but returning to the damsel, they carried her to the Commander of the Faithful and she pleased him; so he assigned her a chamber of the chambers of choice. She tarried in the palace, neither eating nor drinking and weeping sans surcease night and day, till, one night, the Caliph sent for her to his sitting-hall and said to her, “O Sitt al-Milah, be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool of tear, for I will make thy rank higher than any of the concubines and thou shalt see that which shall rejoice thee.” She kissed ground and wept; whereupon the Prince of True Believers called for her lute and bade her sing: so in accordance with that which was in her heart, she sang these improvised couplets:— By the sheen of thy soul and the sheen of thy smile[297], ✿ Say, moan’st thou for doubt or is’t ring-dove’s moan? How many have died who by love were slain! ✿ Fails my patience but blaming my blamers wone. Now when she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her hand and wept till she fainted away, whereupon the Caliph bade carry her to her chamber. But he was fascinated by her and loved her with exceeding love; so, after a while, he again commanded to bring her in to the presence, and when she came, he ordered her sing. Accordingly, she took the lute and chanted to it that which was in her heart and improvised these couplets:— Have I patience and strength to support this despair? ✿ Ah, how couldst thou purpose afar to fare? Thou art swayed by the spy to my cark and care: ✿ No marvel an branchlet sway here and there![298] With unbearable load thou wouldst load me, still ✿ Thou loadest with love which I theewards bear. [Illustration] Then she cast the lute from her hand and fainted away; so she was carried to her sleeping-chamber and indeed passion grew upon her. After a long while, the Prince of True Believers sent for her a third time and commanded her to sing. So she took the lute and chanted these couplets:— O of piebald wild ye dunes sandy and drear, ✿ Shall the teenful lover ’scape teen and tear? Shall ye see me joined with a lover, who ✿ Still flies or shall meet we in joyful cheer? O hail to the fawn with the Houri eye, ✿ Like sun or moon on horizon clear! He saith to lovers, “What look ye on?” ✿ And to stony hearts, “Say, what love ye dear”?[299] I pray to Him who departed us ✿ With severance-doom, “Be our union near!”