Ahmad ibn Kulayb the poet

Ahmad ibn Kulayb, the Baghdadi poet; he was infatuated with Aslam ibn Ahmad until his verses about him filled every tongue and were sung at gatherings — Ibn al-Jawzi knew a wedding where his lines "and He made me Muslim in the love of Aslam" were piped. Aslam withdrew from the students' gatherings and kept to his house, while Ibn Kulayb spent his days passing by his door. ¹

One night he disguised himself in a Bedouin wool cloak, a chicken in one hand and a cage of eggs in the other, claimed to be Aslam's hired hand on one of his estates, and won a kiss on the hand — after which Aslam swore never again to sit at his door. When illness later confined Ibn Kulayb and a shaykh asked his remedy he answered "a glance from Aslam"; the shaykh pressed Aslam until he came on foot and stood blushing in the lane until the visit was done. ¹