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Faithful, my offence is too great for me to attempt to extenuate it and thy pardon is too great for me to speak a word of thanks for it.” And I chanted the following verses:
Sure, He, who made the virtues all, stored them in Adam’s loins For His high-priest, the seventh prince of Abbas’ royal seed!
The hearts of all the folk are filled with reverence for thee, And thou, with meek and humble heart, dost keep them all and lead.
Error-deluded as I was, against thee I rebelled, Intent on covetise alone and base ambitious greed;
Yet hast thou pardon giv’n to one, the like of whom before Was never pardoned, though for him no one with thee did plead,
And on a mother’s bleeding heart hadst ruth and little ones, Like to the desert-grouse’s young, didst pity in their need.
Quoth Mamoun, “I say, like our lord Joseph (on whom and on our Prophet be peace and blessing), ‘There shall be no reproach on thee this day. God will forgive thee, for He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful ones.’[1] Indeed, I pardon thee, O uncle, and restore thee thy goods and lands, and no harm shall befall thee.” So I offered up devout prayers for him and repeated the following verses:
My wealth thou hast given me again and hast not begrudged it to me; Yea, and to boot, before this, my life and my blood thou didst spare.
So if, thine approval to win, I lavish my blood and my wealth And e’en to the shoe off my foot, in thy service, I strip myself bare,
’Twere but the restoring to thee of the loans that I owe to thy grace, Which none might reproach thee nor blame, I trow, hadst thou chos’n to forbear.
Ungrateful henceforth if I prove for the favours vouchsafed me by thee, Still worthier of blame than thyself of honour and reverence I were.
Then Mamoun showed me honour and favour and said to me, “O uncle, Abou Ishac and Abbas counselled me to put thee to death.” “And they counselled thee right loyally, O Commander of the Faithful,” answered I; “but thou hast done after thine own nature and hast put away
- ↑ Joseph to his brethren, Koran xii. 92.
