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her singing. Bring her to me.’ So she came and he bade her sit, then said to her, ‘Sing.’ And she sang these verses:
Thou that comprisest all charms of every kind, O sweet of nature and great of amorous grace,
In Turks and Arabs are beauties all; but none Like thee, my loveling, doth all in all embrace.
O bless thy lover, my fair, with thy promised sight, Though but in visions of dreams, that flit apace!
Sweet are the sleepless nights, for thy sake, to me And goodly even abasement and disgrace.
I’m not the first one distraught for thee; ere me, How many a mortal thou’st slain with that fair face!
Thou, as my portion o’ th’ world, wouldst me content; To me thou’rt dearer than life and goods and place.
When he heard this, he was greatly delighted and praised Younus’s excellent teaching of her and the fair education he had given her. Then he bade his servants bring him a hackney, with its trappings and furniture, for his riding, and a mule to carry his gear, and said to him, ‘O Younus, when thou hearest that the Khalifate has fallen to me, come thou to me, and by Allah, I will fill thy hands with good and advance thee to honour and make thee rich as long as thou livest!’ So Younus took his goods and departed; and when he heard that Welid had succeeded to the Khalifate,[1] he repaired to him; and by Allah, he kept his promise to him and entreated him with exceeding munificence. Then Younus abode with him in all content and honour and his affairs prospered and his wealth increased and goods and farms became his, such as sufficed him and his heirs after him; nor did he cease to abide with Welid, till he was slain,[2] the mercy of God the Most High be on him!
