Chapter 20

The prince, according to custom, disappeared; and in the evening _Azad Bakht_ was sitting with the _Darweshes_ and conversing with them, when a folded paper fell near the king; he opened it and read it, and found that it was an answer to his note; these two lines were written in it: "Conceive me likewise anxious to see you; a throne goes for you; it is best that you should come now, that we may meet; all the preparations of enjoyment are ready; your majesty's place alone is empty." The king _Azad Bakht_ took the _Darweshes_ with him, and ascended the celestial throne; it was like the throne of Solomon, and mounted into the air; proceeding on, it descended in a place where grand edifices and sumptuous preparations appeared; but it could not be perceived if any one was there or not. In the meantime some one rubbed the eyes of all five with the _surma_ of _Sulaiman_; two drops of tears fell from the eyes of each, and they saw an assembly of the fairies, who were waiting to receive them, dressed in rich habits of various colours, with vials of rose-water in their hands.

_Azad Bakht_ advanced amidst two rows consisting of thousands of fairy-born creatures, standing in respectful order, and in the centre was placed an elevated throne inlaid with emeralds, on which was seated leaning on pillows, with an air of great dignity, _Malik Shah Bal_, the son of _Shah-rukh;_ a beautiful little girl of the fairy race was seated before him, and was playing with the young prince _Bakhtiyar_. Chairs and seats were arranged in rows on both sides of the throne, on which the nobles of the fairy race were seated. _Malik Shah Bal_ stood up on seeing the king _Azad Bakht_ and descended from his throne and embraced him, and taking him by the hand, he seated him on the throne by the side of himself, and they began to converse together with much cordiality; the whole day passed in feasting and hilarity, and music and dancing. The second day, when the two kings met, _Shah Bal_ asked _Azad Bakht_ the reason for bringing the _Darweshes_ with him.

_Azad Bakht_ related fully their adventures as he had previously learned, and interceded for them, and asked [the king's] assistance, saying, "These have undergone many hardships, and suffered great misfortunes; and if now, through your favour, they attain their wishes, it will be an act of great merit, and I also will be grateful for it through life; by your kind assistance they will all reach the summit of their desires." _Malik Shah Bal_, after hearing [these adventures, replied, "Most willingly; I will not fail to obey your commands." Saying this, he looked sternly at the _divs_ and fairies [who were present], and he wrote letters to the great _jinns_, who were chiefs in different places, and ordered them, that on receiving his commands, they must repair speedily to the presence, and if any one should delay in coming, he should be punished, and brought as captive; and that whoever possessed any persons of the human species, male or female, he must bring them along with him; that if [a _jinn_] having concealed any one, should detain the same, and it be known hereafter, the concealer and his wife and family shall be exterminated, and no vestige of them will remain.

Receiving these written orders, the _divs_ were dispatched in all directions. A great warmth of friendship arose between the two kings, and they passed their time in amicable conversation, amidst which _Malik Shah Bal_, turning round to the _Darweshes_, said, "I had a great wish to have children, and had resolved, if God gave me a son or a daughter, to marry it to the offspring of some king of the human race. After this resolve, I learned that my wife was pregnant; at last, after counting with anxiety each day and hour, the full period arrived, and this girl was born. According to my determination, I ordered the _jinns_ to search the four corners of the world, and that whatever king had a prince born to him, to bring the child quickly to me with care; agreeably to my orders, the _jinns_ flew instantly to the four corners of the earth, and after some delay, brought this young prince to me.

"I thanked God, and took the child in my lap, and loved it dearer than my own daughter; I could not bring myself to separate him from my sight for a moment, but used to send him back for this reason, that if his parents did not see him, they would be greatly afflicted. For this reason I sent for him once every month, and after keeping him with me a few days, I sent him back. If it please God the Most High, now that we have met, I will marry them to each other; all are liable to death, then let us, whilst we are alive, see their marriage performed."

