“Luqmān had a narrow hut,
Like the hollow of a flute or the bosom of a harp.
A noodle put the question to him—
‘What is this house—two feet and a span?’
Hotly and with tears the sage replied—
‘Ample for him who has to die.’”
On Wednesday, the 14th, I again went to visit the Gosāʾīn and bade him good-bye. Undoubtedly parting from him weighed upon my mind, that desires the truth. On Thursday the 15th, I marched and pitched near Brindāban. At this stage my fortunate son Sult̤ān Parwīz took leave of me for Allahabad, and went to his jagir. I had intended that he should accompany me on this expedition, but as he had already shown symptoms of distress, I could not avoid letting him go. I presented him with a tipchāq horse, a waist dagger with a veined (jauhar-dār) walrus-tooth (hilt), and a sword and special shield. I hope he will come again soon, and have the good fortune of my presence. As the period of K͟husrau’s imprisonment had been a long one, it seemed to me that to keep him longer in confinement and deprive him of the good fortune of waiting on me, would be wanting in kindness. I accordingly sent[47] for him and bade him salute me. Once again the marks of his offences were washed with the pure water of forgiveness, and the dust of disgrace and humiliation was rubbed off his brow. I hope that the blessing of pleasing me, and the grace of service may be his lot.
On Friday, the 16th, I gave leave to Muk͟hliṣ K., whom I had sent for to take up the duties of diwan to S͟hāh Parwīz, and I gave him the rank he had[48] had in Bengal—viz., 2,000 with 700 horse. On Saturday I halted. At this stage Sayyid Niẓām s. Mīr Mīrān Ṣadr Jahān, who was faujdār of Kanauj, waited upon me, and presented two elephants, and some hawks. I accepted one elephant and a pair of hawks. On Sunday, the 18th, we marched. At this time the King of Persia had sent with Parī Beg Mīr S͟hikār (chief huntsman) one falcon (s͟hunqār) of good colour. There was another which had been given to the K͟hān ʿĀlam. This one was sent along with the S͟hāhī falcon (i.e., the one intended for Jahāngīr), and it died on the road. The S͟hāhī falcon, too, got mauled by a cat owing to the carelessness of the Mīr S͟hikār. Though it was brought to Court, it did not live more than a week. What can I write[49] of the beauty and colour of this falcon? There were many beautiful black markings on each wing, and back, and sides. As it was something out of the common, I ordered Ustād Manṣūr, who has the title of Nādiru-l-ʿaṣr (wonder of the age) to paint and preserve[50] its likeness. I gave the Mīr S͟hikār Rs. 2,000 and dismissed him.
In my father’s reign (the light of God be his testimony!) the weight of the seer was 30 dams.[51] About this time it came into my mind: “Why should I act contrary to his rules?” It would be better to have it still of 30 dams. One day Gosāʾīn Jadrūp said that in the book of the Vedas, which the lords of his faith had written, the weight of the sīr was 36 dams. “As from the coincidences of the hidden world your order has fallen in with what is laid down in our book, if it be fixed at 36 dams, it will be well.” It was ordered that hereafter throughout the whole territory it should be 36 dams.