When she had made an end of her song, she threw the lute from her hand and wept and lamented.  Then she slept awhile and presently awaking, said, “O elder, hast thou what we may eat?” “O my lady,” answered the old man, “there is the rest of the food;” but she said, “I will not eat of a thing I have left.  Go down to the market and fetch us what we may eat.”  Quoth he, “Excuse me, O my lady; I cannot stand up, for that I am overcome with wine; but with me is the servant of the mosque, who is a sharp youth and an intelligent.  I will call him, so he may buy thee that which thou desirest.”  “Whence hast thou this servant?” asked she; and he replied, “He is of the people of Damascus.”  When she heard him speak of the people of Damascus, she gave a sob, that she swooned away; and when she came to herself, she said, “Woe’s me for the people of Damascus and for those who are therein!  Call him, O elder, that he may do our occasions.”

So the old man put his head forth of the window and called the youth, who came to him from the mosque and sought leave [to enter].  The Muezzin bade him enter, and when he came in to the damsel, he knew her and she knew him; whereupon he turned back in bewilderment and would have fled; but she sprang up to him and seized him, and they embraced and wept together, till they fell down on the ground in a swoon.  When the old man saw them in this plight, he feared for himself and fled forth, seeing not the way for drunkenness.  His neighbour the Jew met him and said to him, “How comes it that I see thee confounded?” “How should I not be confounded,” answered the old man, “seeing that the damsel who is with me is fallen in love with the servant of the mosque and they have embraced and fallen down in a swoon?  Indeed, I fear lest the Khalif come to know of this and be wroth with me; so tell me thou what is to be done in this wherewith I am afflicted of the affair of this damsel.”  Quoth the Jew, “For the nonce, take this casting-bottle of rose-water and go forth-right and sprinkle them therewith.  If they be aswoon for this their foregathering and embracement, they will come to themselves, and if otherwise, do thou flee.”

The old man took the casting-bottle from the Jew and going up to Noureddin and the damsel, sprinkled their faces, whereupon they came to themselves and fell to relating to each other that which they had suffered, since their separation, for the anguish of severance.  Moreover, Noureddin acquainted Sitt el Milah with that which he had endured from the folk who would have slain him and made away with him; and she said to him, “O my lord, let us presently give over this talk and praise God for reunion of loves, and all this shall cease from us.”  Then she gave him the cup and he said, “By Allah, I will nowise drink it, whilst I am in this plight!” So she drank it off before him and taking the lute, swept the strings and sang the following verses: