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“Away with him from me! Who is at the door?” “Kutheiyir Azzeh,”[1] replied Adi, and Omar said, “It is he who says in one of his odes . . . . . . .” [And he repeated the following verses:]
Some with religion themselves concern and make it their business all; Sitting,[2] 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.”[3] “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,”[4] answered
- ↑ A friend of Jemil and a poet of equal renown. He is celebrated as the lover of Azzeh, whose name is commonly added to his, and kept a grocer’s shop at Medina.
- ↑ i.e. in the attitude of prayer.
- ↑ A famous satirical poet of the time, afterwards banished by Omar for the virulence of his lampoons. His name is wrongly given by the text; it should be El Ahwes. He was a descendant of the Ansar or (Medinan) helpers of Mohammed.
- ↑ A famous poet of the tribe of the Benou Temim and a rival of Jerir, to whom he was by some preferred. He was a notorious debauchee and Jerir, in one of the satires that were perpetually exchanged between himself and El Ferezdec, accuses his rival of having “never been a guest in any house, but he departed with ignominy and left behind him disgrace.”
