Muntakhab al-tawarikh 30.2
Muntakhabu-t-tawārīkh (Ranking, Lowe, Haig) 30.2
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30.2.1
May God, be He exalted and blessed, raise the purified and sanctified soul of that warrior prince to lofty heights and high dignities, and give him, from time to time, 'cups full of the brilliance of his beauty' and glory, and make all the kindness, and clemency, and affection, and care which he evinced towards this broken down worthless one, a means of increasing the dignity and wiping out the faults of that prince. Amen, Oh Lord of the worlds !
And Mir Khusru also on that day fell a prisoner into the hands of Lahori, a servant of the Mughul, and had to carry a nosebag and horsecloth upon his head. He recounts this circumstance in these words —
I who never even placed a rose upon my head, He placed a load on my head and said “It is a rose.”
And he composed in poetry and sent to Dehli two elegies written in tarkib-band which are found in the anthology known as Ghurratu-l-Kamāl, for a space of a month more or less, folk used to sing these tarkīb bands and used to chant them as threnodies over their dead from house to house.
The following is one of them:—
30.2.2
Is this the Resurrection day, or is it a calamity from heaven which has come to light? Is this a disaster, or has the day of Judgment appeared upon the earth? That breach which has appeared this year in Hindustan has given entrance to the flood of sedition below the foundation of the world. The assembly of his friends has been scattered like the petals of the rose before the wind. Autumn, the leaf-scatterer, has, one would say, appeared in the garden. Every eyelash, in the absence of friends, has become a spear-point to the eye, and each point of the spear has brought blood spouting forth to a spear's length. The heart writhes in agony since Time has broken the thread of companionship. When the string is broken the pearls are scattered far and wide. Such a flood of tears has been shed by the people on all sides that five fresh rivers have appeared around Multān. I wished to bring my heart's fire upon the tongue in the form of words, When lo! a hundred tongues of fire appeared within my mouth.
I am full of grief, empty of all desires, and tears are pouring forth from both my eyes; even the eye is weeping on account of the picture of grief which is its appearance.
Weeping has taken the bloom off my cheek, and alienated me, by means of it, that has left my cheek: and the boar has rejoiced in filth.
The planets are all convened in my eyes; therefore it portends a storm, since in a watery constellation a conjunction of planets is.
30.2.3
I only wish for that prime collection (of friends), and how can this be!
It is essentially impossible—how can this Banātu-n-Na’sh become the Pleiades? (How can mourning become joy).
With what omen did the king lead his army from Multān and draw the infidel-slaying sword in order to slay the infidels.
When they brought him tidings of the enemy, with that strength which he possessed, ruthlessly he displayed his wrath and unfurled his standards.
That army which was then present sought for no second army, For this reason that Rustum must not be indebted to an armed host.
One assault took him from Multan to Lahore, saying In my reign can any one rebel against me?
Am I not such a lion, that my sword which is like fire and water Has by its slaying turned every year of theirs to dust and ashes?
Such torrents of blood often have I set flowing over the earth, That the vulture flies over the surface of blood like a duck over the water.
In this year to such an extent do I stain the earth with their blood, That the evening twilight reddens with the reflection of the earth
He was bent upon this enterprise and did not know that the Destiny of heaven had drawn the line of fate across the writing of the page of intention
His eyes were smitten by the stars; if I have the power I must heat a needle, and like a shooting star thrust it into the eye of the seven planets.
The first day of the month became Muharram for him, not for him only but for all people.
30.2.4
Since at the end of Zûl Hijjah he drove his dagger into the neck of his enemies.
That the day of ‘Ashura might arrive he entered the ranks of holy war like Husain; the dust of his steed served as collyrium for the eye of the brilliant moon.
What an hour was that when the infidel reached the van of the army!
One upon another his squadrons passed over the river and came upon them unawares.
Thou didst see the king’s steed, casting the cloud of dust to the sky.
The wind-footed courier charging the infidels worthless as dust.
He raised a turmoil among the stars by the shouts of his army.
He produced an earthquake in the world by the rushing of his cavalry,
From the roll of the drums, the neighing of the horses, and the shouts of their riders, he caused a quaking of the plain and desert and mountain.
His horses were reeking (with sweat), with shoes as hot as fire, so that the hoofs of each fiery-shod steed struck sparks.
What awe was there! at one time drawing up for battle.
What terror was there! at another time raising the battle cries.
141. From the flash of the sword in his hand he scattered heat and oppressiveness around him. the very thought his speech pierced their heart like so many thorns.
The brave-hearted were all-holding, bent on consuming their enemies,
The faint-hearted were plotting intent upon flight.
[Whiles, the king the cherisher of brave men, in that field of battle,
Was doing deeds of bravery and urging on the warriors].
30.2.5
Striking manfully blow after blow upon the ribs of the unmanly cowards,
And sending forth flames of fire from his well tempered sword.
Raising aloft like Jamshid the standard, to restrain the demons,
Riding on his steed, like the sun, to capture kingdoms.
Bringing the sky into supplication from that affliction.
Making the sun perform the Tayammum with that dust.
[At that time when there was a distinction between brave and coward,
Many a one there was whose lips were dry and his cheeks pale].
The day was cast into darkness when they hurled one upon the other, The sun became pale when dagger was interwoven with dagger. The day was nearing its decline, seeing that the swords were weaving a sky of rust over the sun of the day. The rows of swords in both ranks resembled (the teeth of) a comb, The combatants are entangled one with the other like hair with hair.
142. The Earth looked like a sheet of water when cuirass was knit with cuirass, the plain resembled a rose garden when shield was woven with shield. The heaven flies away as though flying from an arrow, The arrows flung above their heads are thick as the feathers of a wing. When half the force of the infidels had their heads swept off by the sword Those infidel heads which were matted together like the locks of black hair. Ruby-red drops of blood sprang like tears from the sword So that the gold-woven standards were besprinkled with the jewels. Each single Head was cleft in twain when the swords blows met.
30.2.6
The cloven-heads became as one again when head was thrust against head. The slain were lying on all sides of that verdant plain Like the figures which they weave on the green brocade. Long had they been striving even from morning till evening, face to face, and hair to hair, and hand to hand. The king wished to spread the carpet of victory but to what avail Since the heavens had woven that carpet in another pattern. His auspicious sword did not cease from contest for one moment. From the declining day till night in that day of declining fortune. Oh Lord ! was that blood which flowed over the face of the plain Or was it a river urging its waves toward the lips of the thirsty. Just as water drops to the earth when you sift it in a sieve So the blood dript from the limbs of the weary warriors. The mortally wounded lay in the death-agony writhing on the ground, while from his throat blood burst in billows, spouting in the air. The arrows drove the bodies over the sea of blood like boats, Plying their oars madly and urging their course onwards.
The river those (the infidel enemies) to hell and the lake these (the Muslims) to Paradise, although the blood of infidel and lover flowing side by side.