Tales from the Arabic, vol 3 | Page 4

he saluted me and saluteth thee. Indeed,
he seeketh to win thy favour and would fain be a guest in our dwelling,
so thou mayst let him hear somewhat of thy singing." When she heard
speak of the young Damascene, she gave a sob, that her soul was like to
depart her body, and answered, saying, "He knoweth my plight and is
ware that these three days past I have eaten not nor drunken, and I
beseech thee, O my lord, by the Great God, to accomplish the stranger
his due and bring him to my lodging and make excuse to him for me."
When her master heard this, his reason fled for joy and he went to his
friend the draper and said to him, "Thou wast right in the matter of the
damsel, for that she is enamoured of the young Damascene; so how
shall I do?" Quoth the other, "Go to the bazaar and when thou seest him,
salute him and say to him, 'Indeed, thy departure the other day, without
accomplishing thine occasion, was grievous to me; so, if thou be still
minded to buy the girl, I will abate thee an hundred dinars of that which
thou badest for her, by way of hospitable entreatment of thee and
making myself agreeable to thee; for that thou art a stranger in our
land.' If he say to thee, 'I have no desire for her' and hold off from thee,
know that he will not buy; in which case, let me know, so I may
contrive thee another device; and if he say to thee other than this,
conceal not from me aught.
So the girl's owner betook himself to the bazaar, where he found the
youth seated at the upper end of the merchants' place of session, selling
and buying and taking and giving, as he were the moon on the night of
its full, and saluted him. The young man returned his salutation and he
said to him, "O my lord, be not thou vexed at the girl's speech the other
day, for her price shall be less than that [which thou badest], to the
intent that I may propitiate thy favour. If thou desire her for nought, I

will send her to thee, or if thou wouldst have me abate thee of her price,
I will well, for I desire nought but what shall content thee; for that thou
art a stranger in our land and it behoveth us to entreat thee hospitably
and have consideration for thee." "By Allah," answered the youth, "I
will not take her from thee but at an advance on that which I bade thee
for her aforetime; so wilt thou now sell her to me for seventeen hundred
dinars?" And the other answered," O my lord, I sell her to thee, may
God bless thee in her."
So the young man went to his lodging and fetching a purse, returned to
the girl's owner and counted out to him the price aforesaid, whilst the
draper was between them. Then said he, "Bring her forth;" but the other
answered, "She cannot come forth at this present; but be thou my guest
the rest of this day and night, and on the morrow thou shall take thy
slave-girl and go in the protection of God." The youth fell in with him
of this and he carried him to his house, where, after a little, he let bring
meat and wine, and they [ate and] drank. Then said Noureddin to the
girl's owner, "I beseech thee bring me the damsel, for that I bought her
not but for the like of this time." So he arose and [going in to the girl],
said to her, "O Sitt el Milan, the young man hath paid down thy price
and we have bidden him hither; so he hath come to our dwelling and
we have entertained him, and he would fain have thee be present with
him."
Therewithal the damsel rose briskly and putting off her clothes, washed
and donned sumptuous apparel and perfumed herself and went out to
him, as she were a willow-wand or a bamboo-cane, followed by a black
slave girl, bearing the lute. When she came to the young man, she
saluted him and sat down by his side. Then she took the lute from the
slave-girl and tuning it, smote thereon in four-and-twenty modes, after
which she returned to the first mode and sang the following verses:
Unto me the world's whole gladness is thy nearness and thy sight; All
incumbent thy possession and thy love a law of right. In my tears I
have a witness; when I call thee to my mind, Down my cheeks they run
like torrents, and I cannot stay their flight. None, by