Antoine Galland, from the telling of Hannā Diyāb · Complete work
The Oil Merchant
The Oil Merchant of 14. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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En deux ou trois jours de temps, les voleurs eurent fait tout cet amas. Comme les vases vuides étoient un peu étroits par la bouche pour l’exécution de son dessein, le capitaine les fit un peu élargir; et après avoir fait entrer un de ses gens dans chacun avec les armes qu’il avoit jugées nécessaires, en laissant ouvert ce qu’il avoit fait découdre, afin de leur laisser la respiration libre, il les ferma de manière qu’ils paroissoient pleins d’huile; et pour les mieux déguiser, il les frotta par le dehors d’huile, qu’il prit du vase qui en étoit plein.
Les choses ainsi disposées, quand les mulets furent chargés des trente-sept voleurs, sans y comprendre le capitaine, chacun caché dans un des vases, et du vase qui étoit plein d’huile, leur capitaine, comme conducteur, prit le chemin de la ville, dans le temps qu’il avoit résolu, et y arriva à la brune, environ une heure après le coucher du soleil, comme il se l’étoit proposé. Il y entra, et il alla droit à la maison d’Ali Baba, dans le dessein de frapper à la porte, et de demander à y passer la nuit avec ses mulets, sous le bon plaisir du maître. Il n’eut pas la peine de frapper: il trouva Ali Baba à la porte qui prenoit le frais après le soupé. Il fit arrêter ses mulets; et en s’adressant à Ali Baba: « Seigneur, dit-il, j’amène l’huile que vous voyez, de bien loin, pour la vendre demain au marché; et à l’heure qu’il est, je ne sais où aller loger. Si cela ne vous incommode pas, faites-moi le plaisir de me recevoir chez vous pour y passer la nuit: je vous en aurai obligation. »
Quoiqu’Ali Baba eût vu dans la forêt celui qui lui parloit, et même entendu sa voix, comment eût-il pu le reconnoître pour le capitaine des quarante voleurs, sous le déguisement d’un marchand d’huile?
« Vous êtes le bien-venu, lui dit-il, entrez. » Et en disant ces paroles, il lui fit place pour le laisser entrer avec ses mulets, comme il le fit.
En même temps, Ali Baba appela un esclave qu’il avoit, et lui commanda, quand les mulets seroient déchargés, de les mettre non-seulement à couvert dans l’écurie, mais même de leur donner du foin et de l’orge. Il prit aussi la peine d’entrer dans la cuisine, et d’ordonner à Morgiane d’apprêter promptement à souper pour l’hôte qui venoit d’arriver, et de lui préparer un lit dans une chambre.
Ali Baba fit plus: pour faire à son hôte tout l’accueil possible, quand il vit que le capitaine des voleurs avoit déchargé ses mulets, que les mulets avoient été menés dans l’écurie, comme il l’avoit commandé, et qu’il cherchoit une place pour passer la nuit à l’air, il alla le prendre pour le faire entrer dans la salle où il recevoit son monde, en lui disant qu’il ne souffriroit pas qu’il couchât dans la cour. Le capitaine des voleurs s’en excusa fort, sous prétexte de ne vouloir pas être incommode, mais, dans le vrai, pour avoir lieu d’exécuter ce qu’il méditait avec plus de liberté; et il ne céda aux honnêtetés d’Ali Baba qu’après de fortes instances.
Ali Baba, non content de tenir compagnie à celui qui en vouloit à sa vie, jusqu’à ce que Morgiane lui eût servi le soupé, continua de l’entretenir de plusieurs choses qu’il crut pouvoir lui faire plaisir, et il ne le quitta que quand il eut achevé le repas dont il l’avoit régalé.
