[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Mughals (1526–1857)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal) › [Akbar (1556–1605)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar) › [The Book of Akbar](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama) › 1.261 # The Book of Akbar 1.261 Akbarnāma 1.261 - **Language:** Persian ### [1.261](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama.1.261) نیکبخت بودم، دولتمند شدم. حرفسرا بودم، ثناخوان گشتم. بر آستانهآ مجاز در حقیقت گشودم. سادهلوح بودم، نکتهنگار شدم. > The royal divan and the dervish’s carpet. The nine heavens revolve for his purpose; The seven stars travel for his work; By wisdom, he is the age’s provider; By vigilance, the world’s watchman; His love and his hate, in the banquet and the battle, Are brimming cups of wine and blood; The Khāqān fears his wrath; Caesar is disturbed at his frown; Heaven in glory, Earth in stability; Lord of universal reason, Jalalu-d-din. Essence of sunlight and shadow of God, Pearl of crown and throne is Akbar Shah. May this old world be renewed by him! May his star be the sun’s rays! > This empty-handed one, who, from lack of the capital of praise, had neither room to sit nor a leg to stand upon, became, through the above excellent idea and firm resolve, a treasury full of the Creator’s praise; a marvellous treasury,—for its store increased by expenditure and diminished by hoarding. By force of sincerity, I became an alchemist, and enriched my poverty-stricken soul. I put forth the arm of fortune and opened the door of the treasury. I was fortunate, I became rich. I was fluent, I became eulogistic. I crossed the threshold of allegory and opened the door of truth. I was simple, I became acute. The door of success which was shut in front of me, was divinely opened. My dejection became exaltation. tion; my inaction, flowing activity; my speechlessness, effective speech. I was taken from the public entrance to the royal apartments; a fluent tongue was granted to me, the tongueless one, and the right of speech was conceded to me. > I wished that before entering on my subject,—as it has been the usage of former writers of all nations to embellish the preambles of their books (after praises of God) with general or special salutations to those great saints and masters of the divine mysteries who, after lighting up the lamp of guidance and effusion in the world’s dark chamber, have gone down to the grave;—I too, might so adorn this collection of Divine praise and gratify my heart by saluting that Company which from its eminence and knowledge of God, occupies the intellectual fore-court of this humble individual. But inasmuch as this one who has left the path of semblance and followed after truth, is aware that if a distracted one should, on finding his way into the royal court, utter encomia on the field-marshals or wish by his intervention, to make the favour of the Lord of the Age fall upon the Prime Minister, he would but prove his own folly and madness. > What strength has Suha to praise the shining Moon to the > — Henry Beveridge 1897, The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II - [Previous: 1.244](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama.1.244) - [Next: 1.263](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama.1.263) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama.1) ## Translations (1) - [The Akbarnama (H. Beveridge), vols. I–II](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama~en-beveridge.4) — Henry Beveridge 1897, English --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama.1.261](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.mughal.akbar.akbarnama.1.261) · Pramāṇa