In 1885, Sir Richard Francis Burton published the first volume of what would become one of the most celebrated — and controversial — translations in the English language: “A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, Now Entitulated The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, With Introductory Explanatory Notes on the Manners and Customs of Moslem Men, and a Terminal Essay upon the History of the Nights”. Over the following three years, Burton released sixteen volumes in total — ten primary and six supplemental — rendering these ancient Arabic tales into rich, ornate Victorian prose.
On account of the severe obscenity laws of the time, only a very limited number of copies were ever printed, and the work remained unobtainable outside of reference libraries. As these laws were liberalised in the 1950s and 60s, selections from the tales came into commerce, but the work itself, in its entirety, remained unavailable to ordinary readers.
On Burton's Translation
Burton was writing in the mid-1800s, and the language he used daily — and into which he translated this work — was not the language of today. His command of English can be considered exceptional: he had at his disposal a range of vocabulary that exceeded that of many of his contemporaries and certainly that of many readers today.
One remarkable aspect of the translation is Burton's attempt to render the music, and in some cases the rhyming prose, of the original Arabic — itself an indication of his extraordinary expertise in the language. This led him to employ a variety of devices: the archaic second person singular, many archaic words, and even the invention of words that do not seem to have ever existed, though the meaning is always clear.
The overwhelming body of classical Islamic literature is in verse, and the frequent verse quotations in this work, translated with singular devotion by Burton, are a reflection of this rich literary culture. His extensive notes are of such a range that they would almost constitute a work by themselves. Through them transpires the depth of Burton's comprehension and affection for the Moslem and Eastern world of that time — its language, its customs, and the fantasies that the tales engendered in their audience.
“Works of art have their own rules, and that this is a work of art is difficult to deny, even if only on the grounds of the ever increasing popularity it enjoys.”
Three Generations
The story of how these volumes came into digital form spans three generations. It begins with Ruth Malagodi, who possessed an original 1908 edition of Burton's work — a treasure she passed down to her son.
Between 2008 and 2013, Armando Malagodi of Bianco, Italy — Ruth's son — undertook the painstaking work of digitising that cherished 1908 edition, modelled on a Burton Club printing, all sixteen volumes, correcting the OCR output character by character, preserving Burton's text with care and devotion. End-of-line hyphenation was abolished, incomplete indexes reconstructed, and the graphic style of the original faithfully imitated.
As Armando wrote, echoing Burton himself: “This work, laborious as it may appear, has been to me a labour of love, an unfailing source of solace and satisfaction. I can state the same!”
This website represents the third generation's contribution to that journey. Built by Andrea Malagodi, Armando's son, it takes the faithful digital edition as its foundation and carefully modernises every tale: archaic pronouns and verb forms updated, convoluted syntax untangled, and obscure vocabulary clarified — all while preserving the formal, slightly elevated register that these ancient stories deserve.
The result is 443 tales that read with the wonder and vividness of the original, but in clear, contemporary English that any reader can enjoy. From the frame story of Shahrazad and King Shahryar to the seven voyages of Sindbad, from tales of cunning thieves and faithful lovers to the supernatural world of jinn and sorcerers — the full breadth of the Arabian Nights is here.
Each story is accompanied by an original illustration created specifically for this edition, bringing the scenes and characters to visual life.
In the belief that it will provide as much enjoyment to you, the modern reader, as it has to Arab audiences through many centuries, we invite you to abandon disbelief and fly into the world of fantasy.
From Ruth, to Armando, to Andrea — a family's devotion to preserving and sharing the tales of Shahrazad.