CHAPTER XXII.
BEGINNING OF THE 5TH YEAR ILĀHĪ FROM THE SACRED ACCESSION OF THE
SHĀHINSHAH, viz., THE YEAR AMARDĀD OF
THE FIRST CYCLE.

Again the heart-expanding spring came with a thousand adorn­ments of the world, and the fifth year Ilāhī, from the auspicious acces­sion of the Shāhinshāh, which is the year Amardād, began with glory and splendour. In the night known* as Monday, after four hours and nine minutes, on 13 Jumāda-al-akhirī 967, 12th March 1560, the world-warming sun cast its rays on the sign of Arie and reported to the feeders at the table of the elements the arrival of the new year. The flowers of fortune bloomed anew and from every leaf there came out afresh before the eyes of the gazers on the garden of sovereignty the diploma of dominion. The market-day of abundance was born for the new-comers to the garden of youth, and the apathetic melan­choly of those in the valley of frenzy (of love) was stirred up to activity.

Verse.

The earth was of flowers, and the grass-plot of rose-bushes,
The rose's lamp was brightened by the breeze,
The violet twisted* her curl
And made a knot in the heart of the bud.
The rose and tulip oped their luminous veils
Regarding from afar the eye of the narcissus,
At the voice of the francolin and the dance of the pheasant
The cypress grew nimble and rose to his feet
The carpet of flowers was spread on the garden
Lovers came out into the fields.