صفحة 466 من 1116

Ill-omened hag! unshriven be her sins * Nor mercy visit her on

dying bed: Thousand head strongest he mules would her guiles, *

Despite their bolting lead with spider thread.

And as saith another:-

A hag to whom th' unlawful lawfullest * And witchcraft wisdom in

her sight are grown: A mischief making brat, a demon maid, * A

whorish woman and a pimping crone.[FN#330]

When the old woman entered she salamed to me and kissing the

ground before me, said, "I have at home an orphan daughter and

this night are her wedding and her displaying.[FN#331] We be poor

folks and strangers in this city knowing none inhabitant and we

are broken hearted. So do thou earn for thyself a recompense and

a reward in Heaven by being present at her displaying and, when

the ladies of this city shall hear that thou art to make act of

presence, they also will present themselves; so shalt thou

comfort her affliction, for she is sore bruised in spirit and she

hath none to look to save Allah the Most High." Then she wept and

kissed my feet reciting these couplets:-