The king _Azad Bakht_, on hearing this proposal of _Shah Bal's_, and seeing his amiable qualities, was greatly pleased and said, "At first the prince's disappearance and re-appearance raised very strange aprehensions in my breast, but I am now, from your conversation, easy in my mind, and perfectly satisfied; this son is now yours; do with him whatever you please." In short, the intercourse between the two kings was like that of sugar and milk, and they fully enjoyed themselves. In the space of less than ten days, mighty kings of the race of the _jinns_, from the rose garden of _Iram_, [404] and from mountains and islands, (to call whom the fairies had been dispatched) all arrived at the court [of _Shah Bal_]. In the first place, _Maliki Sadik_ was ordered to produce the human creature he had in his possession; he was much vexed at it, and sad, but having no remedy, he produced the rosy-cheeked fair one [the blind man's daughter]. Next, he demanded of the king of _'Umman_ [405] the daughter of one of the _jinns_ for whom the prince of _Nimroz_, the bull rider, went mad; he likewise made many excuses, but produced her at last. When the daughter of the king of the Franks and _Bihzad Khan_ were demanded, all present denied having any knowledge of them, and swore by Solomon [to that effect].

At last, when the king of the sea of _Kulzum_ was asked if he knew anything of them, he hung down his head, and remained silent. _Malik Shah Bal_ had a deference for him, and entreated him to give them up, and gave him hopes of future favour and even threatened him. Then he also joined his hands together, and said, "Please your majesty, the particulars of that circumstance are as follows:--When the king [of Persia] came to the river _Kulzum_ to meet his son, and the prince from eagerness plunged his horse into the flood, it chanced that I had gone out that day to roam about and to hunt. I passed by the place, and the cavalcade stopped to behold the scene. When the princess's mare carried her also into the stream, my looks met hers, and I was enchanted, and gave instant orders to the fairy race to bring her to me, together with the mare. _Bihzad Khan_ plunged in also after her on horseback; I admired his bravery and gallantry, and had him seized likewise; I took him with me, and returned home; so they are both safe, and with me."

Saying this, he sent for them both before _Malik Shah Bal_. Great search had been made for the daughter of the king of Syria, and strict inquiries were put to all present, but no one acknowledged having her, or knowing anything about her. _Malik Shah Bal_ then asked if any king or chief was absent, and if all were arrived; the _jinns_ answered, "Mighty sire, all are present except one named _Musalsal Jadu_, who has erected a fort on the mountain _Kaf_ by the means of magic; he, from haughtiness, is not come, and we, your majesty's slaves, are not able to bring him by force; the place is strong, and he himself also is a great devil."

On hearing this, _Malik Shah Bal_ was very angry, and an army of _jinns, 'afrits_ and fairies were sent with orders, that if he came of his own accord, and brought the princess with him, well and good, but otherwise subdue him, and bring him tied by the neck and heels, and raze his fort to the ground, and drive the plough, drawn by an ass, over it. Immediately, on the orders being given, such numbers of troops flew to the place, that in a day or two the rebellious haughty chief was brought in irons to the presence. _Malik Shah Bal_ repeatedly asked about the princess, but the haughty rebel gave no reply. The king at length got angry, and ordered him to be cut to pieces, and his skin stretched and filled with chaff; [406] a body of fairies were ordered to go to the mountain of _Kaf_, and search for the princess; they went and found her, and brought her to _Malik Shah Bal_. All these prisoners and the four _Darweshes_, seeing the strict orders and justice of the king _Shah Bal_, were greatly rejoiced, and admired him highly; the king _Azad Bakht_ was also much pleased. _Malik Shah Bal_ then ordered the men to the palace, and the women to the royal seraglio; the city was ordered to be illuminated, and the preparations for the marriages to be quickly completed; [all was instantly made ready], as if the order alone was wanted to be given.

One day, a happy hour being fixed upon, the prince _Bakhtiyar_ was married to the princess _Roshan Akhtar_; and the young merchant of _Yaman_ [407] was married to the princess of _Dimashk_; and the prince of Persia [408] was married to the princess of _Basra_; and the prince of _'Ajam_ [409] was married to the princess of the Franks; _Bihzad Khan_ was married to the daughter of the king of _Nimroz_; and the prince of _Nimroz_ was married to the _jinn's_ daughter; and the prince of China [410] was married to the daughter of the old blind man of _Hindustan_; she who had been in the possession of _Maliki Sadik_. Through the favour of _Malik Shah Bal_, every hopeless person gained his desires, and obtained his wishes; afterwards, they all enjoyed themselves for forty days, and passed their time, night and day, in pleasures and festivity.

