They tell that Al-Hajjáj[118] once bade the Chief of Police go his
rounds about Bassorah city by night, and whomsoever he found abroad
after supper-tide that he should smite his neck. So he went round one
night of the nights and came upon three youths swaying and staggering
from side to side, and on them signs of wine-bibbing. So the watch laid
hold of them and the captain said to them, “Who be you that ye durst
transgress the commandment of the Commander of the Faithful[119] and
come abroad at this hour?” Quoth one of the youths, “I am the son of him
to whom all necks[120] abase themselves, alike the nose-pierced of them
and the breaker; they come to him in their own despite, abject and
submissive, and he taketh of their wealth and of their blood.” The
Master of Police held his hand from him, saying, “Belike he is of the
kinsmen of the Prince of True Believers,” and said to the second, “Who
art thou?” Quoth he, “I am the son of him whose rank[121] Time abaseth
not, and if it be lowered one day, ’twill assuredly return to its former
height; thou seest the folk crowd in troops to the light of his fire,
some standing around it and some sitting.” So the Chief of Police
refrained from slaying him and asked the third, “Who art thou?” He
answered, “I am the son of him who plungeth through the ranks[122] with
his might and levelleth them with the sword, so that they stand
straight: his feet are not loosed from the stirrup, whenas the horsemen
on the day of the battle are a-weary.” So the Master of Police held his
hand from him also, saying, “Belike, he is the son of a Brave of the
Arabs.” Then he kept them under guard, and when the morning morrowed, he
referred their case to Al-Hajjaj, who caused bring them before him and
enquiring into their affair, when behold, the first was the son of a
barber-surgeon, the second of a bean-seller and the third of a weaver.
So he marvelled at their eloquent readiness of speech and said to the
men of his assembly, “Teach your sons the rhetorical use of Arabic:[123]
for, by Allah, but for their ready wit, I had smitten off their heads!”