batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l633-l714
---
record_id: batch.motif.islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg-l633-l714
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
passage_locator:
label: LIFE OF GEORGE SALE. / R. A. DAVENPORT. / INTRODUCTION / TO THE READER.;
lines 633-714
start: '633'
end: '714'
translation: The Koran (Al-Qur'an)
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage reviews earlier European translations of the Koran, criticizes
their faults, praises and qualifies Marracci's Latin version, explains the present
translator's aim to render the original faithfully with notes from commentators,
and describes sources and manuscripts consulted, including al Beidawi's commentary
and the Gospel of St. Barnabas.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Andrew du Ryer translated the Koran into French after having served as French
consul in Egypt and possessing some Turkish and Arabic knowledge.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Du Ryer's translation is described as preferable to Retenensis's but still
faulty because of mistakes, transpositions, omissions, additions, and lack of
explanatory notes.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Alexander Ross's English version is described as a poor translation of Du
Ryer's French version, made by someone unfamiliar with Arabic and not highly skilled
in French.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Father Lewis Marracci's Latin translation was published at Padua in 1698 with
the original text, notes, and a refutation.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Marracci's translation is described as generally exact but too literal in
Arabic idiom for readers not versed in Mohammedan learning.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The narrator states that he undertook a new translation and tried to do impartial
justice to the original without making it seem better or worse than it is.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The narrator says he kept closely to the text because the work claims to be
the Word of God, even if the English sometimes becomes less elegant.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The narrator's notes aim to explain difficult and obscure passages using approved
commentators, usually in their own words.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The Preliminary Discourse is said to provide material background before reading
the Koran itself, while authorities are quoted in both the discourse and notes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: The narrator acknowledges special debt to Dr. Pocock and describes Pocock's
Specimen Histori Arabum as useful and accurate for Arabian antiquities.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: The narrator says he used manuscripts from his own study except for al Beidawi's
commentary and the Gospel of St. Barnabas, which were lent or made available by
others.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: The Gospel of St. Barnabas manuscript is described as a moderate quarto in
Spanish, written in a legible hand, somewhat damaged near the end, and containing
222 chapters of unequal length.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Andrew du Ryer
description: Former French consul in Egypt who translated the Koran into French.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Retenensis
description: Earlier translator whose work is used as a point of comparison for
Du Ryer's translation.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Alexander Ross
description: Translator of an English version based on Du Ryer's French translation.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Father Lewis Marracci
description: Confessor to Pope Innocent XI and maker of a Latin translation of the
Koran published in 1698.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Narrator / present translator
description: Speaker who undertook a new translation, added notes, and describes
sources used.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Arabic commentators
description: Authorities whose explanations are used for difficult passages.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Dr. Pocock
description: Scholar whose Specimen Histori Arabum is praised and heavily relied
upon.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Dr. Bolten
description: Minister of the Dutch church in Austin Friars who helped provide access
to al Beidawi's commentary.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Dr. Holme
description: Rector of Hedley in Hampshire who lent the Gospel of St. Barnabas manuscript.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: translator
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: The passage identifies these figures with translations or a new translation
of the Koran.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: commentarial or scholarly authority
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: The passage discusses notes, commentators, refutations, and scholarly works
used to explain the text.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: editor-explainer of difficult passages
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The narrator states that his notes briefly explain the text, especially difficult
and obscure passages.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: provider of manuscript access
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:9
basis: The passage says Dr. Bolten enabled use of al Beidawi's commentary and Dr.
Holme lent the Gospel of St. Barnabas.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols: []
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Evaluation of earlier translations
summary: The passage surveys Du Ryer's French version, Ross's English version, and
Marracci's Latin version, describing their strengths and faults.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Translator's statement of method
summary: The narrator explains his intention to translate impartially, remain close
to the text, and use notes to clarify difficult passages through commentators.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Acknowledgment of authorities and manuscripts
summary: The narrator describes the Preliminary Discourse, acknowledges scholarly
debts, and identifies manuscripts and lenders used for the work.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: learned transmission and explanation of a sacred text
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage centers on translation, commentary, explanatory notes, authorities,
manuscripts, and the effort to render a text claiming divine status faithfully
for readers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: This is an introductory scholarly prose passage rather than a mythic narrative;
the taxonomy link to wisdom is thematic and should be reviewed.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 635-647
quote_or_summary: Andrew du Ryer, former French consul in Egypt and skilled in Turkish
and Arabic, translated the Koran into French; the passage calls it better than
Retenensis's but full of mistakes and lacking explanatory notes.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 648-653
quote_or_summary: Alexander Ross's English version is described as a bad translation
of Du Ryer's, adding mistakes because Ross lacked Arabic and had limited French.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 654-666
quote_or_summary: Marracci's 1698 Latin translation, with original text, notes,
and refutation, is described as generally exact but overly literal and accompanied
by useful notes and weak refutations.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 667-682
quote_or_summary: The narrator says he undertook a new translation, aimed at impartial
justice to the original, and kept close to the text because the work claims to
be the Word of God.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 683-691
quote_or_summary: The narrator says his notes briefly explain the text, especially
difficult and obscure passages, using approved commentators generally in their
own words.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 692-702
quote_or_summary: The Preliminary Discourse is intended to provide necessary background;
the narrator quotes authorities and especially acknowledges Dr. Pocock's work
on Arabian antiquities.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 703-712
quote_or_summary: The narrator says most manuscripts used were from his own study,
except al Beidawi's commentary from the Dutch church library and the Gospel of
St. Barnabas lent by Dr. Holme; Dr. Bolten assisted with the former.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 713-714
quote_or_summary: The Gospel of St. Barnabas manuscript is described as a moderate
quarto in Spanish, legibly written, somewhat damaged near the end, and containing
222 chapters of unequal length.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/islamic/project-gutenberg/koran-sale.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward. Motif identification is limited because
the passage is editorial and scholarly rather than narrative mythic material.
No comparison claims are made because the passage does not itself support a comparative
mythology claim.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No symbols from the supplied symbol list are present in this passage; comparison claims are intentionally omitted.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:islamic-koran-sale-gutenberg__l633-l714
passage_sha256=ff6c2fa87b559ba2d7be19448493a863415bd13b970944bac61957da041584bd