At last, _Malik Shah Bal_ gave to each prince rich and rare presents, and dismissed them to their different countries. All were pleased and satisfied, and set out and reached their homes in safety, and began their reigns; but _Bihzad Khan_, and the merchant's son of _Yaman_, of their own accord, remained with the king _Azad Bakht_, and in the end the young merchant of _Yaman_ was made head steward to his majesty, and _Bihzad Khan_ generalissimo of the army of the fortunate prince _Bakhtiyar_; whilst they lived, they enjoyed every felicity. O God! as these four _Darweshes_ and the king _Azad Bakht_ attained their wishes, in like manner grant to all hopeless beings the wishes of their hearts, through thy power and goodness, and by the medium of the five pure bodies, [411] the twelve _Imams_, and the fourteen innocents, [412] on all of whom be the blessing of God! Amen, O God of the universe.

When this book was finished, through the favour of God, I took it into my mind to give it such a name, that the date should be thereby found out. [413] When I made the calculation, I found that I had begun to compose this work in the end of the year of the _Hijra_ 1215, and owing to want of leisure, it was not finished until the beginning of the year 1217; I was reflecting on this circumstance, when it occurred to me that the words _Bagh O Bahar_ formed a proper title, as it answered to the date of the year when the work was finished; so I gave it this name. Whoever shall read it, he will stroll as it were through a garden; moreover, the garden is exposed to the blasts of winter, but this book is not; it will ever be in verdure.

When this _Bagh O Bahar_ was finished, the year was 1217; do you now stroll through it night and day, as its name and date is _Bagh O Bahar_; the blasts of winter can do it no injury; for this _Bahar_ [414] is ever green and fresh; it hath been nourished with the blood of my heart, and its (the heart's) pieces are its leaves and fruits;--all will forget me after death;--but this book will remain as a _souvenir_; whoever reads it, let him remember me. This is my agreement with the readers; if there is an error, excuse it; for amidst flowers lie concealed the thorns; man is liable to faults and errors, and he will fail, let him be ever so careful. I have no other wish except this, and it is my earnest prayer. O my Creator, that I may ever remain in remembrance of Thee, and thus pass my nights and days! That I may not be questioned with severity on the night of death, and the day of reckoning! O God, in both worlds shower thy favours on me, through the mediation of the great prophet!

SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE

It must be allowed, that the author has displayed great adroitness in the "denouement" of his tale. In the course of a few pages all the principal characters, male and female, are suddenly produced, safe and unscathed, before the reader. To be sure, this is done by the aid of a little "diablerie," but then it is done very neatly,--much more so than in some of the clumsy fictions of the late Ettrick Shepherd, to say nothing of the edifying legends about the Romish saints which the good people of southern Europe are taught to swallow as gospel. Finally, be it remembered, that Oriental story-tellers have never subscribed to Horace's precept,--

"Nec deus interait, nisi digens vindice nodus Inciderit"

On the contrary, their rule is, when, by a free use of the supernatural, you have got the whole of your characters into a regular _fix_, it is but fair that you should get them off by the same means.

THE END.

NOTES

[1] The proclamation of the Marquis Wellesley, after the formation of the college of Fort William; encouraging the pursuit of Oriental literature among the natives by original compositions and translations from the Persian, &c, into _Hindustani_.

[2] "The _Bagh O Bahar_," i.e. "The Garden and Spring;" which may be better called, "The Garden of Spring," or the "Garden of Beauty." The less appropriate title of "_Bagh O Bahar_" was chosen merely in order that the Persian letters composing these words, might, by their numerical powers, amount to 1217, the year of the Hijra in which the book was finished.--Vide Hind. Gram., page 20.

[3] _Mir Amman_ himself explains the origin and derivation of these words in his preface, and we cannot appeal to a better authority.

[4] Literally, "in consequence of its being traversed or walked over."

[5] _Hakim Firdausi_, the Homer of Persia, who wrote the history of that country, in his celebrated epic entitled the "_Shah-nama,"_ or Book of Kings.

[6] I have translated into plain prose all the verses occurring in the original. I have not the vanity to think myself a poet; and I have a horror of seeing mere doggrel rhymes--such as the following--

"Mighty toil I've borne for years thirty, I have revived Persia by this _Pursi_."

These elegant effusions are of the "Non hominies, non Dî, &c." description.

[7] That is to say, he has introduced the elegance and correctness of the _Urdu_ language, or that of the Upper Provinces, into _Bengal_. In fact, the _Bengalis_ who speak a wretched jargon of what they are pleased to call _Hindustani_, (in addition to their native tongue,) would scarcely be understood at _Agra_ or _Dilli_; and those two cities are the best sites to acquire the real _Urdu_ in perfection; there the inhabitants speak it not only correctly but elegantly.

