At this time, when the territory of Lahore became by the advent of the sublime cortège a rosegarden of fortune, and H.M. the Shāhinshāh was engaged in captivating hearts, the bounty of spring encircled the land, and the balmy breezes began to blow. The gar­dens afforded a wondrous spectacle to beholders, and the tulips and other flowers cast nooses of enchantment over the onlookers.

Arise for the peacock of spring has come
The call of the nightingale has come from the garden
The red rose has fallen all over the grass;
Or* have parrots set their beaks on their wings?

After eight hours, fifteen minutes, of Tuesday 29 Sh'abān 974, 11th March 1567, the sun entered (Aries), and the 12th year, to wit, the year Isfandārmaẕ of the first cycle began, and the equable mind of the Shāhinshāh felt a desire for hunting and for the qamargha,* which is the most delightful form thereof. An order was issued that birds and beasts should be driven together from near the mountains on the one side, and from the river Bihat (Jhilam) on the other. Each district was made over to one of the great officers, and Bakh­shīs, Tawācīs and Sazāwals were appointed to every quarter. Several thousand footmen from the towns and villages of the Lahore province were appointed to drive the game. A wide space within ten miles of Lahore—like the capacious heart of princes—was chosen for the collecting of the animals. During the space of one month, while the officers and other persons, both high and low, were actively engaged in driving the game, H.M. was chiefly engaged in stablish­ing the foundations of justice and in developing inward and out­ward civilization. At length there was a suitable completion of arrangements; beaters were collected, and there was a large assem­blage of animals. First H.M. the Shāhinshāh went to the hunting ground, and viewed it from the circumference to the centre. Every one of the grandees and other servants who had exerted himself in this delightful service was gratified by H.M.'s. approbation. Then he placed the foot of dominion in the stirrup of auspiciousness and made his tiger-like steed career in the pursuit of the prancing deer. He used the arrow, the sword, the lance and the musket. At the beginning, the hunting ground was ten miles in circumference. But day by day the qamargha was pushed on, and its area lessened. Within the space his swift steed sometimes swept after the game from the ground, and sometimes he caught the lightning-footed deer by the lasso. Various modes of hunting were displayed. Among the intimate courtiers, M. 'Azīz Kokaltāsh came into the middle of the qamargha and attended on the auspicious stirrup. The officers put up screens in front of their stations and guarded the game, in the daytime by their eyes, and in the night by blazing torches. There was pleasure from morning till evening and from evening till morn­ing. After H.M. the Shāhinshāh had, during five successive days, enjoyed various kinds of sport, the great officers and the attendants on the harem were allowed to come into the hunting-ground. Gradually the servants of the court were allowed to enter until at last the turn came of individuals from among the troopers and footmen.

One of the wonderful occurrences that took place during the hunting was that Hamīd Bakarī (of Bhakar) one of the yesāwals had become evilminded and had placed an arrow on his bow and dis­charged it against one of the servants of the Court. The latter abided his time and reported the matter to H.M. in the hunting-ground. The royal wrath ordered that he should be capitally punished and gave his special sword to Qulīj Khān, in order that he might relieve that unruly one of the burden on his neck. Qulīj Khān twice struck him with that segment of a diamond, but did not injure a hair of his head. With the tongue of fate it was uttered

If the swords of the world move from their place
They'll not touch a vein so long as God does not will it.

On this account the mystery of destiny was accepted and his life spared, but as a warning his head was shaved and he was mounted on an ass and taken round the hunting-ground.

One of the occurrences of the hunting-time was the arrival of Muaffar Khān. He brought Wazīr Khān the brother of Āṣaf Khān and begged the forgiveness of the two brothers. The brief account of this is that when Āṣaf Khan by his bad fortune fell into the snare of 'Alī Qulī Khān and Bahādur Khān's society, he did not like their company and was disgusted with their arrogance. Also 'Alī Qulī cast eyes of avidity on his property. Āṣaf Khān was looking for an opportunity of separating himself from them. Meanwhile, 'Alī Qulī sent Āṣaf Khān along with Bahādur Khān, and kept Wazīr Khān under surveillance. Wazīr Khān wrote an account of the facts to his brother and suggested a rendezvous for escaping. In accordance therewith Āṣaf Khān separated one night from Bahādur Khān and proceeded towards Karrah and Mānik­pūr. Wazīr Khān also came out of Jaunpūr and hastened along the same road. Bahādur Khān heard of what Āṣaf Khān was doing and pursued him, and came up with him near Cunār. A fight took place between them, and Āṣaf Khān was defeated and made prisoner. Bahādur Khān put him into an elephant-litter and went off. His men had dispersed in pursuit of plunder when Wazīr Khān and his son Bahādur Khān arrived. When he heard that Āṣaf Khān had been captured he made ready, and while Bahādur Khān's men were dispersed he came up and fought bravely. Bahādur Khān could not resist him and fled, but made a sign for the killing of Āṣaf Khān, whom they were bringing along on the elephant. The guards wounded him once or twice with swords. The top of his finger was severed and he was wounded on the nose, when Wazīr Khān's men suddenly pressed forward and released Āaf Khān. They came to Karra and reposed there. In this fight Bahādur Khān the son of Wazīr Khān distinguished himself, and on this account acquired glory by receiving such a title* (Bahādur Khān). Āṣaf Khān repented of his past life and recognised in all these misfortunes and losses the results of his exclusion from the sublime threshold, and with feelings of shame earnestly betook himself to the Court. He sent his brother Wazīr Khān to Muaffar Khān at the time when the latter was, in obedience to royal orders, proceeding from Agra to Lahore. Wazīr Khān came to Delhi, and Muaffar Khān treated him with great kindness and took him with him. He (Muaffar) had an opportunity of representing the case when H.M. was engaged in hunting, and he begged forgiveness for Āṣaf Khān. H.M. pardoned him and his brother and issued a diploma of favour in Āṣaf Khān's name, directing him to proceed to Mānikpūr and act in conjunction with Majnūn Khān Qāqshāl. When the sublime cortège returned to the capital he had the bliss of doing homage and received princely favours.

In fine, when the Qamargha was at an end, H.M. ordered a return and came to the river Rāvī, on whose bank Lahore is situated, and which flows with ocean-like majesty. H.M. the Shāhinshāh took in his hands the reins of trust in God and put his steed to the river. That fleet, fiery nature passed lightly over, like the breeze. The attendants, who necessarily were close by, also put their horses to the water and all crossed and arrived at the shore of safety except Khūsh Khabr Khān Yesāwal and Nūr Muḥammad, the son of Sher Muḥam­mad, who were drowned. When H.M. reached Lahore he spent his* days in the administration of affairs and the distribution of justice which are part of his nature.

Among the occurrences was the flight of Muḥammad Amīn Diwāna. The brief account of this is that he was distinguished among the champions (īkkajūānān) for his courage and daring. He also led an ill-regulated, intemperate life. At the time that the camp was at Lahore, he encountered one of the faujdārs,* as he was riding a special elephant (fīl khāṣa), and he launched an arrow from the quiver of unrestraint against him. When this boldness was reported to H.M., an order was issued for his being put to death. The courtiers attached to the harem interceded for him, and H.M. granted him his life, but ordered him to be beaten. From his ill-fortune he* left the road of fortune and fled that night to Ālī Qulī Khān, who was the head of strifemongers.