Only God’s aid and thine ✿ I crave for my desire!

Then he was convulsed,[[147]] and his teeth chattered and he fell down in a fit, squirming like a scotched snake. When Mu’awiyah heard his story and his verse, he said, “Marwan bin al-Hakam hath transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers!”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

Now when it was the Six Hundred and Ninety-third Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Caliph Mu’awiyah heard the wild Arab’s words, he said, “The son of al-Hakam hath indeed transgressed against the laws of the Faith and hath violated the Harim of True Believers,” presently adding, “O Arab, thou comest to me with a story, the like whereof I never heard!” Then he called for inkcase and paper and wrote to Marwan as follows:—Verily it hath reached me that thou transgresseth the laws of the Faith with regard to thy lieges. Now it behoveth the Wali who governeth the folk to keep his eyes from their lusts and stay his flesh from its delights. And after he wrote many words, which (quoth he who told me the tale) I omit, for brevity’s sake, and amongst them these couplets:—

Thou wast invested (woe to thee!)[[148]] with rule for thee unfit; ✿ Crave thou of Allah pardon for thy foul adultery.

Th’ unhappy youth to us is come complaining ’mid his groans ✿ And asks redress for parting-grief and saddened me through thee.

An oath have I to Allah sworn shall never be forsworn; ✿ Nay, for I’ll do what Faith and Creed command me to decree.

An thou dare cross me in whate’er to thee I now indite ✿ I of thy flesh assuredly will make the vulture free.

Divorce Su’ad, equip her well, and in the hottest haste ✿ With Al-Kumayt and Zíbán’s son, hight Nasr, send to me.

Then he folded the letter and, sealing it with his seal, delivered it to Al-Kumayt[[149]] and Nasr bin Zíbán (whom he was wont to employ on weighty matters, because of their trustiness) who took the missive and carried it to Al-Medinah, where they went in to Marwan and saluting him delivered to him the writ and told him how the case stood. He read the letter and fell a-weeping; but he went in to Su’ad (as ’twas not in his power to refuse obedience to the Caliph) and, acquainting her with the case, divorced her in the presence of Al-Kumayt and Nasr; after which he equipped her and delivered her to them, together with a letter to the Caliph wherein he versified as follows:—