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Updated: June 27, 2025
When the night came and all the folk had dispersed and gone each his own way, the Khalif said to his Vizier, 'Come, O Jaafer, let us go and amuse ourselves by looking on the other Khalif. At this, Jaafer and Mesrour laughed, and the three, donning merchants' habits, went out at the privy gate and made their way through the city, in great glee, till they came to the Tigris, where they found the boatman sitting, waiting for them.
Now it chanced that Jaafer was seated that day, with his officers and favourites, in an upper chamber overlooking the street, and his eye fell on me; so he took pity on my case and sending one of his servants to fetch me to him, said to me, "Sell thy beans to my people."
Jaafer accordingly wrote a letter to that effect and despatched it by Mesrour, who set out forthright for Bassora and went in to the governor, who rejoiced in him and entreated him with the utmost honour. Then Mesrour read him the Khalif's mandate, to which he replied, 'I hear and obey, and forthwith despatched him, with a company of his followers, to Abou Mohammed's house.
Then said the Khalif, 'O Jaafer, let us both mount the branch that overlooks the window, that we may amuse ourselves with looking at them. So they both climbed the tree and looking in, heard Ibrahim say, 'O my lady, I have laid aside gravity in drinking wine, but this is not thoroughly delectable without the melodious sound of the strings.
Here the mock Khalif landed and mounting the mule, rode away with his boon-companions, attended by his suite and preceded by the cresset-bearers crying aloud. Then Haroun and Jaafer and Mesrour landed also and making their way through the press of servants, walked on before them.
Just then, Jaafer the Barmecide, who had been absent on an important business for the Khalif, entered and seeing the poet in this plight, said to him, 'Hallo, Abou Nuwas! 'At thy service, O our lord, answered he. A certain man of Bassora once bought a slave-girl and reared and educated her excellent well.
See, there stands before him one as he were thyself, O Jaafer; yonder eunuch is as he were Mesrour and those boon-companions as they were my own. By Allah, O Jaafer, my reason is confounded and I am filled with amazement at this thing! 'And I also, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, replied Jaafer.
So I left him and went straight to El Fezl and Jaafer, sons of Yehya ben Khalid, to whom I related my case.
So he called Jaafer the Barmecide and said to him, 'O dog of a Vizier, has the city of Baghdad been taken from me and thou hast not told me? 'What words are these? said Jaafer. 'If Baghdad were not taken from me, rejoined the Khalif, 'the Pavilion of Pictures would not be illuminated with lamps and candles, nor would its windows be open. Out on thee!
This, then, O my lady, is my story and the manner of the shaving of my face and the loss of my eye. Quoth the mistress of the house, 'Begone about thy business. But he said, 'By Allah, I will not go, till I hear the others' stories! Then she turned to the Khalif and his companions and said, 'Give me an account of yourselves. So Jaafer came forward and repeated the story he had told the portress; whereupon the lady said, 'I pardon you all: go your ways. So they all went out; and when they reached the street the Khalif said to the Calenders, 'O folk, whither are you bound now, seeing that it is not yet day? 'By Allah, O my lord, answered they, 'we know not where to go! 'Then come and pass the rest of the night with us, said the Khalif, and turning to Jaafer, said to him, 'Take them home with thee and to-morrow bring them before me, that we may cause their adventures to be recorded. Jaafer did as the Khalif bade him, and the latter returned to his palace.
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