Historical Tales and Anecdotes of the Time of the Early Khalifahs/Anecdote of Misun
ANECDOTE OF MÎSÛN.
MÎSÛN, the daughter of Báhdal,[1] was married to Muʾâwiyah, and he brought her from amongst the wandering Arabs into Damascus. But she sorrowed exceedingly for her people, and at the remembrance of her home; and one day, whilst he was listening to her, he heard her reciting, and saying:
Is dearer to me than a noble palace;
And a dish of crumbs on the floor of my home
Is dearer to me than a varied feast;
And the soughing of the breeze thro' every crevice
Is dearer to me than the beating of drums;
And a camel's-wool Abâh[2] which gladdens my eye
Is dearer to me than filmy robes;
And a dog barking around my path
Is dearer to me than a coaxing cat; And a restive young camel, following the litter,
Is dearer to me than a pacing mule;
And a feeble boor from 'midst my cousinhood
Is dearer to me than a rampant ass.
And upon hearing these lines, Muʾâwiyah exclaimed, "The daughter of Báhdal was not satisfied until she had likened me to a rampant ass!" And he ordered her to be packed off again to her family in the desert.
- ↑ I think Báhdal is a mistake. I find the other authorities speak of Mîsûn as the daughter of Yáhdak, of the tribe of Kalb. She had an excellent genius for poetry; and at Muʾâwiyah's command took her son Yezîd (Muʾâwiyah's successor) with her into the desert, among her own relations, in order to inspire him with poetic sentiments.
- ↑ The long loose cloak of camel's wool which is to this day worn by the Bedawîn Arabs.