Malcolm c lyons a fairytale classic gets a modern makeover, but dont bin its fusty predecessors just yet. Versions borges defines translation as a long experimental game of chance played with omissions and emphasis 69. Apr 28, 2016 bruce fudge on the continued legacy of borges judgements and predictions about the variety of translations of the nights and the latest contemporary western translations of the story collection. From the 19th century, short stories and novels would gradually dominate the various forms of literary production, while the nights would. Borgess translations of german expressionist poetry. The translators of the thousand and one nights gwern. Writing only one hundred years later and with a strong grasp of the english language, borges has a textual relationship with poe that is more constrained and literal in terms. The book of sand 1975 the other ulrikke the congress there are more things the sect of the thirty the night of the gifts the mirror and the mask undr a weary mans utopia the bribe avelino arredondo the disk the book of sand afterword shakespeares memory 1983 august 25, 1983 blue tigers the rose of paracelsus shakespeares memory. The 1001 nights is a collection of stories framed by the story of shahriyar and scheherazade names and their spellings vary in different versions but not drastically, though translators like burton find this point to be especially important in which scheherazade tells stories each night to her new husband. Special focus on themes of framing, orality and anonymity, infinite and recursive narration, and destiny. Hurleys translation, collected fictions, and will appear parenthetically after each quotation. Winner of the national book critics circle award in criticism it will come as a surprise to some readers that the greater part of jorge luis borgess extraordinary writing was not in the genres of fiction or poetry, but in the various forms of nonfiction prose. Reviewed by elspeth barker sunday, 15 february 2009 in his witty essay on the translators of the 1001 nights, borges celebrates a hostile. May 04, 2009 some facts can be narrowed down, however, but even these stand on very shaky ground.
Let us return for a moment to the first translation of the thousand and one nights. Borges convinced me to start on the 1001 nights, and it is fabulous. Jorge luis borgess lost translations a dispute with borgess estate has left works he produced with the translator norman thomas di giovanni in publishing limbo huw nesbitt. The simultaneous transformations of the thousand and one nights and their environment often introduce new forms of interaction and promote the creation of new cultural objects and new research perspectives. When not otherwise stated, reference to borges s nonfiction will be to the total library. Jorge luis borges books list of books by author jorge luis. The book of the thousand nights and a night 1885, subtitled a plain and literal translation of the arabian nights entertainments, is an english language translation of one thousand and one nights the arabian nights a collection of middle eastern and south asian stories and folk tales compiled in arabic during the islamic golden age 8th. Translations of one thousand and one nights wikipedia. Aug 25, 1983 the book of sand 1975 the other ulrikke the congress there are more things the sect of the thirty the night of the gifts the mirror and the mask undr a weary mans utopia the bribe avelino arredondo the disk the book of sand afterword shakespeares memory 1983 august 25, 1983 blue tigers the rose of paracelsus shakespeares memory. Jorge luis borges was born in buenos aires in 1989 and was educated in europe. Hes impressively erudite regarding the various translations of the thousand and one nights.
This norton critical edition includes twentyeight tales from the arabian nights translated by husain haddawy on the basis of the oldest existing arabic manuscript. There are so many manuscripts to choose from, none. Jorge luis borges, in his essay the translators of the 1001 nights, professed to favor burtons above other translations not because of its linguistic accuracy or faithfulness to an arabic original for it has little of either, but because it was very much a creation made possible by a long and homegrown literary tradition. The book, which was written in english, contained 1,001 pages.
A discussion of the foundational presence of the 1001 nights intertext in borges. Bloy and the halfdozen translations of the arabian nights borges could quote from memory, not so much. Jorge luis borges and the translators of the nights. I agree with surendran rajendran that labyrinths or a similar collection is the best place to start.
What is the best english translation of 1001 arabian nights. Bruce fudge on the continued legacy of borges judgements and predictions about the variety of translations of the nights and the latest contemporary western translations of the story collection. Teaching the arabian nights uwmadison center for the. While this statement directly influences borgess discussion of both homer and the translations of 1001 nights, it cannot be applied to borgess translations of poe. Irwin discusses the history of the nights and examines the merits of the various translations from gallands original,volume in french to the more recent attempts.
Jorge luis borges and the translators of the nights borges center. Im specifically interested in translations that are complete. One of the most widely acclaimed writers of our time, he published many collections of poems, essays, and short stories before his death in geneva in june 1986. Borges essay the translators of the thousand and one nights is a short but. Proust explicitly refers to the 1001 nights as one of the few works he could compare his entire work to in tim. More translators of the thousand and one nights jstor. For schopenhauer, the somber schopenhauer, and for the buddha, the world is a dream. Most of all, they offer, as usual, keys for reading not only the classics but also borgess works, revealing his obsessions, his views and his literary. This assertion by borges is quoted in every study of the nights that i have come across even a travel book on sicily. The 1001 nights in translation aesthetic and interpretive. Some facts can be narrowed down, however, but even these stand on very shaky ground.
