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The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.: Commonly Called the Arabian Nights' Entertainments — Page 4

English → De Preface Level 7/10

Lane's appreciation of this picture, and the wealth of illustration lavished upon it in his Notes, that render his edition the most complete commentary we possess on Muslim life and manners, religion and literature, and make it an indispensable supplement to his famous _Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians_.

Lanes Wertschätzung dieses Werkes und die Fülle der Illustrationen, die er in seinen Anmerkungen darauf verwendet hat, machen seine Ausgabe zum vollständigsten Kommentar, den wir über das muslimische Leben und die muslimischen Sitten, Religion und Literatur besitzen, und machen sie zu einem unentbehrlichen Ergänzungswerk zu seinem berühmten _Bericht über die Sitten und Gebräuche der modernen Ägypter_.

The poetry of Eastern life is rapidly fading away under the effacing touch of European civilisation; the characteristic society in which an Haroon-Er-Rasheed, an Aboo-Nuwas, a Káfoor, a Saladin, or a Kaït-Bey, revelled and jested and conquered, is fast becoming matter of history rather than of experience, a field for the antiquary instead of the traveller; and it is well that we can reconstruct it in the pages of the _Thousand and One Nights_, whose compiler saw it when it was still almost in its Golden Prime, and in the _Modern Egyptians_, whose author knew it when it still preserved the romantic character which has charmed and fascinated readers of every age and condition.

Die Poesie des östlichen Lebens verblasst rasch unter dem auslöschenden Einfluss der europäischen Zivilisation; die charakteristische Gesellschaft, in der ein Haroon-Er-Rasheed, ein Aboo-Nuwas, ein Káfoor, ein Saladin oder ein Kaït-Bey schwelgte, scherzte und siegte, wird schnell zur Angelegenheit der Geschichte statt der Erfahrung, zu einem Feld für den Altertumsforscher statt für den Reisenden; und es ist gut, dass wir sie in den Seiten der _Tausend und einen Nacht_ rekonstruieren können, deren Verfasser sie sah, als sie noch fast in ihrer goldenen Blütezeit war, und in den _Modernen Ägyptern_, deren Autor sie kannte, als sie noch den romantischen Charakter bewahrte, der Leser jeden Alters und jeden Standes bezaubert und fasziniert hat.

STANLEY LANE-POOLE.

STANLEY LANE-POOLE.

THE DAY OF TELL-EL-KEBEER, 1882.

DER TAG VON TELL-EL-KEBEER, 1882.

THE EDITOR'S PREFACE.

VORWORT DES HERAUSGEBERS.

A new edition of this work having been required, Mr. Lane was requested to undertake the correction of the press.

Da eine neue Ausgabe dieses Werkes erforderlich war, wurde Herr Lane gebeten, die Druckkorrektur zu übernehmen.

But severe literary labours allowing him no leisure for this object, he named me, as his pupil in the study of Arabic, familiar with his writings, and for many years resident with him in Cairo, to fill, in some measure, his place.

Da ihm jedoch schwere literarische Arbeiten keine Muße für dieses Vorhaben ließen, nannte er mich, als seinen Schüler im Studium des Arabischen, vertraut mit seinen Schriften und seit vielen Jahren mit ihm in Kairo ansässig, um in gewissem Maße seinen Platz einzunehmen.

