English
Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni and His Servant
I have heard of Mahmud, the fortunate one, who held both crown and throne in this world.
Not only Ghazni lay beneath his ring; he was sultan of the whole face of the earth.
He had a servant among his favorites, named Ayaz, and all the favorites were Ayaz's servants.
A servant in his youth and full of charm, a stranger's longing, a love made familiar.
Not only was the sultan his slave; many a sultan he had cast down into the dust.
The sultan's heart leaned toward loving him, for it is the heart, and the heart cannot be controlled.
He had a hundred excuses for everything, none of which arose unless Ayaz was in the picture.
He spoke of nothing but that sweet fountainhead, and would listen to no one else.
Sometimes he praised his cheek, sometimes his face: how blessed, like a shining star.
Sometimes his ruby lips, that wine-cup lip, sometimes his ear and the pearl beside it.
Sometimes his locks like purest musk, sometimes his eyes, those half-sleeping eyes.
In short, that secret spread through the city; it set fire to the heart he had kept hidden.
All the favorites learned of it, and out of envy poured tears from their eyes.
From this jealousy they tore their collars; from this grief they made the dust their home.
Saying: We too are servants of the king's court, all of us long-loyal well-wishers of the king.
What has happened, that the king now wrongs us and casts aside the rights of our old service?
How long will the sultan treat us like this, now in anger with us, now in spite?
It would be best that one of us, alert, speak so the king takes his words to heart;
so that, little by little, he might question the sultan about this love for that fourteen-day moon.
One of the favorites, his heart broken, girded himself to perform this task.
First he offered the sultan a prayer, a prayer mingled with complaint.
May fortune favor your path and heaven aid you; may your hand hold now the sword, now the wine-cup.
May your soul be safe from the cruelty of time, and your heart be kind to those beneath you.
Having prayed for the king with these words, he kissed the ground and stated his case.
O king, you have a great name in the world; what do you want with love for a mere servant?
Where does a servant have such worth and standing to be fit for a king like you?
Often I see you heedless of yourself; why does your heart not grieve for your fortune?
A wise man cast an omen last night; it seems your star carries some misfortune.
Nothing but Ayaz's name is on your tongue; talk of what truly matters is nowhere to be found.
Alas, the king's fortune has fallen asleep, as if the whole world had been swept away by a flood.
Alas, how long will the sultan's fortune lie sleeping? How long will his mind be troubled by this sorrow?
When the sultan heard this message from him, and heard such a message every evening,
he wept a great deal and kept saying, smiling through his tears, and kept saying:
Alas, our affair has fallen to the heart; the matter rests with the heart, and so it is hard.
Mahmud's heart is in Ayaz's hand, for the heart's work is all helplessness and pleading.
Do not ask how my heart fares, for if you probe it, it is a sea of blood.
I do not know what this state of my heart is: it grieves even in the very moment of union.
My heart, alas, has burned at my hard plight; no fire is visible, yet my heart has burned.
Tell me, how long will you keep me ruined, O heart? How long will you keep me bound to anguish?
My nights are dark and I have no sleep; my lips are thirsty and I have no water.
My heart has turned to blood, have mercy, it is time; on my hard plight have mercy, it is time.
But my love for that idol is not mere desire, for I know what the end of desire is.
Nothing but pure love is my aim; may my eyes never be turned away from his face.
It seems my very clay is made from his dust; may my heart never be empty of his memory.
Be careful not to count me lustful, for my hand is as pure as his hem.
But since his love sheds its light, this secret will become clear even to the slanderers:
that it was not the wind of his beauty that made me drunk; my heart was lost by the way he walks.
You have no luster in your own nature, so you imagine I am telling a lie.
When the king's soul had melted with this sorrow, one day he pitched his tent, bound for the plain.
Hunting for pleasure and for a roam, they went from plain to plain.
They all took to the edge of the wilderness, growing drunk and exhilarated with wine.
One of the close companions said: A caravan is coming into my view.
The king told his servants to hurry and inquire about the caravan's affairs:
what is their purpose in this coming and going? What gain do they seek in crossing this land?
After they went and returned one by one, they conferred with the other favorites.
They told the king: These are merchants, busy thinking of profit and loss.
They told us what was needful; we do not think they hid any secret.
We took in what we needed to hear, but, alas, it has slipped from our memory.
Then the sultan said: O clever ones, you who are old companions of the king,
you all drew the sword of your tongues against me; what shall I say of what you said and heard?
Find out whether Ayaz is here or not, whether he has gone hunting toward the desert or not.
They told him: He is present here, attentive and ready to serve.
He said: Then let Ayaz, the keen and subtle one, Ayaz, the keen one of fine speech,
go and ask the caravan about their state, ask about the affairs of these fortunate travelers.
Speak of what needs to be spoken, and inquire into what needs to be inquired.
Wise Ayaz, overjoyed, kissed the ground and set off toward the caravan.
When he arrived they showed him honor and led him to the leader of the caravan.
He gave good tidings to the caravan-master and showed kindness to the other travelers.
He asked about their beginning and their end, first: Are you from Egypt or from Syria?
What do you pursue, and with whom do you deal? What do you seek, and what court do you serve?
When you load your camels from this land, which city will you make your destination?
They told him: We are from the land of China, from the city of China and that territory.
Our wares are not goods worthy enough to suit the taste of kings.
We have no knowledge of Egypt or Syria; our wares are nothing but empty hands.
If we should come to rest from this journey, none but God knows what the outcome will be.
When we depart from this land, God knows where we will set down our packs.
In short, he asked all that needed asking, inquired about beginning and end.
When the caravan moved on and he returned glad, what had been ruined came back restored.
He said all that was to be said; he pierced every pearl that was to be pierced.
Then the king took him in his arms and gave him a thousand kisses on his sweet lips.
He told him: May your ill-wisher be put to shame; if you shed my blood, it is lawful and forgiven.
Ayaz, the king whose servant I am: how I wish my name might rise through his love,
so that from now on, when they tell tales of me, they count me among the lovers.