Slave of desire explores the stories in the anonymous medieval arabic work the 1001 nights. The tales that make up the 1001 nights also known as the arabian nights are told by shahrazad to king shahriyar each night in order to ransom her life for one more day, and they have been recognized as classics of narrative art since their first appearance in european translation three centuries ago. Obviously, much has changed since borges day, not least the status of the encyclopaedia britannica. Im curious to know which english translation of 1001 arabian nights is considered the best.
Teaching the arabian nights in wisconsin a resource guide by sofia samatar a note of caution on plagiarism as with other great texts, there is a wealth of information readily available on the arabian nights, which can be tempting material to plagiarize from the web or other study guides. The thousand and one nights, collection of largely middle eastern and indian stories of uncertain date and authorship. The book of the thousand nights and a night wikipedia. Borges s masterpiece is the whole work, his lifes work, read together, separate and complete, like his beloved thousand and one nights. Borges also resorted to pseudepigraphy a book whose title or authors name is false in the field of translation. Some of these date back to earlier persian, indian and arabic literature, while others were original to the one thousand and one nights. Jorge luis borges when you read the arabian nights you accept islam. Which of jorge luis borgess works should be read first. Thus, as waisman underscores, translation for borges is a site for potentiality and gaina gain clearly. Jorge luis borgess lost translations huw nesbitt books. Feb 19, 2010 jorge luis borges s lost translations a dispute with borges s estate has left works he produced with the translator norman thomas di giovanni in publishing limbo huw nesbitt. Jeanette winterson, the times this wonderful volume gathers all of the borges enchanting stories in the highly readable rendering into english by andrew hurley.
Other newly available aspects of borgess oeuvre are trenchant critiques. His biographers never fa il to repeat that he is the son of dr. Bruce fudge more translators of the thousand and one nights. In his witty essay on the translators of the 1001 nights, borges celebrates a hostile dynasty, each scion striving to annihilate his predecessor. Borges refers to the thousand and one nights frequently in his writings, claiming it as one of the first books he read as a child in his fathers library. What are the best english translations of jorge luis borges. Critic ferial ghazoul speaks of the story cycles many versions in her study. Project muse borgess translations of german expressionist.
As usual, the erudition is overwhelming, the subjects enthralling, the interpretation original and the passion catching. Burton, supplemental nights to the book of the thousand nights. The chapter titles are themselves evocative of the multiplicity of perspectives in this book. Alastair reid this book includes 118 earlier pieces never before translated, and moves through his more fantastic work to a later realism. Nights, from the 18th through to the 21st century, and within each version and translation there is a stunning variety in how the. With introduction, explanatory notes on the manners and customs of moslem men and a terminal essay upon the history of the nights.
The two french translations of galland and mardrus play havoc with the original arabic text, and yet. The one thousand and one nights and various tales within it make use of many innovative literary techniques, which the storytellers of the tales rely on for increased drama, suspense, or other emotions. Jorge luis borges and the translators of the nights suzanne jill levine introduction this reading of borgess essay was initially inspired in the 1970s by the uruguayan literary critic emir rodriguez monegal 192185. Its tales of aladdin, ali baba, and sindbad the sailor have almost become part of western folklore, though these were added to the collection only in the 18th century in european adaptations. Lane translated against galland, burton against lane.
Borges adoration of faulkner and disdain for joyces unreadable later works will probably be the brilliant, illuminating, but not, despite maria kodamas best efforts on the jacket, something for. Borges develops an interesting parallel between melvilles moby dick and the ulysses canto of the inferno. Yet another game with shifting mirrors, the translators of the 1001. Had these gates opened just then, i would not have felt what i felt that evening. The 1001 nights have influenced many modernist authors such as borges, proust, and joyce. Seven nights gathers seven lectures delivered by borges in buenos aires at the teatro coliseo, between june and august 1977. Goethe and rilke to the contemporary fiction of borges and proust to the visuals and. Jul 22, 2018 in my opinion, the translations by andrew hurley are even better than the older translationsincollaboration by norman thomas di giovanni. Both of them preserve much of the wrysly wordplay essential to proper translation of borges, but hurle.
Thousand and one nights that had supplanted a version by galland. Lets say that all the copies of quixote, in spanish and in translation, were lost. Borgess masterpiece is the whole work, his lifes work, read together, separate and complete, like his beloved thousand and one nights. Jan 01, 2004 this assertion by borges is quoted in every study of the nights that i have come across even a travel book on sicily. Seven public lectures delivered in buenos aires in 1977. A plain and literal translation of the arabian nights entertainments, now entituled the book of the thousand nights and a night. The arabian nights husain haddawy, daniel hellerroazen. They became the book of the thousand and one nights.
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