King/الملك م - ل - ك /malak/ noun a male sovereign or monarch; a man who holds by life tenure, and usually by hereditary right, the chief authority over a country and people. In this case, a reference to King Shahrayr, the antagonist of the frame story within which 1001 Nights takes place. Ifrit/عفريت /'ifrit/ noun in Islamic mythology, a class of infernal jinn noted for their strength and cunning. An ifrit is an enormous winged creature of smoke, either male or female, who lives underground and frequents ruins. Ifrits live in a society structured along ancient Arab tribal lines, complete with kings, tribes, and clans. They generally marry one another, but they can also marry humans. While ordinary weapons and forces have no power over them, they are susceptible to magic, which humans can use to kill them or to capture and enslave them. As with the jinn, an ifrit may be either a believer or an unbeliever, good or evil, but he is most often depicted as a wicked and ruthless being. couplets/lines/قصيدة /qasida/ noun Poetry is the oldest literary tradition in Arabic culture. It is very interesting that despite all my searching, I was unable to find any record of an Arabic version of the poem that you see here in the English translations. This is especially interesting because the poem is similar enough in each of the English translations that it seems to be from a similar original text. It is understood that the text has been translated from and back into Arabic several times, so this might explain that the poem might have literally been "lost in translation" at one point or another. However, it is very peculiar that the two English translations could be so similar whereas the Arabic version makes no mention of verses, poems, couplets, or lines. Although the poem can not be found on this site, an explanation of how classical Arabic poetry works is still worth providing. In the Burton translation he mentions couplets, which is the most accurate way to describe the way poetry works in Arabic. The first half of the couplet doesn't necessarily stick to a strict rhyme scheme, however the second half does. This rhyme scheme occurs on the final syllable of the second couplet. Not only does the poetry sound rhythmic, but this can also been seen in the way it is written down. For an example of an Arabic poem follow this link: Arabic poem Wuzu ablution /woo-zoo; woo-dhoo/ noun the Islamic procedure for washing parts of the body using water often in preparation for formal prayers. Shaykh/شيخ /shaykh/ /sheek/ /sheyk/ noun the patriarch of a tribe or family; cheif; a term of polite address. Also means 'old man' in Arabic. Jann/الجن /'jin/ pl. /'jan noun This is the plural form of the word jinn, or jinni. Also known as an Ifrit or Imp in some translations Life stuff of my liver/حشاشة كبدي Liver - /kabd/ phrase In English this is just an organ, however in this instance it is used as a way of converying relation and affection. Similar to a phrase such as 'blood of my blood' or something to that effect. Concubine/سرية /kong-kyuh-bahyn/ noun a woman who cohabits with a man to whom she is not legally married, especially one regarded as socially or sexually subservient; mistress. (among polygamous peoples) a secondary wife, usually of inferior rank. (especially formerly in Muslim societies) a woman residing in a harem and kept, as by a sultan, for sexual purposes. Also, in the Arabic translation the word used is سرية which is also known to mean "secret". Clerkly Craft/Sorcery/لسحر /seHer/ /sawr-suh-ree/ noun the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery. Great Festival of Allah/‘Id al-Adha/عيد الضحية /eid al-aDha/ noun Eid al-Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims. It commemorates the Sacrifice made by the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) when God asked him to give his own son. Shahrazad/ شهرزاد /shaH-ra-zad/ noun This is the main character of the frame story of 1001 Nights. She is the wife of King Shahrayar and has come up with a plan to stop his insane plan to kill a new wife every night by telling him a series of stories. Shahrazad's ability to spin the tales in a way that always left the King wanting to hear more was what kept her alive for so long. If you want to know more about how the story ends and if she is able to save her life and the King's insanity, you will just have to read more of the stories! also known as Scheherazade in some translations Hammam/الحمام /al-Hama:m/ noun Public bath. Arabic students will recognize this as the word for bathroom, however in this usage it was more likely a reference to sort of sauna or public wash area. Ifritah/ عفريتة /'ifrit-ah/ noun Female Ifrit, not explicitly evil. May also be known as a djinn, jinni, genie, sprite, imp, demon, etc. For more information see definitions provided for Jann and Ifrit Gugglet/jug/كوز /kooz/ noun Water jug Wazir/vizier/الوزير /al-waz-ee-r/ noun Highest official that serves the king. In this story, the Wazir is the father of Shahrazad, who volunteered herself to marry the King knowing that he had every intention of killing her right after they would be married. Originally, the King had decided that he would not target the Wazir's daughter as one of his victims however since she volunteered, he was happy to oblige.