as for abu ja`far almansur he never appeared to a companion nor did anyone see him drink anything but water. there were twenty cubits between him and the curtain and a similar distance between the curtain and his companions. when the singer sang to him and delighted him the curtain would move some of the slave girls and the servant who owned the curtain would look at him and say tell him well done may god bless you! and sometimes he wanted to clap his hands so he would get up from his seat and enter one of his wives rooms and that would be there. he would not reward any of his companions or others with a dirham but it would be a record for him in a register. he would not cut off the space of a foot from anyone who was added to a game of amusement laughter or jest. he would memorize everything he gave to one of them for ten years calculate it and mention it to him.
فأما أبو جعفر المنصور، فلم يكن يظهر لنديم قط، ولا رآه أحد يشرب غير الماء. وكان بينه وبين الستارة عشرون ذراعا، وبين الستارة والندماء مثلها؛ فإذا غناه المغني فأطربه، حركت الستارة بعض الجواري، فاطلع إليه الخادم صاحب الستارة فيقول قل له أحسنت، بارك الله فيك! ؛ وربما أراد أن يصفق بيديه، فيقوم عن مجلسه، ويدخل بعض حجر نسائه، فيكون ذاك هناك، وكان لا يثيب أحدا من ندمائه وغيرهم درهما، فيكون له رسما في ديوان. ولم يقطع أحدا ممن كان يضاف إلى ملهية أو ضحك أو هزل، موضع قدم من الأرض. وكان يحفظ كل ما أعطى واحدا منهم عشر سنين، ويحسبه، ويذكره له.