For the love of God, sweet damozel, let me not languish for love! And this on the girdle of a beauteous slave:-- A single wink of thine eye, a teasing touch of thy hand, will be enough to unclasp it. For my heart is so feeble that it could almost leap from my breast. The sight of only a part of my beauty suffices to disturb thy soul. We quote a few more at random--graven on the fillets of El Rashid's slaves:-- Say, O men! in heaven's name is it a sun that shines beneath that fillet, or is it the fair crescent of the nights? Is life possible without the follies of love? Nay, then! flee the sight of beautiful eyes. Rich men of Bagdad followed the example. One El Natify had a slave on whose fillet was written:-- Seduction and the power that teaseth hearts flash from mine eye when it gazeth. Turn, unhappy man, turn away thine eye from mine eye! On the fillet of Ward (Rose) slave of Mahany, was written:-- She is finished, all finished the beauty of her features;--nothing beyond her beauty is possible in this world. For other mortals there is but one crescent in every month; but for me the crescent of beauty riseth daily upon the brow of Ward. And there is a delicious coquetry in this inscription, traced with henna upon the hand of a slave-girl:-- It is not the beauty of henna that doth embellish my hand; 'tis the beauty of my hand that doth heighten the beauty of the henna. Girl-pages, attired like men, sometimes like soldiers, were also fashionable. One of these is spoken of as having worn a helmet on which was engraved: 'Admire the beauty of this slave; never can thine eye learn to define it. Is she male or female; yes,'t is a woman! aye, 't is a man!' And on her sword-belt was graven:-- The sword of her eyes doth not suffice her,--that terrible sword that striketh down the keenest sabres. How dare I remain between those two swords! Let thee behold but once this proud beauty marching in warrior-garb, with her twofold apparatus of slaughter; and thou wilt learn that the scimitar of her glance is even more terrible than the scimitar that is wielded with both hands. The rage for beautiful slaves and exquisite dresses and inscribed girdles increased greatly under Haroun's reign; and the art of the poet was more than ever in demand. Even the tapestries, the coverings of furniture, were adorned with appropriate inscriptions, of which the following on a divan is a fair sample:-- More ravishing, more delicious than wine and the perfume of roses, is the group of two lovers, with cheek pressed against cheek.... The one speaking of the troubles that he feels; the other telling of the love within her heart. Or this, upon a fan:-- I bring a tender breath of air; with me rosy shame doth play: I serve as a veil to the amorous mouth that pouts for a kiss.