[8] The Muhammadans believe that the body of their prophet cast no shadow. _Mustafa_ means "The Chosen," "The Elected," one of Muhammad's titles.

[9] As a general rule, all Muhammadan books begin with a few sentences devoted to the praise of God and the eulogy of the prophet Muhammad; to which some add a blessing on the twelve _Imams_.

[10] The twelve _Imams_ are the descendants of the prophet, by his daughter _Fatima_, who was married to her cousin-german _'Ali,_ who is considered as the first _Imam_; the other eleven were the following, viz., _Hasan_, the son of _'Ali; Husain_, the son of _'Ali_; _'Ali_, surnamed _Zainu-l-'Abidin,_ son of _Husain; Muhammad_, son of the last mentioned; _Ja'far Sadik_, son of _Muhammad; Musa-l-Kazim,_ son of _Ja'far; 'Al-i Raza_, son of _Musa; Muhammad_, son of _'Ali Raza; 'Ali 'Askari_, son of _Muhammad; Hasan 'Askari_: and lastly _Muhammad Mahdi_. With regard to this last and twelfth _Imam_, some say, very erroneously, that he is yet to appear. Now the fact is, the twelfth _Imam_ has appeared. He lived and died like the rest of the sainthood; otherwise what would be the use of praying for him? The Muhammadans offer up prayers for the dead, but I never heard of their praying for the unborn.

[11]

[12] Much nonsense has been written about this _Fasli_ aera. We are told that "it dates from the Christian year 592 3/4"! but the fact is that it was established no further back than the reign of Akbar. It was engrafted on the Hijri aera in the first year of that monarch's reign, with this proviso, that the _Fasli_ years should thenceforth go on increasing by _solar_ calculation, and not by lunar; hence, every century the Hijri aera gains three years on the _Fasli_, and in Mir Amman's time the difference had amounted to nearly eight years.

[13] A _ghat_ is a long flight of steps, of stone or brick, leading to a river for the purpose of bathing, drawing water, embarking or disembarking. It is a high object of ambition in India, among the wealthier classes of natives, to construct these _ghats_, and this species of useful ostentation has produced some magnificent structures of the kind on the rivers _Ganges_, and _Jumna_, which are of great public utility.

[14] The reader will do well in the first place to pass over this very clumsy parenthesis in the original; and return to it after he has finished the rest of the paragraph.

[15] The Honourable Company's European servants, civil, military, and medical.

[16] A celebrated Persian poet of _Dilli_; his odes are very elegant, and have great poetical genius; he was, as a Persian poet, inferior to none: he is the original author of this "Tale of the Four Darwesh."

[17] The author seems to use _Dilli_ or _Dihli_ indifferently for the northern metropolis of India, vulgarly called _Delhi_.

[18] _Zari Zar-bakhsh_ means the bestower of gold; _Nizamu-d-Din Auliya_ was a famous holy personage of Upper India, and holds the first rank in the list of the saints of _Hindustan_. His shrine is at _Dilli_, and resorted to by thousands of devotees, and many tales are told of his inspired wisdom, his superior beneficence, his contempt of the good things of this world, and his uncommon philanthropy.

[19] The _Kos_ is a measure of distance nearly equal to two English miles, but varying in different provinces.

[20] The _Muhammadans_, after being cured of sickness or wounds, also their women, after recovery from child-bed, always bathe in luke-warm water; which is called the ablution of cure.

[21] A mere novice in the language would say that _Mir Amman_ writes "bad grammar" here! He uses the singular pronoun "_wuh_" instead of "_we_." Now _Mir Amman_ distinctly tells us that he gives us the language _as it is_. He did not make it--and, furthermore, nothing is more common among _Hindustani_ writers than to use the singular for the plural, and "vice versâ."--Vide Grammar, page 114.

[22] Mr. Ferdinand Smith adds the following note: "How proud the slave seems of his chains!--but such is the nature of Asiatic minds, under the baneful influence of Asiatic despotism." Now, this criticism is absurd enough. Have not we in England the titles of "Ladies in waiting," "Grooms," &c., innumerable, which honours are borne by our nobility and gentry?

