The Caliph Harun al-Rashid was sleepless one night; so he sent for
Al-Asma’i and Husayn al-Khalí’a[FN#151] and said to them, “Tell me a
story you twain and do thou begin, O Husayn.” He said, “’Tis well, O
Commander of the Faithful;” and thus began: Some years ago, I dropped
down stream to Bassorah, to present to Mohammed bin Sulayman
al-Rabí’í[FN#152] a Kasidah or elegy I had composed in his praise;
and he accepted it and bade me abide with him. One day, I went out to
Al-Mirbad,[FN#153] by way of Al-Muháliyah;[FN#154] and, being oppressed
by the excessive heat, went up to a great door, to ask for drink, when
I was suddenly aware of a damsel, as she were a branch swaying, with
eyes languishing, eyebrows arched and finely pencilled and smooth
cheeks rounded, clad in a shift the colour of a pomegranate-flower, and
a mantilla of Sana’á[FN#155] work; but the perfect whiteness of her
body overcame the redness of her shift, through which glittered two
breasts like twin granadoes and a waist, as it were a roll of fine
Coptic linen, with creases like scrolls of pure white paper stuffed
with musk.[FN#156] Moreover, O Prince of True Believers, round her neck
was slung an amulet of red gold that fell down between her breasts, and
on the plain of her forehead were browlocks like jet.[FN#157] Her
eyebrows joined and her eyes were like lakes; she had an aquiline nose
and thereunder shell-like lips showing teeth like pearls. Pleasantness
prevailed in every part of her; but she seemed dejected, disturbed,
distracted and in the vestibule came and went, walking upon the hearts
of her lovers, whilst her legs[FN#158] made mute the voices of their
ankle-rings; and indeed she was as saith the poet:—