AL-AMIN SON OF AL-RASHID AND HIS UNCLE
IBRAHIM BIN AL-MAHDI.
Al-Amin,[FN#224] brother of al-Maamun, once entered the house of
his uncle Ibrahim bin al-Mahdi, where he saw a slave girl playing
upon the lute; and, she being one of the fairest of women, his
heart inclined to her. Ibrahim, seeing how it was with him, sent
the girl to him, with rich raiment and precious ornaments. When
he saw her, he thought that his uncle had lain with her; so he
was loath to have to do with her, because of that, and accepting
what came with her sent her back to Ibrahim. His uncle learnt the
cause of this from one of al-Amin's eunuchs; so he took a shift
of watered silk and worked upon its skirt, in letters of gold,
these two couplets,
"No! I declare by Him to whom all bow, *
Of nothing 'neath her petticoat I trow:
Nor meddle with her mouth; nor aught did I *
But see and hear her, and it was enow!"
Then he clad her in the shift and, giving her a lute, sent her
back again to his nephew. When she came into al-Amin's presence,
she kissed ground before him and tuning the lute, sang thereto
these two couplets,
"Thy breast thou baredst sending back the gift; *
Showing unlove for me withouten shift:
An thou bear spite of Past, the Past forgive, *
And for the Caliphate cast the Past adrift."
When she had made an end of her verse, Al-Amin looked at her and,
seeing what was upon her skirt, could no longer control him self,
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Nineteenth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Al-Amin looked at the damsel and saw what was upon her skirt, he
could no longer control himself, but drew near unto her and
kissed her and appointed her a separate lodging in his palace.
Moreover, he thanked his uncle for this and bestowed on him the
government of Rayy. And a tale is told of
