SIKANDAR'S JOURNEYING TO THE GATE OF GATES (DARBAND, ON THE CASPIAN); CONCEALING THE TREASURES IN THE GROUND; AND PREPARING ENCHANTMENTS OVER THEM.
1O resolution (power of speech) rising (betimes) in the
morning! I am on that intent
That I may make the treasure of (my own) speech scattered
(in the world):
May bring to hand the jewel (of verse) by golden speech;
May bring the head of inferiors (the godless and the mean)
beneath the stone of contempt.
To whom the force and boldness,—that he should bring to
his grasp;
Should render subject,—(me) the holder of the faith?
Gold is for the sake of ornament (of reputation);
When thou confinest it (in the treasury), it is a fetter of
gold.
The power of speech of poets is most ardent in the morning.
2The being religious is the cause of Divine bounty and of much talent (of verse).
3Dárá,e dín (the holder of the faith) is an epithet applied to Sikandar.
See canto xxii. couplet 66; xxix. 8; xxxii. 10.
In some copies, after couplet 3, the following couplets occur:—
4O resolution! rising in the morning, I am on that intent,
That I may make the wave of my own speech treasure-scattering:
May bring to my grasp the jewel (of wealth) by my golden speech;
May bring (through envy) the worshippers (those in need) of gold beneath the stone of contempt.
How may gold (the value of a mere barley-corn) bring to its grasp that powerfulness and boldness,
That it should overpower me—the holder of the faith (of Islám)?
The rich should give to the pious poets; for their giving is the cause of fame.
5When his gold is beneath the dust, the rich man
Is day and night fearful of thieves.
The empty-handed one who thinks of (acquiring) gold,—
Him, the desire of (acquiring) treasure makes rich (fearless
of the trouble of the future).
When through gold the lust for gold (is) greater,—
The richer, that one who is the poorer.
The world is that world which is the darvesh's;
For it is both for himself and also for his relations.
Night and day, fearless he enjoys (the world);
Neither fear of the watchman, nor watch for the thief.
The abundant treasury is abundant grief;
Little grief, to that one whose is little wealth.
The representer of the chaplet (history), jewel-scattering
(the Sikandar-Náma),
Gave (news) of that mine, jewel-scattering (Sikandar) in
such a way,
That, when the chief (Sikandar), endowed with the sense
of Jamshíd,
Drank awhile wine to the memory of Núshába,
With the perfume of ruddy wine, heart-elevating,
He passed some days with the kings (of the provinces):
Sate one day in resolution of work (world-travelling);
Prepared a carpet (an assembly) like the new spring:
With that assembly he upreared such a citadel,
That in that (lofty) mansion (the citadel) the stars became
invisible:
The second line may be:—
For it is both for himself and also for himself.
Summoned the great ones of the army;
Caused each one,—courteousness-displaying—to sit down.
The office-holders of the Time assembled;
They took a share of the king's wisdom.
The king—of the tale of his own wishes,
In every way employed words,
Saying:—“Last night, came to my heart desire such
“That, save it, I can utter naught to you.
“O ye princes! by the power of judgment
“I will behold the world, limit to limit.
“I was ready before this (to go) towards Rúm;
“From that, the heavens gave my rein a turn.
“I am resolved that up to the totality of land and clime
“I will wander; will go after that to Rúm:
“Will dwell in the inhabited and uninhabited spot;
“Will bring the whole world to my grasp:
“Will exercise power over the people of Sinjáb;
“Will impress my effigy on the silver (coin) of the people
of Sakláb:
“In every land and territory which is about the earth
“Will see who (what man) is happy of heart.
“May perhaps from that happiness obtain a portion,
“For with iron, iron is effective.
“The first moving from this marching-place (the camp),—
“I desire to pitch my tent on the mountain Alburz:
Sinjáb and Saḳláb are said to be to the north of Burda'.
The second line may be:—
Will subdue the pale-faced people of Saḳláb.
“And will enter the desert by that auspicious mountain;
“Will make my return from the desert to the sea:
“Will behold the sea, Khazrán (the Caspian);
“(And) over it scatter jewels with a draught of wine.
“When I bring the cavalcade to the sea-shore,
“I will for a week hunt bird and fish:
“Will see how my desire comes,
“Where Time comes my guide.
“In regard to this matter,—each one, what say ye?
“For fortune turns not her head from the true.”
Together, the army (nobles and others) kissed the ground,
Saying:—“Our resolution is the king's resolution.
“Where he may place his foot, we will place our head;
“We place the crown (of honour) on our head, by (obeying)
the king's order.
“If he make our place water or fire,—
“From his order, our judgment turns not.
“If he cast us from the mountain to the dust (of the
plain),—
“We will fall; and have no fear in the heart.
“On the king's part,—to take up the road of (travelling)
the world;
“On our part,—not to abandon the king's service.”
From their words, the king became tranquil of heart;
Towards them, he displayed much courtesy:
Travelled with deliberation;
Loosed the door of obstruction from the treasury:
Made the arrogant ones rich with treasure;
From jewel-dragging the army was distressed.
