"Waters of beauty o'er his cheeks flow bright, * And rain his glances shafts that sorely smite: Choked are his lovers an he deal disdain's * Bitterest draught denaying love-delight. His forehead and his stature and my love * Are perfect perfected perfection-dight; His raiment folds enfold a lovely neck * As crescent moon in collar buttoned tight: His eyne and twinnčd moles and tears of me * Are night that nighteth to the nightliest night. His eyebrows and his features and my frame[FN#470] * Crescents on crescents are as crescents slight: His pupils pass the wine-cup to his friends * Which, albe sweet, tastes bitter to my sprite; And to my thirsty throat pure drink he dealt * From smiling lips what day we were unite: Then is my blood to him, my death to him * His right and rightful and most righteous right." The girl gazed at Nur al-Din and said, "O my lord, Allah upon thee, am I not beautiful?"; and he replied, "O Princess of fair ones, is there in the world a comelier than thou?" She rejoined, "Then why seest thou all the other merchants bid high for me and art silent nor sayest a word neither addest one dinar to my price? 'Twould seem I please thee not, O my lord!" Quoth he, "O my lady, were I in my own land, I had bought thee with all that my hand possesseth of monies;" and quoth she, "O my lord, I said not, 'Buy me against thy will,' yet, didst thou but add somewhat to my price, it would hearten my heart, though thou buy me not, so the merchants may say, 'Were not this girl handsome, yonder merchant of Cairo had not bidden for her, for the Cairenes are connoisseurs in slave-girls.'" These words abashed Nur al-Din and he blushed and said to the broker, "How high are the biddings for her?" He replied, "Her price hath reached nine hundred and sixty dinars,[FN#471] besides brokerage, as for the Sultan's dues, they fall on the seller." Quoth Nur al-Din, "Let me have her for a thousand dinars, brokerage and price." And the damsel hastening to the fore and leaving the broker, said, "I sell myself to this handsome young man for a thousand dinars." But Nur al-Din held his peace. Quoth one, "We sell to him;" and another, "He deserveth her;" and a third, "Accursed, son of accursed, is he who biddeth and doth not buy!"; and a fourth, "By Allah, they befit each other!" Then, before Nur al-Din could think, the broker fetched Kazis and witnesses, who wrote out a contract of sale and purchase; and the broker handed the paper to Nur al-Din, saying, "Take thy slave-girl and Allah bless thee in her for she beseemeth none but thee and none but thou beseemeth her." And he recited these two couplets, "Boon Fortune sought him in humblest way[FN#472] * And came to him draggle-tailed, all a-stir: And none is fittest for him but she * And none is fittest but he for her."