登陆注册
12108000000030

第30章 (9)

And Nuzhet ez Zeman discoursed upon the policy and behaviour of kings, till the bystanders said, "Never heard we one reason of the duties of kings like this damsel! Mayhap she will favour us with discourse upon some subject other than this." When she heard this, she said, "As for the chapter of good breeding,[FN#36] it is wide of scope, for it is a compend of perfections. There came in one day to the Khalif Muawiyeh[FN#37] one of his boon-companions,who spoke of the people of Irak and the goodness of their wit;

and the Khalif"s wife Meisoun, mother of Yezid, heard him. So,when he was gone, she said to the Khalif, "O Commander of the Faithful, prithee let some of the people of Irak come in to thee and talk with them, that I may hear their discourse." So the Khalif said to his attendants, "Who is at the door?" And they answered, "The Benou Temim." "Let them come in," said he. So they came in and with them Ahnaf ben Cais.[FN#38] Now Muawiyeh had drawn a curtain between himself and Meisoun, that she might hear what they said without being seen herself; and he said to Ahnaf,"O Abou Behr,[FN#39] pray, near and tell me what counsel thou hast for me." Quoth Ahnaf, "Part thy hair and trim thy moustache and clip thy nails and pluck out the hair of thine armpits and shave thy pubes and be constant in the use of the toothstick, for therein are two-and-seventy virtues, and make the Friday (complete) ablution as an expiation for what is between the two Fridays." "What is thy counsel to thyself?" asked Muawiyeh. "To plant my feet firmly on the ground," replied Ahnaf, "to move them with deliberation and keep watch over them with my eyes." "How,"

asked the Khalif, "dost thou carry thyself, when thou goest in to the common folk of thy tribe?" "I lower my eyes modestly," replied Ahnaf, "and salute them first, abstaining from what does not concern me and being sparing of words." "And how, when thou goest in to thine equals?" asked Muawiyeh. "I give ear to them, when they speak," answered the other, "and do not assail them, when they err."

"And how dost thou," said the Khalif, "when thou goest in to thy chiefs?" "I salute without making any sign," answered Ahnaf, "and await the response: if they bid me draw near, I do so, and if they bid me stand aloof, I withdraw." "How dost thou with thy wife?"

asked the Khalif. "Excuse me from answering this, O Commander of the Faithful!" replied he; but Muawiyeh said, "I conjure thee to answer." Then said Ahnaf, "I entreat her kindly and show her pleasant familiarity and am large in expenditure, for women were created of a crooked rib." "And how," asked the Khalif, "dost thou when thou hast a mind to lie with her?" "I speak to her to perfume herself," answered the other, "and kiss her till she is moved to desire; then, if it be as thou knowest, I throw her on her back. If the seed abide in her womb, I say, "O my God, make it blessed and let it not be a castaway, but fashion it into a goodly shape!" Then I rise from her and betake myself to the ablution, first pouring water over my hands and then over my body and returning thanks to God for the delight He hath given me." "Thou hast answered excellently well," said Muawiyeh; "and now tell me what thou wouldst have." Quoth Ahnaf, "I would have thee rule thy subjects in the fear of God and do equal justice amongst them." So saying, he withdrew from the Khalif"s presence, and when he had gone, Meisoun said,"Were there but this man in Irak, he would suffice to it." This (continued Nuzhet ez Zeman) is a small fraction of the chapter of good breeding. Know O King, that Muyekib was intendant of the treasury during the Khalifate of Omar ben Khettab. "One day (quoth he) the Khalif"s son came to me and I gave him a dirhem from the treasury. Then I returned to my own house, and presently, as I was sitting, there came to me a messenger,bidding me to the Khalif. So I was afraid and went to him, and when I came into his presence, I saw in his hand the dirhem I had given his son. "Harkye, Muyekib," said he, "I have found somewhat concerning thy soul." "What is it, O Commander of the Faithful?"

asked I; and he answered, "It is that thou wilt have to render an account of this dirhem to the people of Mohammed (on whom be peace and salvation) on the Day of Resurrection."" This same Omar wrote a letter to Abou Mousa el Ashari,[FN#40] to the following purport, "When these presents reach thee, give the people what is theirs and send the rest to me." And he did so. When Othman succeeded to the Khalifate, he wrote a like letter to Abou Mousa,who did his bidding and sent him the tribute accordingly, and with it came Ziad[FN#41] When the latter laid the tribute before Othman, the Khalif"s son came in and took a dirhem, whereupon Ziad fell a-weeping. "Why dost thou weep?" asked Othman. Quoth Ziad, "I once brought Omar ben Khettab the like of this, and his son took a dirhem, whereupon Omar bade snatch it from his hand.

