Ayaz, having become the beloved, said to his master that he is now his slave who has been acquired without paying any price.

This couplet playfully draws on the legendary bond between Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni and his courtier Ayaz, showing how deep affection completely flips the traditional hierarchy of master and servant. While Mahmud was an emperor in the eyes of the world, Ayaz’s beauty and charm made Mahmud utterly powerless in the realm of the heart. With affectionate pride, the beloved Ayaz reminds the sultan that love needs no gold or ransom to conquer; the monarch has willingly become a captive to pure devotion.