LIT.

1 World Literature 1

Learning Unit 2. ANCIENT SUMERIAN-ARABIC LITERATURE (300-400 B.C.)

Lesson 1: The Bible – The Creation and Fall (Genesis)

I. Learning Outcomes
 Explain the significant events on The Creation in the Bible;
 Construct a story map of The Fall of Man;
 Reflect on the importance of knowing the Bible in one’s spiritual
growth.
Time Frame: 3 hours
Values Integration:Appreciation of one’s literary works
II. Content
In the English language, more allusions are made to the Bible than any other work of
literature. Its number of references even beats out Greek and Roman
mythology. Allusions to the Bible permeate our artwork, our music, our literature, our
conversation, and even pop culture.  In spite of this ever-presence of the Bible's
influence, many students lack a basic familiarity with the Bible, its stories, and its
language. This leaves students to puzzle over allusions that they encounter in art and
literature. 
This excerpt from the King James Version of the Bible tells of God's creation of the
heaven and the earth. The King James Version, more than any other English translation
of the Bible, has had the most direct influence on the English language.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form,
and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And
God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the
morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the
waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and
divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above
the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening
and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven
be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And
God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called the Seas:
and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon
the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after
his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw
that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let
there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let
them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in
the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made
two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he
made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon
the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the
darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the
fourth day. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that
hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And
God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters
brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God
saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the
waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning
were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his
kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And
God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing
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that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said,
Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the
fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth,
and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And
God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the
air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And Godsaid, Behold, I have
given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every
tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to
every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth
upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was
so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the
evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were
finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he
had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And
God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all
his work which God created and made.
The Fall of Man
Adam was the first man who ever lived.  God created him from the dust of the earth and
breathed life into him.  God knew that Adam would be lonely by himself so he had a plan
to create a partner for him.  But before he did that God showed Adam all of the animals
so that Adam could name them.  While he was naming the animals Adam noticed that
every animal had a partner.  Would there be a partner for Adam?
God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep so that he could remove one of his ribs.
From Adam’s rib God formed a woman.  This woman was called Eve and she was the
very first woman who ever lived.  Adam and Eve worked together in taking care of the
Garden of Eden as God commanded.  They were so happy in the garden that they did
not even feel embarrassed that they wore no clothes.
God took good care of Adam and Eve. He gave them many trees with good fruit to eat.
God said, “The fruit on these trees is for you to enjoy. But do not eat the fruit from the
tree in the middle of the garden. If you do, something terrible called death will happen to
you.” Adam and Eve did not even know what death was because no one had ever eaten
the fruit so no one had ever died.
One day Eve was walking through the garden alone when she heard a strange voice.
Eve started looking around to see who was talking to her. While she was looking at the
tree in the middle of the garden, she saw a snake. Eve was surprised that a snake was
talking to her! What Eve didn’t know was that it was really Satan who was talking to her
through the snake.
“Did God really say you should not eat the fruit from any tree in the garden?” the snake
asked.
“God said we may eat the fruit from any tree, except for the one in the middle of the
garden,” Eve said. “God said something terrible would happen to us if we ate any of the
fruit from that tree.”
“Nothing terrible will happen to you,” the snake hissed. “In fact, God knows that if you eat
some of that fruit, you’ll be like Him! You will know the difference between right and
wrong.”
Eve looked at the fruit on the tree and thought, “The fruit is beautiful. It looks like it would
taste good too. Besides, if it will make us wise like God, nothing terrible could happen to
us.” So she picked some of the fruit and ate it.
Then Eve also gave some of the fruit to Adam.
When Adam saw the beautiful fruit Eve h ad brought him, he took the fruit from her and
ate it. Suddenly Adam and Eve began to feel unhappy. Nothing seemed as beautiful or
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as nice as it had before. Adam and Eve knew that something terrible had happened:
they had disobeyed God.
When they heard God in the garden, they ran away and hid.
“Adam!” God called. But Adam didn’t answer.
God called again, “Adam! Where are you?”
Finally, Adam said, “I heard You calling, and I was afraid. So I ran away and hid.”
God knew what Adam and Eve had done, but He wanted them to tell Him, so He asked,
“Did you eat from the tree I told you not to eat from?”
“Eve gave the fruit to me,” said Adam.
“But the snake told me to eat it,” said Eve.
How sad God was! “You have disobeyed Me,” He said. “Adam, you and Eve must leave
the garden. From now on things will be harder for you. You will have to plant your own
gardens for food and you will not be as happy as you were here.”
Adam and Eve were sad too. Something terrible had happened to them, just as God had
said it would. Adam and Eve knew they had done wrong and deserved to be punished.
So they put on the clothes God gave them, which were made from animal skins instead
of leaves, and walked slowly, sadly out to the beautiful garden that had been their home.
They were never allowed to come back to the garden.

