When she heard him thus improvise the girl gazed at him with loving eyes and redoubled in passion and desire for him increased upon her，and indeed she marvelled at his beauty and loveliness；symmetry and grace，so that she could not contain herself，but took the lute in lap again and sang these couplets；'He blames me for casting on him my sight * And parts fro'me bearing my life and sprite：
He repels me but kens what my heart endures * As though Allah himself had inspired the wight：
I portrayed his portrait in palm of hand * And cried to mine eyes，'Weep your doleful plight.'
For neither shall eyes of me spy his like * Nor my heart have patience to bear its blight：
Wherefore，will I tear thee from breast，O Heart * As one who regards him with jealous spite.
And when say I，'O heart be consoled for pine，'*'Tis that heart to none other shall e'er incline：'
Nur al-Din wondered at the charms of her verse and the elegance of her expression and the sweetness of her voice and the eloquence of her speech and his wit fled for stress of love and longing，and ecstasy and distraction，so that he could not refrain from her a single moment，but bent to her and strained her to his bosom： and she in like manner bowed her form over his and abandoned herself to his embrace and bussed him between the eyes.Then he kissed her on the mouth and played with her at kisses，after the manner of the billing of doves；and she met him with like warmth and did with him as she was done by till the others were distracted and rose to their feet；whereupon Nur al-Din was ashamed and held his hand from her.Then she took her lute and，preluding thereon in manifold modes，lastly returned to the first and sang these couplets；'A Moon，when he bends him those eyes lay bare * A brand that gars gazing gazelle despair：
A King，rarest charms are the host of him * And his lance-like shape men with cane compare：
Were his softness of sides to his heart transferred * His friend had not suffered such cark and care：
Ah for hardest heart and for softest sides！ * Why not that to these alter，make here go there？
O thou who accusest my love excuse： * Take eternal and leave me the transient share.'[434]
When Nur al-Din heard the sweetness of her voice and the rareness of her verse，he inclined to her for delight and could not contain himself for excess of wonderment；so he recited these couplets.
'Methought she was the forenoon sun until she donned the veil *
But lit she fire in vitals mine still flaring fierce and high；How had it hurt her an she deigned return my poor salam * With fingertips or e'en vouchsafed one little wink of eye？
The cavalier who spied her face was wholly stupefied * By charms that glorify the place and every charm outvie.
'Be this the Fair who makes thee pine and long for love liesse？ *
Indeed thou art excused！'This is my fairest she；'（quoth I）
Who shot me with the shaft of looks nor deigns to rue my woes *
Of strangerhood and broken heart and love I must aby：
I rose a-morn with vanquished heart，to longing love a prey * And weep I through the live long day and all the night I cry.'
The girl marvelled at his eloquence and elegance and taking her lute，smote thereon with the goodliest of performance，repeating all the melodies，and sang these couplets；'By the life o'thy face，O thou life o'my sprite！ * I'll ne'er leave thy love for despair or delight：
When art cruel thy vision stands hard by my side * And the thought of thee haunts me when far from sight：
O who saddenest my glance albe weeting that I * No love but thy love will for ever requite？
Thy cheeks are of Rose and thy lips-dews are wine；* Say，wilt grudge them to us in this charming site？'
Hereat Nur al-Din was gladdened with extreme gladness and wondered with the utmost wonder，so he answered her verse with these couplets；'The sun yellowed not in the murk gloom li'en * But lay pearl enveiled'neath horizon-chine；
Nor showed its crest to the eyes of Morn * But took refuge from parting with Morning-shine.[435]
Take my tear-drops that trickle as chain on chain * And they'll tell my case with the clearest sign.
An my tears be likened to Nile-flood，like * Malak's[436]
flooded flat be this love o'mine.
Quoth she，'Bring thy riches！'Quoth I，'Come，take！'*'And thy sleep？'Yes，take it from lids of eyne！'
When the girl heard Nur al-Din's words and noted the beauty of his eloquence her senses fled and her wit was dazed and love of him gat hold upon her whole heart.So she pressed him to her bosom and fell to kissing him like the billing of doves，whilst he returned her caresses with successive kisses；but preeminence appertaineth to precedence.[437] When she had made an end of kissing，she took the lute and recited these couplets；'Alas，alack and well-away for blamer's calumny！ * Whether or not I make my moan or plead or show no plea：
O spurner of my love I ne'er of thee so hard would deem * That I of thee should be despised，of thee my property.
I wont at lovers'love to rail and for their passion chide，* But now I fain debase myself to all who rail at thee：
Yea，only yesterday I wont all amourists to blame * But now I pardon hearts that pine for passion's ecstasy；
And of my stress of parting-stowre on me so heavy weighs * At morning prayer to Him I'll cry，'In thy name，O Ali！'
And also these two couplets；'His lovers said，'Unless he deign to give us all a drink * Of wine，of fine old wine his lips deal in their purity；
We to the Lord of Threefold Worlds will pray to grant our prayer'* And all exclaim with single cry'In thy name，O Ali！'
Nur al-Din，hearing these lines and their rhyme，marvelled at the fluency of her tongue and thanked her，praising her grace and passing seductiveness；and the damsel，delighted at his praise；arose without stay or delay and doffing that was upon her of outer dress and trinkets till she was free of all encumbrance sat down on his knees and kissed him between the eyes and on his cheek-mole.Then she gave him all she had put off.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
