CANTO XXI.

SIKANDAR'S RETURNING FROM BATTLE WITH THE MEN OF ZANG, AND HIS LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE CITY OF ISKANDRIYA.

Fruitful be that auspicious tree (Nasratu-d-dín),
Beneath whose shade (of justice) one can take one's chattels (and repose)!

Sometimes, by fruit (bounty) it gives adornment to the table;
Sometimes, by shade (protection) it gives ease to the soul.

Such a spring-time has come to fruit (appeared),—
May the work of such (a tree) not fall from (be void of) splendour!

When the young fruit-tree, fruit-possessing, became fruitful;
How is it possible to give it to the power of the axe (vicissitudes of Time)?

The winter departed, and the spring came;
Verdure brought forth its head (appeared) by the rivulet.

Again, the withered garden became fresh;
The violet mingled (its own) ambergris with musk (exhaled perfume).

For ambergris-purchasing (of the violet) the sleepy narcissus
Stuck forth its head (appeared) as fresh camphor (appears) from the dust.

The tree may signify—the benefactor of mankind; or the protector of the Islám faith.

The garden withered by winter becomes fresh by spring's advent.

The violet of dark colour is associated with musk of black colour.

(In such a spring-time) I loosed the fastening from the lock (of sadness) of the treasury (of my heart).
(For proceeding) to the desert, I raised high the standard (of my heart's treasure).

The invisible form of that angelic messenger, green-clad,
—Whom the poet calls (the angel) Surosh (Jibrá,il).—

With the voice of concealed (invisible) ones (secretly) said:—“Arise!
“From thy heart, treasure-scattering, represent.

“When the army of Rúm took that revenge from the army of Zang,—
“Where led Sikandar his steed beneath the saddle?”

The representer of the tale (Nizámí) in the Darí language,
Versified the representation, in such a way

That—when happiness became the mate of the king,
He (Sikandar) laughed like the pomegranate-flower, and blossomed like the rose:

Rested a week in the battle-place;
Gave colour to the sand with (libations of) ruby wine:

Opened the treasure-door to the treasure-desirers;
With treasure and jewels the army became rich.

When the rain-water bearer and the wind-spreader
Sprinkled water and went their way in the morning,

Dust uplifted went from his path.
—For dustless, the road of the sage (is) best.—

“Surosh” signifies—any angel, particularly one bringing glad tidings.

It is one of the titles of the angel Jibrá,il, who communicated the the Ḳurán to Muhammad.

“Rakhsh dar zín kashídan” signifies—zín bar asp bastan; or 'azm-i-raftan kardan.

“Arásta” signifies—one possessed of external and internal excellencies.

When the road became dustless of road-dust (through rain),
The king, world-shelterer, came to the saddle.

Those (officers) exclaiming:—Proceed! proceed! played the golden reed;
They fixed the royal pavilion on the back of the beasts of burden.

(The region) from the river of Afrancha (of the country of Zang) to the river Nile,
Was agitated by the clamour of the drum of departure:

The camel-bell, a vociferator on every side,
Filled the brain with empty sound.

The mouths of small bells (attached to horses) with mountings of gold
Made the ears deaf with their sound (like to that) of large bells.

The army from every quarter moving in cavalcade,
—To such a degree that no one knows its number.

The world possessor, with his own special escort,
A proud mover on his own partridge (steed), the prancer.

When he travelled a little way of the earth from that quarter,
From the valley-side (water full) he came to the desert (waterless).

“Parwín” signifies—surayya', the pleiades; or kohán-i-sawr, the back of the ox (meta.), the pleiades.

See canto xviii. couplet 24.

“Jalájal” may signify—jaras-i-khurd, a small bell which they attach to horses and camels; or zangúla, a bell of copper or brass which they attach to a drum, so that at the time of striking the drum the bell also sounds.

“Jaras” may signify—a large bell (zangúla) to which they attach the bell (jalájal).

