سندبادنامه 207.24

207.24

آمذن کنیزک روز دوم محضرت شاه پسر در تأخیر افگند ، بسبب آنک یکی از جملهٔ‌ وزرا ، بلطایف مواعظ ، ودقایق نصایح ، اورا از امضای این رای ، در بردد واشتماه افگنده است ، وحالت سخط اورا برضا وارتضا بدل گردانیذه ، واز تقدیم سیاست زجر ومنع کرده ، ودر اصناف مکر زنان ، واوصاف غدر ایشان ، حکایات نادر وغریب آورده ؛ وتقریر کرده ، کی بذم ومدح ، وحد وهزل ایشان التفات نشایذ نموذ ، ونکوهش وستایش . وابا وارادت ایشانرا لایق محو واثات نایذ 6 بنداشت ، و شاوروهن وخالفوهن دستور اعتبار وموذار اختبار بایذ ساخت ، چی هرکرا بتنصیص این تحصیص داذه باشذ ، کی الر حال قوامون علی النساء بکلمات ناقص ایشان ، کی از مکمن اتنهن ناقصات العقل والدین ظهور آ ر بذیرفته بوذ ، نظر نکنند پس متنکر وار ، ومتحیر کردار بیش تخت شاه رفت ، وبعد از تقریر تحست ، واقامت وظایف خدمت ، گفت : عدل شاه مستعان ملهوفان ، مستغاث 2 مظلومان ، ومستمسک مهجوران است ، وهر مالغتی کی رأی ملک آرای شاه ، در تمهید قواعد انصاف ، وتشیید مبانی انتصاف فرمایذ ، طلیعهٔ‌ دوام دولت ، ومقدمهآ بقای سلطنت بوذ؛ واین ظلم مفرط شنیع کی برین بنده رفت ، اگر بر یکی از آحاد خدمتگاران سرای حرم رفتی ، از عدل شاه لازم آمذی کی بر قضیت استکبار وحمتت ، ومقتضای استنکاف وأنفت ، ولوازم

The Coming of the Slave-Girl on the Second Day into the Shah’s Presence
of his son, because one of the viziers, through subtle admonitions
and fine points of counsel, had cast him into doubt and hesitation regarding the execution of this resolve,
turned his state of wrath into assent and contentment, forbidden and prevented him from proceeding with punishment,
and brought forward rare and remarkable tales regarding the various wiles of women and the descriptions of their treachery,
arguing that no regard should be paid to their blame or praise, their seriousness or jesting,
and that their reproach, praise, refusal, and inclination ought not to be deemed worthy of erasure or affirmation;
and that the maxim 'Consult them and oppose them' should be made the rule for consideration and the model for testing;
for whoever has been granted this express distinction: 'Men are the managers of the affairs of women,'
should not look to their defective words, which emerge from the secret chamber of 'Women are deficient in intellect and religion.'
[Such were the words that] had found acceptance.
She therefore went before the shah's throne, disguised in appearance and bewildered in demeanor, and after delivering
her greetings and fulfilling the duties of service, said: 'The justice of the shah is the aid of the aggrieved, the refuge of the oppressed,
and the support of the forsaken; and every exaggeration that the shah’s world-adorning judgment
exercises in laying down the principles of equity and strengthening the foundations of justice is the vanguard
of the perpetuity of his dominion and the preface to the endurance of his realm. If this excessive and heinous wrong done against this maidservant
had befallen one of the ordinary servants of the harem, the justice of the shah would have required
that, in accordance with greatness and dignity, the requirement of disdain and self-respect, and the obligations