Light of mine eyes, my hope, my wish, my thirsting eyes With
looking on thy face can never sate their drought.

When Noureddin heard these his slave-girl's verses, he fell
a-weeping, what while she strained him to her bosom and wiped
away his tears with her sleeve and questioned him and comforted
his mind. Then she took the lute and sweeping its strings, played
thereon, after such a wise as would move the phlegmatic to
delight, and sang the following verses:

Whenas mine eyes behold thee not, that day As of my life I do not
reckon aye;
And when I long to look upon thy face, My life is perished with
desire straightway.

On this wise they abode till the morning, tasting not the savour
of sleep; and when the day lightened, behold, the eunuch came
with the mule and said to Sitt el Milah, "The Commander of the
Faithful calleth for thee." So she arose and taking her lord by
the hand, committed him to the old man, saying, "I commend him to
thy care, under God,[FN#40] till this eunuch cometh to thee; and
indeed, O elder, I owe thee favour and largesse such as filleth
the interspace betwixt heaven and earth."

Then she mounted the mule and repairing to the palace of the
Commander of the Faithful, went in to him and kissed the earth
before him. Quoth he to her, as who should make mock of her, "I
doubt not but thou hast found thy lord." "By thy felicity and the
length of thy continuance [on life,]" answered she, "I have
indeed found him!" Now Er Reshid was leaning back; but, when he