Once Abul-Abbas Al-Mubarrad set out with his com-pany to Al-Barid and reached upon the monastery of Hirakl and perched in its shade.
Then a man came out and told them about a madman in the monastery who spoke wisdom and that they would be marvelled to listen to his speech. So, they all arose and went inside the monastery and found a man seated on a skin mat with his eyes firm on the wall. They exchanged salutations with him.
Abu spoke some verses to him so that he might continue. When the man finished, he asked them if he spoke well or ill. Abu replied he spoke contrary to ill, well and right well.
Hearing this, the man took a stone, and fearing he would throw that on Abu and his people, they arose to flee. When they stopped seeing him giving himself violent blows, he told them that he was actually heart-stricken of his lost love and had become mad. Soon he was dead and Abu mourned for him the rest of the day.
