Bagh O Bahar | Page 8

a distance which shone like the
morning star; he said to himself, "In this storm and darkness this light
cannot shine without art, or it may be a talisman; for if nitre and
sulphur be sprinkled in the lamp, around the wick, then let the wind be
ever so strong, the flame will not be extinguished--or may it not be the
lamp of some holy man which burns? Let it be what it may, I ought to
go and examine it; perhaps by the light of this lamp, the lamp of my
house also may be lighted, [73] and the wish of my heart fulfilled."
Having formed this resolution, the king advanced in that direction;
when he drew near, he saw four erratic fakirs, [74] with kafnis [75] on
their bodies, and their head reclined on their knees; sitting in profound
silence, and senselessly abstracted. Their state was such as that of a
traveller, who, separated from his country and his sect, friendless and
alone, and overwhelmed with grief, is desponding and at a loss. In the
same manner sat these four Fakirs, like statues, [76] and a lamp placed
on a stone burnt brightly; the wind touched it not, as if the sky itself
had been its shade, [77] so that it burnt without danger [of being
extinguished.]
On seeing this sight, Azad Bakht was convinced [and said to himself]
that "assuredly thy desires will be fulfilled, by the blessing [resulting
from] the footsteps of these men of God; and the withered tree of thy
hopes shall revive by their looks, and yield fruit. Go into their company,
and tell thy story, and join their society; perhaps they may feel pity for
thee, and offer up for thee such a prayer as may be accepted by the
Almighty." Having formed this determination, he was about to step
forward, when his judgment told him, O fool, do not be hasty! Look a
little [before thee.] What dost thou know as to who they are, from
whence they have come, and where they are going? How can we know
but they may be Devs [78] or Ghuls [79] of the wilderness, who,
assuming the appearance of men, are sitting together? In every way, to
be in haste, and go amongst them and disturb them, is improper. At
present, hide thyself in some corner, and learn the story of these
Darweshes." At last the king did so, and hid himself in a corner with
such silence, that no one heard the sound of his approach; he directed
his attention towards them to hear what they were saying amongst

themselves. By chance one of the Fakirs sneezed, and said, "God be
praised." [80] The other three Kalandars, [81] awakened by the noise
he made, trimmed the lamp; the flame was burning bright, and each of
them sitting on his mattrass, lighted their hukkas, [82] and began to
smoke. One of these Azads [83] said, "O friends in mutual pain, and
faithful wanderers over the world! we four persons, by the revolution of
the heavens, and changes of day and night, with dust on our heads,
have wandered for some time, from door to door. God be praised, that
by the aid of our good fortune, and the decree of fate, we have to-day
met each other on this spot. The events of to-morrow are not in the
least known, nor what will happen; whether we remain together, or
become totally separated; the night is a heavy load, [84] and to retire to
sleep so early is not salutary. It is far better that we relate, each on his
own part, the events which have passed over our heads in this world,
without admitting a particle of untruth [in our narrations;] then the
night will pass away in words, and when little of it remains, let us retire
to rest." They all replied, "O leader, we agree to whatever you
command. First you begin your own history, and relate what you have
seen; then shall we be edified."

ADVENTURES OF THE FIRST DARWESH
The first Darwesh, sitting at his ease, [85] began thus to relate the
events of his travels:
"Beloved of God, turn towards me, and hear this helpless one's
narrative. Hear what has passed over my head with attentive ears, Hear
how Providence has raised and depressed me. I am going to relate
whatever misfortunes I have suffered; hear the whole narrative."
O my friends, the place of my birth, and the country of my forefathers,
is the land of Yaman; [86] the father of this wretch was Maliku-t-Tujjar,
[87] a great merchant, named Khwaja Ahmad. At that time no merchant
or banker was equal to him. In most cities he had established factories
and agents, for the purchase and sale (of