It is told of Ma'an bin Záidah that, being out one day a-chasing
and a-hunting, he became athirst but his men had no water with
them; and while thus suffering behold, three damsels met him
bearing three skins of water;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-first Night,FN#134
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that three girls
met him bearing three skins of water; so he begged drink of them,
and they gave him to drink. Then he sought of his men somewhat to
give the damsels but they had no money; so he presented to each
girl ten golden piled arrows from his quiver. Whereupon quoth one
of them to her friend, "Well-a-day! These fashions pertain to
none but Ma'an bin Zaidah! so let each one of us say somewhat of
verse in his praise." Then quoth the first,
"He heads his arrows with piles of gold,
And while shooting his
foes is his bounty doled:
Affording the wounded a means of cure,
And a sheet for the
bider beneath the mould!"
And quoth the second,
"A warrior showing such open hand,
His boons all friends and
all foes enfold:
The piles of his arrows of or are made,
So that battle his
bounty may not withhold!"
And quoth the third,
"From that liberal-hand on his foes he rains
Shafts aureate-
headed and manifold:
Wherewith the hurt shall chirurgeon pay,
And for slain the
shrouds round their corpses roll'd."FN#135
And there is also told a tale of MA'AN SON OF ZAIDAH AND THE BADAWI.
