AL-MUTALAMMIS AND HIS WIFE UMAYMAH
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
