Bagh O Bahar, or Tales of the Four Darweshes

Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and Distributed Proofreaders
From scans of the Million Book Project
Translated from the Hindustani of Mir Amman of Dihli
By Duncan Forbes, LL.D.,
Professor of Oriental Languages in King's College, London; Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, author of several works on the Hindustani and Persian Languages.
1874.
The Bagh O Bahar , or Garden and Spring, has, for the last half century, been held as a classical work throughout our Indian empire. It highly deserves this distinguished fate, as it contains various modes of expression in correct language; and displays a great variety of Eastern manners and modes of thinking. It is an excellent introduction not only to the colloquial style of the Hindustani language, but also to a knowledge of its various idioms and popular phrases.
The tale itself is interesting, if we bear in mind the fact, that no Asiatic writer of romance or history has ever been consistent, or free from fabulous credulity. The cautious march of undeviating truth, and a careful regard to vraisemblance , have never entered into their plan. Wildness of imagination, fabulous machinery, and unnatural scenes ever pervade the compositions of Oriental authors,—even in most serious works on history and ethics. Be it remembered, that jinns , demons, fairies, and angels, form a part of the Muhammadan creed. The people to this day believe in the existence of such beings on the faith of the Kur,an ; and as they are fully as much attached to their own religion as we are to ours, we ought not to be surprised at their credulity.
I have rendered the translation as literal as possible, consistent with the comprehension of the author's meaning. This may be considered by some a slavish and dull compliance; but in my humble opinion we ought, in this case, to display the author's own thoughts and ideas; all we are permitted to do, is to change their garb. This course has one superior advantage which may compensate for its seeming dulness; we acquire an insight into the modes of thinking and action of the people, whose works we peruse through the medium of a literal translation, and thence many instructive and interesting conclusions may be drawn.