desert ['dezqt], greyhound ['greIhaund], pomegranate ['pOmIgrxnqt]

Of course if he had chosen to turn his ring on his finger and call up the Djinns and the Afrits, they would have magicked all those nine hundred and ninety-nine quarrelsome wives into white mules of the desert or greyhounds or pomegranate seeds; but Suleiman-bin-Daoud thought that that would be showing off. So, when they quarrelled too much, he only walked by himself in one part of the beautiful Palace gardens and wished he had never been born.

One day, when they had quarrelled for three weeks (однажды, когда они ссорились уже три недели) — all nine hundred and ninety-nine wives together (все 999 жен вместе) — Suleiman-bin-Daoud went out for peace and quiet as usual (Сулейман-ибн-Дауд вышел для = в поисках покоя и спокойствия, как обычно); and among the orange trees he met Balkis the Most Beautiful (и среди апельсиновых деревьев он встретил Прекраснейшую Балкис), very sorrowful because Suleiman-bin-Daoud was so worried (очень печальную из-за того, что Сулейман-ибн-Дауд был так обеспокоен). And she said to him (и она сказала ему), ‘O my Lord and Light of my Eyes (О мой Владыка и Свет моих Очей), turn the ring upon your finger (поверни кольцо на твоем пальце) and show these Queens of Egypt and Mesopotamia and Persia and China (и покажи этим Царицам Египта, и Месопотамии, и Персии, и Китая) that you are the great and terrible King (что ты великий и внушающий страх Царь; terrible — внушающий страх, ужас; страшный, ужасный).’ But Suleiman-bin-Daoud shook his head and said (но Сулейман-ибн-Дауд покачал /своей/ головой и сказал), ‘O my Lady and Delight of my Life (О моя Госпожа и Отрада моей Жизни), remember the Animal that came out of the sea and made me ashamed (помнишь то Животное, которое вышло из моря и пристыдило меня) before all the animals in all the world (прежде всех животных во всем мире) because I showed off (потому что я похвастался). Now, if I showed off before these Queens of Persia and Egypt and Abyssinia and China (теперь, если бы я похвалился перед этими Царицами Персии, и Египта, и Абиссинии, и Китая), merely because they worry me (лишь из-за того, что они донимают меня; to worry — надоедать; докучать, донимать, приставать), I might be made even more ashamed than I have been (возможно, я бы оказался пристыжен еще больше, /чем я был/).’

usual ['jHZuql], Egypt ['JGIpt], worry ['wArI]

One day, when they had quarrelled for three weeks — all nine hundred and ninety-nine wives together — Suleiman-bin-Daoud went out for peace and quiet as usual; and among the orange trees he met Balkis the Most Beautiful, very sorrowful because Suleiman-bin-Daoud was so worried. And she said to him, ‘O my Lord and Light of my Eyes, turn the ring upon your finger and show these Queens of Egypt and Mesopotamia and Persia and China that you are the great and terrible King.’ But Suleiman-bin-Daoud shook his head and said, ‘O my Lady and Delight of my Life, remember the Animal that came out of the sea and made me ashamed before all the animals in all the world because I showed off. Now, if I showed off before these Queens of Persia and Egypt and Abyssinia and China, merely because they worry me, I might be made even more ashamed than I have been.’