التاريخ اليميني 46.24-28

46.24

وكان المخذول يرى أن أعوانه من كماة المقانب، وحماة الأشاهب، ورماة الكتائب ، حتى رأى عسكر السلطان بين تلك المشاعب، وآثارهم بالقنا والقواضب، والقسي المواطر كالسحائب، فعلم أن ضرب اللاعب خلاف ضرب الثائر الغالب، وقوس المحلج غير قوس الناشب. ولما فصل السلطان أمر جندبال ، وأذاقه في مهربه الداء العضال، عطف على چند راي- أحد أكابر الهند في قلعة شروة - وهو يظن أن القائل يعنيه بقوله:

The forsaken one had thought that his helpers were the bold warriors of the cavalry troops, the defenders of the grey steeds and the archers of the battalions, until he saw the Sultan's army among those mountain passes, and their traces left by lances, cutting swords and bows that rained like clouds; then he knew that the stroke of one who plays differs from the stroke of a vengeful victor, and that the bow of the cotton-carder is not the bow of the archer. When the Sultan had settled the affair of Jandbāl and made him taste an incurable malady in his flight, he turned upon Chand Rāy—one of the great men of Hind, in the fortress of Sharwa—who supposed that the poet meant him when he said:

And when they witnessed the serried ranks of his warriors and the fury of his men, they knew how long an interval there is between the heat of play and the ardour of the brave, and became aware that their business was to engage with those who were determined to shed blood, not with the play of cotton-threshing tables. And the Sultan, having reached Jandbal, and surrounded him, directed his course towards Chandrarajah, who was owner of a very strong fortress, and who said (Verse)

46.25

عطست بأنف شامخ وتناولت ... يداي الثريا قاعدا غير قائم

I sneezed with a lofty nose, and my hands / reached the Pleiades while I sat, not standing

46.26

قد ذهب بها على أن يعطي غيره مقاده، أو يألف غير التعزز عادة.

He had carried himself so [high] that he would not yield his halter to another, nor grow accustomed to any habit but self-exaltation.

46.27

وكانت في غابر الأيام بينه وبين بروچيبال مناوشات تجاحش عن خيوط الرقاب، فدامت حتى استلحمت رجالا، واصطلمت أبطالا فأبطالا. ثم قام دست الحرب بينهما، فاضطرا إلى التوادع والتكاف، حقنا للدماء وصونا للأطراف.

In days gone by there had been skirmishes between him and Barūjībāl in which they contended over the very threads of their necks; these lasted until they had cut down men and wiped out heroes, champion after champion. Then the game of war between them came to a standstill, and they were compelled to make a truce and hold back from one another, to spare blood and safeguard their borders.

46.28

وخطب بروچيبال إليه ابنته على [225 أ] ابنه بهيمال استدامة للألفة، وإماطة للفرقة، واستدفاعا للفساد، واستبقاء للسيوف في الأغماد. وسرح ابنه إليه على تنجزه عقد الوصلة، وشرط الاتشاج في اللحمة، والاشتراك في البيت والنعمة. فلما حصل الختن في يده، جعله تحت قده وقيده، وطالبه بعوض ما ذهب له على يد والده. فعجز بروچيبال عن قصد قلعته، واقتياض بيضته، واستخلاص ابنه من أسار محنته. غير أن المنازعة لم تنفك بينهما قائمة إلى أن طلعت رايات السلطان على تلك الحدود، وأسفر صنع الله له في المقصود [بعد المقصود] فأما بروچيبال فلحق ببهوجذيو - أحد المتعززين بحصانة المعاقل، وحزونة المداخل، وخشونة المواقل - خلاصا لمهجته ، واعتياصا بزعمه على من هم باقتصاص أثره. وأما چند راي فإنه استعد للمدافعة، واحتشد للممانعة، اعتزازا بوثاقة قلعته، ولو ثبت لا قتلعته، وإدلالا بمنعته، ولو وقف لا ختلعته.

Barūjībāl asked him for his daughter's hand for his son Bhīmpāl, to make their friendship lasting, remove division, ward off mischief and keep the swords in their scabbards. He sent his son to him on the understanding that the marriage contract would be concluded, with the condition of intertwining in kinship and sharing in house and fortune. But when the son-in-law came into his hands, he put him under thong and fetter and demanded of him compensation for what he had lost at his father's hands. Barūjībāl was unable to attack his fortress, break open his stronghold and rescue his son from the bondage of his ordeal. Yet the contention between them never ceased until the Sultan's banners appeared over those frontiers, and God's favour to him was revealed in one aim [after another]. As for Barūjībāl, he joined Bhūjadīw—one of those who took pride in the strength of their fortresses, the ruggedness of their approaches and the roughness of their heights—to save his life and, as he claimed, to make himself hard to reach for whoever might intend to follow his tracks. As for Chand Rāy, he prepared to resist and gathered his forces to hold out, proud of the solidity of his fortress—though had he stood firm, he would have uprooted it—and presuming on his impregnability—though had he stayed, he would have wrenched him away.