III. Assessment
1. Using a story map, summarize The Creation (10 points) and the Fall. (10 points).
2. Is it important to read, understand, and apply the teachings of the Bible? Explain. (10
points).
Note: If you are in other sector/religion, please substitute the Bible with the Book of your
reference.
IV. References/Notes and Suggested Reading
Bible verses relating to The Creation and Fall

Anthology of World Literature, 3rd ed. Vols. A., B, C., Norton, 2012.

Abcarian R. & M. Klotz. (2000). Literature: Reading and writing the human experience
(7th shorter ed.) Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythology: Timeless tales of gods and goddess. New York &
Boston: Grand Central Publishing.
Tomeldan, Y. V. (general ed.), et al. (1986). Prism: An introduction to world literature.
Mandaluyong
https://creativeenglishteacher.com/pages/the-bible-as-literature
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2084/0507/files/FROM_GENESIS.pdf?11
https://missionbibleclass.org/old-testament/part1/creation-through-noah/the-fall-of-man/

Lesson 2: The Koran

I. Learning Outcomes
 Identify and explain the emergence of Koran; and
 Create a graphic organizer on the literary elements of Koran.
Time Frame: 4 hours
Values Integration:Appreciation of one’s literary works
II. Discussion/Content
The Koran Literary Elements
The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran,is the central religious text of Islam,
believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God (Allah). It is widely regarded as the
finest work in classical Arabic literature. It is organized in 114 chapters, which consist of
verses.
Genre
Religious scripture
Setting and Context
Written in the 7th century near Mecca
Narrator and Point of View
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According to the Islamic faith, the Koran is the text that Muhammad the prophet received
from Allah through the angel Gabriel. It contains narrative elements that are written from
an omniscient third-person perspective
Tone and Mood
The tone can rightly be said to be sacred. It is clear that the Koran understands itself to
be sacred religious texts, and it argues clearly for its own authority and status as the only
authoritative religious text. It is Eastern or Arabic in nature, and it reads suchly. To a
Western audience, the text would seem exotic, because it constitutes a radical break
from the Western, Judeo-Christian culture.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Allah is the one true God. The antagonist is anyone who misleads the followers of Islam
through false prophesy or false teachings, including those who deny the authority of the
Koran as sacred text.
Imagery
The most beautiful imagery in the text is its descriptions of paradise, which mean
pleasure and satisfaction in a beautiful heaven for all eternity for all those who behave
well according to the teachings of the Koran.

III. Assessment
1. Create a summary of the elements using a graphic organizer. Make it brief and
concise. (20 points)
IV. References/Notes and Suggested Reading
Facts about The Koran
Anthology of World Literature, 3rd ed. Vols. A., B, C., Norton, 2012.
Abcarian R. & M. Klotz. (2000). Literature: Reading and writing the human experience
(7th shorter ed.) Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythology: Timeless tales of gods and goddess. New York &
Boston: Grand Central Publishing.
Tomeldan, Y. V. (general ed.), et al. (1986). Prism: An introduction to world literature.
Mandaluyong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran
https://www.gradesaver.com/the-koran/study-guide/literary-elements

Lesson 3: Rubaiyat by Omar Khayyam

I. Learning Outcomes
 Explain the verses of the poem;
 Construct concepts or ideas on the given verses; and
 Relate the given verses in the present world situation.
Time Frame: 4 hours
Values Integration:Appreciation of one’s literary works
II. Discussion/Content
Rubái is a Farsi word for quatrain, a four-line poetry stanza. The plural
of rubái is rubáiyát. Thus, a literal English rendering of the title of this famous poem
is The Quatrains of Omar Khayyám. (Farsi is the language that has been spoken in Iran
since the about the ninth century AD. It is written with Arabic characters.)
Type of Work and Publication History
The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a lyric poem in quatrains (four-line stanzas). Rather
than telling a story with characters, a lyric poem presents the deep feelings and
emotions of the poet on subjects such as life, death, love, and religion.
The Rubáiyát was published in March 1859 but received little attention. However, after
poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) read and praised it in 1860, the poem became
highly popular. FitzGerald revised it four times thereafter so that there are five published
editions of the poem in all. This study guide uses the first edition. Some changes
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FitzGerald incorporated in subsequent editions are significant, as in the wording of the

eleventh stanza in the first edition, which became the twelfth stanza in the fifth.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

