ake this young man and do off his clothes and
robe him in costly raiment and incense him[49] and bring him back to
us.” So the servant did with me as his master bade him and brought me
back to him, and served me with wine, even as the rest of the company.
Then the damsel began singing after the goodliest fashion and chanted
these couplets:—

 They blamed me for causing my tears to well ✿ When came my beloved to
    bid farewell:
 They ne’er tasted the bitters of parting nor felt ✿ Fire beneath my ribs
    that flames fierce and fell!
 None but baffled lover knows aught of Love, ✿ Whose heart is lost where
    he wont to dwell.

The folk rejoiced in her song with exceeding joy and my gladness
redoubled, so that I took the lute from the damsel and preluding after
the most melodious fashion, sang these couplets:—

 Ask (if needs thou ask) the Compassionate, ✿ And the generous donor of
    high estate.
 For asking the noble honours man ✿ And asking the churl entails bane and
    bate:
 When abasement is not to be ’scaped by wight ✿ Meet it asking boons of
    the good and great.
 Of Grandee to sue ne’er shall vilify man, ✿ But ’tis vile on the vile of
    mankind to ’wait.

The company rejoiced in me with joy exceeding and they ceased not from
pleasure and delight, whilst anon I sang and anon the damsel, till we
came to one of the landing-places, where the vessel moored and all on
board disembarked and I with them. Now I was drunken with wine and
squatted on my hams to make water; but drowsiness overcame me and I
slept, and the passengers returned to the ship which ran down stream
without any missing me, for that they also were drunken, and continued
their voyage till they reached Bassorah. As for me I awoke not till the
heat of the sun aroused me, when I rose and looked about me, but saw no
one. Now I had given my spending-money to the damsel and had naught
left: I had also forgotten to ask the Hashimi his name and where his
house was at Bassorah and his titles; thus I was confounded an