and i will tell you about abu bakr my brother may god have mercy on him. he was married to atika bint qand the ruler of the upper frontier during the days of almansur abu amir muhammad ibn amir. she was the one whose beauty and virtue were unmatched and the world does not bring anyone like her in her virtues. they were in the prime of youth and his authority was established. each of them would be angered by a word that had no value. they continued to quarrel and rebuke each other for a period of eight years. his love had made her sick and her longing for him had worn her out and the intensity of her infatuation with him had worn her out until she became like an imaginary decrepit ghost. nothing in the world would distract her and she would not be pleased with her wealth despite its great size and abundance little or much since she had missed his agreement with her and his safety for her until my brother may god have mercy on him died in the plague that struck cordoba in the month of dhu alqidah in the year four hundred and one and he was twentytwo years old. she had not ceased since…
وأنا أخبرك عن أبي بكر أخي رحمه الله، وكان متزوجا بعاتكة بنت قند ، صاحب الثغر الأعلى أيام المنصور أبي عامر محمد ابن عامر، وكانت التي لا مرمى وراءها في جمالها وكريم خلالها، ولا تأتي الدنيا بمثلها في فضائلها، وكانا في حد الصبا وتمكن سلطانه تغضب كل واحد منهما الكلمة التي لا قدر لها، فكانا لم يزالا في تغاضب وتعاتب مدة ثمانية أعوام، وكانت قد شفها حبه وأضناها الوجد فيه وأنحلها شدة كلفها به، حتى صارت كالخيال المتوهم دنفا، لا يلهيها من الدنيا شيء، ولا تسر من أموالها على عرضها وتكاثرها بقليل ولا كثير إذ فاتها اتفاقه معها وسلامته لها، إلى ان توفي أخي رحمه الله في الطاعون الواقع بقرطبة في شهر ذي القعدة سنة إحدى وأربعمائة، وهو ابن اثنين وعشرين سنة، فما انفكت منذ