After awhile, when their former owner could no longer endure separation
from them, he sent a letter to the Khalif, complaining of his ardent
love for them and containing, amongst the rest, the following verses:
Six damsels fair and bright have captivated me; My blessing and
my peace the six fair maidens greet!
My life, indeed, are they, my hearing and my sight, Yea, and my
very drink, my pleasance and my meat.
No other love can bring me solace for their charms, And
slumber, after them, no more to me is sweet.
Alas, my long regret, my weeping for their loss! Would I have
ne'er been born, to know this sore defeat!
For eyes, bedecked and fair with brows like bended bows, Have
smitten me to death with arrows keen and fleet.
When the letter came to El Mamoun's hands, he clad the six
damsels in rich apparel and giving them threescore thousand
dinars, sent them back to their master, who rejoiced in them
with an exceeding joy,--more by token of the money they brought
him,--and abode with them in all delight and pleasance of life,
till there came to them the Destroyer of Delights and the
Sunderer of Companies.
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