Muntakhab al-tawarikh 79.22.1

79.22.1

In these days Hakīm ‘Ayn-ul-mulk arrived with the ambassador of Mīrzā Jānī, and brought all sorts of presents, and became the recipient of His Majesty’s kindness. In the month Jamada’-l-awwal of the year nine hundred and ninety-seven (997) I finished the translation of the Ramayana, which had taken me four years. I wrote it all in couplets, and brought it to the Emperor. When I wrote at the end of it the couplet : — “ We have written a story, who will bring it to the Emperor ? We have burnt our soul, who will bring it to the Beloved ?” it was much admired. The Emperor asked me, “ How many sheets does it contain ? ” I answered, “ The first time, when written concisely it reached nearly 70 sheets, but the second time, when written more at length, it was 120 sheets.” He commanded me to write a preface to it, after the manner of authors. But since it was no such great recovery from my former falling out of favour, and a khutbah would have to be written without praising God and the Prophet, I dissimulated. And from that black book, which is naught like the book of my life, I flee to God for refuge. The transcription of atheism is not atheism, and I repeat the declaration of faith in opposition to heresy, why should I fear (which God forbid !) that a book, which was all written against the grain, and in accordance with a strict command, should bring with it a curse. O God !