Abbasi Caliph Haroon ur Rashid and Arabic Poet Abu Nawas

Haroon Al-Rasheed had a concubine with whom he loved intensely. She was black and her name was Khalsa. One day Khalsa was sitting beside Haroon Al-Rasheed. And she was wearing a very precious and beautiful necklace around her neck. At that time, Abu Nawas (a famous Arab poet) entered the court and recited his beautiful & loving hymn in the praise of the king. But Harun al-Rashiddid not pay any attention and not rewarded him. This annoyed Abu Nawas, he came out of the court in a state of despair and wrote a verse on the door of the court:

 لقد ضاع شعری علی بابکم

 کما ضاع عقد علی خالصۃ 

My poem is lost at your door, just like that (precious) necklace that lost in the neck of the Khalsa. Later, when Haroon al-Rashid's courtier informed him of this verse written on the door of Abu Nawas, the king asked Abu Nawas to come to the court. As AbuNawas entered the court, he made minor alterations to the poem written on the door.

 لقد ضاء شعری علی بابکم

 کما ضاء عقد علی خالصۃ  

Just as that (precious) necklace has shone in the Neck of Khalsa, so my lines have shone in your door." After reciting the poem, Haroon Al-Rasheed began to reward Abu Nawas with joy and expansion.  Nafhat-ul-Yamin, Sheikh Ahmad bin Muhammad YemeniSherwani, p. 2, Ancient Library Karachi

Note: In Arabic, the meaning of ضاع is to lose and the meaning of ضاء is to shine. Abu Nawas manipulated these words and received a huge reward from Haroon Rashid instead of being punished.