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!)[FN#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 Ziban’s son, hight Nasr, send to me.
Then he folded the letter and, sealing it with his seal, delivered it to Al-Kumayt[FN#149] and Nasr bin Zibán (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,
“Hurry not, Prince of Faithful Men! with best of grace thy vow
* I will accomplish as ’twas vowed and with the gladdest
gree.
I sinned not adulterous sin when loved her I, then how * Canst
charge me with advowtrous deed or any villainy?
Soon comes to thee that splendid sun which hath no living peer
* On earth, nor aught in mortal men or Jinns her like
shalt see.”
This he sealed with his own signet and gave to the messengers who returned with Su’ad to Damascus and delivered to Mu’awiyah the letter, and when he had read it he cried, “Verily, he hath obeyed handsomely, but he exceedeth in his praise of the woman.” Then he called for her and saw beauty such as he had never seen, for comeliness and loveliness, stature and symmetrical grace; moreover, he talked with her and found her fluent of speech and choice in words. Quoth he, “Bring me the Arab.” So they fetched the man, who came, sore disordered for shifts and changes of fortune, and Mu’awiyah said to him, “O Arab, an thou wilt freely give her up to me, I will bestow upon thee in her stead three slave-girls, high-bosomed maids like moons, with each a thousand dinars; and I will assign thee on the Treasury such an annual sum as shall content thee and enrich thee.” When the Arab heard this, he groaned one groan and swooned away, so that Mu’awiyah thought he was dead; and, as soon as he revived, the Caliph said to him, “What aileth thee?” The Arab answered, “With heavy heart and in sore need have I appealed to thee from the injustice of Marwan bin al-Hakam; but to whom shall I appeal from thine injustice?” And he versified in these couplets,
“Make me not (Allah save the Caliph!) one of the betrayed *
Who from the fiery sands to fire must sue for help and
aid:
Deign thou restore Su’ád to this afflicted heart distraught, *
Which every morn and eve by sorest sorrow is waylaid:
Loose thou my bonds and grudge me not and give her back to me;
* And if thou do so ne’er thou shalt for lack of thanks
upbraid!”
Then said he, “By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, wert thou to give me all the riches contained in the Caliphate, yet would I not take them without Su’ad.” And he recited this couplet,
“I love Su’ád and unto all but hers my love is dead, * Each morn I feel her love to me is drink and daily bread.”
Quoth the Caliph, “Thou confessest to having divorced her and Marwan owned the like; so now we will give her free choice. An she choose other than thee, we will marry her to him, and if she choose thee, we will restore her to thee.” Replied the Arab, “Do so.” So Mu’awiyah said to her, “What sayest thou, O Su’ad? Which dost thou choose; the Commander of the Faithful, with his honour and glory and dominion and palaces and treasures and all else thou seest at this command, or Marwin bin al-Hakam with his violence and tyranny, or this Arab, with his hunger and poverty?” So she improvised these couplets,
“This one, whom hunger plagues, and rags unfold, * Dearer than
tribe and kith and kin I hold;
Than crownèd head, or deputy Marwán, * Or all who boast of
silver coins and gold.”