So she went to her and repeated my words, to which she replied saying, “Tell him that he said well who answered in this couplet:—
The like of whatso feelest thou we feel; ✿ Patience! perchance swift cure our hearts shall heal.”
I refrained from further speech for fear of scandal and rose to go away. She rose at my rising, and I followed and she looked back at me, till she saw I had noted her abode. Then she began to come to me and I to go to her, so that we foregathered and met often, till the case was noised abroad and grew notorious and her sire came to know of it. However, I ceased not to meet her most assiduously and complained of my condition to my father, who assembled our kindred and repaired to ask her in marriage for me, of her sire, who cried, “Had this been proposed to me before he gave her a bad name by his assignations, I would have consented; but now the thing is notorious and I am loath to verify the saying of the folk.” Then (continued Ibrahim) I repeated the air to him and he went away, after having acquainted me with his abode, and we became friends. Now I was devoted to the Barmecides; so next time Ja’afar bin Yahya sat to give audience, I attended, as was my wont, and sang to him the young man’s verses. They pleased him and he drank some cups of wine and said, “Fie upon thee! whose song is this?” So I told him the young man’s tale and he bade me ride over to him and give him assurances of the winning of his wish. Accordingly I fetched him to Ja’afar who asked him to repeat his story. He did so and Ja’afar said, “Thou art now under my protection: trust me to marry thee to her.” So his heart was comforted and he abode with us. When the morning morrowed Ja’afar mounted and went in to Al-Rashid, to whom he related the story. The Caliph was pleased with it and sending for the young man and myself, commanded me to repeat the air and drank thereto. Then he wrote to the Governor of Al-Hijaz, bidding him despatch the girl’s father and his household in honourable fashion to his presence and spare no expense for their outfit. So, in a little while, they came and the Caliph, sending for the man, commanded him to marry his daughter to her lover; after which he gave him an hundred thousand dinars, and the father went back to his folk. As for the young man, he abode one of Ja’afar’s cup-companions till there happened what happened;[[176]] whereupon he returned with his household to Al-Medinah; may Almighty Allah have mercy upon their souls one and all! And they also tell, O auspicious King, a tale of
[172]. The Mac. and Bul. Edits. have by mistake “Son of Ishak.” Lane has “Is-hak the son of Ibrahim” following Trébutien (iii. 483) but suggests in a note the right reading as above.
[173]. Again masculine for feminine.
[174]. There are two of this name. The Upper Al-Akik contains the whole site of Al-Medinah; the Lower is on the Meccan road about four miles S.W. of the city. The Prophet called it “blessed” because ordered by an angel to pray therein. The poets have said pretty things about it, e.g.
O friend, this is the vale Akík; here stand and strive in thought:
If not a very lover, strive to be by love distraught!
for whose esoteric meaning see Pilgrimage ii. 24. I passed through Al-Akík in July when it was dry as summer dust and its “beautiful trees” were mere vegetable mummies.