Aziz Ansary

Amir Arsalan Rumi and Princess Ferokh Legha Aziz Ansary

The story of Amir Arsalan is as old as time itself. It is a series of stories told in the traditional oral storytelling folklore handed down from generation to generation and it does not appear to have a single author. However, it was collected by Muhammad 'Ali Naqib al-Mamalik who died in 1891. Ali Naqib al-Mamalik was a storyteller in the Court of Nasseruddin Qajar of Iran. "Muhammad 'Ali Naqib al-Mamalik was a naqqal or a storyteller -- at the court of Nasr-ed-Din Shah (ca. 1831-1896). It was he who told the story of Amir Arsalan to the Shah, night after night -- but it was apparently the Shah's daughter, Fachr-ed-Douleh, who transcribed it and is thus responsible for preserving Naqib al-Maliki's wonderful epic. Many versions of the story exists and I made use of three of them A German translation was published in 1965, but this classic tale has apparently never been translated into English (or French). (The German version has apparently also been out of print for decades.) Amir Arsalan is grand entertainment, especially the first part. Arsalan's early; more realistic adventures are an excellent and only slightly over-the-top adventure tale in best classical tradition. The wily, talented youth, the love that blinds to all else, the evil Vizier -- versus all the good folk on the young man's side, a King whose opinion shifts quicker than the wind it's all nicely done. The second part is far more fantastical, and since everything goes a lot of the subtlety is lost. Still, it makes for a good set of fairy tales in best Arabian Nights tradition, with some neat inventions and ideas (and some inspired evil).