1 High piping Pehlevi, A Flask of Wine, a

AWAKE ! for Morning in with " Wine ! Wine ! Book of Verse - and
the Bowl of Night Wine! Thou
Has flung the Stone Red Wine ! " - the Beside me singing in
that puts the Stars to Nightingale cries to the the Wilderness -
Flight: Rose And Wilderness is
And Lo ! the Hunter of That yellow Cheek of Paradise enow.
the East has caught her's to incarnadine.  
The Sultan's Turret in a   12
Noose of Light. 7 "How sweet is mortal
  Come, fill the Cup, and Sovranty ! " - think
2 in the Fire of Spring some:
Dreaming when Dawn's The Winter Garment of Others - "How blest the
Left Hand was in the Repentance fling: Paradise to come ! "
Sky The Bird of Time has Ah, take the Cash in
I heard a Voice within but a little way hand and waive the
the Tavern cry, To fly - and Lo! the Bird Rest;
"Awake, my Little ones, is on the Wing. Oh, the brave Music of
and fill the Cup   a distant Drum!
Before Life's Liquor in 8  
its Cup be dry." And look - a thousand 13
  Blossoms with the Day Look to the Rose that
3 Woke - and a thousand blows about us - " Lo,
And, as the Cock crew, scatter'd into Clay: Laughing," she says,
those who stood before And this first Summer "into the World I blow:
The Tavern shouted -'' Month that brings the At once the silken
Open then the Door! Rose Tassel of my Purse
You know how little Shall take Jamshyd and Tear, and its Treasure
while we have to stay, Kaikobad away. on the Garden throw."
And, once departed,    
may return no more." 9 14
  But come with old The Worldly Hope men
4 Khayyam, and leave set their Hearts upon
Now the New Year the Lot Turns Ashes - or it
reviving old Desires, Of Kaikobad and prospers; and anon,
The thoughtful Soul to Kaikhosru forgot: Like Snow upon the
Solitude retires, Let Rustum lay about Desert's dusty Face
Where the WHITE him as he will, Lighting a little Hour or
HAND OF MOSES on Or Hatim Tai cry two - is gone.
the Bough Supper - heed them  
Puts out, and Jesus not. 15
from the Ground   And those who
suspires. 10 husbanded the Golden
  With me along some Grain,
5 Strip of Herbage strown And those who flung it
Iram indeed is gone That just divides the to the Winds like Rain,
with all its Rose, desert from the sown, Alike to no such
And Jamshyd's Sev'n- Where name of Slave aureate Earth are turn'd
ring'd Cup where no and Sultan scarce is As, buried once, Men
one knows; known, want dug up again.
But still the Vine her And pity Sultan  
ancient Ruby yields, Mahmud on his Throne. 16
And still a Garden by   Think, in this batter'd
the Water blows. 11                                    Caravanserai
                          Whose Doorways are
6 Here with a Loaf of alternate Night and
And David's Lips are Bread beneath the Day,
lockt ; but in divine Bough, How Sultan after Sultan
with his Pomp
 6

