Some with religion themselves concern and make it their business
all; Sitting,[FN#53] they weep for the pains of hell and
still for mercy bawl!
If they could hearken to Azzeh's speech, as I, I hearken to it,
They straight would humble themselves to her and prone
before her fall.
"Leave the mention of him. Who is at the door?" Quoth Adi, "El Akhwes el Ansari."[FN#54] "God the Most High put him away and estrange him from His mercy!" cried Omar. "Is it not he who said, berhyming on a man of Medina his slave-girl, so she might outlive her master … ?" [And he repeated the following line:]
God [judge] betwixt me and her lord! Away With her he flees me and I follow aye.
"He shall not come in to me. Who is at the door, other than he?" "Heman ben Ghalib el Ferezdec,"[FN#55] answered Adi; and Omar said, "It is he who saith, glorying in adultery …" [And he repeated the following verses:]
The two girls let me down from fourscore fathoms' height, As
swoops a hawk, with wings all open in full flight;
And when my feet trod earth, "Art slain, that we should fear,"
Quoth they, "or live, that we may hope again thy sight?"
"He shall not come in to me. Who is at the door, other than he?" "El Akhtel et Teghlibi,"[FN#56] answered Adi; and Omar said, "He is the unbeliever who says in his verse …" [And he repeated the following:]
Ramazan in my life ne'er I fasted, nor e'er Have I eaten of
flesh, save in public[FN#57] it were.
No exhorter am I to abstain from the fair, Nor to love Mecca's
vale for my profit I care;
Nor, like others a little ere morning appear who bawl, "Come to
safety!"[FN#58] I stand up to prayer.
Nay, at daybreak I drink of the wind-freshened wine And prostrate
me[FN#59] instead in the dawn-whitened air.
"By Allah, he treadeth no carpet of mine! Who is at the door other than he?" "Jerir ibn el Khetefa," answered Adi; and Omar said, "It is he who saith … " [And he recited as follows:]
But for the spying of the eyes [ill-omened,] we had seen Wild
cattle's eyes and antelopes' tresses of sable sheen.
The huntress of th' eyes[FN#60] by night came to me. "Turn in
peace," [Quoth I to her;] "This is no time for visiting, I
ween."
"If it must be and no help, admit Jerir." So Adi went forth and admitted Jerir, who entered, saying: