Basatin al-uns 69.76

69.76

have come under possession, and have been subdued and acquired; the friends of the realm, like the cloud, have seized the skirt of the highest sphere,
and the enemies of the kingdom, like drops of rain, are hidden beneath the dust of annihilation; the various flowers of victories
smile from the radiant thorn-field of the champions of vast pomp, and the nightingale of victory sings in the meadow of the coats of mail of the rank-breaking warriors of
perfect awe. And after the opening of the gates of great victories, the sea-surging army and thunder-roaring host encamped
on the shore of the sea that surrounds the kingdom of Sarandīp. And by virtue of what is written in the reliable books
of the sages—which are the mine of useful teachings and the treasury of counsels, and which past sultans and former rulers, in laying
the foundations of the realm and strengthening the pillars of sovereignty, made their guide and leader, and deemed the following of its ordinances
among obligatory duties, and whose effects in elevating the degrees of sovereignty, expanding the territories of the kingdom,
governing the realms, and uprooting and extirpating enemies of vast pomp and abundant equipment have been manifested with all facility, swiftness,
and goodness—a sovereign must be adorned and embellished with the resolution of sound judgment, an illuminated conscience,
the virtue of enemy-[crushing] bravery, and army-shattering courage; and as long as attracting benefits
and repelling harms is made easy by the help of knot-resolving judgment, he should not draw the blood-drinking sword from the scabbard; and as long as the desire
of hearts, in whole or in part, is set right by the aid of the tongue's blade, he should not put the blade's tongue to work, so that the renown of his perfect
sagacity and excess of acumen may, like a tongue, fall into mouths, and the tongues of the people of the world may become eloquent in the mouth with the mention of his fine discernment,
and so that the servants of abundant sincere devotion may also make this principle their guide and leader in discharging the important affairs of state,
and conduct the affairs of sovereignty in this very manner; and the masters of experience have ever
placed sound judgment before the sword and accounted excellence of deliberation higher in rank than abundance of bravery:
"Deliberation comes before the bravery of the brave; / it is the first, and that is the second quality.
When the two are united in a resolute soul, / it attains every station of high renown."
Upon this basis, the agreement so occurred that at first the path of sending messages was pursued, and envoys of eloquent
discourse and ambassadors of sound deliberation were sent to the king of Sarandīp, so that if, before accepting warfare and
combat, he should draw the collar of servitude around his neck, remove the cap of recalcitrance, rebelliousness, and pride from his head, and like
an arrow bind the belt of obedience about his waist, and sheathe the dagger of opposition and malice, then that is the desired aim; and if not, then from that