I am Farid ibn Sad, civil servant and poet of Balansiya.

I am 21 years old and married to the niece of Ahmad ibn Galib. I work with the tax officer of theAlcázar, keepin up the tax records of the shops in town, but my real passion is poetry. I write poems in the same way of Ibn Jafaya, the gardener of Al-Gezira (Alzira), and I hope to one day be part of the literary court of Emir Zayyan ibn Mardanis. I love soirees at home of Ahmad, those nights of Al-Andalusfull of pleasure, music and poetry. It's shame that today I am also invited to Muhammad ibn Tahir, they always spoil the party with threats of conquest. As if we did not have decades of maintaining satisfaction to the Christians with our taxes!