Now thy son hath taken of the tribute, yet have I seen none rebuke him nor take the money from him." And Othman said, "Where wilt thou find the like of Omar?" Again, Zeid ben Aslam relates of his father that he said, "I went out one night with Omar, and we walked on till we espied a blazing fire in the distance. Quoth Omar, "This must be travellers, who are suffering from the cold:

let us join them." So we made for the fire, and when we came to it, we found a woman who had lighted a fire under a cauldron, and by her side were two children, crying. "Peace on you, O folk of the light!" said Omar, for he misliked to say, "folk of the fire;"[FN#42] "what ails you?" Quoth she, "The cold and the night irk us." "What ails these children that they weep?" asked he.

"They are hungry," replied she. "And what is in this cauldron?"

asked Omar. "It is what I quiet them with," answered she, "and God will question Omar ben Khettab of them, on the Day of Resurrection." "And what," rejoined the Khalif, "should Omar know of their case?" "Why then," said she, "should he undertake the governance of the people"s affairs and yet be unmindful of them?"

同类推荐
  • 绑嫁

    绑嫁

    一桩惊天奇案催生出一段旷世绝恋,“拍案惊奇”的背后,欲望在灼烧,人性在沦陷,看都市人还剩下多少信仰?三盅新现实主义风格都市丛林三部曲收官之作,一部血淋淋的现实主义绝唱。
  • 瞬间爱情

    瞬间爱情

    蜘蛛的网,收起来是密密的网,幽幽的塔,张开来却是血肉人生。心魂在它势力范围之内翻扑打滚,万劫不复。瞬间的爱情,蛛网上的一滴晶莹的泪,折射出五彩斑斓的光芒,让你看众生百态。但是,泪很快就会消散,蒸发,或者掉落。因此,弥足珍贵。
  • 股市奇缘(下册)

    股市奇缘(下册)

    他们因股而结缘,又因缘而际会,最终使他们拥有了一身超能力。两块传世玉佩的出现,使得天性纯良的大成和李泽林两人被流星激发出了潜藏在他们体内的巨大能量。旅行中的一次比试,两个人意外地发现了Y星球留在天目山的超文明现象,出于好奇,他们开始顺藤摸瓜。经过几番周折和历险,当撩开那层神秘的面纱后,终于揭出了近百年来地球上发生的一系列的自然灾害、战争和金融风暴的来龙去脉……
  • 香烟的寂寞

    香烟的寂寞

    我叫水印,眼角下有颗银白色的泪痣,有人说长泪痣的女人一生难以幸福。我确实从开始便不知道什么是幸福,从来不知道父亲是谁,神经质的妈妈也在一次意外中堕楼身亡。从此开始了一个人的孤独生活,在这个城市里起起伏伏……
  • 纸杜鹃

    纸杜鹃

    1937年的一个清晨,瓦村少妇姜二妮在自家柴房里搭救了被日军打伤的国军排长赵铁军,赵铁军却失手打死了她的丈夫霍见明。霍氏家族欲将二妮沉塘,被同村青年杜二宝所救,二人一起逃亡到南城。一番波折后二妮成了一名军统特工,变身舞女艾琳,潜伏于南城万乐门舞厅。抗日战争胜利前夕,姜二妮受命潜入延安,意外重逢了已经成为八路军侦查员的杜二宝,耳闻目睹,二妮受到延安新气象的感召,毅然反正。在行刺中央首长诈败后,她和杜二宝一起回到国统区,二妮再次受命化身舞女艾琳,成为了双料间谍。南城解放前夕,杜二宝出城给解放军带路时不幸牺牲,二妮一下子成了身份不明的人。她虽然四处碰壁,却始终没有放弃希望,仍然在苦苦地寻找……
热门推荐
  • 失忆,彼岸

    失忆,彼岸

    她们看清了世界的一切,只是不曾说,不曾想,一个生命,一份善心,一个帮助,就是她们唯一的不会坠入魔道的路。但,友情始终没有胜过爱情。爱情,被朋友摧毁,才知道,是多么的无可救药。亲情,被至亲至爱的朋友分散,才知道,自己信错了人。我,还会原谅她们吗······一切尽在《失忆,彼岸》
  • 焚灵曲

