The next day, when the sovereign of the stars mounted the throne of the fourth heaven,' and set up his banner in the metropolis of the sky, COUPLET. The morn with golden crown and silver vest, Wearing that crown a throne of ivory pressed; they said to the Prince, 'Thou always boastest of reliance upon God, and extollest acquiescence in the Divine Will, and resignation. Now if thou art to derive any fruit from these qualities, thou must provide for us.' The Prince met their request with acceptance, and with a lofty spirit and a purpose void of the scruple of hesitation, turned his face towards the city. Fate had decreed that death should reach the king of that city that day, and the inhabitants were engaged in mourning for him. The Prince went as spectator to the deceased monarch's palace, and seating himself on one side, kept quiet. The warder observed that while all others were occupied with mourning and lamentation, one person, seated silent in a corner, did not join them in their demonstrations of grief. He formed the idea that it was a spy, and treated him with indignity. The Prince having quenched the fire of wrath with the water of forbearance, was exclaiming, VERSE. "When a proud fool intemperance displays, I will with gentleness his roughness meet. And though, displeased, a hundred cries he raise; To my pleased ear that brawling shall seem sweet.' When they carried out the bier, and the palace became empty, the Prince remained in the same spot, and was looking about on all sides of the palace. The warder again waxed more intemperate, and confined him in prison. Night came on, and no tidings or intelligence of the Prince reached the companions. They said to one another, 'This hapless youth, basing his reliance on God, and finding no advantage therefrom, has turned his face from our society. Would that we had not imposed this task upon him, nor distressed his noble heart.' Thus they in this quarter were reproaching themselves, and in the other the Prince, overtaken with bonds and imprisonment, was sending, with the hand of thought, messages to his companions. COUPLET. "Ah! swift convey my tidings to the birds of the parterre, For their sweet voices, too, have reached the cage of my despair.' The next day the nobles and ministers of the city, and Roots and Pillars of the State, having assembled; were desirous of committing to some one the The fourth heaven is, according to the Muḥammadans, the heaven of the Sun and of Jesus Christ. business of the government-for their king had no heir. Having entered upon this deliberation, they were offering a great variety of opinions. The warder said to them, 'Keep this matter close, for I have apprehended a spy, and it is probable, too, that he has a companion. Heaven forfend that they should obtain intelligence of your dissensions, and hence mischief arise!" He then told them of the Prince and of his appearance there and of his own rigorous treatment of him. They thought it best to send for him and to inquire into his proceedings. Some one went and brought the Prince from the prison to the assembly. When their eyes fell upon his realm-adorning beauty, they perceived that that silver countenance had nothing of the spy in it, and that from such a gracious person and noble nature, such proceedings could not arise. Having treated him with all due respect, they asked, 'What is the cause of thy coming? and what city is thy birth-place and native land? COUPLET. Whence with this youth and grace dost thou appear? Sit, if to glad our bosoms thou art here.' The Prince answered them courteously, and informed them of his birth and lineage, and detailed to them the death of his sire and his brother's taking possession of the throne. It happened that a number of the nobles had formerly waited on his father and had seen that pearl of a royal shell at a corner of the imperial throne. They immediately recognised him, and related to all the Pillars of the State, the condition of the dominions of his ancestors and the extent of their territories. So the whole body of the grandees of that country were pleased at seeing him and overjoyed at his fortunate arrival, and unanimously agreed that he was worthy to govern that realm, as possessing a generous nature and pure descent. They thought, too, that he would indubitably follow the steps of his noble progenitors, in setting wide the gates of justice and liberality to the people; and would imitate their amiable qualities and praiseworthy practices, and combine with hereditary excellencies acquired virtues, and preserve his people in tranquillity under the shade of his fostering care. Thus they regarded the flash of divine glory which shone forth from his countenance, as a convincing proof and lucid testimony to his capabilities for reigning and his qualifications for sovereignty, and felt persuaded that the tokens of his worthiness to reign, and the signs of his future renown could not but be apparent to every man of penetration. COUPLET. Such glory shone in Sulaimán, whoe'er could doubt of it, Both bird and fish would laughingly deride his sense and wit. Wherefore, they forthwith inaugurated him, and the kingdom, with this facility, passed into his possession; and through the blessed influences of reliance on God, he obtained this excellent fruit. And whosoever chooses to plant his foot firmly on the ground of trust in the Divine aid, and continues to tread there with sincerity of purpose and purity of disposition, will obtain the results thereof in faith and in worldly matters, and will be felicitous in both states of existence. STANZA. Canst thou secure the key of faith? with that, May'st in this court success's ball win, too. 6 And it was an established custom in that city to seat the king on the first day, on a white elephant, and carry him round the city. This same rite they observed in the Prince's case, and when the latter came to the citygates, and saw the words which his companions had written, he commanded them to write underneath, Labor and beauty, and good sense and