“Hurá,e” may signify—a strap, four fingers long, encrusted with gold, attached to the bell (jalájal).

From much standard-exalting, red and yellow,
The azure vault of the sky became parti-coloured.

The booty (on the back of the beasts) appeared the mountain in the desert;
From jewel-dragging the strong beasts of burden distressed.

By reason of much treasure heaped on the back of elephants,
—Bridges established in a hundred places over the Nile!

In this joyousness the victorious king,
Head exalted to the lofty sky,

Came to Egypt and cherished the Egyptians;
Carried on the city-administration according to his own regulations (of coining, and reading the Khutba):

Went thence to the shore of the sea (of Rúm),
Took his ease there for some time.

At every stage where he drew forth the standard,
A city in that place appeared.

In that sandy soil (between Egypt and the sea of Rúm) by treasure and by command,
He founded many cities after the fashion of Rúm.

Poured treasure into that sand (of Egypt), like sand;
Endured toil for the prosperity of the road (between Egypt and Rúm).

First on the shore of the sea (of Rúm) a city (Sikandria)
He founded;—a city like the jōyous spring.

The troop of moving elephants is likened to the river Nile; and the heaped up elephant's-load to a bridge, the arch of which rises (as was wont) steeply.

The sea of Rúm is the eastern Mediterranean.

In the year B.C. 332, at the age of twenty-four years, Sikandar saw the small town, Rhacotis, fallen into decay. Struck with the capabilities of the site, he rested not until the engineers had drawn the ground-plan of the future Alexandria, the lines of which, from want of better materials, marked with flour, were soon devoured by the water-fowl rising from the lake Mareotis,—an omen from which Aristander foretold its future prosperity.

In populousness and spaciousness like Paradise;
For it both a market-place and a sowing-place.

When by Sikandar that city was completed,
They gave to it even the name of Iskandríya,

When he completed that beautiful settlement,
Which was like Egypt and Baghdád,

His resolution of going to Greece became perfected,
—For the man (traveller) goes there (the natal place) whence he first came.—

He crossed the sea and came to Rúm;
The world (of Greece) became soft, wax-like, beneath his signet-ring (of command).

With that wax (the world) when his desire used to rise,—
With it, he kept doing whatever he kept wishing.

The chiefs of Rúm became praise-uttering;
Became for that jeweller (Sikandar) jewel (praise)-scattering:

Decorated (in welcome to him) every city of Greece;
—For they experienced from him whatever they desired.—

Appointed musicians; scattered wealth,
—That such sport (as Time displayed to Sikandar) came into form (appeared).

Dimocrates, the architect who rebuilt the temple of Ephesus, was engaged to plan and to erect this mighty city thus planted on the borders of the Libyan desert.

The second line may be read—with kishtan, to sow; or with gashtan, to wander.

Baghdád (properly, bágh-dád), a city in which Naushíraván (A.D. 531) dispensed justice,—is proverbial for its prosperousness and joyousness.

The second line may be read:—

That such sport (as the conquest of Zangbár) appeared.

The king of victorious fortune, opponent-shattering,
Came to the throne with victorious lot.

From the victoriousness of his prosperous fortune,
He excited joy anew in the world.

Many valuable presents from the plunder of Zang
He sent, without estimating or weighing, to every quarter.

Of that treasure which Time sent him,
He sent a portion to every treasury.

When the time reached (came) to Dárá's selected portion,
The camel-loads of gold reached to Bukhárá city.

He (Sikandar) chose a man possessed of wisdom and judgment,
Who should perform the regulations of that service (of embassage to Dárá):

Selected from the booty many valuables,
Like to which no one sees rarities.

Valuables that are rare,
Of steeds and jewels, of brocade and perfume:

Besides trays full of dry (pure) gold,
Ambergris in chests; musk in ass-loads:

One (house) full of gold and silver unsmelted (virgin);
Another house full of camphor unrefined (raw):

“Ganjdán” probably stands for—ganj, treasure. Compare it with— zanakhdán; khándán.

