Saint-Saëns wrote vast quantities of attractive character pieces for many different combinations of instruments. This one, his last composition for flute, was written in 1920, about a year before his death. It is a six minute work, available with piano or orchestral accompaniment.

The title is a term for a woman of the Turkish harem. Obviously, in this piece Saint-Saëns displays his interest in authentic music of Islamic countries, and this is graceful, rather dignified six-minute piece in oriental mode, completely in good taste, extremely attractive, easy listening, and in a style that would not have sounded out of place if composed half a century earlier.

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