and women in what satisfies the passion of love and extinguishes the fire of longing? she said no. he said why? she said if love is married it becomes corrupt! so he took out a sword that he had hidden under his garment and said by god if you were to be kind to me i would fill it with you! when they heard that they trusted his secret and relied on his chastity and they turned away from killing him and they permitted him to look and talk.
والنساء، فيما يشفي غليل العشق ويطفئ نائرة الشوق؟ قالت لا. قال ولم؟ قالت إن الحب إذا نكح فسد! فأخرج سيفا قد كان أخفاه تحت ثوبه، فقال أما والله لو أنعمت لي لملأته منك! فلما سمعا بذلك وثقا بغيبه وركنا إلى عفافه، وانصرفا عن قتله، وأباحاه النظر والمحادثة.