501. i.e., “the soul” and “the reason”, nafs and ‘aql, are one in “the spirit”, rūḥ, which comes from God.

“In which (i.e., in the one) you have these two,” observes the Author; but he has implied that it is only if you cultivate the rational soul and learn to know its nature, and so know God, that you live eternally. (Cf. the last three distichs.)

502. i.e., the soul and reason must be in you only one, the spirit, which comes from God as absolutely one in the Universal Spirit. The soul in its formative faculty inclines to special incarnation, and the result is separation. By renouncing everything belonging to the phenomenal world, the body, and the carnal soul, and by giving up all desires, you become again one in the unity of the spirit, and, in fine, attain to the position of the Universal Spirit, and to ultimate union with, or rather immersion in, God.

503. “Lose the two”; lit., “throw low for the two (as it were in dice).”

504. In the position of Universal Spirit you will be above earth and heaven.

505. Before the last distich I.O. MS. 1168 has on the margin:

“Abandon three, for it is a blamable act (to retain them); abandon also two, for it is inauspicious (to keep them).” This is evidently a variant of the present distich.

“Three” generally would signify a trinity, and more especially the Christian Trinity, but here it possibly means the trinity of percipiens, perceptum, and perceptio, the perceiving subject, the perceived object, and the act of perception.

The Ṣūfī recognizes these three as an absolute unity.

“Two” generally would mean the Duality of Zoroastrianism, but it seems unlikely that the Author is warning his son against this; hence the meaning here is probably that explained in Notes 501 and 502.

The Author, however, may be making a transition to the subject of revealed religions, and warning his son against all those which do not teach the absolute unity inculcated by the teaching of Islām, and, in a deeper sense, by that of Ṣūfīsm. (See the next distich but one.)

506. See the last Note.

507. Sālis salāsa is from the Arabic thālithu thalāthatin, “a third one of three,” i.e., “a Person of the Trinity”; but it is used to express one who acknowledges a Trinity of three Persons, i.e., a Christian. Here, however, it seems used in the sense of Trinitarianism. (See the last distich but one.)

“You’ll not bear o´er the sky the ball of Unity”; i.e., you will not rise above the heavens in your appreciation of the Unity.

508. The Author seems to be hinting at revealed religions here by the words “fables” and “medium”. When you have found the unity of all things in God you have all, you are saved. No words of religion are required, no medium is wanted for your possession of that unity, or rather your existence in and as it.

509. I.O. MS. 1168, and the B. ed. of 1328 for māya, “capital, origin, root of a thing,” have pāya, “rank, grade, dignity.”

510. A person of graceful and straight figure is often likened to a cypress.

“Remedy”; lit., “mummy,” which was supposed to be efficacious in many maladies, including fractures.

511. “My tulips”; i.e., “my cheeks.” “My violets”; i.e., “my hair.”

512. i.e., powerless to act either as lord or servant.

513. I.O. MS. 1168 has aḥmarak, “a little ruddy man,” but most MSS. read Aḥmadak, “little Aḥmad,” which I presume would mean here a little man below the normal size.

Aḥmadak is absurdly explained by Steingass as “a handsome youth who has become pock-marked”. This looks like a mis­conception of the distich in question.

514. i.e., the protecting shadow of the king.

515. i.e., my accomplishments, my merit, and sincerity are my shield in the world. (Cf. the next distich.)

516. I am making the best of I.O. MS. 777,

Hīch kas pīsh na-n’garam bā man. 1168 has,

Hīch kas na-n’garam zi man bā man. 402 does not include the distich. 1491 has,

Hīch kas nīst na-n’garad bā man. The B. ed. of 1328 has,

Hīch kas nīst bi-n’garam tā man.

This last may be rendered,

“There is no person I see up to myself,” where “up to myself” would probably mean “excluding myself”.

517. “This stigma”; lit., “this calamity or evil”; i.e., “the calamity of this impression.”

I.O. MS. 1168 seems to offer the only probable reading in the first hemistich. It has,

Na-ki īn sikka naqd-i mā dārad, reading, however, na-ki in one word, naki.

518. Lit., “give me the mummy,” a remedy used in many maladies, including fractures.

519. This may be a reference to the Qur’ān, xx., 27,

Wa-yassir lī amr-ī, “and make my work easy for me.”

Or it is possibly a reference to the prayer, Rabb-ī, yassir, wa-lā tu‘assir, “O my Lord, make (it) easy, and not difficult.”

520. Ḥalvā. (See Note 1,459.)

