“I died first, O Commander of the Faithful!  Here with the thousand dinars and acquit thee of thine oath and the swear thou sworest.”  Nuzhat al-Fuad rose also and stood up before the Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah, who both rejoiced in this and in their safety, and the Pricess chid her slave-girl.  Then the Caliph and Zubaydah gave them joy of their well-being and knew that this death was a trick to get the gold; and the Lady said to Nuzhat al-Fuad, “Thou shouldst have sought of me that which thou needest, without this fashion, and not have burned[FN#83] my heart for thee.”  And she, “Verily, I was ashamed, O my lady.”  As for the Caliph, he swooned away for laughing and said, “O Abu al-Hasan, thou wilt never cease to be a wag and do peregrine things and prodigious!” Quoth he, “O Commander of the Faithful, this trick I played off for that money which thou gavest me was exhausted, and I was ashamed to ask of thee again.  When I was single, I could never keep money in hand; but since thou marriedst me to this damsel, if I possessed even thy wealth, I should lay it waste.  Wherefore when all that was in my hand was spent, I wrought this sleight, so I might get of thee the hundred dinars and the piece of silk; and all this is an alms from our lord.  But now make haste to give me the thousand dinars and acquit thee of thine oath.”  The Caliph and the Lady Zubaydah laughed and returned to the palace; and he gave Abu al-Hasan the thousand dinars saying, “Take them as a douceur[FN#84] for thy preservation from death,” whilst her mistress did the like with Nuzhat al-Fuad, honouring her with the same words.  Moreover, the Caliph increased the Wag in his solde and supplies, and he and his wife ceased not to live in joy and contentment, till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and Severer of societies, the Plunderer of palaces, and the Garnerer of Graves.

The caliph Omar bin Abd al-Aziz and the
poets[FN#85]

It is said that, when the Caliphate devolved on Omar bin Abd al-Aziz[FN#86] (of whom Allah accept), the poets resorted to him, as they had been used to resort to the Caliphs before him, and abode at his door days and day, but he suffered them not to enter, till there came to him ’Abi bin Artah,[FN#87] who stood high in esteem with him.  Jarir[FN#88] accosted him and begged him to crave admission for them to the presence; so Adi answered, “’Tis well;” and, going in to Omar, said to him, “The poets are at thy door and have been there days and days; yet hast thou not given them leave to enter, albeit their sayings abide[FN#89] and their arrows from mark never fly wide.”  Quoth Omar, “What have I to do with the poets?” and quoth Adi, “O Commander of the Faithful, the Prophet (Abhak!)[FN#90] was praised by a poet[FN#91] and gave him largesse, and in him[FN#92] is an exemplar to every Moslem.”  Quoth Omar, “And who praised him?” and quoth Adi, “’Abbas bin Mirdas[FN#93] praised him, and he clad him with a suit and said, O Generosity,[FN#94] cut off from me his tongue!” Asked the Caliph, “Dost thou remember what he said?” and Adi answered, “Yes.”  Rejoined Omar, “Then repeat it;” so Adi repeated,[FN#95]