Caliph Haroon Al-Rashid was deeply in love with Lady Zubaidah and got her a pleasance built with a series of trees. On the either side of it, there was huge water flow that made trees grew denser over time that one could even bathe in it.
One day, the queen entered the garden and while coming towards the swimming-bath realized the beauty of the surrounding water and shades of the tree.
She then decided to bring a wave of cold water on her body to wither away from the exceeding heat. Zubaidah removed her clothes and entered the tank, not deep enough to cover her whole body.
When the Caliph heard about her inside the pool, he left his palace and came down to see her from behind the trees. She suddenly came to know she was being watched over by the Caliph and felt embarrassed. The Caliph soon turned his back and walked back towards his palace. He then called Abu Nowas and asked me to create a verse on the queen’s beauty. Abu was thereafter handsomely rewarded.