Abode his Hour or two, Descend, ourselves to And this was all the
and went his way. make a Couch - for Harvest that I reap'd -
  whom? "I came like Water, and
17   like Wind I go."
They say the Lion and 23  
the Lizard keep Ah, make the most of 29
The Courts where what we yet may Into this Universe,
Jamshyd gloried and spend, and why not knowing,
drank deep: Before we too into the Nor whence, like Water
And Bahram, that great Dust descend; willy-nilly flowing:
Hunter - the Wild Ass Dust into Dust, and And out of it, as Wind
Stamps o'er his Head, under Dust, to lie, along the Waste,
and he lies fast asleep. Sans Wine, sans Song, I know not whither,
  sans Singer, and - sans willy-nilly blowing.
18 End !  
I sometimes think that   30
never blows so red 24 What, without asking,
The Rose as where Alike for those who for hither hurried whence?
some buried Caesar TO-DAY prepare, And, without
bled; And those that after a asking, whither hurried
That every Hyacinth the TO-MORROW stare, hence !
Garden wears A Muezzin from the Another and another
Dropt in its Lap from Tower of Darkness Cup to drown
some once lovely cries The Memory of this
Head. "Fools ! your Reward is Impertinence !
  neither Here nor There!'  
19   31                                  
And this delightful Herb 25 Up from Earth's Centre
whose tender Green Why, all the Saints and through the Seventh
Fledges the River's Lip Sages who discuss'd Gate
on which we lean - Of the Two Worlds so I rose, and on the
Ah, lean upon it lightly ! learnedly, are thrust Throne of Saturn sate,
for who knows Like foolish Prophets And many Knots
From what once lovely forth; their Words to unravel'd by the Road;
Lip it springs unseen ! Scorn But not the Knot of
  Are scatter'd, and their Human Death and
20 Mouths are stopt with Fate.
Ah, my Beloved, fill the Dust.  
Cup that clears   32
TO-DAY of past 26 There was a Door to
Regrets and future Oh, come with old which I found no Key:
Fears - Khayyam, and leave There was a Veil past
To-morrow ? - Why, To- the Wise which I could not see:
morrow I may be To talk; one thing is Some little Talk awhile
Myself with Yesterday's certain, that Life flies; of ME and THEE
Sev'n Thousand Years. One thing is certain, There seem'd - and
  and the Rest is Lies; then no more of THEE
21                                   The Flower that once and ME.
Lo! some we loved, the has blown for ever dies.  
loveliest and best   33
That Time and Fate of 27 Then to the rolling
all their Vintage prest, Myself when young did Heav'n itself I cried,
Have drunk their Cup a eagerly frequent Asking, " What Lamp
Round or two before, Doctor and Saint, and had Destiny to guide
And one by one crept heard great Argument Her little Children
silently to Rest. About it and about: but stumbling in the Dark?"
  evermore And - "A blind
22 Came out by the same Understanding!" Heav'n
And we, that now make Door as in I went. replied.
merry in the Room    
They left, and Summer 28 34
dresses in new Bloom, With them the Seed of Then to this earthen
Ourselves rnust we Wisdom did I sow, Bowl did I adjourn
beneath the Couch of And with my own hand My Lip the secret Well
Earth labour'd it to grow: of Life to learn:
 7

And Lip to Lip it Divorced old barren Play'd in a Box whose

murmur'd - "While you Reason from my Bed, Candle is the Sun,
live And took the Daughter Round which we
Drink ! - for once dead of the Vine to Spouse. Phantom Figures come
you never shall return." and go.
  41                                     
35                    47
I think the Vessel, that For "IS" and "IS-NOT" And if the Wine you
with fugitive though with Rule and drink, the Lip you press,
Articulation answer'd, Line, End in the Nothing all
once did live, And "UP-AND- Things end in - Yes -
And merry-make; and DOWN" without, I could Then fancy while Thou
the cold Lip I kiss'd define, art, Thou art but what
How many Kisses I yet in all I only cared Thou shalt be - Nothing
might it take - and give ! to know, - Thou shalt not be
  Was never deep in less.
36 anything but - Wine.  
For in the Market-place, 48
one Dusk of Day, 42 While the Rose blows
I watch'd the Potter And lately, by the along the River Brink,
thumping his wet Clay: Tavern Door agape, With old Khayyam the
And with its all Came stealing through Ruby Vintage drink:
obliterated Tongue the Dusk an Angel And when the Angel
It murmur'd - "Gently, Shape with his darker Draught
Brother, gently, pray!" Bearing a Vessel on his Draws up to Thee -
  Shoulder; and take that, and do not
37 He bid me taste of it; shrink.
Ah, fill the Cup: - what and 'twas - the Grape!.  
boots it to repeat   49
How Time is slipping 43 'Tis all a Chequer-board
underneath our Feet: The Grape that can of Nights and Days
Unborn TO-M0RROW, with Logic absolute Where Destiny with
and dead The Two-and-Seventy Men for Pieces plays:
YESTERDAY, jarring Sects confute: Hither and thither
Why fret about them if The subtle Alchemist moves, and mates, and
TO-DAY be sweet ! that in a Trice slays,
  Life's leaden Metal into And one by one back in
38 Gold transmute. the Closet lays.
One Moment in    
Annihilation's Waste, 44 50
One Moment, of the The mighty Mahmud, The Ball no Question
Well of Life to taste - the victorious Lord, makes of Ayes and
The Stars are setting That all the Noes,
and the Caravan misbelieving and black But Right or Left as
Starts for the Dawn of Horde strikes the Player goes;
Nothing - Oh, make Of Fears and Sorrows And He that toss'd
haste ! that infest the Soul. Thee down into the
  Scatters and slays with Field,
39 his enchanted Sword. He knows about it all -
How long, how long, in   HE knows - HE knows !
infinite Pursuit 45  
Of This and That But leave the Wise to 51                                   
endeavour and wrangle, and with me                       
dispute? The Quarrel of the The Moving Finger
Better be merry with the Universe let be: writes; and, having writ,
fruitful Grape And, in some corner of Moves on: nor all thy
Than sadden after the Hubbub coucht, Piety nor Wit
none, or bitter, Fruit. Make Game of that Shall lure it back to
  which makes as much cancel half a Line,
40 of Thee. Nor all thy Tears wash
You know, my Friends,   out a Word of it.
how long since in my 46  
House For in and out, above, 52
For a new Marriage I about, below, And that inverted Bowl
did make Carouse: 'Tis nothing but a Magic we call The Sky,
Shadow-show,
 8

