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(6) A masnawi satirizing Mirza Fidwi	== Mirza Fidwi was a poet who travelled to Persia, and regarded his own works as snperior to those of the best Persian poets, even Moulvie Jami and Sheikh Ali Hazeen, and, on account of his self-conceit, became a butt for ridicule to the poets then living, more particularly Sauda. He was so renowned, that there are no relics of his works, except the mention made of them by Sauda!
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	*old Urdu page 1*; *modern Urdu page 1*
1) O Friends! God is one, and next to Him the true prophet, For whom He created the tablet and pen	== Lauh is the tablet, on which the Kuran, and all that was ever to happen in the world, including the fate of mankind for good and bad, was written by God's foreknowledge. The decrees written on it are unchangeable, and it is supposed by Muhammadans to have been created for Muhammad, as the Hadees-i-Kudsi, addressing him in the name of Almighty God, declares; "Lau laka lama khalaktul aflaka." "If I had not created you, I would not have created the world." The world here meaning not only the earth, but all the decrees of fate regarding mankind. The poet has first mentioned the tablet and pen, as he is going to write abont poetry, and these are the implements required for doing so; it is customary with Oriental poets to first write about the implements, &c., required for what they are going to describe.
2) Pray speak a little truthfully, I conjure you in their* names! Today, your tongue can speak, tomorrow it will be dumb.	== Meaning, God and the prophet. == Meaning, after death; tomorrow is often used for the day of judgment.
3) For hearing and understanding a matter, God has given us ears and sense; Today be ye not silent in saying as to who is in the right.
4) For man to speak the truth is a part of one's faith; Falsehood destroys the Muhammadan's faith.
5) In Ahmadnagar there has arrived a respectable man! From head to foot he is understanding, and altogether sagacity!
6) He makes objections to everyone's poetry, And regards his own Bayaz as better than the Dewan of Jami.	== "Bayaz" literally means a white, plain, unwritten book; secondly a pocket-book, in which selections of the poets' works have been collected; or sometimes, in which physicians' recipes have been entered.
7) His highness Sauda, who is my tutor, Even his poetry he criticises.	== Sauda, to prevent people saying he was a boaster of his own works, cleverly tries to make out that Sauda was not himself, but his tutor.
8) He went somewhere, and heard his couplet, In which he shows the connection of deen with Sheikhs and Brahmins.	== To understand this piece, it must be remembered that the bone of contention was, that Sauda said the word "deen" was applicable both to the religion of Hindoos and Mussulmans, whereas Mirza Fidwi said no, "deen" meant only the Muhammadan religion, and "dharm" was the name of that of the Hindoos. As "dharm" is a Sanskrit word, the latter gentleman was evidently in the wrong, for it could not have been used by Muhammadans, not being in their language. "Deen" and "dharm" both mean religion in their respective tongues.
9) Becoming proud of his poetical powers, he says, "Deen is particularly applied to Sheikhs, and dharm to Brahmins."
10) His speech is absurd, and he himself still more so; He has no knowledge of poetry or poets.
11) In short from hearing this, I burning (with indignation) do speak; Open your ears of understanding a little, O all ye my friends, and listen to it.
12) On my behalf, of you who can read the Kuran, Do one of you, my kind friends, ask this much (from this gentleman),
	*modern Urdu page 2*
13) "Why do you efface* the verses of the Kuran, In which the infidels are thus addressed, 'Your own religion for you'?	== Lit, "wash away." == The rest of this verse is, "Wa laya deen"; "for us our own religion."
14) From the Kuran, deen is applicable to both, Whether he be a Brahmin, or a Mussalman.
15) Have you understood deen as applying to Sheikhs only? Then, in your own self-conceit, what a mistake you have made!
16) If there were but one deen, there would not have been the plural adiyan; He only cannot understand it, who is a man like yourself!"
17) In short, see his objection, how reasonable it is! A well-known thing is unknown to him.	== There is here a play on the words "maruf" and "majhul," both techuical terms in grammar, regarding which a slight dispute has been going on. "Maruf" is the active, and "majhul" the passive, voice, and their coming to mean "known" and "unknown" arises from the nominative of an active verb being known, and that of a passive one, unknown.
	*old Urdu page 2*
18) Let him (the Mirza) see that the proof of his (Sauda's) couplet is the Word of God,* And let him always curse his own poesy.	== Meaning the verse of the Kuran given above.
