Presently she commanded the damsels，one and all，to be seated，each in her rank and place，and all sat on a couch before one of the windows，and she bade them sing；whereupon one of them took up the lute and began caroling，'Give thou my message twice Bring clear reply in trice！
To thee，O Prince of Beau ty[178] with complaint I rise：
My lord，as heartblood dear And Life's most precious prize！
Give me one kiss in gift Or loan，if thou devise：
And if thou crave for more Take all that satisfies.[179]
Thou donn'st me sicknessdress Thee with health's weed I bless.'
Her singing charmed Ali bin Bakkar，and he said to her，'Sing me more of the like of these verses.'So she struck the strings and began to chaunt these lines，'By stress of parting，O beloved one，Thou mad'st these eyelids torment race to run：
Oh gladness of my sight and dear desire，Goal of my wishes，my religion！
Pity the youth whose eyne are drowned in tears Of lover gone distraught and clean undone.'
When she had finished her verses，Shams alNahar said to another damsel，'Let us hear something from thee！'So she played a lively measure and began these couplets，'His[180] looks have made me drunken，not his wine；His grace of gait disgraced sleep to these eyne：