The Book of Akbar 1.116

1.116

زمانی دراز درین اندیشه ماندم، نه سر خروشیدن بود و نه دماغ خموشیدن، که ناگاه از خرد، که فروغ هستی ازوست2 دری از روشنائی گشودند و دل هرزه گردرا گردن امید بکمند مقصود بسته آمد. پیام آگهی بگوش توفیق رسید که ای «نقش طراز نگارستان معنی، کتاب تصنیف نمیکنی که دیباچهرا بحمد آرایش دهی؟ حال فرمانروای زمین و زمان، گوهر تاج پادشاهان مینویسی و سپاس ایزدی بتحریر میرود، و نیایش خدای بتصویر میآید، حمدرا حمد نمیباید چه مصنوعات صانع برکمال حمدیست از دادار پاک که بزبان بیزبانی ادا

I was a long time in perplexity, having neither ability to speak nor power to remain silent, when suddenly a door of light was opened by the intellect, that glory of life, and my confused heart found the neck of hope fitted with the noose of resolution. This message came to the ear of guidance, “Artist in Truth’s picture gallery! dost thou not compose a book whose frontispiece thou mayest adorn with praise? Thou art inditing the history of the Lord of time and the terrene (zamin u zaman) and Crown-jewel of monarchs, and praise to God will come into the writing, and thanksgiving to the Almighty be part of the picture! praise of praise is not right; the works of the Artificer are the perfect praise of the pure God and acknowledge him with a tongueless tongue.” “They (the works of creation) by conferring this knowledge, grant to the soul-awakened and inwardly-cultured, possession of Light absolute and bring them into the vast shadow of praise which together with its delights, is the highest dignity (mansab) of celestial existences.”