nothing more to say to her, but determined to divorce her, and sent ʾAbd-Allâh-ibn-Tâhir to her with two hundred thousand dirhems (which were what he owed her) saying to him, "O ibn-Tâhir! divorce her in two words, and add nothing thereto."
So ʾAbd-Allâh-ibn-Tâhir went to her and said, "Abu-Muhammad, el-Hajjâj, says to thee—Kunti fabinti.[1] And here are the two hundred thousand dirhems which are due to thee from him." Whereupon she made answer: "Know, O ibn-Tâhir, that by Allâh! I was—(his wife) but I did not glory in it, and I am repudiated, but I do not regret it. And as for this two hundred thousand—it is thine, for bringing me the good news of my deliverance from that dog of a Thakîfy!"
And after a while, the Commander of the Faithful, ʾAbd-el-Málik-ibn-Marwân, heard of her, and her beauty was greatly praised to him. So he sent to demand her in marriage for himself. But she wrote a letter to him in reply, wherein, after compliments, she said, "Know, O Commander of the Faithful! that I have already had one dog for a husband."
- ↑ "Thou wert (ellipsis for, Thou wert my wife)—and thou hast been repudiated."