Vocabulary

Wertschätzung
Appreciation or high regard for something
dieses
This (demonstrative pronoun, genitive form)
Werkes
Of the work; genitive form of Werk
und
And; basic coordinating conjunction
die
The; definite article, feminine or plural
Fülle
Abundance or wealth of something
der
The; definite article, masculine or genitive
Illustrationen
Illustrations; images accompanying a text
er
He; third-person singular masculine pronoun
in
In; basic preposition of location or inclusion
seinen
His; possessive pronoun, accusative masculine plural
Anmerkungen
Annotations or notes added to a text
darauf
On it or thereupon; adverb indicating reference
verwendet
Used or employed; past participle of verwenden
hat
Has; auxiliary verb forming present perfect
machen
To make or to do; common German verb
seine
His; possessive pronoun, nominative feminine form
Ausgabe
Edition or issue of a publication
zum
To the; contraction of zu and dem
vollständigsten
Most complete; superlative form of vollständig
Kommentar
Commentary or explanatory notes on a work
den
The; accusative definite article, masculine
wir
We; first-person plural pronoun
über
About or over; preposition indicating topic or position
das
The; definite article, neuter nominative or accusative
muslimische
Muslim; adjective describing Islamic culture or people
Leben
Life or living; central noun in German
muslimischen
Muslim; adjective in declined form
Sitten
Customs or moral practices of a society
Religion
Religion; organized system of belief and worship
Literatur
Literature; written works of artistic or scholarly value
besitzen
To possess or own something
sie
She, they, or you (formal); pronoun
zu
To or too; preposition or infinitive marker
einem
A or an; indefinite article, dative form
unentbehrlichen
Indispensable or essential; cannot be done without
Ergänzungswerk
Supplementary work complementing another publication
seinem
His or its; possessive pronoun, dative form
berühmten
Famous or renowned; adjective in declined form
_Bericht
Report or account; title word indicating narrative
Gebräuche
Customs or habitual practices of a people
modernen
Modern; adjective in declined form
Ägypter_
Egyptians; referring to people of Egypt
Die
The; definite article, feminine or plural nominative
Poesie
Poetry; literary art form using verse
des
Of the; genitive definite article
östlichen
Eastern; adjective in declined form
Lebens
Of life; genitive form of Leben
verblasst
Fades or grows pale; loses vividness over time
rasch
Quickly or rapidly; adverb of speed
unter
Under or among; preposition of location
dem
The; dative definite article
auslöschenden
Extinguishing or obliterating; erasing influence
Einfluss
Influence or impact on something
europäischen
European; adjective in declined form
Zivilisation
Civilization; advanced stage of human society
charakteristische
Characteristic or typical; defining quality
Gesellschaft
Society or company; group of people
ein
A or an; indefinite article, neuter nominative
oder
Or; coordinating conjunction offering alternatives
schwelgte
Reveled or indulged; past tense of schwelgen
scherzte
Joked or jested; past tense of scherzen
siegte
Triumphed or won; past tense of siegen
wird
Will become or becomes; future auxiliary verb
schnell
Fast or quickly; common German adverb
zur
To the; contraction of zu and der
Angelegenheit
Matter or affair; something requiring attention
Geschichte
History or story; narrative of past events
statt
Instead of; preposition of substitution
Erfahrung
Experience; knowledge gained through practice
Feld
Field; area of activity or open land
für
For; preposition indicating purpose or recipient
Altertumsforscher
Antiquarian or archaeologist studying ancient things
Reisenden
Travelers; people journeying to other places
es
It; neuter third-person singular pronoun
ist
Is; third-person singular of sein (to be)
gut
Good; positive quality or condition
dass
That; subordinating conjunction introducing a clause
Seiten
Pages or sides; plural of Seite
_Tausend
Thousand; beginning of Thousand and One Nights title
einen
A or one; indefinite article, accusative masculine
Nacht_
Night; as in Thousand and One Nights
rekonstruieren
To reconstruct or rebuild something from evidence
können
Can or to be able to; modal verb
deren
Whose or of which; relative pronoun genitive
Verfasser
Author or composer of a written work
sah
Saw; simple past tense of sehen
als
As or when; conjunction of comparison or time
noch
Still or yet; adverb indicating continuation
fast
Almost or nearly; adverb of approximation
ihrer
Their or her; possessive pronoun, genitive form
goldenen
Golden; adjective in declined form
Blütezeit
Golden age or heyday; period of greatest flourishing
war
Was; simple past tense of sein
_Modernen
Modern; title word referring to modern Egyptians
Ägyptern_
Egyptians; dative plural, title reference
Autor
Author; person who writes a text
kannte
Knew; simple past of kennen
romantischen
Romantic; adjective describing idealized character
Charakter
Character or personality; defining traits of someone
bewahrte
Preserved or kept; past tense of bewahren
Leser
Reader; person who reads a text
jeden
Every or each; indefinite pronoun accusative form
Alters
Of age; genitive form of Alter
Standes
Of rank or class; genitive form of Stand
bezaubert
Enchanted or charmed; captivates completely
fasziniert
Fascinated; held in great interest or wonder
DER
The; definite article in uppercase heading context
TAG
Day; unit of time or a specific day
VON
Of or from; preposition in uppercase heading
VORWORT
Foreword or preface; introductory text of a book
DES
Of the; genitive article in uppercase heading
HERAUSGEBERS
Of the editor; person who prepares a publication
Da
Since or there; conjunction or adverb of reason
eine
A or an; indefinite article, feminine nominative
neue
New; adjective in declined form
erforderlich
Required or necessary; something that must be done
wurde
Became or was; simple past of werden
Herr
Mr. or gentleman; formal address for a man
gebeten
Asked or requested; past participle of bitten
Druckkorrektur
Proofreading; correction of printing errors
übernehmen
To take over or assume responsibility for something
ihm
Him or to him; dative personal pronoun
jedoch
However or nevertheless; conjunction showing contrast
schwere
Heavy or difficult; adjective in declined form
literarische
Literary; relating to literature or writing
Arbeiten
Works or tasks; plural of Arbeit
keine
No or none; negating article or pronoun
Muße
Leisure or free time; opportunity without rush
Vorhaben
Plan or intention; something one intends to do
ließen
Let or allowed; simple past plural of lassen
nannte
Named or called; simple past of nennen
mich
Me; accusative first-person singular pronoun
Schüler
Student or pupil; person learning from a teacher
im
In the; contraction of in and dem
Studium
Study or academic study at university level
Arabischen
Arabic; the Arabic language in declined form
vertraut
Familiar or acquainted; well-known to someone
mit
With; preposition of accompaniment or means
Schriften
Writings or scripts; plural of Schrift
seit
Since or for; preposition of time duration
vielen
Many; indefinite pronoun or adjective, dative form
Jahren
Years; dative plural of Jahr
ansässig
Resident or settled; living permanently in a place
um
Around or in order to; preposition or conjunction
gewissem
Certain or some; indefinite adjective, dative form
Maße
Measure or degree; extent to which something applies
Platz
Place or space; position or seat
einzunehmen
To take up or occupy a place or role
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