QITA‘H.If you saddle the piebald horse of Circumstance,
and if the white horse of state leads thee beside him,
And if the garden of your pleasure in happiness
copies fair the past memories of Paradise,
Be not proud, for this mean time will unexpectedly
draw its pen through the writing of your fortune.
Time is like a wind, which at the first
draws from the cheek of the rose the veil with all respect,
Then after a week has passed in the midst of the garden,
drags its body with ignominy to the dust.
The world at one time brings forward by turn in the narrow course, the horses of honour and disgrace.
The crafty fowler gives the bird grain, and then draws it into the noose of his artfully laid snare.
One man who has lost all hope, gains honour,
Another who is always hopeful in spite of all is disgraced.
Strange is it if a man who has walked in the shadow of poverty should court a favour from the sun?
49. Be content, if you have a portion of wisdom,
that the ignorant should be oppressed by the foolish
What of that man who, in the assembly of mirth and merriment quaffs the wine of pleasure from the cup of luxuriousness?
What of him who sitting behind the wall of sorrow suffers from the after effects of sorrow and the worry of toil?
At last the hand of fate takes both of them straight off to the brink of the pit of death.
Happy is the brave hearted man who like Sharaf draws the foot of fidelity beneath the skirt of retirement.
And in this year Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín left Alí Kirmáj*
who was
governor of Multán, as his Vicegerent in Lahore, and in the year
587 H. coming from Ghaznín he reduced the fort of Tabarhindah*
which was the capital of the great rájás of Hindustán, and left Malik
Ẓiáu-d-Dín Tukilí*
with a corps d'elite consisting of one thousand
two hundred cavalry soldiers, and was contemplating a return.
In the meantime Ráí Pathúrá the Governor of Ajmír, and Khandí
Ráí his brother who had been Governor of Dehlí before Pathúrá,
arrived with a vast army at a place called Taráyan*
on the banks
of the river Sarsuti at a distance of seven krohís*
from Thánesar.
It is now known by the name of Taráwarí*
and is distant forty
krohs*
from Dehli. A great conflict ensued with the Sulán and
the Muslim troops were defeated. The Sulán evinced great
bravery on the field of battle, and in that engagement also
Khandí Ráí who was mounted on an elephant at the head of his
army, received a spear thrust in his mouth from the hand of the
Sulán. The Sulán also was struck on the head by the Rái's
spear, and his arm was also wounded but both escaped in safety. 50.
The Sulán got off his horse and taking up his son Khiljí upon his
horse and mounting behind him took him off the field; the
Sulán proceeded to Ghaznín, and Ráí Pathúrá took the fortress
of Tabarhindah from Zíáu-d-Dín Tukilí on peaceable terms after a
siege of one year and one month. And in the year 588 H. the
Sulán again came into Hindustán with a large and brave army
of 40,000 cavalry, and divided his forces into four army corps,
and having given battle time after time in the place above mentioned
gained a victory. Pathúrá was taken prisoner and Khandí
Ráí having been overcome in battle was killed and hasted to his
resting-place in Hell. The Sulán then having reduced the
fortresses of Sarsutí*
and Hánsí proceeded to Ajmír the capital
of Pathúrá, reduced it and plundered its environs killing and
taking prisoners. From certain other sources we learn that
Ḥaẓrat Khwájá Muínu-d-Dín Chishtí*
may God sanctify his
heart, that revered one who is the fountain head of the great and
holy men and the dignified elders of the land of Hind, whose
blessed tomb is a place of pilgrimage situated in Ajmír, was at
that time in the company of the Sulán, and this victory occurred
through the impulse of the blessed and divine soul of that pillar
of holiness. And in this year leaving Sulán Malik Qubu-d-Dín
Aibak who was his servant and adopted son and vicegerent in the
town of Kúhrám which is distant seventy krohs from Dehli, he
invaded and plundered the Siwálik range which lies to the North
of Hindustán, and proceeded to Ghaznín. In the same year too
Qutbu-d-Dín having captured Dehli took it away from the kinsmen
of Pathúrá and Khandí Ráí. Then in the year 589 H. (1193
51. A, D.) Sulán Shihábu-d-Dín fought with Rái Jai Chand the governor
of Qanauj, on the confines of Chandwár*
and Aṭáwah,*
killed
him and went to Ghaznín. The fort of Kol*
fell into the hands of
Qutbu-d-Dín Aibak, and he made Dehli his capital and brought
its surrounding districts under his sway. From that date Dehli
once more became the metropolis of the Suláns. The erection of
minarets and other buildings of that kind, such as mosques, was
commenced in the reign of Sulán Shamsu-d-Dín Altamash*
in
the year 606 H., as will be related, if God (may He be exalted) so
will it, in its own place. And in the year 591 H., he took the fort
of Bhangar*
and Badáon. And in the year 593 H. he conquered
Gujerát and took his army to Nahrwálá which is known as Pattan,*
and having taken vengeance for the Sulán on Bhím Raí Dev, and
having taken much spoil returned; and in that year Sulán Ghiyáu-
The martyrdom of the king of sea and land Shihábu-d-Dín,
Whose like has never yet been seen since the world began,
On the third day from the first of Sha‘bán, in the year 602
Happened in the road to Ghaznín at the stage Damyak.
