Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Prince Yusuf said, “By Allah, had Al-Hayfa any save myself she had not sent me these letters; but the outgoings of the heart conciliate lovers and correspond each with other.”  Then he took writing materials and after thinking awhile he improvised these couplets,

O thou of stature fair with waist full slight[FN#251] *
     Surpassing sandhill- branch and reedlet light;
I deal in words and gems of speech that melt, * By none ’mid all
     of mortal kind indite;
From my tribe’s lord, a lion rending foes * Moon of Perfections
     and ‘The Yusuf’ hight: 
Homed in thy home I joyed my joys with maids *
     High-breasted,[FN#252] virgins weakening forceful sprite;
Your songs and touch of lute ’mid trembling wine * Consoled all
     sorrows, made all hearts delight,
Till you to other deigned union grant * And I your nature learnt
     and learnt aright,
Whereat my vitals failed, sore bane befel, * Pine,
     disappointment, and injurious blight. 
No virtue dwelleth in the fairest forms * But forms the fairest
     are by goodness dight. 
How many a maiden deckt with crescent brow * Hath nature dealing
     injury and despite? 
Man hath no merit save in kindly mind * And loquent tongue with
     light of wits unite."[FN#253]

And when Yusuf had ended his poetry he presented an hundred dinars to Ibn Ibrahim, who took the letter and fell to cutting through the wilds and the wolds, after which he went in to the presence of Al-Hayfa and gave her the missive.  She wept and wailed and cried, “O Ibn Ibrahim, this letter is indeed softer than all forewent it; and as thou hast brought it to me, O Ibn Ibrahim, I will largesse thee with two honourable robes of golden brocade and a thousand dinars.”  So saying, she called for pen-case and paper whereupon she indited these couplets,

“O my lord, these words do my vitals destroy, * O thou gem of the
     earth and full moon a-sky! 
How long this recourse to denial and hate * With heart whose
     hardness no rocks outvie? 
Thou hast left my spirit in parting-pangs * And in fires of
     farness that flame on high: 
How long shall I ’plain of its inner pains? * Haps thy grace
     shall grant me reunion-joy: 
Then pity, my vitals and whatso homed * Thy form within me before
     I die.