19) O ye arbitrators! Ye have heard all this discussion,* Afterwards you will see how he will come to grief.	== Lit, "questions and answers." == Meaning that he has been tolerably civil in his remarks hitherto, but now he intends to ridicule him to such a degree, that he will feel sorry for having said what he did.
20) But believe for certain, that God is witness in this, Whether, in this matter, I am the least to blame.
21) It was not becoming for him to come in this city, And argue with one who was unequalled in the world;
22) He ought to dispute with some one who is his equal, Then they might reckon him as one of the five horsemen.	== The following story is here referred to: Four horsemen were going on a journey, when a potter came up to them riding on a jackass, and joined them; presently they met a passer-by, who asked them where they were going; the rider on the jackass, thinking it would be very fine to be taken as a friend of the horsemen, sharply answered, "'We five horsemen are all going to Delhi."--The allusion here means that although Mirza Fidwi was not a poet, still if he got amongst his equals, he might get himself reckoned as a fifth amongst them, like the rider on the jackass; but as he had commenced to dispute with the Poet Laureate, Sauda, hc could not even be regarded as the rider of the donkey.
23) He has put his foot beyond bounds to such a degree, That, from house to house, he wanders about, satirizing his* poetry.	== I.e., Sauda's.
24) O Sirs! this was why he went and argued with him (Sauda),  That someone might think he was also some great poet.
25) They only are great, whom God makes great, And from exalting himself, a great man makes himself a fool.
26) If this is the reason, that he has brought his (verses regarding) Zulaikha here, That by it he may examine the power of (the understanding of) poets,	== The above translation of these lines is the apparent one, but there is also an under meaning to them, viz.,: "If this is why he has brought his wife here, that he might try the strength of poets on her." "Strength" here is a term of the strongest abuse.
27) Then, after having found out the extent of the beauty of the meaning (of their verses),  Let him, according to it,* associate with the poets,	== That is, the beauty of their verses.
28) And (know that) that Zulaikha poem, which is celebrated in the world, Is very remote from his understanding and comprehension.
29) Any of you who feel pain for Moulvie Jami, Ask him whether Zulaikha was a man, or a woman.	== Schoolboys often ask each other, "What book are you reading?" and if the answer is "Zulaikha," then they again ask, "Was Zulaikha a man, or a woman?" Zulaikha looks more like a man's name than a woman's, and, on one occasion, a small boy replied "Zulaikha was a man." This is the allusion here made, the poet meaning to infer, that if the question were put to the Mirza, he would know no better than the boy, and thereby the superiority of Moulvie Jami would be thoroughly established.
30) Thus he says, praising himself, to everyone, "Ask good and bad, whether there is as great a master of the language as myself;
31) Among the poets of India, I am one who has gone as far as Persia, And then I went to Khurasan, and learnt the language of that country also."
32) But when his words reach the ears of the intelligent, He* bursts out laughing, and says, "God is omniscient!"*	== That is, the intelligent man. == Meaning, O good God! the Mirza is talking nonsense.
33) What is a Khurasan? even if he were to go to Mecca, He would return from there, as he went from here."	== After one has been to Mecca, he is supposed to return greatly blessed and purified, but the Mirza was so proud and sinful that the visit to Mecca, the poet says, would not do him the least good, and he would return as foolish as ever.
	*modern Urdu page 3*
34) From his absurd tongue, the poetry has issued, And the helpless scribe has become the object of curses without any cause.	== That is to say, one who may have happened to copy out his verses. There is a play on "katib," which means both "scribe" and "author;" it answers to our English "writer."
35) Now he has great desire for composing meaningless and inferior poetry, And, notwithstanding this, he longs for renown in the world.
36) Those who are poets, in their poetry bring in their nom de plume, But this one (when asked his name), will not give any name but his Takhallus.
37) A story has come to my mind at the very nick of time, Let those who are wise in words, applaud the beauty of the following tale.*	== *Lit, "words."
STORY
38) There was a soldier, who was in debt to a grain merchant, And was perfectly unable to pay him off.
39) He had no means of getting either a pice or a takka, And remained plunged in debt with interest and principal.	== A takka is equal to two pice.
	*old Urdu page 3*
40) By good luck, an owl fell into his hands, And he thought to himself, "Let me take in the merchant."
