The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 13 | Page 5

others. The highly characteristic writing, which is the same throughout the two folios, is easily recognised as that of Michel (MikhaYl) Sabb?gh, the Syrian, author of the Colombe MessagTre, published in Paris A.D. 1805, and accompanied by a translation by the celebrated Silvestre de Sacy (Chrestomathie iii. 365). This scribe also copied, about 1810, for the same Orientalist, the Ikhw?n al-Saf?.
I need say nothing more concerning this MS., which M. Zotenberg purposes to describe bibliographically in volume xxviii. of Notices et extraits des Manuscrits de la BibliothTque rationale publiús par l'Academie des inscriptions et belles lettres. And there will be a tirage ó part of 200-300 copies entitled Histoire d' 'Al? al-Dˉn ou La Lampe Merveilleuse, Texte Arabe, publiú par H. Zotenberg, Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1888; including a most important contribution:--Sur quelques Manuscrits des Mille et une Nuits et la traduction de Galland.[FN#1]
The learned and genial author has favoured me with proof sheets of his labours: it would be unfair to disclose the discoveries, such as the Manuscript Journals in the BibliothTque Nationale (Nos. 15277 to 15280), which the illustrious Garland kept regularly till the end of his life, and his conversations with "M. Hanna, Maronite d'Halep," alias Jean Dipi (Dippy, a corruption of Diab): suffice it to say that they cast a clear and wholly original light upon the provenance of eight of the Gallandian histories. I can, however, promise to all "Aladdinists" a rich harvest of facts which wholly displace those hitherto assumed to be factual. But for the satisfaction of my readers I am compelled to quote the colophon of M. Zotenberg's great "find" (vol. ii.), as it bears upon a highly important question.
"And the finishing thereof was during the first decade of Jam?di the Second, of the one thousand and one hundred and fifteenth year of the Hegirah (= A.D. 1703) by the transcription of the neediest of His slaves unto Almighty Allah, Ahmad bin Mohammed al-Tar?dY, in Baghdad City: he was a Sh?fi'Y of school, and a Mosuli by birth, and a Baghdadi by residence, and he wrote it for his own use, and upon it he imprinted his signet. So Allah save our lord Mohammed and His Kin and Companions and assain them! KabYkaj."[FN#2]
Now as this date corresponds with A.D. 1703, whereas Galland did begin publishing until 1705-1705 the original MS. of Ahmad al- Tar?dY could not have been translated or adapted from the French; and although the transcription by Mikhail Sabbagh, writing in 1805-10, may have introduced modification borrowed from Galland, yet the scrupulous fidelity of his copy, shown by sundry marginal and other notes, lays the suspicion that changes of importance have been introduced by him. Remains now only to find the original codex of Al-Tar?dY.
I have noticed in my translation sundry passages which appear to betray the Christian hand; but these are mostly of scanty consequence in no wise affecting the genuineness of the text.
The history of Zayn al Asnam was copied from the Sabb?gh MS. and sent to me by M. Houdas, Professeur d'Arabe vulgaire a l'Ecole des langues orientales vivantes; an Arabist, whose name is favourably quoted in the French Colonies of Northern Africa M. Zotenberg kindly lent me his own transcription of Alaeddin before sending it to print; and I can only regret that the dilatory proceedings of the Imprimerie Nationale, an establishment supported by the State, and therefore ignoring the trammels of private industry, have prevented my revising the version now submitted to the public. This volume then begins with the two Gallandian Tales, "Zeyn Alasnam" and "Aladdin," whose Arabic original was discovered by M. Zotenberg during the last year: although separated in the French version, I have brought them together for the sake of uniformity. The other eight (or nine, including the Princess of Daryabar), entitled History of Khudadad and his Brothers, and the Princess of Daryabar;
History of Khudadad and his Brothers, and the Princess of Daryabar; History of the Blind Man, Baba Abdullah; History of Sidi Nu'uman; History of Khwajah Hasan al-Habbal; History of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves; History of Ali Khwajah and the Merchant of Baghdad; History of Prince Ahmad and the Fairy Peri-banu; History of the two Sisters who envied their Cadette,
are borrowed mainly from the Indian version of Tot?r?m Sh?y?n.
And here I must quote the bibliographical notices concerning the sundry versions into Urdu or Hindustani which have been drawn up with great diligence by Mr. Blumhardt.
"The earliest attempt to translate the Arabian Nights was made by Munshi Shams al-DYn Ahmad Shirw?ni. A prose version of the first two hundred Nights made by him ?for the use of the College at Fort St. George' was lithographed at Madras in the year A.H. 1252 (A.D. 1836) and published in 8vo volumes (pp. 517, 426) under the title 'Hikayat ool jaleeah'[FN#3] (Hik?y?t al-jalYlah).