Mahbubah.

There were in the palace of the Caliph al-Mutawakkil ala'llah four thousand concubines, whereof two thousand were Greeks and other two thousand slave born Arabians and Abyssinians; and 'Obayd ibn Tahir had given him two hundred white girls and a like number of Abyssinian and native girls. Among these slave borns was a girl of Bassorah, called Mahbubah, the Beloved, who was of surpassing beauty and loveliness, elegance and voluptuous grace. Moreover, she played upon the lute and was skilled in singing and making verses and wrote a beautiful hand; so that al-Mutawakkil fell passionately in love with her and could not endure from her a single hour. But when she saw this affection, she presumed upon his favour to use him arrogantly, Why he grew exceeding wroth with her and forsook her, forbidding the people of the palace to speak with her. She abode in this way some days, but the Caliph still inclined to her; and he arose one morning and said to his courtiers, "I dreamt, last night, that I was reconciled to Mahbubah." They answered, "Would Allah this might be on wake!"; and as they were talking, behold, in came one of the Caliph's maidservants and whispered him; so he rose from his throne and entered the Serraglio; for the whisper had said, "Of a truth we heard singing and lute playing in Mahbubah's chamber and we knew not what this meant." So he went straight to her apartment, where he heard her playing upon the lute and singing the following verses,

"I wander through the palace, but I sight there not a soul To whom I may complain or will 'change a word with me It is as though I'd done so grievous rebel deed Why can no contrition ever avail to set me free.

Have no intercessor here to plead with King, who came In sleep to me and took me back to grace and amity; But when the break of day arose and showed itself again, Then he departing sent me back to dree my privacy?"

Now when the Caliph heard her voice, he marvelled at the verse and yet more at the strange coincidence of their dreams and entered the chamber. As soon as she perceived him, she hastened to rise and throw herself at his feet, and kissing them said, "By God, O my lord, this hap is what I dreamt last night; and, when I awoke, I made the couplets you have heard." Replied Al-Mutawakkil, "By God, I also dreamt the like!" Then they embraced and made friends and he abode with her seven days with their nights. Now Mahbubah had written upon her cheek, in musk, the Caliph's name, which was Ja'afar: and when he saw this, he improvised the following,

One wrote upon her cheek with musk, his name was Ja'afar called, My soul for hers who wrote upon her cheek the name I sight! If an her fingers have inscribed one line upon her cheek, Full many a line in heart of mine those fingers did indite: O you, whom Ja'afar sole of men possesses for himself, Allah fill Ja'afar stream full draught, the wine of your delight!"

When Al-Mutawakkil died, his host of women forgot him, all save Mahbubah,—

When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty third night

reached me,that when Al-Mutawakkil died, his host of women forgot him all save Mahbubah who did not stop to mourn for him, till she deceased and was buried by his side, the mercy of Allah be on them both! And men also tell the tale of

Wardan the Butcher; his Adventure. 293