When she had made an end of her song and laid down the lute, Ishac looked fixedly on her, then took her hand and offered to kiss it; but she snatched it from him and said to him, ’Allah, O my lord, do not that!’ Quoth he, ’Be silent.  By Allah, I had said that there was not in the world the like of me; but now I have found my dinar[FN#180] in the craft but a danic,[FN#181] “for thou art, beyond comparison or approximation or reckoning, more excellent of skill than I!  This very day will I carry thee up to the Commander of the Faithful Haroun er Reshid, and whenas his glance lighteth on thee, thou wilt become a princess of womankind.  So, Allah, Allah upon thee, O my lady, whenas thou becomest of the household of the Commander of the Faithful, do not thou forget me!’ And she replied, saying, ’Allah, O my lord, thou art the source of my fortunes and in thee is my heart fortified.’  So he took her hand and made a covenant with her of this and she swore to him that she would not forget him.

Then said he to her, ’By Allah, thou art the desire of the Commander of the Faithful![FN#182] So take the lute and sing a song that thou shalt sing to the Khalif, whenas thou goest in to him.’  So she took the lute and tuning it, sang the following verses: 

His love on him took pity and wept for his dismay:  Of those that
     him did visit she was, as sick he lay. 
She let him taste her honey and wine[FN#183] before his death: 
     This was his last of victual until the Judgment Day.

Ishac stared at her and seizing her hand, said to her, ’Know that I am bound by an oath that, when the singing of a damsel pleaseth me, she shall not make an end of her song but before the Commander of the Faithful.  But now tell me, how came it that thou abodest with the slave-dealer five months and wast not sold to any, and thou of this skill, more by token that the price set on thee was no great matter?’

She laughed and answered, ’O my lord, my story is a strange one and my case extraordinary.  Know that I belonged aforetime to a Mughrebi merchant, who bought me, when I was three years old, and there were in his house many slave-girls and eunuchs; but I was the dearest to him of them all.  So he kept me with him and used not to call me but “daughterling,” and indeed I am presently a clean maid.  Now there was with him a damsel, a lutanist, and she reared me and taught me the craft, even as thou seest.  Then was my master admitted to the mercy of God the Most High[FN#184] and his sons divided his good.  I fell to the lot of one of them; but it was only a little while ere he had squandered all his substance and there was left him no tittle of money.  So I left the lute, fearing lest I should fall into the hand of a man who knew not my worth, for that I was assured that needs must my master sell me; and indeed it was but a few days ere he carried me forth to the barrack of the slave-merchant who buyeth slave-girls and showeth them to the Commander of the Faithful.