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 Allah, ’mongst all creatures, none I love save thee
     alone!  Yea, for I am grown thy bondman, by the troth betwixt
     us plight. 
Peace upon thee!  Ah, how bitter were the severance from thee!  Be
     not this thy troth-plight’s ending nor the last of our
     delight!

Therewithal the young man was moved to delight and exclaimed, “By Allah, thou sayest well, O Sitt el Milan!  Let me hear more.”  Then he handselled her with fifty dinars and they drank and the cups went round among them; and her seller said to her, “O Sitt el Milah, this is the season of leave-taking; so let us hear somewhat on the subject.”  Accordingly she struck the lute and avouching that which was in her heart, sang the following verses: 

I am filled full of longing pain and memory and dole, That from
     the wasted body’s wounds distract the anguished soul. 
Think not, my lords, that I forget:  the case is still the same. 
     When such a fever fills the heart, what leach can make it
     whole? 
And if a creature in his tears could swim, as in a sea, I to do
     this of all that breathe were surely first and sole. 
O skinker of the wine of woe, turn from a love-sick maid, Who
     drinks her tears still, night and morn, thy bitter-flavoured
     bowl. 
I had not left you, had I known that severance would prove My
     death; but what is past is past, Fate stoops to no control.

As they were thus in the enjoyment of all that in most delicious of easance and delight, and indeed the wine was sweet to them and the talk pleasant, behold, there came a knocking at the door.  So the master of the house went out, that he might see what was to do, and found ten men of the Khalif’s eunuchs at the door.  When he saw this, he was amazed and said to them, “What is to do?” Quoth they, “The Commander of the Faithful saluteth thee and requireth of thee the slave-girl whom thou hast for sale and whose name is Sitt el Milah.”  By Allah,” answered the other, “I have sold her.”  And they said, “Swear by the head of the Commander of the Faithful that she is not in thy dwelling.”  He made oath that he had sold her and that she was no longer at his disposal; but they paid no need to his word and forcing their way into the house, found the damsel and the young Damascene in the sitting-chamber.  So they laid hands upon her, and the youth said, “This is my slave-girl, whom I have bought with my money.”  But they hearkened not to his speech and taking her, carried her off to the Commander of the Faithful.