Three different versions of the same tale are given; there are many more in Arabic.338
They say that al-Ḍayzan al-Ghassānī,340 the king of al-Ḥīrah, was attacked by Sābūr Dhū l-Aktāf.341 Al-Ḍayzan fortified himself and was besieged for a month. They say that Mulaykah,342 the daughter of al-Ḍayzan, looked at Sābūr from the city wall343 and fell in love with him. She sent a note344 to him, saying, “I have fallen in love with you and I shall point out to you how to conquer this town.” He replied, “Do that and I will be yours, and at your command!”
Then she got the guardians of the wall drunk and opened the gates.345 Sābūr entered the town, killed those he could lay his hands on, and took her father prisoner. The following morning Sābūr ordered that al-Ḍayzan be brought before him, while he sat on a golden throne with the girl at his side. When al-Ḍayzan saw her, he wrung his hands, stamped his feet, and fainted. When he came to his senses he said to her, “Why have you done this? May God blacken your face as you have blackened mine, and may He give him power over you!”
On the orders of Sābūr, he was beheaded. Sābūr and his followers captured many spoils and returned to his royal residence. He had a special apartment built for the girl and made her live there. He was much pleased with her and she stayed with him for a year. Then, one night, he called for her and she spent the night with him on a bed filled with feathers. But she was very restless, so he asked her, “What is the matter with you, my darling?”
“There is something rough in the bed that has made me feel uncomfortable.”
He searched the bed and found beneath the feathers a myrtle leaf, and see! This had left a mark on her side of precisely the size of the leaf, because her body was so soft346 and her skin so tender. He said to her, “What did your father give you to eat?”
“Marrow347 and bread of the finest wheat flour—meaning white bread348—with sugar candy.”349
The king said, “By God, I shall give you what you deserve!”
He gave orders for her plaits to be fastened to the tails of two horses. They were made to gallop and she was torn to pieces.350
I have read in the Histories of the Persians,352 that Ardashīr353 marched against alḤaḍr (Hatra). The king of Babylonia354 had fortified himself there; he was one of the most powerful of the Successor Kings.355 So Ardashīr besieged him there for some time, unable to find a way to take the town. Then, one day, the daughter of the king of Mesopotamia climbed on the town wall and saw Ardashīr. She fell in love with him, went down, took an arrow and wrote on it: “If you promise to marry me I will show you a place from where you may conquer this town with the least effort and cost.” Then she shot the arrow toward Ardashīr, who wrote his reply on the arrow: “I promise to do what you have asked.” Then he cast it toward her. She wrote to him, pointing out the place. Ardashīr sent his men there, they breached the town, and he entered with his troops while the townspeople remained unaware. They killed the king and most of the garrison, and Ardashīr married her.
One night, while she was lying on his bed, she felt so uncomfortable that she was sleepless all night long. They searched the bed and found beneath the mattress a myrtle leaf which had left a mark on her body. Thereupon Ardashīr asked her on what food her father had raised her. She said, “My food was mostly honey, cream, and marrow.”
Ardashīr said, “Nobody has been as excessively generous and obliging to you as your father. Since his reward from you has been so evil, despite his great kindness, while being so closely related and deserving great respect, I cannot be sure that you will be not the source of something similar befalling me.”
Then he gave orders for her hair to be fastened to the tail of a very restive, untamable horse, and for it to be run. This was done, and she was torn limb from limb.
Al-Ḥaḍr was a town in al-Jazīrah.357 In the old days a king ruled there called Sāṭirūn. His rule was mild, and he was kind toward his subjects. He adhered to a religion in which he was very pious, even though it was wrong. He deemed it permissible to marry one’s own daughters and sisters.358 He had a daughter who was one of the most beautiful people on earth. He was old, having lived a long time. Then, during the rule of Sābūr Dhū l-Aktāf, an army from Persia attacked him. One of their generals called Sharwīn was the commander of that army. He had with him a servant called Ḥurayn.359 Sābūr ordered him not to leave the town until he had conquered it, promising to give him anything he wished. He advanced with his army up to the bank of the Euphrates and camped there, with the town lying a short distance from the riverbank.360 There was a stone building leading from the town to the Euphrates.361 Sharwīn remained there until those around the town had all fled. They would go to the town in the morning, camping nearby, and fight hard; then he would withdraw. He did this for some time.
Then the wife of Sāṭirūn, who was his daughter, employed a ruse to send a message to Sharwīn, in which she pointed out how to enter the town, on condition he would promise to marry her. She said, “At night only my father’s servants guard the town; I shall deal with them on such-and-such a day.”
When that night arrived she sent a message to her father’s servants who guarded the town and to those with them, saying: “By God, I had no idea of the hardship you must endure, fighting during the day and having to stay awake at night. If I had known I would have sent you food and drink, enough for all of you.”
She ordered her servant woman to prepare for them what she used to prepare and give them an excess of it and to put henbane in their drink. That was on the night she had agreed upon with Sharwīn. The men collapsed, intoxicated by the henbane. Sharwīn advanced toward the town and entered it through the entrance that she had promised he would find. He killed her father and the inhabitants of the town. He took the woman and found her to be shapelier and more beautiful than he had ever seen in a woman. He said to himself: I do not know of a human who is more evil than this woman. I have seen how her father has treated her, honoring her greatly, but she could not be happy until her evil nature moved her to have him and all her brothers killed. It is not fitting for anybody to let her enter his room, nor should one trust her.
So he ordered her throat to be cut, destroyed the town, and departed.