« Je vous laisse le maître, lui dit-il: vous n’avez qu’à demander toutes les choses dont vous pouvez avoir besoin, il n’y a rien chez moi qui ne soit à votre service. »
Le capitaine des voleurs se leva en même temps qu’Ali Baba, et l’accompagna jusqu’à la porte; et pendant qu’Ali Baba alla dans la cuisine pour parler à Morgiane, il entra dans la cour, sous prétexte d’aller à l’écurie voir si rien ne manquoit à ses mulets.
Ali Baba, après avoir recommandé de nouveau à Morgiane de prendre un grand soin de son hôte, et de ne le laisser manquer de rien: « Morgiane, ajouta-t-il, je t’avertis que demain je vais au bain avant le jour; prends soin que mon linge de bain soit prêt, et de le donner à Abdalla (c’étoit le nom de son esclave), et fais-moi un bon bouillon, pour le prendre à mon retour. »
Après lui avoir donné ces ordres, il se retira pour se coucher.
Le capitaine des voleurs, cependant, à la sortie de l’écurie, alla donner à ses gens l’ordre de ce qu’ils devoient faire. En commençant depuis le premier vase jusqu’au dernier, il dit à chacun:
« Quand je jetterai de petites pierres de la chambre où l’on me loge, ne manquez pas de vous faire ouverture, en fendant le vase depuis le haut jusqu’en bas, avec le couteau dont vous êtes muni, et d’en sortir: aussitôt je serai à vous. »
Le couteau dont il parloit étoit pointu et affilé pour cet usage.
Cela fait, il revint; et comme il se fut présenté à la porte de la cuisine, Morgiane prit de la lumière, et elle le conduisit à la chambre qu’elle lui avoit préparée, où elle le laissa après lui avoir demandé s’il avoit besoin de quelqu’autre chose. Pour ne pas donner de soupçon, il éteignit la lumière peu de temps après, et il se coucha tout habillé, prêt à se lever dès qu’il auroit fait son premier somme.
Morgiane n’oublia pas les ordres d’Ali Baba: elle prépara son linge de bain, elle en charge Abdalla qui n’étoit pas encore allé se coucher, elle met le pot au feu pour le bouillon, et pendant qu’elle écume le pot, la lampe s’éteint. Il n’y avoit plus d’huile dans la maison, et la chandelle y manquoit aussi. Que faire? Elle a besoin cependant de voir clair pour écumer son pot; elle en témoigne sa peine à Abdalla.
« Te voilà bien embarrassée, lui dit Abdalla! Va prendre de l’huile dans un des vases que voilà dans la cour. »
Morgiane remercia Abdalla de l’avis, et pendant qu’il va se coucher près de la chambre d’Ali Baba, pour le suivre au bain, elle prend la cruche à l’huile et elle va dans la cour. Comme elle se fut approchée du premier vase qu’elle rencontra, le voleur qui étoit caché dedans, demanda en parlant bas: « Est-il temps? »
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from Antoine Galland’s French text of “Histoire d’Ali Baba, et de quarante voleurs exterminés par une esclave” (Les Mille et une nuits, Le Normant edition of 1806, volume VI), paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the French before publication.
In two or three days the robbers had gathered all of it. Since the empty jars were a little narrow at the mouth for carrying out his plan, the captain had them widened a little. He had one of his men get into each one, with the weapons he had judged necessary, leaving open the seam he had had unpicked so that they could breathe freely, and he closed them in such a way that they looked full of oil. To disguise them better, he rubbed the outside with oil taken from the jar that was full.
Everything thus arranged, when the mules had been loaded with the thirty-seven robbers, not counting the captain, each hidden in one of the jars, and with the jar that was full of oil, their captain, as their driver, took the road to the city at the time he had fixed, and arrived there at dusk, about an hour after sunset, as he had intended. He entered and went straight to Ali Baba's house, meaning to knock at the door and ask to spend the night there with his mules, if the master pleased. He did not have to knock: he found Ali Baba at the door, taking the cool air after supper. He halted his mules, and addressing Ali Baba he said, "Sir, I have brought the oil you see from very far away to sell it tomorrow at the market, and at this hour I do not know where to find lodging. If it is no trouble to you, do me the kindness of taking me into your house to spend the night. I will be much obliged to you."