41) Tying paezas on its feet, putting a hood on its head, And placing (the bird) on his hand, he went about saying, "Bravo! Bravo!"	== A paeza is a leather slip-knot tied to the legs of falcons, and also used as a protection for the hand.
42) And purposely passed by the shop of the merchant. On seeing the owl, the merchant called out to him,
43) And, laughing, began to ask, "What may this animal be, Sir! O my Lord! tell me, where are you taking this to?"	== Meaning, what a nice bird this is. == The merchant's speeches are given in the patois of that class.
44) Being pleased, the soldier replied; "They all call this a falcon, And God bestows it on those to whom He is kind;
45) Kings, ministers, and nobles, sport with it; The price of it ranges from hundreds to thousands of rupees."
46) The merchant, on hearing this, said, "In my opinion this is a bird; Tell me truly, Sir! is this the bird which is called a falcon?"
47) He answered, "O Sah! from telling you a falsehood, to me What profit will there accrue? will you, from my saying an untruth, weigh and give me anything?"	== Sahjee is a title given to grain merchants, shop-keepers, and bankers.
48) Afterwards he began to ask, "Tell me, what does it eat?" He answered, "Rice and milk, and nothing else."
49) In short, the merchant, having ascertained these facts from him, Began to enquire, from house to house, the price of a falcon, saying,
50) "Tell me truly, what is the price of a falcon? I know a purchaser, who is very anxious to buy one."
51) Everyone told him what was the value of a falcon, And the merchant kept in his heart what he heard from each.
52) In short, on hearing its price, the merchant said (to himself), "This will be a good bargain." And in the heart of the merchant, the purchasing of the falcon was determined on.	== The word "burd" is equivalent to "dao," meaning a wager, but this sense of it is not given in the Dictionaries. The idiom "dao banna" means literally, "an opportunity for laying a good wager to have come to hand," hence, "to be a good bargain."
	*modern Urdu page 4*
53) At night, he thus began to consult with his wife, "O lovely one! dost thou hear what I say? then what is thy advice?
54) A soldier is in debt to me to some amount, And I have now no hope of getting cash from him;
55) I have seen that he has a very large falcon, Tomorrow I will buy it, if we can agree (about the price)."
56) The wife of the merchant, on hearing this, said, "O fool art thou well?* Its food is meat, which is loathsome to us."	== Meaning "What is the matter with you?"
57) On hearing this, the merchant replied, "What is this thou hast said? No! No! O my dear! I swear by Ram, it eats but rice and milk."
58) She answered, "If this be true, then do thou bring it early in the mornmg; Do not think about its price being much or little, (but buy it) and afterwards sell for the best you can dispose of it for."
59) When the wife had thus said, then, in the morning the merchant, Pressing his account book under his arm, and his pen behind his ear,
60) Went to the house of the soldier, and said, "O Mirzajee, come out!  Make up your account, and settle your standing debt to me today."	== Mirzajee is a title given to Mughals; the derivation of mirza is "mir," "a prince," and "za," "born of."
61) On hearing this, the soldier began to say, "Be off! Where have I today any money stored up for you here?
62) When my falcon will be sold, I will settle your account; Do not trouble the head of the poor, but go quickly, and safely, to your house."
	*old Urdu page 4*
63) The merchant, hearing this, said, "Is there enmity in lending money?* In that you have mentioned safety to me, do you wish your own safety* to-day?	== Meaning "Is this the way for a debtor to behave towards his creditor? and, after having borrowed money, is it right to turn quite against the man, who was good enough to lend it you?" == The soldier uscd the word "safety" in a threatening sense, and the grain merchant now likewise uses it to him, meaning if he did not settle the account, it would not be well for him.
64) Mirzajee: when you wanted to borrow, you were very mild; But why are you getting so hot, now it has come to the paying?
65) If my account will only be settled in full, when the falcon is sold,  Then give me the falcon, but fix a fair price on it."
66) On hearing this, the soldier became very glad at heart, But, appearing stern, thus addressed him,
67) "Let me see thy face a little; wilt thou buy this falcon? What, has this too become oil and salt, which you buy by measure?"	== In these lines there are plays on the opposite words "sele and tate" [sic] and " lene and dene."