perfect skill: these bear fruit when the Divine decree is consentaneous with them; and the adventures of a person, who, the first day was fettered in the prison of suffering, and the next day seated in the imperial palace on the throne adorned with gold, are sufficient to warn us of this.' He then returned to the royal palace, and seated himself on the throne, and the kingdom was settled under his sway. STANZA. When Fortune saw him on the throne, it raised applauding shouts and said, 'O thou who knowest how to sit upon the throne of regal sway! He then sent for his former companions, and made the possessor of good sense and ability share office with the minister of state, and the merchant's son he appointed over the crown lands and possessions. But as for the beautiful youth he bestowed on him a magnificent robe of honor and unbounded wealth, and said, 'Though it is painful to part with a dear friend, yet thy stay in this country is not advisable, that women be not tempted by thy fascinating beauty, and that become a source of immorality and mischief." He then turned to the grandees of the assembly and said, 'There are many amongst you who are superior to me in understanding, and valor, and skill, and ability, but kingdoms are obtainable only by the Divine favor, and the aid of the Eternal One, as may be understood from the purport of the saying, 'Thou givest the kingdom unto whom thou wilt." 1 1 Kur'án, Fl. iii. 25, Mar. 26; Sale, p. 35, 1. 3: 'Say, O God, who possessest the kingdom; thou givest the kingdom unto whom thou wilt, and thou takest away the kingdom from whom thou wilt! Thou exaltest whom thou wilt, and thou humblest whom thou wilt. In thy hand is good, for thou art Almighty. VERSE. O object of the musings of the wise! Desire of the hearts of all in prayerful posture bowing! The slave's, the monarch's, destinies Are willed by Thee. Fortune's gifts are nought save thy endowing: Who can this road by reason's light proceed? My companions were laboriously exerting themselves to earn, and each secured a trifle. But I did not rely on my own wisdom and strength, nor did I seek aid from any one's support or protection. But I based my proceedings on reliance on God, and I acquiesced in the Divine decree and the Supreme predestination, and said, : COUPLET. 'The head must be submissive bent, the neck inclined obediently, [After the Prince had thus spoken,] a man of eloquence among those present arose and said, 'Everything that the King pronounces is a gem perforated by the diamond of wisdom, and gold tried on the touchstone of knowledge and there is no qualification for governing like understanding and judgment, and the high merits and worthiness of the king are by this token as clear as the sun, to all his subjects: and the Creator Himself knows what are the qualifications of each, and what promotion and advancement each accordingly deserves [as it is said], 'God best knoweth whom He will appoint for a messenger.'1 COUPLET. From the table of His bounties, by no limiting confined, Each his due share in proportion to his worth is sure to find. The good-fortune of the people of this country brought thee to this station, and the vigorous auspices of the inhabitants of this land spread the felicitous shade of a Humá over thee like the heads of the drooping-pinioned subjects. COUPLET. Most blest the spot where moons, like thee, make choice of their alighting-place! Another then rose and adorned his tongue with praise of the king of youthful fortune, aud throne lofty as the sky, and having placed the jewels of these couplets on the tray of representation, he showered them, applaudingly, on the royal head; 1 Kur'an, vi. 124; Sale, p. 103, 1. 21: And when a sign cometh unto them, they say, 'We will, by no means, believe, until a revelation be brought unto us, likewise that which hath been delivered unto the messengers of God. God best knoweth whom he will appoint for His messenger.' STANZA. 'Monarch! whose happy, gold-bestowing hand, As heaven itself, secure, the peaceful land Which sleeps beneath thy kingly canopy.' Similarly each of the nobles delivered his sentiments suitably to his position, and recited a select portion of the pages of the imperial virtues. At last, a pure-minded, fair-spoken old man rose on his feet, and after offering the fitting praises and eulogies, said, 'O king! On the subject of fate and predestination, somewhat of which has been explained to the hearts of the assembly by the gem-scattering tongue of the sovereign, this slave has a story, and if the implicitly-obeyed command is condescendingly issued, I will recite it and set it forth.' The king said, Bring what thou hast, and say how that was.' STORY III. The old man said, 'I used once to be in the service of a great personage. As, however, I knew the fickleness of the world, and was on my guard against the wiles of that fraudful hag, and knew that that husband-killing bride the world-has, by disappointing many of those enamoured of her, reduced them to despair; and that that perfidious mistress of evil deeds, has overthrown, headlong, many a lover; I said to myself, 'O simple one! thou art fixing thy heart on the friendship of one who has struck the hand of rejection on the breasts of a hundred thousand prosperous kings, and given to the winds of annihilation the stacks of the peace of mind of innumerable renowned princes. Abandon this pursuit and build not thy house at a place of passage, whence every moment thou must be prepared to set out. QUATRAIN. Who the world's customs well appreciate, Build not therein that they may dwell in it. Awake from the slumber of supineness, for the time is short, and the steed of action lame; and carry with thee a provision for thy journey from thy brief existence here, for the way is long and protracted, and the heat of the fire of the desert such as to melt life. VERSE. In every corner make good search to-day, That for the morrow thou mayst have supplies. Distant thy halting-place and long the way, Then in providing for them both be wise. |