1878.] C. J. Lyall— The Mo'allaqali of Zuheyr. 3 
disjfiease him, and divorce me, and there befall me therein what thou know- 
est. He is not mine uncle’s son, that he should regard my right, nor thy 
neighbour in thy land, that he should be ashamed before thee.’ He said: 
‘ Arise—God bless thee ! Call to me Buheyseh’—naming his youngest 
daughter; and she was brought to him. And he spoke to her as he had 
spoken to her two sisters. And she said—‘As thou wilt.’ He said 
—‘ Verily I offered this to thy two sisters, and they refused.’ ‘ Nay but I,’ 
said she (and he had not told her what the two had said), ‘ By God! am 
the fair in face, the skilful with her hands, the noble in nature, the honour¬ 
able in her father ; and if he divorce me, God will bring no good upon him 
thereafter.’ And he said—‘ God bless thee !’ Then he came forth to us 
and said—‘ I wed to thee, 0 Harith, Buheyseh daughter of Aus.’ ‘ I accept 
her,’ said el-Harith. Then Aus bade her mother make her ready and deck 
her for the wedding ; and he gave command that a tent should be pitched 
for el-Harith, and lodged him therein. And when his daughter was decked 
out, he sent her in to el-Harith. And when she was brought in to him, 
he stayed but a little sjoace, and came forth to me ; and I said—‘ Hast thou 
prospered ?’ ‘ No,’ said he. ‘ How was that ?’ I asked. He answered 
—‘ When I put forth my hand to take her, she said “ Stay ! doest thou 
thus before my father and my brethren F No, by God ! this is not fitting !” ’ 
Then he commanded that the camels should be made ready, and we started 
on our way, taking her with us. And we journeyed a space ; then he said 
to me—‘ Go on ahead : ’ and I went on ; and he turned aside with her from 
the road. And he had tarried but a little when he joined me again ; and I 
said—‘ Hast thou prospered ?’ ‘ No’, he answered. ‘ Why ?’ said I. He 
answered—‘ She said to me—“ Doest thou with me as with a woman-slave 
that is hawked about for sale, or a captive woman taken in battle P No, by 
God ! until thou slay the camels, and slaughter the sheep, and call the Arabs 
to the feast, and do all that should be done for the like of me.” ’ I answered 
—‘ By God ! I see that she is a woman of a high spirit and understanding ; 
and I hope that she will be to thee a wife who shall bear thee noble sons, 
if God will.’ And we travelled on until we came to our country. And 
el-Harith made ready the camels and the sheep, and prepared a feast ; then 
he went in to her. And in a little while he came forth to me, and I asked 
him—‘ Hast thou prospered ?’ ‘No,’ said he. ‘ How was that ?’ I asked. 
He answered : ‘ I went in to her and said—“ Lo ! I have made ready the 
camels and the sheep as thou seest she answered me—“ By God ! I was 
told that thou hadst a nobleness which I do not see in thee.” “ How so ?” 
I asked. She said—“ Hast thou a light heart to wed women while the 
Arabs are slaying one another ?” “ What wouldst thou have me do ?” I 
asked. She said—“ Go forth to these thy kindred, and make peace be¬ 
tween them : then return to thy wife, and thou shalt not miss what thou 