[23] The family of _Taimur_, or Tamerlane; a pageant of which royal race still sits on the throne of _Dilli_, under the protection of the British government. He is happier, and has more comforts of life, than his family have had for the last century.

[24] Literally, "why explain that which is self evident" a Persian saying.

[25] The founder of the _Jut_ principality; they were once very powerful in _Upper-Hindustan. Ranjit Sing, Raja_ of _Bhartpur_ at the commencement of the present century, who so gallantly defended that place against our arms, was a son of _Suraj Mal_, who was killed while reconnoitring the _Mughal_ army. The _Jats_ are the best agriculturists in India, and good soldiers in self defence; for since the spirit which _Suraj Mal_ infused, evaporated, they have always preferred peace to war. They built some of the strongest places in India.

[26] _Ahmad Khan_, the _Durrani_ or _Afghan_, became king of _Kabul_ after the death of _Nadir Shah_. He was the father of _Taimur Shah_, who kept _Upper Hindustan_ in alarm for many years with threats of invasion. _Shuja'u-l-Mulk_, whom we seated on the throne of _Kabul_ some fifteen years ago, was descended from him.

[27] _'Azim-abid_ is the _Muhammadan_ name of _Patna_. On the _Muhammadan_ conquest, many of the _Hindu_ names of cities were changed for _Muhammadan_ names, such as _Jahangir-abad_ or _Jahangir-nagar_ for _Dacca, Akbar-abad_ for _Agra, Shahjahan-abad_ for _Dilli_, &c.

[28] Literally, "water and grain."

[29] Literally, "has existed during the four _jugas_," or fabulous ages of the _Hindus_, i.e., since the creation of the world.

[30] The _Bhakha_, or _Bhasha_, par excellence, is the _Hindu_ dialect spoken in the neighbourhood of _Agra, Mathura_, &c. in the _Braj_ district; it is a very soft language, and much admired in _Upper Hindustan_, and is well adapted for light poetry. Dr. Gilchrist has given some examples of it in his grammar of the _Hindustani_ language, and numerous specimens of it are to be found in the _Prem Sagar_, and other works published more recently.

[31] _Mahmud_, the first monarch of the dynasty of _Ghazni_, was the son of the famous _Sabaktagin_. Ha invaded _Hindustan_ in A.H. 392, or A.D. 1002. The dynasty was called _Ghaznawi_, from its capital _Ghazna_, or as now commonly written _Ghazni_.

[32] Two dynasties of kings who reigned in _Upper Hindustan_ before the race of _Taimur_.

[33] _Timur_, (or _Taimur_ as it is pronounced in India) invaded _Hindustan_ A.D. 1398.

[34] The _bazar_, that part of a city where there are most shops; but the word is applied to various parts of a city, where various articles are sold, as the cloth _bazar_, the jewel _bazar_, &c.

[35] _Shahjahan_ was the most magnificent king of _Dilli_, of the race of _Taimur, Sahib Kiran_ was one of his titles, and means, Prince of the Happy Conjunction; i.e. the conjunction of two or more auspicious planets in one of the signs of the Zodiac at the hour of birth. Such was the case at the birth of _Taimur_, who was the first we read of as _Sahib-Kiran_. As a contradistinction, _Shahjahan_ is generally called _Sahib Kirani Sani_, or the second _Sahib Kiran_. It never waw applied, as Ferdinand Smith states, to _all_ the emperors of _Dilli_. It may be mentioned, that a very extraordinary conjunction of the planets in the sign Libra took place in A.D. 1185, just about the period of _Jangis Khan's_ appearance as a conqueror; but I am not aware that he was thence called a _Sahib Kiran_, as he did not happen to be _born_ under the said conjunction.

[36] The fort, or rather fortified place, of _Dilli_, and the great mosque, called the _Juma' Masjid_.

[37] The famous _Takhti Ta,us_, or peacock throne, made by the magnificent _Shahjahan_, the richest throne in the world; it was valued at seven millions sterling. Tavernier, the French jeweller and traveller, saw it and describes it in his work. It was carried away by _Nadir Shah_ when he plundered _Dilli_ in 1739.

[38] The expensive and useless canal which brought fresh water to _Dilli_, whilst the limpid and salutary stream of the _Jumna_ flowed under its walls. The advantages of irrigation to the country, through which it passed, were nothing compared to the expense of its construction.

[39] Literally, "the supreme camp or market."

[40] A Persian expression.