The Book of Akbar 350.8

350.8

the Shāhinshāh if he had become the disciple of anyone (lit. given the hand of fealty.) H.M. who had placed the hand of trust in God’s hand and was a treasury of the treasuries of spiritual and temporal truths, and sought to conceal his status and spiritual rank, had withheld the hand of his genius from the empty-handed, and was a spectator of the varied spectacle of the universe, formally replied in the negative. The Shaikh put out his arm, and laid hold of the sacred hand of that divinely nurtured one, and said, “We have taken your hand.” H.M. the Shāhinshāh in the abundance of his courteousness and modesty took no notice, but smiled and departed. H.M. the Shāhinshāh often used to relate in his high assemblages that, “On that same night we returned to our tents and had a wine party and enjoyed ourselves, and laughed over the way to catch bullocks and the Shaikh’s dodge of stretching out his arm.” Verse. Under their variegated robes they have nooses, See the long arms of those short-sleeved ones. Good God! What was the rank of this boastful simpleton, and what was the degree of the just appreciation, urbanity and gentleness of H.M. the Shāhinshāh! For although it was reported universally to H.M. that this Shaikh in general conversation instead of feeling remorse for his misbehaviour gloried in it, he took no notice and did not try to correct him!