Although Ali Baba had seen the man speaking to him in the forest, and had even heard his voice, how could he have recognized him as the captain of the forty robbers under the disguise of an oil merchant?
"You are welcome," he said to him. "Come in." And as he spoke these words he made way to let him in with his mules, which he did.
At the same time Ali Baba called a slave he had and told him, once the mules were unloaded, not only to stable them under cover but also to give them hay and barley. He also took the trouble to go into the kitchen and order Morgiana to get supper ready quickly for the guest who had just arrived, and to make up a bed for him in a room.
Ali Baba did more. To give his guest every welcome possible, when he saw that the robber captain had unloaded his mules, that the mules had been led into the stable as he had ordered, and that the captain was looking for a place to spend the night in the open air, he went and took him into the hall where he received his company, telling him he would not allow him to sleep in the courtyard. The robber captain made many excuses, on the pretext of not wishing to be a burden, but in truth so as to have more freedom to carry out what he was plotting, and he gave in to Ali Baba's courtesy only after strong urging.
Ali Baba, not content with keeping company with the man who wanted his life until Morgiana had served supper, went on talking with him of various things he thought might please him, and did not leave him until he had finished the meal he had treated him to.
"I leave you master here," he said to him. "You have only to ask for anything you may need; there is nothing in my house that is not at your service."
The robber captain rose at the same time as Ali Baba and went with him to the door, and while Ali Baba went into the kitchen to speak to Morgiana, he went into the courtyard on the pretext of going to the stable to see that his mules lacked nothing.
Ali Baba, after urging Morgiana once more to take great care of his guest and let him want for nothing, added, "Morgiana, I tell you now that tomorrow I am going to the baths before daybreak. See that my bathing linen is ready, and give it to Abdalla," this was the name of his slave, "and make me a good broth to drink when I come back."
After giving her these orders, he withdrew to go to bed.
Meanwhile the robber captain, coming out of the stable, went to give his men their orders for what they were to do. Beginning with the first jar and going on to the last, he said to each one:
"When I throw little stones from the room where they lodge me, be sure to cut yourselves an opening by slitting the jar from top to bottom with the knife you have been given, and come out. I will be with you at once."
The knife he spoke of was pointed and sharpened for the purpose.
That done, he came back, and when he presented himself at the kitchen door, Morgiana took a light and led him to the room she had prepared for him, where she left him after asking whether he needed anything else. So as to arouse no suspicion, he put out the light shortly afterward and lay down fully dressed, ready to get up as soon as he had had his first sleep.
Morgiana did not forget Ali Baba's orders. She got his bathing linen ready and gave it to Abdalla, who had not yet gone to bed. She put the pot on the fire for the broth, and while she was skimming the pot, the lamp went out. There was no more oil in the house, and there were no candles either. What to do? She needed light to skim her pot. She told Abdalla her trouble.
"What a fuss you're in!" Abdalla said to her. "Go and take some oil from one of those jars out in the courtyard."
Morgiana thanked Abdalla for the advice, and while he went to sleep near Ali Baba's room so as to follow him to the baths, she took the oil jug and went into the courtyard. As she came up to the first jar she reached, the robber hidden inside asked in a low voice, "Is it time?"
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same French text of Galland’s 1806 Le Normant edition, paragraph for paragraph.
It took the robbers two or three days to get everything together. The empty jars had openings that were a bit too narrow for the leader's plan, so he had them made a little wider. He put one of his men inside each jar, with the weapons he thought they would need. He left open the part he had had cut apart, so they could breathe easily. He closed the jars up so they looked like they were full of oil. To make them look even more real, he took oil from the full jar and rubbed it on the outside of the others.
