Editing One Thousand and One Nights (section)

===Early European literature===
Although the first known translation into a European language appeared in 1704, it is possible that the ''Nights'' began exerting its influence on Western culture much earlier. Christian writers in Medieval Spain translated many works from Arabic, mainly philosophy and mathematics, but also Arab fiction, as is evidenced by [[Juan Manuel]]'s story collection ''[[El Conde Lucanor]]'' and [[Ramón Llull]]'s ''The Book of Beasts''.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=92–94}}

Knowledge of the work, direct or indirect, apparently spread beyond Spain. Themes and motifs with parallels in the ''Nights'' are found in [[Chaucer]]'s ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]'' (in ''[[The Squire's Tale]]'' the hero travels on a flying brass horse) and [[Boccaccio]]'s ''[[Decameron]]''. Echoes in [[Giovanni Sercambi]]'s ''Novelle'' and [[Ariosto]]'s ''[[Orlando Furioso]]'' suggest that the story of Shahriyar and Shahzaman was also known.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=96–99}} Evidence also appears to show that the stories had spread to the [[Balkans]] and a translation of the ''Nights'' into [[Romanian language|Romanian]] existed by the 17th century, itself based on a Greek version of the collection.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=61–62}}

{{Anchor|Western literature from the 18th century onwards}}