Storia do Mogor 65.10.5

65.10.5

The first-born son of King Shahjahan was the prince Dara, a man of dignified manners, of a comely countenance, joyous and polite in conversation, ready and gracious of speech, of most extraordinary liberality, kindly and compassionate, but over-confident in his opinion of himself, considering himself competent in all things and having no need of advisers. He despised those who gave him counsel. Thus it was that his dearest friends never ventured to inform him of the most essential things. Still, it was very easy to discover his intentions. He assumed that fortune would invariably favour him, and imagined that everybody loved him. He was very fond of music and dancing, and once fell in love with a public dancing-girl named Ranadel (Ra'na-dil). His love was so violent that when his father refused his consent to a marriage with her, the prince began to pine to death. Seeing this state of things, Shahjahan was obliged to accord permission for the marriage, and she was granted the same dignities as the other princesses. This Ra'na-dil displayed afterwards her love and fidelity to Dara, as may be seen further on (I. 261).