I spent a day or two looking through the different translations for The Arabian Nights. The most well known translation is Richard Burton’s, which was published in 1885. However, I chose to avoid this particular version because in my opinion, the Victorian-era English is a little distracting. This translation would be my second choice.
A French version (published by J.C. Mardrus around the turn of the 20th century) was translated into English by Powys Mathers in 1923. I chose this version because it contains all of the nights (over 2000 pages), and the words are vibrant and colorful which makes it much more entertaining and readable.
In 1984, Muhsin Mahdi published a critical edition of the Nights, which was partially translated into English by Hussain Haddaway. I avoided this one because it only contains approximately two-thirds of the nights.
The most recent translation was released in 2008 by Malcolm C. Lyons and Ursula Lyons. This particular version was intended to be the most direct and literal translation to English from Arabic. Unfortunately, this makes the words quite bland compared to the French – English version or even Burton’s translation. For example, here is a passage from the tale of The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad:
Burton’s translation: “Behold, there stood before him an honourable woman in a mantilla of Mosul silk, broidered with gold and bordered with brocade; her walking shoes were also purfled with gold and her hair floated in long plaits. She raised her face veil and, showing two black eyes fringed with jetty lashes, whose glances were soft and languishing and whose perfect beauty was ever blandishing, she accosted the Porter and said in the suavest tones and choicest language, ‘Take up thy crate and follow me.’”
2008 Lyons’ translation: “A woman came up to him wrapped in a silken Mosuli shawl with a floating ribbon and wearing embroidered shoes fringed with gold thread. When she raised her veil, beneath it could be seen dark eyes, which, with their eyelashes and eyelids, shot soft glances, perfect in their quality. She turned to the porter and said in a sweet, clear voice: ‘Take your basket and follow me.’”
