An thou have ruth on me and bring me to his sightO rare！
Whate'er thou wilt thy recompense shall be；Rubies and precious stones and freshly gathered pearls And every kind of gem that is in earth and sea.
SurelyO friendthou wilt with my desire comply；For all my heart's on fire with love and agony.
When the fisherman heard thishe wept and sighed and lamented；thenrecalling what had betided himself in the days of his youthwhen love had the mastery over him and transport and love-longing and distraction were sore upon him and the fires of passion consumed himreplied with these verses：
Indeedthe lover's excuse is manifestWasting of body and streaming tearsunrest，Eyesin the darkness that waken stilland heartAs 'twere a fire-boxbespeak him love-oppress.
Passionindeedafflicted me in youthAnd I good money from bad learnt then to test.
My soul I bartereda distant love to win；To gain her favours，I wandered East and West；And eke I ventured my life against her grace And deemed the venture would bring me interest.
For law of lovers it is that whoso buys His love's possession with lifehe profits best.
Then he moored his boat to the shore and bade her embark，saying'I will carry thee whither thou wilt.'So she embarked and he put off with her；but they had not gone farbefore there came out a stern-wind upon the boat and drove it swiftly out of sight of land. The fisherman knew not whither he went，and the wind blew without ceasing three daysat the end of which time it fellby leave of God the Most Highand they sailed ontill they came in sight of a city builded upon the seashoreand the fisherman set about making fast to the land.
Now the King of the citya very powerful prince called Dirbas，was at that moment sittingwith his sonat a window in the palace giving upon the seaand chancing to look out to sea-wardthey saw the fishing-boat enter the harbour. They observed it narrowly and espied therein a young ladyas she were the full moon in the mid-heavenwith pendants in her ears of fine balass rubies and a collar of precious stones about her neck. So the King knew that this must be the daughter of some king or great nobleand going forth of the sea-gate of the palacewent down to the boatwhere he found the lady asleep and the fisherman busied in making fast to the shore. He went up to her and aroused herwhereupon she awokeweeping；and he said to her'Whence comest thou and whose daughter art thou and what brings thee hither？'I am the daughter of Ibrahim，Vizier to King Shamikh，'answered she；'and the manner of my coming hither is strange and the cause thereof extraordinary.'