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The Perfumed Garden is a 15th-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi, also known as Sheikh Nefzawi or Umar Ibn Muhammed Al-Nefzawi. It is composed of an introduction and 21 chapters, with opinions on the qualities that make men and women attractive, advice on sexual technique, warnings about sexual health, and recipes to remedy sexual maladies. The book became widely known in the English-speaking world through an 1886 French translation by Sir Richard Francis Burton.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Author | Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi (Nefzawi) or Umar Ibn Muhammed Al-Nefzawi |
| Other Names | The Arabic Kama Sutra, Arabian Nights |
| Date of Writing | 15th or 16th century |
| Genre | Sex manual, erotic literature, pornography, erotica |
| Chapters | 21 |
| Themes | Sexual technique, sexual health, recipes to remedy sexual maladies, names for genitals, interpretation of dreams, animal sexuality, stories |
| Translations | French, English |
| Translators | Anonymous colonel, Sir Richard Burton, Sir Richard Francis Burton, René R. Khawam, Jim Colville |
| Location | Grasse, Provence |
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What You'll Learn
- The Perfumed Garden is a 15th-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature
- It includes opinions on attractive qualities, sexual technique advice, and sexual health warnings
- It also features stories, a section on dream interpretation, and animal sex descriptions
- The book became widely known in the English-speaking world through an 1886 French translation by Sir Richard Francis Burton
- Burton believed the book's uniqueness lay in the serious presentation of lascivious and obscene matters
The Perfumed Garden is a 15th-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature
The Perfumed Garden, also known as The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight or the Arabic Kama Sutra, is a 15th-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature. It was written by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi, also known as Sheikh Nefzawi or simply Nefzawi, and is composed of an introduction followed by 21 chapters. The book covers a range of topics, including qualities that make men and women attractive, advice on sexual technique, warnings about sexual health, and recipes to remedy sexual maladies. It also provides lists of names for genitalia, interprets dreams, and briefly describes sex among animals.
The Perfumed Garden has been compared to other works of erotic literature, such as the Kama Sutra, and has a similar reputation in the Arab world as the Arabian Nights. The book is praised for its recognition of the importance of seducing and satisfying one's partner, as well as the value of hygiene and style. However, it also reflects the roots of a patriarchal society, with a notable misogynistic tone and a focus on men tricking and, in some cases, raping women.
The work gained widespread recognition in the English-speaking world through a French translation by an anonymous colonel, which was then translated into English by Sir Richard Francis Burton in 1886. Burton noted that The Perfumed Garden stood out from other works in the genre due to the seriousness with which lascivious and obscene matters were presented. He also acknowledged that the book borrowed from Indian works on different positions for coition and movements, as well as the interpretation of dreams from the book Birds and Flowers by Azeddine el Mocadecci.
The original manuscript of The Perfumed Garden included a 21st chapter that was incomplete, possibly due to the removal of content related to homosexuality and pederasty. Burton worked on a new translation that included this missing chapter, but the manuscript was burned by his wife after his death in 1890. Despite this loss, The Perfumed Garden remains a significant work, providing insight into 500-year-old Muslim sensibilities and offering a nuanced appreciation of Arabic and Muslim culture.
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It includes opinions on attractive qualities, sexual technique advice, and sexual health warnings
The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight, also known as the Arabic Kama Sutra, is a 15th-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi. It includes opinions on attractive qualities, sexual technique advice, and sexual health warnings.
Al-Nefzawi's work presents opinions on the qualities that make men and women attractive. It also offers advice on sexual techniques and provides warnings about sexual health. Interspersed throughout the text are stories that provide context and amusement. For example, there is the celebrated story of debauchery featuring a woman thought to be a lesbian and ending with a set of sexual challenges for men.
The Perfumed Garden also includes lists of names for the penis and vulva, a section on dream interpretation, and a brief description of sex among animals. It is composed of an introduction followed by 21 chapters, with the last chapter focusing on homosexuality and pederasty.
The work has been compared to ancient Indian texts like the Kama Sutra and other works such as those of Aretin, Rabelais, and Conjugal Love by Nicolas Venette. However, what sets The Perfumed Garden apart is the seriousness with which lascivious and obscene matters are presented.
The book gained a reputation in the Arab world similar to that of the Arabian Nights and was first translated into English by Sir Richard Francis Burton in 1886. It is considered a cultural artifact reflecting 500-year-old Muslim sensibilities and providing insight into Arabic and Muslim culture.
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It also features stories, a section on dream interpretation, and animal sex descriptions
The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight, also known as the Arabic Kama Sutra, is a fifteenth-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi, or simply "Nefzawi". The book is composed of an introduction followed by 21 chapters. It is similar in content to the Kama Sutra, but with added stories, making it reminiscent of 1001 Arabian Nights.
The stories interspersed throughout the text are intended to provide context and amusement. One such story is that of Abu'l Hayja, Abu'l Hayloukh, and Maymoun, which is a celebrated tale of debauchery. It features a woman thought to be a lesbian and ends with a series of sexual challenges for four men, including maintaining an erection for thirty days and nights, and deflowering eighty virgins without ejaculating. The story concludes with the men completing the challenges and winning a palace as a reward.
The Perfumed Garden also includes a section on dream interpretation, drawing from the Indian works of Mohammed ben Djerir el Taberi, and the book Birds and Flowers by Azeddine el Mocadecci (Izz al-Din al-Mosadeqi).
Additionally, the book briefly describes sex among animals. It also presents opinions on the qualities that make men and women attractive, advice on sexual technique, warnings about sexual health, and recipes to remedy sexual maladies.
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The book became widely known in the English-speaking world through an 1886 French translation by Sir Richard Francis Burton
The Perfumed Garden is a fifteenth-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi, also known simply as "Nefzawi". It is comparable to the Kama Sutra. The book presents opinions on what qualities men and women should have to be attractive and offers advice on sexual technique, warnings about sexual health, and recipes to remedy sexual maladies. It also provides lists of names for genitalia, a section on the interpretation of dreams, and a brief description of sex among animals. The book is composed of an introduction followed by 21 chapters.
Burton's translation of The Perfumed Garden is notable for its additional context and amusement provided by the interspersed stories. He also added annotations, expanding on details, introducing episodes, and incorporating sections from non-Arabic sources. Burton's translation is not a direct translation from the original Arabic text, and some have criticised it for its speculative notes and florid prose. However, Burton's translation brought the work to a wider audience and contributed to its reputation in the Western world.
It is important to note that Burton's translation does not include the 21st chapter, which was reportedly missing from the French translation he worked from. This chapter is said to have contained material on homosexuality and pederasty, which may have been the reason for its omission. At the time of his death in 1890, Burton was working on a new translation that included this missing chapter, which was to be published posthumously as "The Scented Garden". Unfortunately, Burton's wife, Isabel, burned the manuscript after his death.
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Burton believed the book's uniqueness lay in the serious presentation of lascivious and obscene matters
The Perfumed Garden of Sensual Delight, also known as the Arabic Kama Sutra, is a fifteenth-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi. The book presents opinions on what qualities men and women should have to be attractive, gives advice on sexual technique, and provides warnings about sexual health. It also includes recipes to remedy sexual maladies, lists of names for the penis and vulva, and a section on the interpretation of dreams.
Sir Richard Francis Burton translated The Perfumed Garden from French in 1886. Burton believed that the work could be compared to those of Aretin and Rabelais, and the French book Conjugal Love by Nicolas Venette. However, he thought that what made The Perfumed Garden unique was "the seriousness with which the most lascivious and obscene matters are presented." Burton pointed out that not all of the ideas in the book were original, with some content borrowed from Indian works and the book Birds and Flowers by Azeddine el Mocadecci.
Burton had a long-standing interest in sexuality and erotic literature. He co-founded the Kama Shastra Society to print and circulate books that would be illegal to publish publicly due to the Obscene Publications Act 1857. Burton's translation of The Perfumed Garden was one of his most celebrated works. It is considered a Victorian cultural artifact as well as an Arabian one, reflecting 500-year-old Muslim sensibilities.
Burton's translation has been criticised for potentially compromising the explicit nature of the original text to make it more acceptable to Victorian audiences. However, others argue that Burton's additions and expansions to the text were necessary due to the incompleteness of the original manuscript.
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Frequently asked questions
'The Perfumed Garden' is a 15th-century Arabic sex manual and work of erotic literature by Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Nefzawi. It is also known as the Arabic Kama Sutra.
The book presents opinions on what qualities men and women should have to be attractive and gives advice on sexual technique. It also provides warnings about sexual health and recipes to remedy sexual maladies. Interspersed with these are a number of stories intended to give context and amusement.
'The Perfumed Garden' is composed of an introduction followed by 21 chapters. The last chapter was incomplete, apparently because it contained material on homosexuality and pederasty which had been removed.
'The Perfumed Garden' first became widely known in the English-speaking world through a translation from the French in 1886 by Sir Richard Francis Burton.
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