A.	G.	Serial.	TITLES OF THE ANECDOTES.
			Part I, Chapter XXIII: On the Anecdotes of Poets and their Extempore Verses.
f239b	f166b	1107	Introductory discourse on extempore poetry, and the poet as the perpetuator of the fame of Kings. Arabic couplets cited and the corresponding Persian couplets of Niẓámí ‘Arúdhi-i-Samarqandí. Marwán b. Abí Ḥafṣa the panegyrist of Ma‘n b. Zá’ida seeks patronage at the court of al-Mahdí and Hárún, and wins reward from both through the merit of his poetical genius.
f240a	”	1108	Ḥasan Dhaḥḥak, the poet laureate to the Caliph al-Mu‘taṣim, wins the favour of the Caliph by extemporising verses in his honour.
”	f167a	1109	Abú Jarwal Zuhayr b. Ṣurad, the poet-representative of the tribe of Hawázin’s pathetic appeal for amnesty addressed to the Prophet. (See H. S. R. p. 877 for the cited verses). (T. F. S. Pt. I, ch. V, p. 88).
”	*	1110	Account of the release of Abú Bakr ‘Abdu’llah, who had incurred the displeasure of the Caliph al-Manṣúr, and his association with the poet ar-Rá’iḥí who wrote an ode on Ma‘n b. Zá’ida.
f240b	f167a	1111	Abu’l-‘Atáhiya’s arrest by the Caliph al-Mahdí for not writing poetry, and his strange meeting in prison with the son of ‘Ísá b. Zayd; his extempore verses in presence of the Caliph obtain deliverance for him.
f241a	f167b	1112	How Ibráhím Mudbir obtains his release from the prison of Najáḥ b. Maslama by sending his verses to be sung before the Caliph al-Mutawakkil.
”	*	1113	A poet in retaliation satirises Abu’l-Fadhl Míkálí in a couplet, but after being rewarded supplements it in praise of Abu’l-Fadhl.
A.	G.	Serial.	TITLES OF THE ANECDOTES.
f241a	*	1114	A poet of the court of al-Ḥajjáj in disappointment addresses ‘Abdu’llah b. Ṭáhir, who in turn replies in verse and rewards him.
”	*	1115	How Ṭurayḥ b. Ismá‘íl ath-Thaqafí defended his verses in praise of Walíd, when questioned by the Caliph al-Manṣúr.
f241b	*	1116	Abú Tammám’s extempore couplets in honour of Aḥmad the son of the Caliph al-Mu‘taṣim, when accused of comparing the Caliph with smaller persons.
”	*	1117	Abu’sh-Shamaqmaq’s lines on the breaking of the banner of Khálid b. Yazíd b. Mazyad ash-Shaybání, while he was at the gate of Mawṣil.
”	f167b	1118	Badí‘u’z-Zamán Hamadhání’s fame at the early age of ten; the Ṣáḥib Ismá‘íl tests his talents for improvisation by giving him a verse from the Díwán of Manṣúr-i-Manṭiqí to translate into Arabic, which he does with such skill as to meet with the approbation of the great Ṣáḥib. (The Yatímatu’d-Dahr referred to for a detailed account of Badí‘u’z-Zamán).
”	*	1119	The Amír Khalaf of Sístán threatened by the poet Ma‘rúf of Balkh if the Amír did not reward him for his ode.
”	*	1120	The Caliph Hárún’s explanation to the Imám Abú Yúsuf about his extreme consideration for the Christian poet Akhṭal.
f242a	f167b	1121	The Caliph al-Mu‘taṣim dismisses Abú Ḥátim-i-Khurásání, his treasurer, in consequence of the satire of Ibnu’r-Rúmí, which the poet had composed in order to revenge himself on Abú Ḥátim.
”	*	1122	Ibnu’l-Ash‘ath’s reply to ‘Abdu’l Malik about the generosity of Qays-i-Ma‘díkarib to A‘shá and the value of the immortal verses which com­memorated his glory in return (Firdawsí cited).
”	*	1123	The Caliph al-Manṣúr asks Ru’ba, the poet, whether he would accept three hundred Dínárs or three counsels in compensation for his poetry.
”	*	1124	The Sultan Maḥmúd asks the poets of his court to translate two couplets (cf. Lubáb II, p. 22) of ‘Abdu’llah b. Muḥammad al-Walwálají, the poet. On the failure of all the others, Abu’l-Qásim, the son of the Wazír Abu’l-‘Abbás Isfará’iní extemporises in Arabic.
”	f168a	1125	An account of Farrukhí’s poetry and his journey to Samarqand: his classic description of a traveller without money in a beautiful town, when asked about Samarqand by the Sultan Maḥmúd.
			The chapter ends without any eulogy.