521. The “sharp dagger” is “the white streak of the dawn”.

522. i.e., write the poem.

523. i.e., the author of the poem.

524. “Two-coloured,” in respect of day and night.

525. Et rubinus et flavi coloris lapis hic fortasse membrum virile significant.

“An amber-coloured (stone);” lit., “an amber-coloured thing.”

526. Yazdijard I., surnamed Al-Athīm, “The Sinner,” has been generally represented by Oriental historians as a cruel and intolerant prince. Western historians on the other hand generally speak well of him. That he was not tolerant is evident from the fact that he first persecuted the Zoroastrians in favour of Christianity, to which he had leanings, and later the Christians, through fear of their excessive zeal and of rebellion amongst his Zoroastrian subjects.

In the Siyāsat-nāma of Nizāmu ’l-Mulk (see Note 309) a detailed account of his death by the kick of a mysterious horse is given. He had reigned from A.D. 399 to 420, and was succeeded by his son Bahrām V.

For accounts of him consult Firdausī’s Shāh-namā, Mīrkhvānd, Ṭabarī, Sir John Malcolm’s History of Persia, and Canon Rawlinson’s Seventh Oriental Monarchy.

527. “One struck”; i.e., Yazdijard oppressed his subjects.

“The other cherished”; i.e., Bahrām cherished his subjects.

“Rock with ruby.” An allusion to the ruby’s supposed growing in the rock or stone.

“Spines with dates.” The “spines”, khār, often spoken of in connexion with dates, are those on the stem of the date-palm.

528. “A remedy”; lit., “mummy,” used in various maladies, including fractures.

529. Lit., “the first day the dawn, etc.”; i.e., when Bahrām was born, and the dark night of tyranny was changed to the dawn of justice by his birth and promising horoscope.

530. i.e., the alchemists of the sky, the astrologers.

531. i.e., they scarcely expected to find a good horoscope for Yazdijard’s son.

532. i.e., the son promised to be a great contrast to his father.

533. In this and the following four distichs the horoscope of Bahrām is very lightly and imperfectly sketched.

It is of course supposed to be entirely favourable, but as regards the “aspects” of the planets to one another nothing definite can be deduced owing to the fact that the Author, though assigning certain planets to certain zodiacal “houses”, does not state in degrees the position of each planet. Since, however, the horoscope is supposed to be entirely favourable, we should conclude that the “aspects” are good, and as a matter of fact they can, I think, be so placed in the “houses” of the signs in which they are situated as to be so.

With regard to the position of the planets the following remarks may be made:

The sun is in “strength” or “exaltation” in Aries. This indicates that the higher spirit has full force, and inclines to all that is lofty and aspiring. Aries implies impulse, assertiveness, generosity, and intuition. The moon is in exaltation in Taurus. She represents generally receptivity. “She is,” says Alan Leo, “the collector of aspects and influences, and acts only in accordance with the sign that she is in, having no definite nature of her own; she is in fact coloured, as it were, by the sign through which she passes. . . . Her office and mission is to reflect the light. As she passes out from the sun she gathers up the influences on her way until she reaches the full; thence she returns later with the fruits of experience to the sun.” She will thus, being in exaltation in Taurus, give full effect to the influences of that sign, which are fearlessness, strong will, constancy, and deter­mination.

“Mercury,” says the same author, “depends chiefly upon aspects to other planets and to position, but in the main is imaginative, sharp, witty, logical, oratorical, and studious.” He, in fact, governs imagination, thought, wisdom, and eloquence.

Being in exaltation in Gemini, all these qualities are confirmed by the nature of that sign, which is dualistic, restless, and intellectual.

Venus, representing love, refinement, fondness for pleasure and art, has also full force, being in exaltation in Pisces, which is emotional, kind, and generous. She and Jupiter together are the “ruling planets”, being in the house of the “ascendant” Pisces.

“Venus is considered,” says Alan Leo, “the most fortunate planet under which to be born. It will awaken the love and emotional side of the nature of those under its influence. . . . It will also give them a keen appreciation of art and beauty, and stimulate all the pleasure-loving inclinations. They will be attended by fortune, more or less, throughout the whole life’s journey, and, even when under some adverse fate, their star will be shining behind the blackest cloud.”

The ascendant Pisces, in which Venus is in exaltation, would enhance the emotional tendency. With Venus is conjoined Jupiter as joint ruler in his own sign Pisces.

This, says Alan Leo, “will give an abundance of life and vitality. Those born under its influence are cheery and hopeful in disposition, possessing a noble and generous spirit. . . . They are faithful, prudent, just, and honourable.”

