سندبادنامه 120.1

120.1

هایل هیونی تیزدو اندک خور بسیاررو از آهوان برده گرو در بویه ودر تاختن هامون گذاری کوه فشدل برتحمل کرده خوش تا روز هر شب بار کش هر روز تا شب خارکن چون باذ وچون آب رواندر دشت ودر وادی دوان چون آتش وخاک گران در کوهسار ودر عطن ساره در آهنگ اوحیران زبس نیرنگ او در تاختن فرسنگ او از حد طائف تا ختن پاذشاه چون هیکل وطلل او بدیذ ، بچشم او در آمذ ، ودر دل او موقعی بزرگ یافت . مهتر پیلبانان را مثال داذ تا اورا ریاضت دهذ ، وآداب کتر وفر ، وحرکت وسکون ، وناورد وجولان ، وعطفه وحملمه ، در وی آموزذ، چنانک شایستهٔ‌ جنگ ومیدان ، ولایق رکوب پاذشاهان وذ . پیلبان خدمت کرد ، وبحکم مثال پاذشاه سه سال پیوسته در ریاضت وتعلیم او شرایط خدمت، ولوازم فرمان برداری قیام موذ . چون مدت تعلیم بانقضا رسیذ ، پاذشاه

A terrible beast, fast-running, eating little, traveling far,
bearing the prize away from gazelles in desire and in galloping;
crossing the desert, mountain-like, bearing endurance gladly,
carrying loads all night until daybreak, plucking thorns all day until nightfall;
like the wind and running water, racing through desert and through valley,
like fire and heavy earth, in the mountains and in the resting place;
the star astonished at its intent, bewildered by its countless tricks,
the leagues of its gallop stretching from the border of al-Ṭāʾif to Khotan.
When the king saw its stature and massive form, it found favor in his eyes and assumed a great place
in his heart. He commanded the chief of the elephant-drivers to train it and teach it the arts of retreat
and attack, motion and stillness, charge and wheeling, turning and assault, so that
it would be fit for battle and the arena, and worthy to be ridden by kings. The elephant-driver did homage,
and according to the king’s command, for three continuous years he fulfilled the conditions of service
and the requirements of obedience in training and instructing it. When the period of training reached its conclusion, the king