Arabian Literature

There formerly reigned in the city of Harran a most magnificent and potent sultan, who loved his subjects, and was equally beloved by them. He was endued with all virtues, and wanted nothing to complete his happiness but an heir.

I was a king, and the son of a king; and when my father died, I succeeded to his throne, and governed my subjects with justice and beneficence. I took pleasure in sea-voyages; and my capital was on the shore of an extensive sea, interspersed with fortified and garrisoned islands, which I desired, for my amusement, to visit; I therefore embarked with a fleet of ten ships, and took with me provisions sufficient for a whole month.

There was, in olden time, and in an ancient age and period, in the land of the Persians, a king named Shahzeman, and the place of his residence was Khorassan. He had not been blest, during his whole life, with a male child nor a female; and he reflected upon this, one day, and lamented that the greater portion of his life had passed, and he had no heir to take the kingdom after him as he had inherited it from his fathers and forefathers. So the utmost grief befell him on this account.

"You must know, my lord," said the wretched prisoner, "that my father, named Mahmoud, was monarch of this country. This is the kingdom of the Black Isles, which takes its name from the four small neighboring mountains; for those mountains were formerly isles, and the capital where the king, my father, resided was situated on the spot now occupied by the lake you have seen. The sequel of my history will inform you of the reason for those changes.

Ein romantischer Liebesroman, der die Hörer in den Orient entführt... Rana Stone kann es nicht fassen. Gerade noch raste ein Auto an ihr vorbei, nun liegt es brennt neben der Straße. In letzter Sekunde kann sie einen Mann aus den Trümmern retten. Was sie nicht weiß - der Mann ist Karim Ibn Tariq Shaheen, der zukünftige Emir von Dubai. Sie hat ihm das Leben gerettet, doch eigentlich war sie nach Dubai gereist, um einen neuen Job anzutreten... und hier fangen die Probleme erst richtig an. Denn nicht nur der Job ist weg, auch kann Rana sich dem Charme des Prinzen kaum entziehen.

To save herself from certain death, the beautiful Scheherazade must beguile a Persian sultan with her enchanting stories. In two of her most well-known tales, Aladdin's and Ali Baba's cleverness and quick-thinking save the day - and a great treasure. Andrew Lang's masterful version of these ancient Middle Eastern folk tales will captivate listeners of all ages, just as they did when Scherazade was the storyteller.

In reading the fantastic tale of Prince Agib's adventures in the justly famous Arabian Nights, I was struck with how deeply insightful it was about the human condition. Although the story is so incredible that even one's imagination is stretched by its incredulity, the message it conveys is so universal and so human that one cannot help but be awed by its moral implications. Blaise Pascal brilliantly captures Prince Agib's and our own dilemma when he writes, “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”

On nights 566 to 578, Shahrazad entertained her sultan with the tale of the City of Brass. She told how a Caliph sent an expedition under Emir Musa to explore in Africa. There they found a vast deserted castle, a jinni imprisoned in a pillar, and finally the City of Brass itself, with its people lying dead in the streets and houses.

There was an old, poor fisherman who cast his net four times a day and only four times. One day he went to the shore and cast his net. When he tried to pull it up, he found it to be heavy. When he dove in and pulled up the net, he found a dead donkey in it. Then he cast his net again and netted a pitcher full of dirt. Then he cast his net for a third time and netted shards of pottery and glass.

Toby Stephens takes us back to the world of cunning, adventure, mishap, and fun. Sheherezade, night after night, weaves her tales and Aladdin and his Magic Lamp, Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and other tales come alive. The unforgettable music of Rimsky-Korsakov sets the scene perfectly. A delightful treat for young listeners.

Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Shahrazad, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Shahrazad always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever.

Captivating tales of devious magicians, monstrous giants, determined suitors, and a host of other unforgettable characters - now in audiobook format read by award-winning actress Suzanne Toren. Contains "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," and "Abou Hassan."

Starring Brian Blessed and Rory Bremner, 1001 Arabian Nights is the first tale from The Opus Pocus: a series of symphonies transformed into funny, action-packed stories helping children to discover the magic of classical music, starting with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's dazzling composition Scheherazade. Here is the first chapter of the first story from The Opus Pocus, 1001 Arabian Nights or The Princess, the Pirate and the Baboon! It's a hairy tale of a princess, a sultan, a genie, and a shipwreck, and an unlucky pirate who keeps getting turned into a baboon!