Ishac entered, he and his company, and seating themselves in the place of honour, amused themselves by looking on the slave-girls and mamelukes and watching how they were sold, till the sale came to an end, when some of the folk went away and other some sat.  Then said the slave-dealer, ’Let none sit with us except him who buyeth by the thousand [dinars] and upwards.’  So those who were present withdrew and there remained none but Er Reshid and his company; whereupon the slave-dealer called the damsel, after he had caused set her a chair of fawwak,[FN#170] furnished with Greek brocade, and it was as she were the sun shining in the clear sky.  When she entered, she saluted and sitting down, took the lute and smote upon it, after she had touched its strings and tuned it, so that all present were amazed.  Then she sang thereto the following verses: 

Wind of the East, if thou pass by the land where my loved ones
     dwell, I pray, The fullest of greetings bear to them from
     me, their lover, and say
That I am the pledge of passion still and that my longing love
     And eke my yearning do overpass all longing that was aye. 
O ye who have withered my heart and marred my hearing and my
     sight, Desire and transport for your sake wax on me night
     and day. 
My heart with yearning is ever torn and tortured without cease,
     Nor can my lids lay hold on sleep, that Sees from them away.

‘Well done, O damsel!’ cried Ishac.  ’By Allah, this is a fair hour!’ Whereupon she rose and kissed his hand, saying, ’O my lord, the hands stand still in thy presence and the tongues at thy sight, and the eloquent before thee are dumb; but thou art the looser of the veil.’[FN#171] Then she clung to him and said, ‘Stand.’  So he stood and said to her, ’Who art thou and what is thy need?’ She raised a corner of the veil, and he beheld a damsel as she were the rising full moon or the glancing lightning, with two side locks of hair that fell down to her anklets.  She kissed his hand and said to him, ’O my lord, know that I have been in this barrack these five months, during which time I have been withheld[FN#172] from sale till thou shouldst be present [and see me]; and yonder slave-dealer still made thy coming a pretext to me[FN#173] and forbade me, for all I sought of him night and day that he should cause thee come hither and vouchsafe me thy presence and bring me and thee together.’  Quoth Ishac, ‘Say what thou wouldst have.’  And she answered, ’I beseech thee, by God the Most High, that thou buy me, so I may be with thee, by way of service.’  ‘Is that thy desire?’ asked he, and she replied, ’ Yes.’