Whereunder crawling For all the Sin where Said one - "Folks of a
coop't we live and die, with the Face of Man surly Tapster tell,
Lift not thy hands Is blacken'd, Man's And daub his Visage
to It for help - for It Forgiveness give - and with the Smoke of Hell;
Rolls impotently on as take ! They talk of some strict
Thou or I.   Testing of us - Pish !
  KUZA-NAMA He's a Good Fellow,
53   and 'twill all be well."
With Earth's first Clay 59  
They did the Last Man's Listen again. One 65
knead, evening at the Close Then said another with
And then of the Last Of Ramazan, ere the a long-drawn Sigh,
Harvest sow'd the better Moon arose, "My Clay with long
Seed: In that old Potter's Shop oblivion is gone dry:
Yea, the first Morning of I stood alone But, fill me with the old
Creation wrote With the clay familiar juice,
What the Last Dawn of Population round in Methinks I might
Reckoning shall read. Rows. recover by-and-bye !"
     
54 60 66
I tell Thee this - When, And, strange to tell, So while the Vessels
starting from the Goal, among that Earthen Lot one by one were
Over the shoulders of Some could articulate, speaking,
the flaming Foal while others not: One spied the little
Of Heav'n Parwin and And suddenly one more Crescent all were
Mushtara they flung, impatient cried- seeking:
In my predestin’d Plot Who is the Potter, pray, And then they jogged
of Dust and Soul. and who the Pot ? each other, "Brother !
    Brother !
55 61                                    Hark to the Porter's
The Vine had struck a                         Shoulder-knot a-
Fibre; which about Then said another - creaking !"
If clings my Being - let "Surely not in vain  
the Sufi flout; My Substance from the 67
Of my Base Metal may common Earth was Ah, with the Grape my
be filed a Key, ta'en, fading Life provide,
That shall unlock the That He who subtly And wash my Body
Door he howls without. wrought me into Shape whence the Life has
  Should stamp me back died,
56 to common Earth And in a Windingsheet
And this I know: again." of Vine-leaf wrapt,
whether the one True   So bury me by some
Light, 62 sweet Garden-side.
Kindle to Love, or Another said - "Why  
Wrath consume me ne'er a peevish Boy, 68
quite, Would break the Bowl That ev'n my buried
One glimpse of It within from which he drank in Ashes such a Snare
the Tavern caught Joy; Of Perfume shall fling
Better than in the Shall He that made the up into the Air,
Temple lost outright. Vessel in pure Love As not a True Believer
  And Fancy, in an after passing by
57 Rage destroy !" But shall be overtaken
Oh, Thou, who didst -   unaware.
with Pitfall and with Gin 63  
Beset the Road I was to None answer'd this ; 69
wander in, but after Silence spake Indeed the Idols I have
Thou wilt not with A Vessel of a more loved so long
Predestination round ungainly Make: Have done my Credit in
Enmesh me, and "They sneer at me for Men's Eye much wrong;
impute my Fall to Sin? leaning all awry Have drown'd my
  What ! did the Hand Honour in a shallow
58 then of the Potter shake Cup,
Oh, Thou, who Man of ?" And sold my Reputation
baser Earth didst make,   for a Song.
And who with Eden 64  
didst devise the Snake; 70
 9

