Notable Sales
THE KORAN (1734)
SALE, George
The first translation of the Quran directly from Arabic into English. First edition. Quarto (248 x 199mm). Bound in contemporary English calf, gilt rules to covers and spine, five raised bands to the spine, with a red morocco title label. All edges speckled red. There is a large folding map of Arabia, a fold-out plan of Mecca, and three genealogical plates showing Arab tribes.
A near fine, well-margined copy. Very fresh internally. Clean externally, with neat repairs to the upper joint and head- and tailcaps.
A very attractive example of this landmark Quran, the first of its kind, which went on to inspire Voltaire and Edward Gibbon. George Sale was an Orientalist who, according to Edward Said, dealt "with Arab history in terms of Arab sources" and "let Muslim commentators on the sacred text speak for themselves". The only previous translation of the Quran into English was not done directly from the Arabic, but from a French edition published in 1649.