Muntakhab al-tawarikh 78.2.8

78.2.8

One day the Emperor made a great feast, and Khan Kalan wished to present a qasidah, which in his vanity he had called ghazza [splendid], in the presence of the Amirs and nobles and great poets; As soon as he had recited the first line of the first couplet as follows: — “Thanks be to God that I have returned After conquering the G’hakkar” — suddenly ‘Abd-ul-Malik Khan, his relative, (while the Emperor was driving all his attention to the qagulah, which was in fact the cause of the issue of the invitations, and in return for which Khan Kalan expected a great gift), came forward and shouted out “My Khan you ought to have said we returned, for there were other expectants besides yourself.” At which the whole company fell on the back of their heads with laughter. Then Khan Kalan threw his turban on the ground and exclaimed “My Liege ! satisfaction from this little incapable, who has marred the results of all my labour !” And one of the witticisms of the time is this verse which ‘Abd-ul-Malik made for his signet ring : — “When you increase ‘Abd by Malik You must put Alif Lam between.” And Mulla Shiri, the well-known Hindu poet, has a qasidah of eulogy and satyr dedicated to him : and this is one of the couplets in it : — “If a rustic confront you, get out of his way, For you are a gentleman, and ought not to confront a rustic.”