One Thousand and One Nights

One Thousand and One Nights is a monumental work of medieval Arabic and Persian literature — a collection of tales woven into the frame story of the Persian king Shahriyar and his wife, Scheherazade. This edition includes what the publishers consider to be the most vivid and striking tales from the entire collection. The translation from Arabic was completed by M.A. Salye (1899–1961) between 1929 and 1939. Recommended for readers aged 16 and older.

To the chambers of the cruel king Shahriyar — who seeks revenge on all women for his tarnished honor — comes the daughter of the grand vizier, the storyteller Scheherazade, determined to end the senseless bloodshed. Each night, she tells him captivating stories of war and passion, of love and betrayal, of magical transformations, treachery, and friendship. But each morning, she halts her tale at the most intriguing moment, keeping Shahriyar’s curiosity alive for one thousand and one nights.

Her tales are more than entertaining — they are thoughtful and philosophical. Through her stories and legends, she explores timeless questions: the nature of good and evil, the existence of free will, the conflict between ideals and reality, and how these can coexist. Real historical figures — caliphs, theologians, scholars, and poets of the 7th–12th centuries — appear in her stories, portrayed as legendary characters cloaked in the aura of myth.