Once everything was ready, the mules were loaded with the thirty-seven robbers, each one hidden in a jar. That didn't count the leader. The mules also carried the jar that was full of oil. The leader acted as the driver. He set off for town at the time he had planned. He got there when it was getting dark, about an hour after the sun went down, just as he had meant to. He went into town and headed straight for Ali Baba's house. He planned to knock on the door and ask if he and his mules could stay the night, if the owner would allow it. He didn't need to knock. Ali Baba was standing in the doorway, enjoying the cool evening air after dinner. The leader stopped his mules. He said to Ali Baba, "Sir, I've brought this oil from a long way away. I'm going to sell it at the market tomorrow. It's late now, and I don't know where to stay. If it's not too much trouble, would you be kind enough to let me spend the night at your house? I'd be very grateful."
Ali Baba had seen this man in the forest and had even heard his voice. But the man was dressed as an oil seller. How could Ali Baba have recognized him as the leader of the forty robbers?
"You're very welcome," he told him. "Come in." As he said this, he stepped aside to let him in with his mules, and the man came in.
At the same time, Ali Baba called one of his slaves. He told him to unload the mules and then put them in the stable, out of the weather, and to give them hay and barley too. Ali Baba also went into the kitchen himself. He told Morgiana to make dinner quickly for the guest who had just arrived and to make up a bed for him in one of the rooms.
Ali Baba went even further to make his guest feel welcome. He saw that the robber leader had unloaded his mules and that the mules had been taken to the stable as he had ordered. He saw the man looking for a place to sleep outside. So Ali Baba went and brought him into the room where he entertained visitors. He told him he wouldn't let him sleep in the yard. The robber leader said no many times. He claimed he didn't want to be a bother. The real reason was that he wanted to be freer to carry out his plan. He only gave in to Ali Baba's kindness after Ali Baba insisted and insisted.
Ali Baba stayed with the man who wanted to kill him until Morgiana brought in dinner. And that wasn't all. He kept chatting with him about different things he thought the man would enjoy. He didn't leave him until he had finished the meal Ali Baba had served him.
"Make yourself at home," he told him. "If you need anything, just ask. Everything in my house is yours to use."
The robber leader stood up when Ali Baba did and walked with him to the door. Ali Baba went into the kitchen to talk to Morgiana. Meanwhile the leader went into the yard. He said he was going to the stable to check that his mules had everything they needed.
Ali Baba told Morgiana again to take very good care of his guest and to make sure he had everything he needed. Then he added, "Morgiana, I want you to know that tomorrow I'm going to the baths before sunrise. Make sure my bath towels are ready, and give them to Abdalla." That was his slave's name. "And make me a good soup to have when I get back."
After he gave her these instructions, he went off to bed.
Meanwhile, the robber leader came out of the stable and went to tell his men what to do. He started with the first jar and went all the way to the last. He said to each man:
"When I throw some small stones out of the room where they've put me, cut yourself a way out. Slit the jar from top to bottom with the knife you've got, and get out. I'll be right there with you."
The knife he meant was pointed and sharpened just for this.
When he was done, he came back. He went to the kitchen door. Morgiana picked up a lamp and took him to the room she had gotten ready for him. She asked if he needed anything else and then left him. So nobody would get suspicious, he put out the light a little later. He lay down with all his clothes on, ready to get up as soon as he had had a first short sleep.
Morgiana remembered what Ali Baba had told her. She got his bath towels ready and gave them to Abdalla, who hadn't gone to bed yet. She put the pot on the fire to make the soup. While she was skimming the top of the pot, the lamp went out. There was no oil left in the house, and no candles either. What could she do? She had to be able to see to skim the pot. She told Abdalla about her problem.
"Look at you, all worried!" Abdalla said. "Go get some oil out of one of those jars in the yard."
Morgiana thanked Abdalla for the idea. He went to sleep near Ali Baba's room, so he could go with him to the baths. She took the oil jug and went out into the yard. She went up to the first jar she came to. The robber hiding inside it whispered, "Is it time?"