Since Jupiter, being in Pisces, is in his own “house”, the influence of the sign would be to increase the tendency to kindness and generosity. With regard to Mars and Saturn nothing can, I think, be said, except that if in opposition, as one may possibly deduce from the description, they might tend to correct each other to some extent. Those subject to Mars are bold, impulsive, aggressive, contentious, sensual and lavish, whilst those subject to Saturn are cautious, reflective, constant, patient, chaste, and economical. Saturn being in its own house, Aquarius, would be strengthened by that sign’s qualities, which are intellectual and retentive, studious and thoughtful. I do not know what is meant by the statement that the tail of Draco is turned towards Saturn. Amongst the planetary symbols, Alan Leo in his Practical Astrology includes the head and the tail of Draco, but he does not say anything about their respective influences.

534. In the first hemistich in the words “that region” the stress is, I think, rather laid on “that”. Then in the second hemistich the Arabic proverb would mean wherever there are “regions or cities”, biqā‘, there are “states”, duval, and that no particular region is required to give state. Wa-’llāhu a‘lam!

535. I.O. MS. 402 offers, I think, the best reading:

Pidar az mihr-i zindagāni-yi ū dūr shud rū zi-mihrbāni-yi ū, but z-ū should of course be read for rū in the second hemistich. In the first hemistich too I should suggest bahr for mihr, but this is not absolutely necessary. With mihr one would render,

“His father through love of his life.” The other I.O. MSS. I have consulted read in the second hemistich,

This would mean “became at some distance, so that he could not indulge in his love for him”.

536. “Canopus,” a star of the first magnitude in the rudder of the constellation Argo, a Argus. It is often associated with Yaman, Arabia Felix, over which it is said to shine with peculiar brightness.

“Canopus-like”; i.e., associated with Yaman as Canopus, or bright and exalted as Canopus; or both.

537. Nu‘mān was the ruler of the small kingdom of Ḥīra in ‘Irāq ‘Arabī (Babylonia), which was subject to Persia until conquered by Khālid under Abū Bakr, the first Khalif, in A.D. 633. The chief town, Ḥīra, according to Canon G. Rawlinson, lay almost due south of the town of Kūfa, in about latitude 31° 50' N. and longitude 44° 20' E.

Istakhrī, the geographer (about A.D. 950), however, places it about four miles north-west of Kūfa and the western branch of the Euphrates. It is a mistake of Nizāmī’s to say that Nu‘mān was king of Yaman in South Arabia.

538. Lāla-yi la‘l, “the anemone of ruby,” i.e., “the ruby anemone,” is called lāla-yi Nu‘mān, and shaqā´iq-i Nu‘mān, “the anemone of Nu‘mān.” It is said to have received the last two names on account of its having been a favourite flower of one of the kings of Ḥīra named Nu‘mān.

Nu‘mān is here likened to “the garden” as the destined guardian of Bahrām, “the ruby anemone.”

539. i.e., strewed or scattered the flowers of education and care in bringing him up.

“A Nu‘mānian anemone”; i.e., one cultivated, fostered, and developed, as it were, by Nu‘mān.

540. The first “litter” means a room in the king’s palace, or the palace itself.

“The moon”; i.e., Bahrām.

541. i.e., Munẕir, the son of Nu‘mān.

The kings of Ḥīra were named in regular alternate succession Nu‘mān and Munẕir, Munẕir and Nu‘mān.

542. i.e., grow up, gaining strength.

543. Lit., “in such a search.”

544. It seems from the following distich that they sought not only a high place but also a suitable fort or castle upon it. I think therefore that sāz in this distich may be conveniently rendered “fort or castle”, though it really signifies “suitable means or appliances, or anything fitted for a business”.

545. I.O. MS. 1168, and the B. ed. of 1328 have, ānchunān jā, “such a place,” but the other I.O. editions which I have con­sulted read, ānchunān diz, “such a castle or fort.”

546. Rūm is a name which was formerly applied to the whole territories of the lower or eastern Roman empire and Asia Minor. The name has in modern times been given by the Persians to the Ottoman empire.

It may also be often conveniently rendered Greece. (See also Note 700.)

547. i.e., could fashion stone as he pleased.

548. Sām, the grandfather of Rustam, the Persian champion. (For Rustam see Notes 212, 1,035, and 2,078.)

549. “Ornamentists.” The word so rendered is naqqāsh, “a sculptor, an engraver, a painter.”

550. “The Hindūs”; i.e., the slaves.