This is a work of fictional Arab folklore, originally written in the Arabic language, during the Islamic Golden Age, dating back to the 8th-13th centuries. The original author remains a mystery. Not really my cup of tea. Most of the stories were of vengeful Jinnee’s or Jinneyeh’s (if female) or about an Arab woman or man so beyond beautiful and always compared to a “rising full moon”. Every story starts with a victim who must tell his story to the satisfaction of the perpetrator, or else be killed. The storyline is a little different for each one, but usually ends in a happy ending.

This version, translated in 1912, which I read online at The Project Gutenberg, includes hyperlinked notes. The author uses "notes" to explain more in-depth of the Arabic culture and tales told to him, and of his own experiences while living in Cairo. But mainly, all I did was struggle through all the Arabic names of people, places and things. It was very exhausting! Thank God it is only one volume and only 555 pages long...haha. It satisfied 2 of my 2019 reading challenges: (1) 52 Bookmark Reading Challenge - #30 - A book over 100 years old; and (2) 12-book Literary Passport Reading Challenge - ARABIA. Plus, it satisfied my curiosity of what this classic was all about.

Amazon carries many versions of One Thousand and One Nights (a.k.a.The Arabian Nights' Entertainment) from various translators. One reviewer recommended that if you want a more enjoyable read without all the textbook-like notes, then read The Arabian Nights Complete and Unabridged (Unexpurgated Edition), translated by Arabist Sir Richard Francis Burton. It includes all 10 original volumes (1885), plus the 6 supplemental series (1886-88), and is a whopping 8704 pages long…Amazon Kindle edition for $2.99. I did purchase it because it was so cheap, but doubt I’ll ever read it. Volume one was plenty enough for me.

NOTES ON THE MYRTLE BUSH:
Mentioned in The Thousand and One Nights, p. 200: “The myrtle is the rival of the violet. "Adam," said the Prophet, "fell down from Paradise with three things; the myrtle, which is the chief of sweet-scented flowers in the world; an ear of wheat, which is the chief of all kinds of food in this world; and pressed dates, which are the chief of the fruits of this world."”

The myrtle is a symbol of recovery and of God’s promise and is mentioned 4 times in the Holy Bible (NLT version):

Isaiah 41:19-20 – “I will plant trees in the barren desert – cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, fir, and pine. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will understand what it means – that it is the LORD who has done this, the Holy One of Israel who created it.”

Isaiah 55:13 – “Where once there were thorn, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

Zechariah 1: 8-11 – “In a vision during the night, I saw a man sitting on a red horse that was standing among some myrtle trees in a small valley. Behind him were riders on red, brown, and white horses. I asked the angel who was talking with me, “My lord, what do these horses mean?” “I will show you,” the angel replied. The rider standing among the myrtle trees then explained, “They are the ones the LORD has sent out to patrol the earth.” Then the other riders reported to the angel of the LORD, who was standing among the myrtle trees, “ We have been patrolling the earth, and the whole earth is at peace.”

Nehemiah 8:15 – “He had said that a proclamation should be made throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, telling the people to go to the hills to get branches from olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees. They were to use these branches to make shelters in which they would live during the festival, as prescribed in the Law.” ( )