The Adventures of Hajji Baba of IspahanFull of rip-roaring exploits, witty satire, and nimble humor, this classic work of fiction, first published in 1824, launches readers along on the rags-to-riches escapades of Hajji Baba, the lazy son of a barber, as he seeks his fortune... but only if it doesn't demand too much work of him.James Morier's journeys through the Middle East as a representative of the British government lent him an extensive and intimate knowledge of Iranian culture, one that he used to great effect in his writing. The translation into Persian of Hajji Baba is, in fact, considered one of the masterpieces of the 19th-century literature of the language, with many native speakers unaware that it was originally penned by a visiting Englishman.Long out of print, this wild novel is sure to delight new generations of armchair adventurers.English author, diplomat, and adventurer JAMES JUSTINIAN MORIER (1780-1849) served as the British ambassador to the court of Persia from 1810 to 1816. He is also remembered for his memoir A Journey through Persia, Armenia and Asia Minor to Constantinople in 1808. |
Contents
| 11 | |
| 19 | |
| 26 | |
| 33 | |
| 42 | |
| 48 | |
| 55 | |
| 67 | |
Hajji Baba meets with an old friend who cheers | 244 |
He takes refuge in a sanctuary where his melan | 251 |
He becomes a saint and associates with the most | 273 |
Hajjî Baba is robbed by his friend and left | 279 |
Hajjî Baba reaches Ispahan and his paternal | 285 |
He becomes heir to property which is not | 295 |
Of the diviners success in making discoveries | 305 |
The mollah Nadân gives an account of his | 314 |
| 76 | |
| 82 | |
The poet returns from captivityThe conse | 89 |
He succeeds in deceiving two of the faculty get | 97 |
Hajji Baba asks the doctor for a salary and | 106 |
He has an interview with the fair Zeenab | 112 |
The history of Zeenab the Kurdish slave | 122 |
sician to receive the Shah as his guest and | 139 |
A description of the entertainment which | 150 |
His reflections on the loss of ZeenabHe is sud | 158 |
He accompanies the Shah to his camp and gets | 167 |
Employed in his official capacity Hajjî Baba | 173 |
Fortune which pretended to frown in fact | 181 |
The history of Yûsûf the Armenian and | 189 |
Sequel of the foregoing history and of the reso | 214 |
Hajjî Baba gives an account of his proceedings | 220 |
He proceeds to the kings camp and gives | 233 |
Of the man Hajjî Baba meets thinking | 322 |
Showing how the ambition of the mollah Nâdan | 328 |
Of the consequences of the adventure which | 338 |
Hajji and the mollah make plans suited to their | 353 |
Hajjî Baba hears an extraordinary sequel to | 361 |
He is discovered and seized but his good stars | 367 |
He purchases pipesticks and inspires a hope | 375 |
Emir which at first alarms but afterwards | 382 |
He obtains an interview with the fair Sheker | 388 |
His desire to excite envy lays the foundation | 396 |
An incident in the street diverts his despair | 404 |
He becomes useful to an ambassador who makes | 411 |
Hajjî Baba writes the History of Europe | 422 |
Hajjî is noticed by the grand vizier and is | 431 |
The conclusionMisfortune seems to take leave | 439 |
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Common terms and phrases
Allah ambassador answered appeared Armenian Aslan Bagdad barber bastinado beard began blessed caliph called caravan caravanserai CHAPTER chief executioner clothes companion Constantinople dervish discovered doctor dress endeavoured Erivan exclaimed eyes face father fear feelings fortune gate gave Georgian Giaour give grand vizier Hajjî Baba Hamadan hand harem head hear heard honour horse immediately infidels Ispahan Janissaries ked khoda king knew Koran length looked lord high treasurer manner Mansouri Mashallah master Mirza Ahmak mollah Bashi mollah Nadân mouth mule mûshtehed Mussulman nasakchi never Osman parasangs passed Persian person pipe poet possession present priest proceeded Prophet received recollect road seated seized Serdar servants Shah Shah's shawl Shîr situation slave smoke soon sort Sultanieh taken Tehran tent thought tion tomauns took true Turcomans turned village whilst whole wife women words Zeenab
Popular passages
Page 75 - the barber has words on his side— you have equity on yours. The law must be defined by words, and agreements must be made by words : the former must have its course, or it is nothing ; and agreements must be kept, or there would be no faith between man and man ; therefore the barber must keep all his wood ; but — " Then calling the wood-cutter close to him, the Caliph whispered something in his ear, which none but he could hear, and then sent him away quite satisfied.
Page 243 - ... lay struggling, a mangled and mutilated corpse. She still breathed, but the convulsions of death were upon her, and her lips moved as if she would speak, although the blood was fast flowing from her mouth. I could not catch a word, although she uttered sounds that seemed like words. I thought she said, " My child ! my child !" but perhaps it was an illusion of my brain.
Page 98 - And then coaxing me, and preventing me from making any further objections to his unexpected request, he gently pushed me out of the room; and I left him, scarcely knowing whether to laugh or to cry at the new posture which my affairs had taken. To sicken without any stipulated reward was what I could not consent to do, so I retraced my steps with a determination of making a bargain with my patron: but when I got to the room, he was no longer there, having apparently retreated into his harem; and...
Page 243 - Ay, as a stone," answered one of my ruffians. " Carry her away, then," said the voice. " To hell yourself," in a suppressed tone, said another ruffian ; upon which my men lifted the dead body into the taboot, placed it upon their shoulders, and walked off with it to the burial ground without the city, where they found a grave ready dug to receive it.
Page 90 - ... falsely reported to have died abroad, returns home alive, why is he not admitted by the door, but gets up on the tiles and so lets himself down into the house?" The curious custom to which Plutarch here refers prevails in modern Persia, for we read in "Hajji Baba
Page 97 - ... always walking about, we keep seated; they wear tight clothes, we loose ones; they write from left to right, we from right to left; they never pray, we five times a day; in short, there is no end to what might be related of them; but most certain it is, that they are the most filthy people on...
Page 241 - be cheshm,' (by my eyes) ; and lucky was it for me that he quitted me immediately, that Mirza Ahmak had also left me, and that it was dusk, or else the fear and anguish which overwhelmed me upon hearing this message must have betrayed me. A cold sweat broke out all over my body, my eyes swam, my knees knocked under me, and I should perhaps have fallen into a swoon, if the counter fear of being seen in such a state, in the very centre of the palace, had not roused me.
Page 75 - Ali Sakal, and made light of the complaint. The poor man then appealed to the Mufti himself; who, having pondered over the question, at length settled, that it was too difficult a case for him to decide, no provision being made for it in the Koran, and therefore he must put up with his loss. The wood-cutter was not disheartened; but...
Page 303 - ajaib" wonderful ; and the little humpback was looked upon as a supernatural being. The capiji, who was accustomed to such discoveries, was the only one who had the readiness to say, " But where is the thief ? You have shown us where the game lay, but we want you to catch it for us : — the thief and the money, or the money without the thief — that is what we want." " Softly, my friend," said the dervish to the capiji, " don't jump so soon from the crime to the criminal.
Page 303 - Softly, my friend," said the dervish to the capiji, " don't jump so soon from the crime to the criminal. We have a medicine for every disorder, although it may take some time to work." He then cast his eyes upon the company present, twinkling them all the while in quick flashes, and said, " I am sure every one here will be happy to be clear of suspicion, and will agree to what I shall propose. The operation is simple and soon over.