68) The merchant, on hearing this, called out, "O my good Sir! do you care for your own safety? One should not give credit to anyone, this is a wonderful city."
69) The soldier, on hearing this speech of the merchant, cooling down, said, "Tell me on thy honor what I owe thee."
70) The merchant then, opening his account book, showed it to him, that Two hundred rupees was the correct account written against him.
71)  The soldier fixed the price (of the bird) at five hundred, on which a discussion arose, When they had settled it, having decided the dispute by fixing three hundred,
72) Then he made the owl over to the merchant, having deceived him. He cleared himself of the debt of two hundred, and took the merchant in for one hundred in cash.	== The poet, to keep the metre, has had to transpose the "men" and "ki"; the real reading would be "baton ki mizan men tolna,"" to weigh in the scale of words," i.e. in sharpness and artfulness, hence, to deceive. == "Dhaul jarna or marna" literally means "to slap or wallop"; the secondary signification is "to take in, or deceive."
73) The soldier, having taken in the merchant, took his departure, And the merchant brought the bird home to his wife, and  laughing, said,
	*modern Urdu page 5*
74) "Behold, dear one! this is the falcon of that gentleman; Today, by Ram's grace, I have obtained sovereignty."	== Meaning, that he would make his fortune by selling it.
75) She, on beholding it, said, "O thou fool! dost thou know That this is a bird, which the Muhammadans call an owl?	== Another MSS reads "turk" for "log" ; turk is the term by which Hindoos designate Mussulmans, and, as the Persian word "bum" is used for an owl, I think it is the correct reading.
76) They do not mention the name of this, in the world, early in the morning. Thou hast lost, besides thy debt, a heap of rupees in cash."	== Hindoos and Mussulmans do not like, in the morning, to mention the name of any bad thing, as it is considered an ill omen for the day; the poet's meaning is that the owl is an inauspicious creature.
77) His senses, on hearing this, flew away like a falcon, And he wished to go at once, and return it to the soldier;
78) But when he arrived there, beating his head and stomach, He heard neither his name, nor saw of him any trace.
79) Throwing the dust of the streets on his head, He returned to his wife, weeping and half dead,
80) And began to say, "Alas! what is this trick he has played on me?  He has taken gratis from my house a hundred rupees cash, and two hundred rupees worth of supplies."
81) Then, reflecting for some time, the merchant thus thought in his mind, "I must sell it, having made it known by some means or other (that I have a falcon for sale);
82) If the report that I have this bird, gets abroad, Then perhaps I may find another fool like myself."
83) Having tied the owl to a peg, he used to sit at his shop From morning to evening, and from evening to morning;
84) If anyone asked, "Have you got a certain article for sale in your shop?" Then the merchant immediately brought this speech on his tongue:
85) (said), "O my dear Sir! dost thou really want to buy anything? I have got everything by the kindness of Ram; I have it, and also an owl."
END OF THE STORY	*old Urdu page 5*
86) In short, my object in here relating this story is this, That you may compare* his state to this story.	== Lit, "listen to."
87) He wished to buy the falcon of understanding with this wisdom (he possessed), And, coming from country to country, to spread its renown.
88) He found another seller just like (that soldier), After he* had ascertained the extent of his wisdom and learning.	== That is, the seller, referring to Mirza Fidwi.
89) With the needle of blindness, he sewed up the eye of his heart,  And, saying it was the falcon of meaning, gave him an owl.
90) In place of a falcon, fastening an owl, he wishes to get renown, If you merely ask his name, then he will tell you his Takhallus;
91) Like as the soldier passed off and sold the owl as a falcon to the merchant, So also God has given him foolishness in place of poesy.
92) Now, day and night, this thought oppresses him, How he may sell it, and acquire respect.
93) In this city, a friend of mine has arrived, Who keeps a druggist's shop on the road.
94) He remains seated there from morning to evening, And, all day long, he prattles of poetry.	== Lit, "for the four watches of the day."
	*modern Urdu page 6*
95) If anyone, from the owner of the shop, for any medicine Should ask, then he answers, "It is here, and so also is Fidwi."
96) He could not become a poet, and yet he had set his heart on obtaining renown, And, at last, made his Takhallus like the owl of the merchant;	== That is to say, in the way in which he made it known, by mentioning it every time he was asked for any article.
97) He has not as much sense as the merchant's wife had, And that which is an owl, he still regards as a falcon.
