Al-Mutalammis and His Wife Umaymah

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It is related Al-Mutalammis[FN#105] once fled from Al-Nu’uman bin Munzir[FN#106] and was absent so long that folk deemed him dead. Now he had a beautiful wife, Umaymah by name, and her family urged her to marry again; but she refused, for that she loved her husband Al-Mutalammis very dearly. However, they were urgent with her, because of the multitude of her suitors, and importuned with her till at last she consented, albe reluctantly; and they espoused her to a man of her own tribe. Now on the night of the wedding, Al-Mutalammis came back and, hearing in the camp a noise of pipes and tabrets and seeing signs of a wedding festival, asked some of the children what was the merry-making, to which they replied, “They have married Umaymah wife of Al-Mutalammis, to such an one, and he goes in to her this night.” When he heard this, he planned to enter the house amongst the mob of women and saw the twain seated on the bridal couch.[FN#107] By and by, the bridegroom came up to her, whereupon she sighed heavily and weeping, recited this couplet,

“Would Heaven I knew (but many are the shifts of joy and woe) *

In what far distant land thou art, my Mutalammis, oh!”

Now Al-Mutalammis was a renowned poet; so he answered her saying;

“Right near at hand, Umaymah mine! when’er the caravan *

Halted, I never ceased for thee to pine, I would thou know.”

When the bridegroom heard this, he guess how the case stood and went forth from them in hast improvising,

“I was in bestest luck, but now my luck goes contrary: *

A hospitable house and room contain your loves, you two!”

And he returned not but left the twain to their privacy. So Al- Mutalammis and his wife abode together in all comfort and solace of life and in all its joys and jollities till death parted them. And glory be to Him at whose command the earth and the heavens shall arise! And among other tales is that of

THE CALIPH HARUM AL-RASHID AND QUEEN ZUBAYDAH IN THE BATH

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid loved the Lady Zubaydah with exceeding love and laid out for her a pleasaunce, wherein he made a great tank and set thereabouts a screen of trees and led thither water from all sides; hence the trees grew and interlaced over the basin so densely, that one could go in and wash, without being seen of any, for the thickness of the leafage. It chanced, one day, that Queen Zubaydah entered the garden and, coming to the swimming-bath,—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Three Hundred and Eighty-sixth Night

She said, It hath reached me, “O auspicious King, that Queen Zubaydah entered the garden one day and, coming to the swimming- bath, gazed upon its goodliness; and the sheen of the water and the overshading of the trees pleased her. Now it was a day of exceeding heat; so she doffed her clothes and, entering the tank, which was not deep enough to cover the whole person, fell to pouring the water over herself from an ewer of silver. It also happened that the Caliph heard she was in the pool; so he left his palace and came down to spy upon her through the screen of the foliage. He stood behind the trees and espied her mother- nude, showing everything that is kept hidden. Presently, she became aware of him and turning, saw him behind the trees and was ashamed that he should see her naked. So she laid her hands on her parts, but the Mount of Venus escaped from between them, by reason of its greatness and plumpness; and the Caliph at once turned and went away, wondering and reciting this couplet,

“I looked on her with loving eyne *

And grew anew my old repine:”

But he knew not what to say next; so he sent for Abu Nowas and said to him, “Make me a piece of verse commencing with this line.” “I hear and obey,” replied the poet and in an eye- twinkling extemporised these couplets,

“I looked on her with longing eyne *

And grew anew my old repine

For the gazelle, who captured me *

Where the two lotus-trees incline:

There was the water poured on it *

From ewer of the silvern mine;

And seen me she had hidden it *

But twas too plump for fingers fine.

Would Heaven that I were on it, *

An hour, or better two hours, li’en."[FN#108]

Thereupon the Commander of the Faithful smiled and made him a handsome present and he went away rejoicing. And I have heard another story of