the Arabs! bring hither that whereon it is written, that we may give thee its weight."
Then said the Arab, "O my lord! of a truth I could find no paper to write it upon; but I had, amongst the things left me at my father's death, a piece of a marble column which had been thrown aside as being useless to me, so I scratched the kasîdah upon that."
Then the Khalîfah had no help for it but to give him its weight in gold. And this exhausted all that there was in the treasury of his wealth. And the poet took it, and departed.
And when he had gone away, the Khalîfah said, "It forces itself upon my mind that this is el-Asmaïy." So he commanded him to be brought back, and uncovered his face, and lo! it was el-Asmaïy. And the Khalîfah marvelled at him and at his work, and treated him according to his wont.
Then said el-Asmaïy, "O Commander of the Faithful! verily the poets are poor and are fathers of families, and thou dost debar them from receiving anything, by the power of thy memory, and the memories of this Mamlûk and this slave-girl. But
