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tidings of thy coming hither, saying to me, ‘When he cometh, entreat him with honour and give ear unto his commandment and gainsay him not; but be thou his wife and he shall be thy husband, and go with him whither he will.’ So, when I saw thee, I knew thee, and this is the story of this city and of its people, and peace be on thee!” Then she showed me the pomegranate-tree, whereon was one pomegranate, which she took and eating one-half thereof herself, gave me the other to eat, and never did I taste aught sweeter or more delicious than this pomegranate or more satisfying.
After this, I said to her, “Art thou content, as the Sheikh el Khizr charged thee, to be my wife and go with me to my own country and abide with me in the city of Bassora?” “Yes,” answered she, “if it please God the Most High. I hearken to thy word and obey thy commandment, without gainsaying.” Then I made a binding covenant with her and she carried me into her father’s treasury, whence we took what we could carry and going forth the city, fared on till we came to my brothers, whom I found searching for me. “Where hast thou been?” asked they. “Indeed thou hast tarried long from us, and our hearts were troubled for thee.” And the captain of the ship said to me, “O merchant Abdallah, the wind has been fair for us this great while, and thou hast hindered us from setting sail.” “There is no harm in that,” answered I. “Assuredly delay[1] is good and my absence hath wrought us nothing but profit; for indeed, there hath betided me therein the attainment of [our] hopes and gifted of God is he who saith:
When to a land I fare in quest of good, perdie, I know not of the twain, which fortune mine shall be;
Whether ’twill prove the good whereafter I do seek Or else the evil hap that seeketh after me.”
- ↑ Or acting with deliberation, lit. postponement (takhir).
