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The exotic Shaharazade is the legendary narrator of A Thousand and One Nights, or “Alf Layla Wa Layla” , best known in the West as the Tales of the Arabian Nights. There are many translations extant but the one by Sir Richard Burton is the most popular one written in English. It is from this opus, probably the largest collection of tales to be found anywhere in the world, that we in the West have inherited our limited but enchanted glimpse into the imaginative life of Central Asia and the Middle East. It is the fantastic and instructive world of such familiars as Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves, of Sinbad the Sailor, of the Fishernan and the Genie (of the bottle), and of young Aladdin and his magic carpet. The story tells us that Shaharazade was to be the next victim of the Persian King named Shahriar, who, after being cuckolded by his first queen, took revenge upon all women by taking a new wife to bed every night and then having her beheaded in the morning. Wise and courageous, the beautiful young Shaharazade conspired with her sister Dunyazade to beguile the angry king with wonderful tales. Night after night she would delight her master with her stories until the light of morning and the sleepy but ever curious king would stay her execution for yet another day. On and on the saga went until after 1001 days and three children later the subdued and smitten king forsook his cruel revenge upon women and married the alluring Shaharazade. And from then on peace reigned in the kingdom. Drop in or call ahead for reservations. |
