The Arabian Nights discussion

Can any one tell me if this version includes all 1001 nights or point me towards a version that does?

Most versions are just the editors highlights.
If you want a full 1001 then you'll need one of the multi volume editions...but then you'll get drawn into the issue of best translation.
From what I've heard, the best place to start is: The Arabian Nights A Companion.
In this Irwin looks at not just the background to the stories and the tales themselves, but the Hx of the editions and their translations.
I've got it on my shelf ready to read before I go for the 4 vol editions by E. Powys Mathers. But this translation is one from Arabic into French, then from French into English. So not a direct translation...but it's meant to read well.

Thank you so much for your help! I'll be sure to check out the companion. I actually have the full 1001 in German, which was easy to find over there - I've had a lot of trouble finding the english version via internet searching.

You're welcome.
Hope you enjoy the 1001 whichever version you go for.

I also read Burton's translation. Many, many volumes and supplementary volumes.

This blog should bring you to free and legal copies of the arabian nights translated by Richard F. Burton: http://1000into1night.wordpress.com/

It is primarily a summary site, but it also has links to the full texts.

I didn't like history "1001 Nights" becouse, I didn't have the same interest that I had when I read "Aladdin's lamp. I think it's more confusing, but I liked the Sherehezade and impressed me by her attitude.

sorry I read arabic so I was lucky to read the original one, but i want to read it in english so i am gonna give it a try

the Aleutian version for me

Feliks wrote: "the Aleutian version for me"

Lopita wrote: "sorry I read arabic so I was lucky to read the original one, but i want to read it in english so i am gonna give it a try"

I would love to find a translation that is the closest match to the actual Arabic tales. Any suggestions would be very helpful, unfortunately I only read English so I'm limited.

So, the intro to my edition (The Arabian Nights) discussed the history of The Arabian Nights and it mentioned that there's not any definitive manuscript - the true first manuscript has been lost or destroyed over the centuries and the earliest existing manuscripts are from quite some time later and are copies of copies. And by the time those were made, there was already quite a bit of variance in what tales were included - and more and more tales were inserted as time went on. There wasn't 1,001 Nights worth of stories in the beginning! Not to say these added tales aren't worthy - most are genuine Persian folktales. They just weren't originally included in The Arabian Nights.

Muhsin Mahdi compared oldest Egyptian manuscripts to the Syrian manuscripts and came up with what he felt was a core set of tales that were common to all/most of the oldest manuscripts. Incidentally, this does not include some of the more famous stories such as Aladdin, Ali Baba or Sindbad.

So if anyone wants to read those particular stories, don't get a version based off of Mahdi's work!

And if anyone wants a comparison between the different translations, I have two passages in 5 or 6 translations transcribed in my review. I can't compare how close they are to the original text, of course, but it at least gives an idea of how dramatically the translations differ.

Seconding what Melanti said. The term "One Thousand and One" is tantamount to saying "a billion" (a large number that simply is used to express excessive size). One thousand was simply a large number and the extra night was simply adding emphasis (like how you'd top "infinity" with "infinity plus one").

The original translations of One Thousand and One Nights were mostly done by europeans, who put much more emphasis on the importance of the collection than perhaps was warranted. I believe some of them may have actually split stories into more sections to actually make it to 1001 tales.

If anyone wants a good version you can read Haddawy's translation of Mahdi's text. From what I understand that one is pretty true. He also has another book that contains the more recognizable tales like Sindbad and Aladdin if that's what you want.