The Koran: Commonly Called The Alcoran of Mohammed: Translated From The Original Arabic. With Explanatory Notes, Taken From the Most Approved Commentators. To Which is Prefixed, A Preliminary Discourse.
SALE, George. [Translator].
The Koran: Commonly Called The Alcoran of Mohammed: Translated From The Original Arabic. With Explanatory Notes, Taken From the Most Approved Commentators. To Which is Prefixed, A Preliminary Discourse.
First Edition in English of George Sale’s Important Translation of the Koran
London: Printed by C. Ackers for J. Wilcox, 1734.
$7,500.00
In Stock
Item Number: 152248
First edition in English of George Sale’s important translation of the Koran, the first to translate directly from the Arabic into English. Quarto, bound in full contemporary speckled calf with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, sympathetically rebacked, gilt turn-ins, all edges stained red. Illustrated with an engraved folding map of Arabia, a folding plan of the Temple of Mecca, and three genealogical plates. In very good condition with some wear to the extremities and small losses to the leaves. From the library of American author Eugene Field with his bookplate tipped to the front free endpaper and an inscription on the rear free endpaper from his son Eugene Field II, stating that the book came from his father’s library, dated 10 Sept. 1922. An exceptional example.
For Muslims, Islam’s sacred scripture can only truly be read in Arabic, for it is the literal, revealed word of God. Among English translations, however, George Sale’s remains an important landmark. “As a translator, Sale had the field almost entirely to himself. The only full translation of the Koran in any modern language previously published was the despicable French version by Du Ryer, issued in 1649. A very poor English rendering of Du Ryer’s from French was issued by Alexander Ross in London in the same year… Sale’s translation is remarkably accurate. Throughout he has made full use of native commentators, as regards both the interpretation of the text and its illustration in the notes… His version remains the best [translation] in any language” (DNB).
