A certain man of Bassora once bought a slave-girl and reared and educated her excellent well. Moreoverhe loved her very dearly and spent all his substance in pleasuring and ****** merry with hertill he had nothing left and want was very sore upon him. So she said to him'O my mastersell me；for thou needest my price and it makes my heart ache to see the sorry plight to which want hath brought thee. It thou sell me and make use of my priceit will be better for thee than keeping meand haply God the Most High will prosper thee and mend thy fortune.'He agreed to thisof the straitness of his caseand carried her to the bazaarwhere the broker offered her for sale to the Governor of Bassoraby name Abballah ben Maamer et Teimiand she pleased him. So he bought herfor five hundred dinarsof her masterwho took the money and was about to go awaywhen the girl burst into tears and repeated the following verses：
May Allah prosper unto thee the money thou hast got！ For me，nought's left me but lament and memory and woe.
I say to my afflicted soul'Mourn little or mourn much；It skills notfor the loved one's gone and will return no mo.'
When he heard thishe sighed heavily and replied thus：
Though there be no recourse for thee in this thy case and thou Find nought but death to solace theeexcuse me yet and know，Evening and morn the thought of thee will company with me，Wherewith a heart I will consolethat's all fulfilled of woe.
Peace be on thee！ Henceforth for us no meeting shall there be Nor any union moreexcept Ben Maamer will it so.
When Abdallah heard these verses and saw their afflictionhe exclaimed'By AllahI will have no hand in separating you；
for it is manifest to me that ye indeed love one another. So take the money and the damselO manand may God bless thee in them！ For parting is grievous to true lovers.'So they kissed his hand and going awayceased not to dwell togethertill death parted them；and glory be to Him whom death overtaketh not！
