So he ate thereof with all his might and main, till he
had gotten his fill, when he called one of the handmaids and said to
her, "What is thy name?" Replied she, "My name is Miskah," and he said
to another, "What is thy name?" Quoth she, "My name is Tarkah." Then
he asked a third, "What is thy name?" who answered, "My name is
Tohfah." And he went on to question the damsels of their names, one
after other, till he had learned the ten, when he rose from that place
and removed to the wine chamber. He found it every way complete, and
saw therein ten great trays, covered with all fruits and cates and
every sort of sweetmeats. So he sat down and ate thereof after the
measure of his competency, and finding there three troops of singing
girls, was amazed, and made the girls eat.
Then he sat and the singers also seated themselves, whilst the black
slaves and the white slaves and the eunuchs and pages and boys
stood, and of the slave girls some sat and others stood. The damsels
sang and warbled all varieties of melodies and the place rang with the
sweetness of the songs, whilst the pipes cried out and the lutes
with them wailed, till it seemed to Abu al-Hasan that he was in
Paradise, and his heart was heartened and his breast broadened.
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