    焚灵曲

    诸天万界,群雄争霸,破除桎梏,问鼎大千。少年东陵,手握灵镇子,脚踏万界之一的大罗界之巅,以无可睥睨的姿态俯览着这个世界的芸芸众生,这里....不是终点,而是起点!在这漫漫修行路,没有孤独,没有落寞,有的仅仅只是热血的战斗与让人沸腾的意念。
  • 韩娱之守望星空

    韩娱之守望星空

    【简介一】“我喜欢上一个女生,我决定去告白了!”一向淡漠女孩鹿曦,有些紧张的把短信发给了她最好的朋友。“那……要加油啊!”一如既往简短的文字,冰冷的感觉,可又有谁知道她心中那种怅然若失的感觉,她们是朋友,可她郑秀妍真的很爱鹿曦!“我在她家门口,可我不敢敲门!”“去吧!我顶你!”“你觉得她会不会接受我!”“我不知道!”郑秀妍最后还是没能忍住,泪水如同雾气将双眼遮住,最后还是不争气从眼角滑落,这文字如同刀刃在她心口划过,很疼!没多久手机又震动了起来,但是这一次却是来自她的电话,虽然犹豫但依然接起。某曦呆萌状的说:“我还是不敢敲门,你来开门吧!”(不虐了,不会写,而且挺累的……)【简介二】当她来到这个时代,韩国的娱乐圈来了一位不速之客,魔术主持手到擒来,唱歌舞蹈样样俱全,从此,历史的年轮开始转变……
  • 一播三折

    一播三折

    "为了圆梦,夏伊柔毅然在最尴尬的年龄辞去高新职位,只为了实现心中的渴望。本以为网络主播这个行业即使再困难,只要坚持就会有回报,只要真诚待人,即使再怎么不堪,未来也不会太差。却没想到现实比想象中还要黑暗,害得她差点就被.......好在她的身边总有一个土豪大少在,才没至于她深陷黑暗。夏伊柔:土豪,土豪,我们做个朋友吧!土豪大少:我只想当你的老公。"
  • 异能总裁的强悍女友

    异能总裁的强悍女友

    十年前的车祸,两人阴阳相隔;十年后的相遇,两人都陪在一个陌生人的左右。再次相恋,到底是幸福的来临、还是悲剧的产生。十年后的男主拥有常人不能想象的异能,也要承受异能副作用所带来的折磨。当所有的谜团渐渐揭开,两人却都被仇恨占满了心智。从恋人到仇人,两人的结局会怎样?。。。是放下心结还是继续仇恨?。。。。。。强强对决,到底是两败俱伤,还是幸福美满?。。。当他跪在她的面前乞求得到原谅时,她是不是要原谅。。。。。。
  • 我当妇女主任那些年

    我当妇女主任那些年

    从小跟着养父学习医术的张斌,最后却迫于压力,进入了街道办妇委会,成为了一名妇女主任。不过,张斌的医术在这里却得到了诸位大姑娘小媳妇的欢迎。
  • 狂暴修罗系统

    狂暴修罗系统

    平庸少年偶得来自外星文明的修罗系统,化身铁血修罗,神挡杀神,佛挡杀佛.以杀证道,无物不杀!
  • 魂灯战纪

    魂灯战纪

    遗失大陆,曾经的王者大陆,宝藏与凶险的集合地,更是联通各个世界的时空钥匙。原力,一种从人类的潜力中激发出的能量,改变了这个世界的人类,让他们拥有各类属性的力量;一个幼小的少年,带着自己的梦想,看他如何一步步走上各个时空的巅峰。
  • 武灭诀

    武灭诀

    一个与现代科技相结合,却只有玄术的世界;一个被造物者都认为是报废品的种族;一个被废弃的内温世界;在数十万年后,奇迹般的走出一人,这一人与常人不同,他身具十万八千条体内魂经,所修能量更是在这宇宙空间中前所未有的——温能。在面对陌生世界,手持混斧,身穿混甲,脚踏混靴,一步步走向这宇宙的巅峰,向众多宇宙世界的造物者发出最强音:“你们才是真正的报废品!”
  • 吞天战途

    吞天战途

    神魔大陆是一个神异不凡的世界,内部丰富的资源让神灵与恶魔都企图侵占这里,在种族恩怨的逼迫之下,圣灵族血脉最为出色的艾尔,被迫离开了种族。在战火的洗礼之下,当艾尔真正成长起来的时候,才发现所谓的种族恩怨不过是有心人的刻意操弄而已,神魔大陆真正的危机,是来自世界之外的真正广阔天地。