When the world-possessor saw that, from the treasure of
gold,
The head of those treasure-bearing became heavy,
Respecting it (the treasure), the man of wisdom displayed
foresightedness;
For he reflected awhile on the evil eye (of the envious, or of
Time).
From much treasure and jewels, which he had in loads,
Wherever he went he had a difficult road.
To mountain and plain, with toil and labour,
His army drew the treasure in carts.
When it came into the heart of the world-seeker
That he might bring the clay-formed ball (of the earth)
into the circle (of measurement):
Might become the estimator of earth's mile and stage;
Might cause his computation to reach to sea and land:
Might know the earth from low and high;
Its length, how mnch; its width, how great:
Might be acquainted with all justice and injustice;
Might bring to the true path (of Islám) him, who goes from
the path:
Might wash down injustice from time;
Might release from blood (the slaughter of tyranny) the
noble (guiltless) man:
Might establish a fortress in every place of danger (the
ambuscade of robbers);
Might perform a work for the sake of the end (the Judgment
Day):
Míl=one-third of a farsang.
He became thoughtful of the distance of that road;
For the long road has toil and danger.
It is not fit that his labour should be lost;
(That) his treasure should become the enemy's means of
support.
He saw the army with plunder of great weight;
When he beheld the great treasure, he feared.
One reason—that those satiated strive not mightily;
For they fear the enemy may take property from them.
The other—that whoever comes to battle with one sated
(of wealth).
Strikes the two-handed sword (strives mightily) in hope of
(that) wealth.
Of the learned ones, the shelter (the master) of divine
philosophy,
A hundred and thirteen were with him on the road:
All assembly-making (society-versed) and star-understanding,
Master of calculation for the deliberation of every matter.
Of this number, in the monarch's presence,
The learned Balínás was chosen.
From him, he used to seek remedy in every matter;
For from him, remedy-devising used to spring.
Of the difficulty of the path and such treasure,
He urged words with such a practised one.
The first line may be:—
56The other (reason) that when one not sated (of wealth) comes to battle with one sated.
Science ('ilm) is of three kinds—iláhí, divine; ṭabí'íy, natural; riyázíy, mathematical.
From the one foreseeing, the answer came to him to this
effect,
That the king should conceal the treasures in the soil:
As evidence,—in every treasure-holder,
Everyone should make a tilism, the token of himself.
So that when they come from the long road to that land,
They may bring forth the light (of their own treasure) in
every dark pit.
As to their own treasure, the evidence that they should
use
(Is this, that) they adduce the former token (the tilism).
The king considered this judgment world-adorning;
Beheld the safety of the army in this opinion:
Made a place for the treasure within the earth;
Set up a tilism over that treasure:
Ordered so that—whoever had treasure
Secreted it; because from carrying it was trouble.
Each one dispersed in that mountain and plain,
Concealed his treasure with clay, and himself returned.
Each one separately over his own property
Set up a form of his own form (body).
The night-playing (deceitfulness) of Time was such that
It became the teacher of another path to the king.
Otherwise:—
67When they bring evidence as regards their treasure,
They should adduce the former token (and take away their treasure).
The second line may be:—
70From the carrying of which was trouble, secreted it.
“Bází,e shab” (night-playing) is more powerful than bází,e roz (day-
The second line may be:—
That the king's teacher (the king's heart) became of another kind.
By another unbeaten path, Sikandar came back to Rúm;
His treasure remained within that land and clime.
Assuredly, from much goods and chattels, to his army
No need of that hidden treasure came.
On account of much open treasure which they obtained
(during the march),
Towards the hidden treasure they hastened not.
When in the house (the land) of Rúm they made a place,
They withdrew their feet from the work of the world:
Upreared a monastery made of stone;
Made it the devotion-place for all.
The copy of the Ganj-Náma (the treasure-roll) that was,
—all
Quickly gave to the keeper of the monastery:
So that everyone who is God-worshipping
Might obtain a treasure from those rolls.
Yet, within that monastery of ancient years,
Are many Ganj-Námas; thence (by their aid), they bring
treasure and property.
Those persons—who by way of service (to God),
Do the service of that idol-house (the decorated abode of
worship),—
Give to them (the God-worshippers) one of those Ganj-
Whether much or little (wealth) be (written in it).
Ganj-Náma usually means—a book of maxims and sage counsel. The Sikandar-Náma bears the title of Panj-Ganj (the five treasures), as one of the five books forming the Khamsah, by Niámí. Here it means —the treasure-roll describing the treasure, its position and the nature of the ṭilisms set over it.
They (the God-worshippers of Rúm) come and shatter that
treasure-holder;
And from that treasure pluck up the (reward of) their
own foot-toil.
Perhaps (verily), fortune gave me (the reward of) foot-toil
(in service to God),
That my foot has in this way descended to the treasure.
Come, cup-bearer! that wine that brings pleasure,
Gives youth, brings back life,—
Give me; for I have lost both these (youth and life);
I have contented myself with the torrent of blood (the
wine) of the jar (of senselessness).
See canto iv. couplet 77.
83The second line may be:—
I have contented myself with the bloody tears (life in the state of old age) of the jar (the body).