Quoth Ishak bin Ibrahim al-Mausili: I was in my house one
night in the winter time, when the clouds had dispread
themselves and the rains poured down in torrents, as from the
mouths of water skins, and the folk forbore to come and go
about the ways for that which was therein of rain and slough.
Now I was straitened in breast because none of my brethren
came to me nor could I go to them, by reason of the mud and
mire; so I said to my servant, "Bring me wherewithal I may
divert myself." Accordingly he brought me meat and drink, but
I had no heart to eat, without some one to keep me company,
and I ceased not to look out of window and watch the ways till
nightfall, when I bethought myself of a damsel belonging to
one of the sons of Al-Mahdi,
[FN#169] whom I loved and who was
skilled in singing and playing upon instruments of music, and
said to myself, "Were she here with us to night, my joy would
be complete and my night would be abridged of the melancholy
and restlessness which are upon me." At this moment one
knocked at the door, saying, "Shall a beloved enter in who
standeth at the door?" Quoth I to myself, "Meseems the plant
of my desire hath fruited." So I went to the door and found my
mistress, with a long green skirt
[FN#170] wrapped about her
and a kerchief of brocade on her head, to fend her from the
rain. She was covered with mud to her knees and all that was
upon her was drenched with water from gargoyles
[FN#171] and
house spouts; in short, she was in sorry plight. So I said to
her, "O my mistress, what bringeth thee hither through all
this mud?" Replied she, "Thy messenger came and set forth to
me that which was with thee of love and longing, so that I
could not choose but yield and hasten to thee." I marvelled at
this And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-sixth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
damsel came and knocked at Ishak's door, he went forth to her
and cried, 'O my lady, what bringeth thee hither through all
this mud?"; and she replied, "Thy messenger came and set forth
to me that which was with thee of love and longing, so that I
could not choose but yield and hasten to thee." I marvelled at
this, but did not like to tell her that I had sent no
messenger; wherefore I said, "Praised be Allah for that He
hath brought us together, after all I have suffered by the
mortification of patience! Verily, hadst thou delayed an hour
longer, I must have run to thee, because of my much love for
thee and longing for thy presence." Then I called to my boy
for water, that I might better her plight, and he brought a
kettle full of hot water such as she wanted. I bade pour it
over her feet, whilst I set to work to wash them myself; after
which I called for one of my richest dresses and clad her
therein after she had doffed the muddy clothes. Then, as soon
as we were comfortably seated, I would have called for food,
but she refused and I said to her, "Art thou for wine?"; and
she replied, "Yes." So I fetched cups and she asked me, "Who
shall sing?" "I, O my princess!" "I care not for that;" "One
of my damsels?" "I have no mind to that either!" "Then sing
thyself." "Not I!" "Who then shall sing for thee?" I enquired,
and she rejoined, "Go out and seek some one to sing for me."
So I went out, in obedience to her, though I despaired of
finding any one in such weather and fared on till I came to
the main street, where I suddenly saw a blind man striking the
earth with his staff and saying, "May Allah not requite with
weal those with whom I was! When I sang, they listened not,
and when I was silent, they made light of me." So I said to
him, "Art thou a singer?" and he replied, "Yes." Quoth I,
"Wilt thou finish thy night with us and cheer us with thy
company?"; and quoth he, "If it be thy will, take my hand." So
I took his hand and, leading him to my house, said to the
damsel, "O my mistress, I have brought a blind singer, with
whom we may take our pleasure and he will not see us." She
said, "Bring him to me." So I brought him in and invited him
to eat. He ate but a very little and washed his hands, after
which I brought him wine and he drank three cupsful. Then he
said to me, "Who art thou?"; and I replied, "I am Ishak bin
Ibrahim al-Mausili." Quoth he, "I have heard of thee and now I
rejoice in thy company;" and I, "O my lord, I am glad in thy
gladness." He said, "O Ishak, sing to me." So I took the lute
by way of jest, and cried, "I hear and I obey." When I had
made an end of my song, he said to me, "O Ishak, thou comest
nigh to be a singer!" His words belittled me in mine own eyes
and I threw the lute from my hand, whereupon he said, "Hast
thou not with thee some one who is skilled in singing?" Quoth
I, "I have a damsel with me;" and quoth he "Bid her sing." I
asked him, "Wilt thou sing, when thou hast had enough of her
singing?"; and he answered "Yes." So she sang and he said,
"Nay, thou hast shown no art." Whereupon she flung the lute
from her hand in wrath and cried, "We have done our best: if
thou have aught, favour us with it by way of an alms." Quoth
he, "Bring me a lute hand hath not touched." So I bade the
servant bring him a new lute and he tuned it and preluding in
a mode I knew not began to sing, improvising these couplets,
"Clove through the shades and came to me in night so dark and
sore
The lover weeting of herself 'twas trysting tide
once more:
Naught startled us but her salaam and first of words she said
'May a beloved enter in who standeth at the door!'"
When the girl heard this, she looked at me askance and said,
"What secret was between us could not thy breast hold for one
hour, but thou must discover it to this man?" However, I swore
to her that I had not told him and excused myself to her and
fell to kissing her hands and tickling her breasts and biting
her cheeks, till she laughed and, turning to the blind man,
said to him, "Sing, O my lord!" So he took the lute and sang
these two couplets,
"Ah, often have I sought the fair; how often fief and fain
My palming felt the finger ends that bear the varied
stain!
And tickled pouting breasts that stand firm as pomegranates
twain
And bit the apple of her cheek kissed o'er and
o'er again."
So I said to her, "O my princess, who can have told him what
we were about?" Replied she, "True," and we moved away from
him. Presently quoth he, "I must make water;" and quoth I, "O
boy, take the candle and go before him." Then he went out and
tarried a long while. So we went in search of him, but could
not find him; and behold, the doors were locked and the keys
in the closet, and we knew not whether to heaven he had flown
or into earth had sunk. Wherefore I knew that he was Iblis and
that he had done me pimp's duty, and I returned, recalling to
my self the words of Abu Nowas in these couplets,
"I marvel in Iblis such pride to see
Beside his low intent
and villainy:
He sinned to Adam who to bow refused,
Yet pimps for all of
Adam's progeny,"
And they tell a tale concerning THE LOVERS OF AL-MEDINAH.
