Hath left me in sorrow and love distraught, * Unseen and unseeing, that fairest may: She promised me grace, then jilted and said, * The promise of night is effaced by day!
Then Abu Musab came forward and recited these couplets,
When wilt thou be wise and love-heat allay * That from food and sleeping so leads astray? Suffices thee not ever weeping eye, * And vitals on fire when thy name they say? He must smile and laugh and in pride must cry * The promise of Night is effaced by Day.
Last came Abu Nowas and recited the following couplets,
As love waxt longer less met we tway * And fell out, but ended the useless fray; One night in the palace I found her fou; * Yet of modesty still there was some display: The veil from her shoulders had slipt; and showed * Her loosened trousers Loves seat and stay: And rattled the breezes her huge hind cheeks * And the branch where two little pomegranates lay: Quoth I, Give me tryst; whereto quoth she * To-morrow the fane shall wear best array: Next day I asked her, Thy word? Said she * The promise of Night is effaced by Day.
The Caliph bade give a myriad of money each to Al-Rakashi and Abu Musab, but bade strike off the head of Abu Nowas, saying, Thou wast with us yesternight in the palace. Said he, By Allah, I slept not but in my own house! I was directed to what I said by thine own words as to the subject of the verse; and indeed quoth Almighty Allah (and He is the truest of all speakers): As for poets (devils pursue them!) dost thou not see that they rove as bereft of their senses through every valley and that they say that which they do not? [FN#110] So the Caliph forgave him and gave him two myriads of money. And another tale is that of
