Around the square the palms and cedars shine,
And bowers of roses cluster round divine. 
Beneath an arch of myrtles, climbing vines,
And canopy,—­with wreathing flowers it shines,
There stands a wondrous garland-wreathed throne,
Where maids are gathered;—­each unmarried one. 
The timid maids and bold of Babylon
Are each in turn led to the rosy throne;
The crowd of bidders round the herald stand,
The richest and the poorest of the land.

The queen of Accad’s maids doth now appear,
We see the burnished chariot coming near,
Ten beauteous bays with proud steps, nodding plumes
Come first; behind, a train of nobles comes;
And now we see the close-drawn canopy
Thrown back by slaves, who step aside, that she
The queen of beauty crowned with lilies, rose,
May here alight.  And see! she queenly goes
With dainty steps between the noblemen,
Who stand on either side the queen
Of beauty of the plains, who first this day
Shall reign upon the throne, and lead the way
For all the maids who shall be bought for gold,
And thus the first upon the throne is sold.

She takes her seat beneath the canopy,
Upon the throne high raised, that all may see;
As she her veil of fine spun gold flings back
From her sweet face and o’er her ringlets black,
Her large dark eyes, soft as a wild gazelle’s,
Upon the richest nobles dart appeals. 
Her bosom throbs ’neath gems and snowy lace,
And robes of broidered satin, velvets, grace
Her beauty with their pearly folds that fall
Around her form.

Hark! hear the herald’s call! 
“Behold this pearl! my lords and noblemen,
And who will bid for her as wife, my men?”
“Ana-bilti khurassi ash at ka!"[11]
“Akhadu khurassi ana sa-sa!"[12]
“U sinu bilti khurassi!"[11] two cried. 
“Sal-sutu bilti!"[12] nobles three replied;
And four, and five, and six, till one bid ten,
A vast amount of gold for noblemen: 

But see! the bidders in excitement stand
Around a youth who cries with lifted hand
And features pale and stern, who now began
To bid against a wealthy nobleman,
Whose countless herds graze far upon the plain,
His laden ships that ride upon the main
He counts by scores.  He turns his evil eyes
And wolfish face upon the youth and cries,
“Khamisserit!"[13] The lover answering says: 
“Esra’a!"[14] “U selasa’a!"[15] then brays
The gray-haired lover.  “U irbaha!"[16] cries
The youth, and still the nobleman defies;
Who answers cooly, “Khausa’a;"[17] and eyes
The anxious youth, who wildly “Miha!"[18] cries. 
“Mine! mine! she is! though you alapu[19] bid!”
“A fool thou art!” the noble, leaving, said. 
“One hundred talents for a maid!” he sneered,
And in the crowd he growling disappeared. 
The measures filled with shining gold are brought,
And thus the loveliest of all is bought.