She laid her lute in her lap and letting her breasts hang over
it, bent to it as bends a mother, suckling her child; then
preluded in twelve different modes, till the whole assembly was
agitated with delight, and sang the following verses:
Leave your estrangement, I pray, and bid your cruelty hold,
For, by your life, my heart will never for you be
consoled.
Have pity on one who weeps, afflicted and ever sad, A slave of
passion, who burns for thee with longings untold.
The Khalif was ravished and exclaimed, 'May God bless thee and
receive him who taught thee[FN#349] into His mercy!' Whereupon
she rose and kissed the earth before him. Then he sent for
money and paid her master Aboulhusn a hundred thousand dinars
to her price; after which he said to her, 'O Taweddud, ask a
boon of me.' 'O Commander of the Faithful,' replied she, 'I ask
of thee that thou restore me to my lord who sold me to thee.'
'It is well,' answered the Khalif and restored her to her
master and gave her five thousand dinars for herself. Moreover,
he appointed Aboulhusn one of his boon-companions and assigned
him a monthly stipend of a thousand dinars so long as he should
live, and he abode with the damsel Taweddud in all delight of
life.
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