Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp - John Payne

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1889. Printed for Subscribers Only. 1st Edition.

Zein ul Asnam and the King of the Jinn; Two Storis done into English from the recently discovered Arabic text by John Payne.

The story was first introduced to the Western world by French translator Antoine Galland in the early 18th century, but he was relaying it from a Syrian storyteller. Payne's version was translated from a newly discovered, original Arabic text.

Payne's translation was created for the Villon Society by private subscription only, with a limited run of 500 copies. The private publishing arrangement helped shield the work from obscenity charges, as the translation was known for its faithfulness to the original Arabic source, which included more detailed and adult themes than sanitized European versions.

Book may have been rebound. In near fine condition otherwise.