It is said that Al-Nu’umán[288] had two boon-companions, one of whom was
hight Ibn Sa’ad and the other Amrú bin al-Malik, and he became one night
drunken and bade bury them alive; so they buried them. When he arose on
the morrow, he asked for them and was acquainted with their affair,
whereupon he built over them a building and appointed to himself a day
of ill-luck and a day of good fortune. If any met him on his unlucky
day, he slew him and with his blood he washed that monument, which is a
place well known in Kufah; and if any met him on his day of good fortune
he enriched him. Now there accosted him once, on his day of ill-omen, an
Arab of the Banú Tay,[289] and Al-Nu’uman would have done him dead; but
the Arab said, “Allah quicken the king! I have two little girls and have
made none guardian over them; wherefore, an the king see fit to grant me
leave to go to them, I will give him the covenant of Allah[290] that I
will return to him, as soon as I shall have appointed unto them a
guardian.” Al-Nu’uman had ruth on him and said to him, “An a man will be
surety for thee of those who are with us, I will let thee go, and if
thou return not I will slay him.” Now there was with Al-Nu’uman his
Wazir Sharík bin Amru: so the Táí[291] looked at him and said:—
Ho thou, Sharík, O Amru-son is there fro’ Death repair? ✿ O brother to
men brotherless, brother of all in care!
O brother of Al-Nu’umán an old man this day spare, ✿ An old man slain
and Allah deign fair meed for thee prepare!
Quoth Sharik, “On me be his warranty, Allah assain the king!” So the Táí
departed, after a term had been assigned him for his returning. Now when
the appointed day arrived, Al-Nu’uman sent for Sharik and said to him,
“Verily the high noon of this day is past;” and Sharik answered, “The
king hath no procedure against me till it be eventide.” Whenas evened
the evening, there appeared one afar off and Al-Nu’uman fell to looking
upon him and on Sharik who said to him, “Thou hast no right over me till
yonder person come, for haply he is my man.” As he spake, up came the
Táí in haste and Al-Nu’uman said, “By Allah, never saw I any more
generous than you two! I know not which of you be the nobler, whether
this one who became warrant for thee in death-risk or thou who returnest
to thy slaughter.” Then quoth he to Sharik, “What drave thee to become
warrant for him, knowing the while that it was death?” and quoth he, “I
did this lest it be said, Generosity hath departed from Wazirs.” Then
Al-Nu’uman asked the Táí, “And thou, what prompted thee to return,
knowing that therein was death and thine own destruction?” and the Arab
answered, “I did this lest it be said, Fidelity hath departed from the
folk; for such thing would be a shame to mine issue and to my tribe.”
And Al-Nu’uman cried, “By Allah, I will be the third of you, lest it be
said, Mercy hath departed from the kings.” So he pardoned him and bade
abolish the day of ill-luck; whereupon the Arab began to say:—
A many urged me that I false my faith, ✿ But I refused whatso the wights
could plead;
For I’m a man in whom Faith dwells for aye, ✿ And every true man’s word
is pledge of deed.
Quoth Al-Nu’uman, “What prompted thee to keep faith, the case being as
thou sayest?” Quoth he, “O king, it was my religion.” Al-Nu’uman asked,
“What is thy religion?” and he answered, “The Nazarene!” The king said,
“Expound it to me.” So the Táí expounded it to him and Al-Nu’uman became
a Christian.[292]