wast yet in the cradle; so call her no more sister from this day
forth." Quoth Ni'amah, "If that be so, I will take her to wife."
Then he went to his mother and told her of this, and she said to
him, "O my son, she is thy handmaid." So he wedded and went in
unto Naomi and loved her; and two[FN#4] years passed over them
whilst in this condition, nor was there in all Cufa a fairer girl
than Naomi, or a sweeter or a more graceful. As she grew up she
learnt the Koran and read works of science and excelled in music
and playing upon all kinds of instruments; and in the beauty of
her singing she surpassed all the folk of her time. Now one day
as she sat with her husband in the wine chamber, she took the
lute, tightened the strings, and sang these two couplets,

"While thou'rt my lord whose bounty's my estate, * A sword
whereby my woes to annihilate,
Recourse I never need to Amru or Zayd,[FN#5] * Nor aught save
thee if way to me grow strait!"

Ni'amah was charmed with these verses and said to her, "By my
life, O Naomi, sing to us with the tambourine and other
instruments!" So she sang these couplets to a lively measure,

"By His life who holds my guiding rein, I swear * I'll meet on
love ground parlous foe nor care:
Good sooth I'll vex revilers, thee obey * And quit my slumbers
and all joy forswear:
And for thy love I'll dig in vitals mine * A grave, nor shall my
vitals weet 'tis there!"

And Ni'amah exclaimed, "Heaven favoured art thou, O Naomi!" But