The days of his reign from the commencement of the rule of Ghaznín to the end of his life were thirty and two years and some months, and he left no heir save one daughter, but he left behind him much treasure of gold and silver and precious stones, among these latter were five hundred mans* of diamonds jewels of great value, besides cash and estates and other property the value of which we may estimate on the same scale. He made expeditions to Hindústán nine times, twice was defeated and seven times was victorious.
Thou didst see Muizzu-d-Dín Muḥammad Sám, who in war
Was stronger in heart and hand than Sám and Narímán
He obtained, like Maḥmúd, from the elephants of Hindústán
Governments of Sásán and many kingdoms of Sámán
He departed this world, and they say (the writer vouches for it)
That there remained of his secret treasure 500 mans of diamonds.
And in his reign many learned doctors and scientists and poets 53. flourished, of whom was Imám Fakhru-d-Dín Rází* may God be merciful to him who wrote the Laṭáif-i-Ghiyaí and other books in honour of his brother Sulán Ghiyáu-d-Dín Abú-l-Fatḥ. He remained with the army of Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín Muḥammad Sám, and every week used to stand up to preach, and at the termination of his sermon the Sulán used to evince great emotion, and since the Imám got very wearied of this continual coming and going, and everlasting service, one day addressing the Sulán from the pulpit he said Oh! Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín, some time hence neither will this greatness and glory of yours remain nor the flattery and hypocrisy of Rází: The following qia‘h is by him:
If an enemy does not agree with you O friend
If behoves you to agree with your enemy,
If not, then have patience for a few days
He will not remain, nor will you, nor the pride of Rází.
And after the assassination of the Sulán certain mischief-
Sulán Muizzu-d-Dín Sháh Ghází whose sword in the world has become like the famous Zulfiqár* of Alí Murtazá.
The true Sulán Muḥammad Sám, he whose love for the people is like the Sun of the friendship of Mustafá.
Another poet says:—
The Emperor of the age, Khusrau Ghází Muizzu-d-Dín 54.
From whom the glory of crown and diadem gains increase,
The origin of victory, Muḥammad ibn Sám ibn Husain
His very presence has become the mark for princely glory.*
And Názukí Marághaí too says in praise of him:—
Sháh Muizzu-d-Dín before whose princely might
The heaven stands girt like a bunch of flowers
He came to the throne like a rose at the time when
The heaven brought the Sun into the Balance.*
He in the fire of whose wrath evil doers
Give up their sweet lives like sugarcane.
The sugar of religion and the rose of sovereignty
The revolving sphere has mixed together;
Oh Lord! let this conserve of religion and sovereignty
Be the cause of health to the whole world.
And Qáẓi Ḥamíd* of Balkh says:
Ghází Muizzu-d-Dín wad-Dunyá with whom
On the day of battle victory marches with his auspicious standard,
Bú l Muzaffar* the Ruler of the East for whom in the field of battle
The Humá of his canopy carries as it were victory under its wing.