ABDALLAH BIN MA'AMAR WITH THE MAN OF
BASSORAH AND HIS SLAVE-GIRL.
A certain man of Bassorah once bought a slave-girl and reared and
educated her right well. Moreover, he loved her very dearly and
spent all his substance in pleasuring and merry-making with her,
til he had naught left and extreme poverty was sore upon him. So
she said to him, "O my master, sell me; for thou needest my price
and it maketh my heart ache to see thy sorry and want-full
plight. If thou vend me and make use of my value, 'twill be
better for thee than keeping me by thee, and haply Almighty Allah
will ample thee and amend thy fortune." He agreed to this for
the straitness of his case, and carried her to the bazar, where
the broker offered her for sale to the Governor of Bassorah, by
name Abdallah bin Ma'amar al-Taymi, and she pleased him. So he
bought her, for five hundred dinars and paid the sum to her
master; but when he book the money and was about to go away, the
girl burst into tears and repeated these two couplets,
"May coins though gainest joy in heart instil; *
For me remaineth naught save saddest ill:
I say unto my soul which sorely grieves, *
'Thy friend departeth an thou will nor nill.'"
And when her master heard this, he groaned and replied in these
couplets,
"Albeit this thy case lack all resource, *
Nor findeth aught but death's doom, pardon still;
Evening and morning, thoughts of thee will dole *
Comfort to heart all woes and griefs full fill:
Peace be upon thee! Meet we now no more *
Nor pair except at Ibn Ma'amar's will."
Now when Abdullah bin Ma'amar heard these verses and saw their
affection, he exclaimed, "By Allah, I will not assist fate in
separating you; for it is evident to me that ye two indeed love
each other. So take the money and the damsel, O man, and Allah
bless thee in both; for verily parting be grievous to lovers."
So they kissed his hand and going away, ceased not to dwell
together, till death did them part; and glory be to Him whom
death over-taketh not! And amonst stories is that of
