So they opened the doors and windows and lighted the tapers till the place shone in the season of darkness even as the day. Then the eunuchs removed thither the wineservice and （quoth Abu alHasan）'I saw drinkingvessels and rarities whose like mine eyes never beheld，vases of gold and silver and all manner of noble metals and precious stones，such as no power of deion can describe，till indeed it seemed to me I was dreaming，for excess of amazement at what I saw！'But as for Ali bin Bakkar，from the moment Shams alNahar left him，he lay strown on the ground for stress of love and desire；and，when he revived，he fell to gazing upon these things that had not their like and saying to Abu alHasan，'O my brother，I fear lest the Caliph see us or come to know of our case；but the most of my fear is for thee. For myself，of a truth I know that I am about to be lost past recourse，and the cause of my destruction is naught but love and longing and excess of desire and distraction，and disunion from my beloved after union with her；but I beseech Allah to deliver us from this perilous predicament.'And they ceased not to look out of the balcony on the Caliph who was taking his pleasure，till the banquet was spread before him，when he turned to one of the damsels and said to her，'O Gharam，[189] let us hear some of thine enchanting songs.'So she took the lute and tuning it，began singing，'The longing of a Bedouin maid，whose folks are far away，Who yearns after the willow of the Hejaz and the bay，[190]Whose tears，when she on travellers lights，might for their water serve And eke her her passion，with its heat，their bivouacfire purvey，Is not more fierce nor ardent than my longing for my love，Who deems that I commit a crime in loving him alway.'[191]
Now when Shams alNahar heard these verses she slipped off the stool whereon she sat and fell to the earth fainting and became insensible to the world around her；upon which the damsels came and lifted her up. And when Ali bin Bakkar saw this from the balcony he also slipped down senseless，and Abu alHasan said，'Verily Fate hath divided lovedesire equally upon you twain！'[192] As he spoke lo！ in came the damsel who had led them up to the balcony and said to him，'O Abu alHasan，arise thou and thy friend and come down，for of a truth the world hath waxed strait upon us and I fear lest our case be discovered or the Caliph become aware of you；unless you descend at once we are dead ones.'Quoth he，'And how shall this youth descend with me seeing that he hath no strength to rise？'Thereupon the damsel began sprinkling rosewater on Ali bin Bakkar till he came to his senses，when Abu alHasan lifted him up and the damsel made him lean upon her. So they went down from the balcony and walked on awhile till the damsel opened a little iron door，and made the two friends pass through it，and they came upon a bench by the Tigris'bank. Thereupon the slavegirl clapped her hands[193]and there came up a man with a little boat to whom said she，'Take up these two young men and land them on the opposite side.'