SAID ‘ÍSÁ IBN HISHÁM: One of my journeys set me down at Damascus. Now one day when I was at the door of my house there suddenly appeared before me a troop of the sons of Sásán. 7
I desire course salt, I want plucked greens.
I desire fresh meat, I want some sour vinegar.
I desire a sucking kid, I want a young ram.
I desire water with ice, filled in a rare vessel.
I desire a vat of wine from which I may get up drunk,
And a cheerful cup-bearer, congenial to the minds.
I desire from thee a shirt, a coat and a turban. 2
I desire thick sandals, with which I may visit the privy.
I desire a comb and a razor, I want a vessel 3 and a bath glove,
O what an excellent guest am I! and what a charming host art thou!
I will be content with this from thee, and I do not wish to impose.'
Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám, I gave him a dirhem and said to him, 'I announce to thee the invitation, and we will soon prepare and
Said ‘Ísá ibn Hishám: When this speech of his had penetrated my ear I 6 knew there was excellence behind it, so I followed him until he reached the mother of his house, and I stood away from him so that he could not see me, but I could see him. The princes lowered their veils and behold their chief was Abú’l-Fatḥ, al-Iskanderí! So I looked at him and said: 'Sirrah, what meaneth this fraud?' Then he indited, saying,
81:7 Sásán: Sásán al-Akbar, son of Bahman, son of Isfandiyar, son of Gushtasp a prince of Western Persia, is the reputed chief and patron of all beggars and mountebanks. The legend mentioned by Ibn al-Múkaffá is that Báhman being near his death sent for his daughter Ḥomaya, who was pregnant, and settled the succession on her and her child, if the child proved a boy, to the exclusion of his own son Sásán. Sásán indignant at this left the court and lived the life of a shepherd among the Kurds so that his name became a proverb for one who leads a vagabond
82:2 A turban: also a woman's veil or muffler. syn. See Aghání ix. 158. Heb. עניף See lexicon. Isaiah iii. 23 and lxii. 3. Probably from it became halved, alluding probably to the length of the veil.
82:3 A vessel: Probably situla, a bucket for drawing water, indirectly borrowed from the Latin. See Dozy Supplement aux Dictionaires, i. 653.
83:1 Would address him: Literally, meet him.
83:2 O excellent one! Metre, mujtath.
83:3 Coat it with bread: According to the context this seems to be the meaning rather than the explanation given by the commentator, viz., that meat was something forbidden and therefore to desire it was to render him worthy of stripes.
83:4 Drop thy hand: Lower it to the pocket to undo the knotted money.
83:5 Put both thy hands: An allusion to Qur’án xx. 23. He uses both hands here designedly so as to be sure of getting out some money, not knowing which side ‘Ísá ibn Hishám carried his cash.
83:6 Penetrated my ear: Literally, split my ear.
83:7 This age is ill-starred: Metre, mujtath.
83:8 Nocturnal visitant: The Ṭaif al-Khayál or Khayál Ṭaif frequently occurs in Arabic poetry. It is supposed to be the image of the person beloved which appears to the lover in his dream. For an excellent account of the Ṭaif al-Khayál, illustrated by several quotations from the poets, see Journal Asiatique, pp. 376-85, April 1838 (M.G. Slane).