“Sar-bakhsh” signifies—niṣṣa,e buzarg.

A commentator observes that sar here signifies—guzída va intikhabí; zat-i-ádmí.

As they say:—sar ádmí, i.e. bahar zát-i-admí—yak ashrafí bidihand.

“Bukhárá” may signify—the city of Bukhárá; or ba khárá, to (like) the hard stone (of the mountain).

Of aloe-knots loads bound in bales,
Of which every load was one hundred “man” in weight:

Many swords begemmed;
Royal carpets embroidered with forms of the cameleopard, the panther, and the wild ass:

Damsels active; slaves expert;—
At the time of attendance, body sound:

Verily, thrones with ivory crowned;
Beset with jewels; with collar and crown:

Captives (of Zang), chains on hand and foot,
In stature and breadth (of shoulder) like raging elephants:

Of severed ears (of the men of Zang), camel-loads;
Of heads full of straw, ass-loads:

Of war-elephants, one hundred terrible elephants,
Raging, in battle time, like the river Nile (in flood).

Pure valuables of this sort,
He sent with a messenger without equal.

When the sent one, way-experienced, came,
He gave that valuable treasure to Dárá.

Dárá was affrighted at such a present;
The rein of envy became sharper over him.

The aloe with knots is heavier and more fragrant than that without knots.

The aloe knot sinks in water, burns slowly, and gives much smoke.

For the value of the “man” see canto xix. couplet 5.

The Tabríz “man” (in Persian history) is less than 7 lbs.

Ears and heads (straw-stuffed) were cut off and sent as a proof of victory.

In former times, to reduce the Nile in flood, they used to cast a beautiful woman into the river.

“Shikohídan” signifies—to fear.

“Shukohídan” signifies—to display majesty; to hearken unto men.

He accepted the countless treasure;
Thanks for that accepted came not from him.

He prepared an answer, not in its own place, (unsuitable);
And opened the door of secret malice.

The sent one, that reply of folly.
Concealed not from the judgment of Sikandar.

Sikandar became distressed by his action (of envy and malice);
He secretly preserved (the sense of) his injury.

From the victory of fortune and his own dignity.
The desire of malice towards his own enemy was not his.

From every side went forth the news,
How the man of Rúm sported with the man of Zang.

From every country messengers hastened (to Sikandar);
They offered congratulations upon this success.

The door of reproach (of cowardice), against the inhabitants of Rúm, became shut.
Verily, the man of Rúm became free from (the reproach of) pusillanimity.

—When Time practises helping the feeble,
The (weak) ant sports with the savage dragon.—

Dárá's reply was—envy-stirring, hostility-exciting.

This couplet may be rendered:—

(a) That reply of folly,—sent The hearer before the judgment of Sikandar.

Here “the hearer” is agent to the verb “sent.”

(b) (Dárá) sent that reply of folly: (And) caused it to be heard before the judgment of Sikandar.

See canto iii. couplet 24.

In this mill (of Time) thou mayst behold many grains (of property);
Everyone, in turn, throws (his property) beneath the mill-stone.

Come, cup-bearer! that wine (of senselessness), which is of auspicious foot,
Give me; for the medicine of men (of the path of the love of God) is wine.

That wine which is the consoler of the one grief-stricken (through love to God),—
No fire (heat) experienced save the sun (the effulgence of God's glory).

In the mill (of the sky) thou seest the grain (of man's desires, gained from the sky, or by God's decree), which grain each one in turn casts into (under) the mill-stone and grinds into flour. That is, in turn each one accomplishes his desire.

In the mill (of the world) thou seest many who, each one in turn, exercise sovereignty.

“Dar ás afgandan” signifies—squandering property.

“A'siya” may be agent to the verb “casts.” The second line will then be:—

The mill (of Time) casts into (under) the mill-stone (destroys) every grain (of property) in its own turn.