allah
A Friend's Birthday
To a Cat
An Epigram upon Ebn Naphta-Wah
Fire
To a Lady Blushing
On the Vicissitudes of Life
To a Dove
On a Thunder Storm
To My Favorite Mistress
Crucifixion of Ebn Bakiah
Caprices of Fortune
On Life
Extempore Verses
On the Death of a Son
To Leila
On Moderation in our Pleasures
The Vale of Bozâa
To Adversity
On the Incompatibility of Pride and True Glory
The Death of Nedham Almolk
Lines to a Lover
Verses to My Daughters
Serenade to My Sleeping Mistress
The Inconsistent
The Capture of Jerusalem
To a Lady
An Epigram
On a Little Man with a Very Large Beard
Lamiat Alajem
To Youth
On Love
A Remonstrance with a Drunkard
Verses
On Procrastination
The Early Death of Abou Alhassan Aly
The Interview
ARABIAN NIGHTS
THE SEVEN VOYAGES OF SINDBAD
First Voyage
Second Voyage
Third Voyage
Fourth Voyage
Fifth Voyage
Sixth Voyage
Seventh and Last Voyage
ALADDIN'S WONDERFUL LAMP
THE ROMANCE OF ANTAR
[Translation by Étienne Delécluse and Epiphanius Wilson]
INTRODUCTION
The romantic figure of Antar, or Antarah, takes the same place inArabian literature as that of Achilles among the Greeks. The Cid inSpain, Orlando in Italy, and Arthur in England, are similar examples ofnational ideals put forth by poets and romance writers as embodiments ofa certain half-mythic age of chivalry, when personal valor, prudence,generosity, and high feeling gave the warrior an admitted preeminenceamong his fellows. The literature of Arabia is indeed rich in novels andtales. The "Thousand and One Nights" is of world-wide reputation, butthe "Romance of Antar" is much less artificial, more expressive of highmoral principles, and certainly superior in literary style to thefantastic recitals of the coffee house and bazaar, in which Sindbad andMorgiana figure. A true picture of Bedouin society, in