Vol. Hi, No. 7,] Seven Stones f rem the Nafkaf^H-Yaman. 529 

 [N.8.] 



like that a long timej and I continued to sprinkle water on him 

 without his coining round. I feared he would die and that you 

 would accuse me of his death. So I ran away, through fear of 

 you." AUHojjnj laughed uncontrollably and added, *' Woe to 

 thee! Tell no one of this." She said. *'0n condition that you 

 don't send me back to him." He said, "I agree." 



Story III. 



1 



Muhammad^ *bn^ Ishaq has told a story that he heard fi^om his 

 father, who narrated as follows; — *'Ionce went into the presence 

 of Ar-Bashid^ who had before him a tray of roses. He said to 

 me, * Compose something about these.' So I recited : 



It is as thougli tbey nre the cheeks of the beloved that the lover's 

 lips are kissing, and so she blushes with shame, 



A slave girl, who was waiting on him, said, 'You're wrong, 

 Why didn't you say what I'm going to say, viz, : 



They are like my cheeks when the hand of Ar-Rashid draws me to 

 an act that necessitates a bathing ! 1 



The narrator contiimes: " Ar-Baahid laughed and said, ' Go 

 out Ishaq^ for this pert girl has roused me." He then got up and 

 took her by the hand and led her off.'' 



Story IV. 



t 



It is said, ''Abu Ja'far Muhammad^-' bn^ 'Alt^ once sent some 

 wine as a present to the famous poet Al-Biihttirt ^ by the hand of a 

 ^ood-lookiiig, well-made young slave-boy. When AUBnhturi saw 

 him, he pressed him to his breast and kissed him and, writing* 

 the following lines, sent him back with them: 



'* Oh Ahu Ja'far, the kiss from thy glave was one of the most de- 

 lightful of thy presents. 

 Thou didst send us the sun of wine, shining in the hand of the sun 



of men. 

 Would that the present had been the messenger and the messen- 



ger the present ! " 



On reading these lines Abu Ja'far sent him the boy as a 



present. 



99 



1 (Jrnf or (J f means *' a complete washing of the whole person,'* pres- 

 cribed by religion after certain acts. 



* Muhammad^ 'bni^ 'All al-Qummi: of. Kitdb^4'A^dm, Y6\. xviii, 171, 

 where this aucedote is given, 



3 A famons poet. (206—284 A.H. 82*— 898 A .D.) 



♦ Lit., '*and wrote with him these lines (o*Aj5lt »iA Smjc kftSSj ). 