98) Such also is another couplet of that teacher's* (which he objects to),  And which people have written on their hearts with the pen of wisdom.	== Meaning himself, the Laureate, Sauda. == Meaning that they considered it so good, that they paid great attention to it, and committed it to memory.
99) When they had heard and approved of its originality, Then I adjusted it in this metre,
100) "O my beloved! where you untied the strings of your robe, The morning breeze has gone into the garden, and opened (astonished) the ears of the rose."	== This means that such perfumed odours came from the bosom of his loved one, that the morning breeze, the conveyer of all fragrant smells, went and told the womlerful news to the rose, whose fragrance is supposed to be the best of best, and quite astonished it.
101) And this gentleman, Fidwi, has taken, and broken, the ear of the rose, And, quickly in its place, whilst it was warm, has joined it to the eye of the narcissus.	== The meaning of these two lines is that Fidwi, as will be seen from the next couplet but one, has transposed Sauda's words, and used the eye instead of the ear. The eye is always compared by Oriental writers to the narcissus, and the ear to the rose, as in Sauda's lines above, but the Mirza had misapplied them, and invented a foolish, but what he himself thought a wise, idea. These two lines are another bone of contention betweeu the two.
102) Now, everywhere in the assemblies, turning away his face, he says, "It was a couplet of a seer's weight (in beauty), but I have made it into a seer and a half (in the following couplet),	== Meaning, he addressed various parties, expecting applause from them. == That is to say, he had greatly improved it.
103) When you opened your two eyes with coquetry, O my dear one! Then the morning breeze, on hearing it, opened the ears of the narcissus buds	== Fidwi has substituted "do chashm" for "band-i-kaba," and "ghuncha-i-nargis ke kan khole," instead of "un ke kan khole." The comparison, as I have said above, is quite wrong.
104) This is the fact; do you understand, O gentlemen! Although, having gone to his ears, it is now in this shape.	== By "fact," the poet Sauda means the proper comparison.
105) Besides the plagiarism, there is in it also this wrong (which I give below); Where under the skies* is this the conduct of any mistress,	== That is, the world.
106) To remain seated night and day, in the garden with her eyes shut,  And to open them with coquetry, to cause a calamity to fall on the narcissus?	== Lit, "the eight watches," there being four in the day, and four in the night; hence "night and day." == Meaning, the narcissus would be abashed, and therefore a calamity would fall on it, as although it is compared to the eye, yet the human eye is far superior to it in beauty.
107) The ear has always been compared to a rose,  And the form of the narcissus has been shewn (as similar to that of) the eye.
108) Now that person (Fidwi) cannot give the least answer to the questions of the poets, For he allows the nose of his poetry to be cut by children even.	== "Nak katwana" means literally to cause the nose of anyone or thing to be cut," and metaphorically, "to be beaten." The poet here implies that his poetry was so contemptible, that even ehildren could compose better.
	*old Urdu page 6*
109) He has been confounded in putting the nose and ear (in their proper place);* I will bet, my life even, as a wager against his nose.	== Lit. "The nose and ear have been broken and joined by him"; "jor tor karna" idiomatically means in Oordoo, "to manage any affair or business economically." == "Hor badna" means "to lay a wager." This is a very difficult passage to understand; it means that Sauda would bet his life against the Mirza having applied the word "nose" in its proper place; if he was wrong, he would give his life, but if right, he would cut off the nose of his adversary, a sign of the greatest contempt and disgrace.
110) Now, as he has lost the nose of wisdom, if he be at all a human being, He should, in future, like the narcissus, be very cautious.	== Asiatics compare the narcissus, from its shape, with the human eye, and they believe. that it acts as a guard over the garden, and is always very cautious and vigilant; but unlike the human eye, it never closes, or takes any sleep. This line means, that the Mirza. should, in future, be on his guard, and take warning, and not commit such an egregious mistake. "Kan hona" idiomaticalIy signifies, "to be cautious, vigilant, on one's guard, or to take warning."
111) Therefore, without proof, let him not again abuse poesy, And let him not again point out the good and bad about poets.
112) Enough! say no more about him, O Sauda, and be quiet, And talk only to him who has sense and understanding.
113) If your thoughts are fixed on making him ashamed, It is a mistake, for he never will be abashed.
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