'I dyed what years have dyed, but this my staining *
Lasts not, while that of days is aye remaining:
Days when beclad in gear of youth I fared, *
Raked fore and aft by men with joy unfeigning.'
I cried, 'By Allah, favoured art thou for an old woman! How sincere art thou in thine after-pine for forbidden pleasures and how false is thy pretence of repentance from frowardness!'" And another tale is that of
THE EMIR ALI BIN TAHIR AND THE GIRL MUUNIS.
Once on a time was displayed for sale to Ali bin Mohammed bin Abdallah bin Tαhir[FN#252] a slave-girl called Muunis who was superior to her fellows in beauty and breeding, and to boot an accomplished poetess; and he asked her of her name. Replied she, "Allah advance the Emir, my name is Muunis."[FN#253] Now he knew this before; so he bowed his head awhile, then raising his eyes to her, recited this verse,
"What sayest of one by a sickness caught *
For the love of thy love till he waxed distraught?"
Answered she, "Allah exalt the Emir!" and recited this verse in reply,
"If we saw a lover who pains as he ought, *
Wi' love we would grant him all favours he sought."
She pleased him: so he bought her for seventy thousand dirhams and begat on her Obayd' Allah bin Mohammed, afterwards minister of Police.[FN#254] And we are told by Abu al-Aynα[FN#255] a tale of
THE WOMAN WHO HAD A BOY AND THE OTHER WHO HAD A MAN TO LOVER.
Quoth Abu al-Aynα, "There were in our street two women, one of whom had for lover a man and the other a beardless youth, and they foregathered one night on the terrace-roof of a house adjoining mine, knowing not that I was near. Quoth the boy's lover to the other, 'O my sister, how canst thou bear with patience the harshness of thy lover's beard as it falleth on thy breast, when he busseth thee and his mustachios rub thy cheek and lips?' Replied the other, 'Silly that thou art, what decketh the tree save its leaves and the cucumber but its warts?[FN#256] Didst ever see in the world aught uglier than a scald-head bald of his beard? Knowest thou not that the beard is to men as the sidelocks to women; and what is the difference between chin and cheek?[FN#257] Knowest thou not that Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) hath created an angel in Heaven, who saith: 'Glory be to Him who ornamenteth men with beards and women with long hair?' So, were not the beard even as the tresses in comeliness, it had not been coupled with them, O silly! How shall I spread-eagle myself under a boy, who will emit long before I can go off and forestall me in limpness of penis and clitoris; and leave a man who, when he taketh breath clippeth close and when he entereth goeth leisurely, and when he hath done, repeateth, and when he pusheth poketh hard, and as often as he withdraweth, returneth?' The boy's leman was edified by her speech and said, 'I forswear my lover by the lord of the Ka'abah!'" And amongst tales is one of