Indeed, indeed, Alas, that Spring should 74

Repentance oft before vanish with the Rose Ah, Moon of my Delight
I swore - but was I That Youth's sweet- who know'st no wane,
sober when I swore ? scented Manuscript The Moon of Heav'n is
And then and then should close ! rising once again:
came Spring, and The Nightingale that in How oft hereafter rising
Rose-in-hand the Branches sang, shall she look
My thread-bare Ah, whence, and Through this same
Penitence apieces tore. whither flown again, Garden after me - in
  who knows ! vain!
71                                       
                        73 75
And much as Wine has Ah Love ! could thou And when Thyself with
play'd the Infidel, and I with Fate conspire shining Foot shall pass
And robb'd me of my To grasp this sorry Among the Guests
Robe of Honour - well, Scheme of Things Star-scatter'd on the
I often wonder what the entire, Grass,
Vintners buy Would not we shatter it And in thy joyous
One half so precious as to bits - and then Errand reach the Spot
the Goods they sell. Re-mould it nearer to Where I made one -
  the Heart's Desire ! turn down an empty
72   Glass !

III. Assessment
1. Pick on verse from the poem and answer these questions:
a. What does the verse implies? (10 points)
b. What lesson can reader get from that verse? (10 points)
IV. References/Notes and Suggested Reading
Facts about The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
 10

Anthology of World Literature, 3rd ed. Vols. A., B, C., Norton, 2012.

Abcarian R. & M. Klotz. (2000). Literature: Reading and writing the human experience
(7th shorter ed.) Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythology: Timeless tales of gods and goddess. New York &
Boston: Grand Central Publishing.
Tomeldan, Y. V. (general ed.), et al. (1986). Prism: An introduction to world literature.
Mandaluyong
http://www.omarkhayyamrubaiyat.com/text.htm
https://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides3/rubaiyat.html

Lesson 4: Folk tales from the thousand and One Nights

I. Learning Outcomes
 Identify the different folk tales of Thousand and One Nights
 Create a story map in one of the most standout stories; and
 Reflect on the importance of the tales given.
Time Frame: 4 hours
Values Integration:Appreciation of one’s literature
II. Discussion/Content
1,001 Nights, also known as The Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights, is a
collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales that were originally published
together during the Islamic Golden Age. The stories — from historical tales to tragic
romances to comedies — were collected over many centuries by a huge range of
scholars and authors. Read below to find ten of the most standout stories.
Shahryar and Scheherazade
This frame story for the entirety of the work is the common thread between each
edition of Nights. Shahryar is a king who rules over India and China. He becomes
aware of his wife’s infidelity and has her executed, and afterward, in anger and
sadness, decides all women are guilty and must be executed. Shahryar marries and
executes several virgins, each on the morning after they are married. When the king
takes Scheherazade as his wife, she tells him a story on the night of their marriage,
but she doesn’t have time to finish it. The king postpones her execution to find out the
end of the story. The next night she finishes her story but begins a new one, and
Shahryar postpones her execution again. They continue this for 1,001 nights.
Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
Although it wasn’t added to the collection until the 18th century by French scholar
Antoine Galland, ‘Aladdin’ is one of the most popular tales from 1,001 Nights because
of its modern Disney adaptation. In the original tale, Aladdin is a poor, young man in
‘one of the cities of China.’ A sorcerer deceives Aladdin and persuades him to steal
an oil lamp from a magic cave. Aladdin accidentally releases a genie from the lamp,
and so a series of events unfold in which Aladdin’s every wish comes true, but only to
be dismantled by the villain. Thankfully, a Disney-approved happy ending is in store.
The Three Apples
In this tale, a fisherman discovers a chest in the Tigris River that he sells to Harun al-
Rashid, the Abbasid Caliph. Harun finds that it contains the body of a dead woman
and orders his adviser, Ja’far, to solve the crime. The dead woman’s husband and
father both claim to have killed her, but the caliph believes the story of the husband
 11

who believed her to have been unfaithful. The husband had bought three unique
apples for his wife when she was ill, and when he found a slave with one of the
apples, the slave claimed his girlfriend gave it to him. In a rage, the man killed his
wife. The slave who stirred up all the trouble ends up being Ja’far’s slave, and Ja’far
begs for a pardon.
The Tale of the Hunchback
In Basrah, a tailor and his wife came upon an amusing hunchback who they decided
to invite to their home for dinner. While the hunchback was eating and joking, he
choked on a huge, sharp fishbone. The two wrapped the dead man up in cloth and
pretended he was a child with smallpox so everyone would leave them alone. The
two left the hunchback at the doctor’s house and ran away. The doctor was eager to
see his patient, and he tripped down the stairs, falling onto the hunchback. Believing
he killed a patient, the doctor pawns the dead body off on his neighbor. The
hunchback is passed around until the king’s broker is found with the dead body, and
just as the broker is about to be executed, a string of confessions comes from all the
assumed murderers. But it turns out the hunchback was never dead at all – a barber
brings him back to life.
The Vizier and the Sage Duban
Duban is a sage, or a wise healer, who works for King Yunan who has leprosy.
Yunan’s advisor warns the king that Duban is going to try to kill him, and Yunan
executes the healer, fearing for his life. Duban gives the king a magic book just
before he is beheaded. After the execution, the king reads through the book and later
dies because of a secret poison Duban left on the pages.
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
This famous tale is another that was added by Galland in the 18th century. Ali Baba is
a poor but hardworking woodcutter who finds a thieves’ hideout protected by magic,
which he enters by saying, ‘Open Sesame.’ The den is filled with treasures, and Ali
Baba lets the secret out to his brother Cassim, who is killed by the thieves while trying
to steal the treasure. The thieves find out Ali Baba knows how to get into their
hideout, so they set off to kill him, but they are outwitted by Ali Baba’s clever slave,
Morgiana.
The Fisherman and the Jinni
A poor fisherman casts out his net after calling upon God and pulls out a copper jar.
When he opens it, pleased to have found something so valuable, a powerful genie is
released. Having been kept captive in the jar for so long, the genie is furious with
humanity and vows to kill whoever released him. The fisherman, a wise old man, has
no success pleading with the genie, so he tricks the genie into returning to the jar.
Trapped again, the genie pledges to reward the fisherman with a lake full of exotic
fish if he is released. The fisherman agrees and sells the fish to the sultan as the
genie instructed. When the sultan investigates the lake where the fish came from, he
meets a prince who is half stone. The sultan helps the prince and continues to stay
friends with the fisherman.
The Lovers of Bassorah
Harun al-Rashid, the caliph in the story, asks the famous writer al-Asma’i and the
poet Husayn al-Khali to tell him a story. Husayn tells him of visiting Bassorah to
present a poem. Husayn went inside a house to ask for a glass of water, and there he
met a beautiful woman who confessed her love for a young man who used to pass by
 12

the house, but stopped when he saw the woman playing with her slave. Husayn
decides to help her meet him again by taking him a note, but the man refuses to
come back. When he visits the house a year later, however, he finds the two married.
The Three Princes and the Princes Nouronnihar
Three princes all want to marry their cousin Nouronnihar, and the Grand Sultan, their
father, guarantees the woman’s hand to the brother who finds the item with the
highest value. They each work to bring the best item to the table, including
a magic carpet to ride, a magical tube that shows the viewer his deepest wishes, and
a healing apple. After finding the items, the princes hear that Nouronnihar is ill, and
rather than fighting over her, they bring all of their items together to save her life.
The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor
A famous sailor named Sinbad tells the stories of his Homeric travels to a poor porter.
The tales include shipwrecks, ferocious beasts, the Old Man of the Sea, and other
dangers. The thrill of life at sea leads Sinbad to keep exploring despite the danger,
but after his seventh voyage, Sinbad finally decides to settle down. Sinbad’s stories
are another famous section of the collection, but they weren’t added until later
compilations – they date back to a Turkish collection in 1637.

III. Assessment
1. Among stories cited above, pick one and answer these questions (15 points):
a. Why did you pick that story?
b. What is the lesson?
c. In what way or instance you can relate to the story?
IV. References/Notes and Suggested Reading
Other readings of Folk tales from the Thousand and One Nights

Anthology of World Literature, 3rd ed. Vols. A., B, C., Norton, 2012.

Abcarian R. & M. Klotz. (2000). Literature: Reading and writing the human experience
(7th shorter ed.) Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Hamilton, E. (1942). Mythology: Timeless tales of gods and goddess. New York &
Boston: Grand Central Publishing.
Tomeldan, Y. V. (general ed.), et al. (1986). Prism: An introduction to world literature.
Mandaluyong
https://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/articles/the-top-10-stories-from-1001-nights/