and if you happen to find a skilled goldsmith he will distinguish between the pure and the false. i know of a young man and a young woman each of them was assigned to look after his companion. they would lie down when someone came to visit them and between them was a great cushion from the cushions placed at the backs of chiefs on the beds. their heads would meet behind the cushion and each would kiss the other without seeing them as if they were stretching out from exhaustion. they had reached a great degree of equal affection to the point that the young man in love would sometimes become arrogant towards her. and about that i say .
وإن تصادف صائغا ماهرا ميز بين المحض والخائل وإني لأعلم فتى وجارية كان يكلف كل واحد منهما بصاحبه، فكانا يضطجعان إذا حضرهما أحد وبينهما المسند العظيم من المساند الموضوعة عند ظهور الرؤساء على الفرش، ويلتقي رأساهما وراء المسند ويقبل كل واحد منهما صاحبه ولا يريان، وكأنهما إنما يتمددان من الكلل؛ ولقد كانا بلغا من تكافيهما في المودة أمرا عظيما، إلى أن كان الفتى المحب ربما استطال عليها؛ وفي ذلك أقول .