Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night - Volume 5.djvu/99

 some of the children what was the merry-making, to which they replied, They have married Umaymah wife of Al-Mutalammis, to such an one, and he goes in to her this night.  When he heard this, he planned to enter the house amongst the mob of women and saw the twain seated on the bridal couch. [FN#107]  By and by, the bridegroom came up to her, whereupon she sighed heavily and weeping, recited this couplet,

Would Heaven I knew (but many are the shifts of joy and woe) * In what far distant land thou art, my Mutalammis, oh!

Now Al-Mutalammis was a renowned poet; so he answered her saying;

Right near at hand, Umaymah mine! whener the caravan * Halted, I never ceased for thee to pine, I would thou know.

When the bridegroom heard this, he guess how the case stood and went forth from them in hast improvising,

I was in bestest luck, but now my luck goes contrary: * A hospitable house and room contain your loves, you two!

And he returned not but left the twain to their privacy. So Al-Mutalammis and his wife abode together in all comfort and solace of life and in all its joys and jollities till death parted them. And glory be to Him at whose command the earth and the heavens shall arise! And among other tales is that of

THE CALIPH HARUM AL-RASHID AND QUEEN ZUBAYDAH IN THE BATH

The Caliph Harun al-Rashid loved the Lady Zubaydah with exceeding love and laid out for her a pleasaunce, wherein he made a great tank and set thereabouts a screen of trees and led thither water from all sides; hence the trees grew and interlaced over the basin so densely, that one could go in and wash, without being