4th Hikayat

Hikayat four is Charitar 52 given in Persian, the tale of the redoubtable Bachhitramati who would not take “No” for an answer to her proposal of marriage, but thoroughly defeated the obdurate Raja Subhat Singh in battle, and then married him. The appropriateness here in not obvious, but it is a good story.
==Copyright Translation of Pritpal Singh Bindra==
The only Translation available, the translation is done by Bindra which may be contain his personal views/ or personal grudges. We are not responsible for any error in translation.
Glory to God 
The Provider of Living is benevolent, 
He is kind and leads kindly-light.(1) 
He is heartening, creates intelligence and renders justice. 
Makes us believer and, with subsistence, facilitates our existence.(2) 
Now listen to the Tale of a kind lady, 
Who was like a cypress tree standing on the bank of a rivulet in the garden.(3) 
Her father ruled over a kingdom in the north. 
He was sweet spoken and possessed kind nature.(4) 
They all came to bathe in the (river) Ganga. 
Like an arrow out of a bow, they were very swift.(5) 
He (King) thought about her betrothal, 
‘If she revelled some one, I will bequeath her to him.’(6) 
He pronounced, ‘O, my kind daughter, 
‘If you fancy some one, let me know.‘(7) 
She was conferred a higher status, 
So that she looked like the moon shining on Yaman.(8) 
The musical drums (instruments) were unveiled, 
And the king awaited to hear her reply in consent.(9) 
Because there had come many kings and kins of kings, 
Who were quite adept in the strategies of war.(10) 
(King asked), ‘If there is any one of your liking, 
‘He will become as my son-in-law.‘(11) 
She encountered many princes, 
But, on account of their feats, she did not like any.(12) 
At last came the one called Subhat Singh, 
Whom she preferred as he roared like a crocodile.(13) 
All the handsome princes were called forward, 
And asked to take their seats around the court.(14) 
(The king asked), ‘Oh, my kind daughter, 
‘Do you like any one of them, the discoveries of mine.‘(15) 
The person with Juneau (priest with sacred thread of Hindus) was sent forward, 
To speak to those princes from the north.(16) 
But the girl, whose name was addressed as Bachtramati, 
And was like sun on the earth and moon in the sky,(17) 
Spoke, ‘None from them suits my eyes.‘ 
(King) ‘Then, you the gifted one, judge the ones from (the other side).(18) 
‘Those ones with delicate features, look at them again.’ 
But there was none of her heart's liking.(19) 
The selection of would-be husband was abandoned, 
And the organisers departed closing the doors.(20) 
The next day came, the King with golden shield, 
Which was shinning like the pearls.(21) 
On the second day the princes were invited again, 
And they adorned the court in a different order.(22) 
‘Oh, my cherished one, look at those faces, 
‘Whom so ever you like, you will be wedded to.‘(23) 
‘In the courtyard, she entered the enclosure, which was bedecked like a flower-vase.(24) 
She strolled through the numerous princes, 
Like a red rose surmounts during the spring.(25) 
She captured the hearts of many princes so much, 
That a number of them fell flat on the ground.(26) 
They were taunted, ‘This one, the lady, who is present here, 
‘Is the daughter of the King of the North.(27) 
‘Bachtramati is such a daughter, 
‘Who shines in the sky like a fairy.(28) 
‘She has come for the selection of her would-be husband, 
‘Even the gods praise her because her body is as pretty as godesses.29) 
‘That one, whose luck would be sympathetic to him, 
‘Could only secure this moonlit night beauty.’(30) 
But she selected the prince called Subhat Singh, 
Who was gentle in nature and was an enlightened man.(31) 
He was sent a knowledgeable Counsellor, 
(Who pleaded,) ‘Oh you the brilliant one,(32) 
‘Here is she, who is delicate like the leaf of a flower, 
‘She is suitable for you and you accept her (as your wife).(33) 
(He replied,) ‘There, I already have a wife, 
‘Whose eyes are as beautiful as the ones of a she-deer.(34) 
‘Consequently, I cannot accept her, 
‘As I am under command and oath of Quran and Rasool.‘(35) 
When her ears discerned such talks, 
Then, that delicate damsel, flew into rage.(36) 
(She announced,) ‘Who-so-ever wins in the war, 
‘Will take me and become the ruler of her kingdom.‘(37) 
She started to prepare for the war immediately, 
And put the steel armour on her body.(38) 
She occupied a chariot, which was like the full moon. 
She girded a sword and picked up effective arrows.(39) 
She entered the battlefield like a roaring lion, 
As she was lion hearted, the killer of lions and of great courage.(40) 
With steel armours on her body, she fought valiantly, 
She tried to win with the help of arrows and guns.(41) 
In the rain storm of arrows, 
Most of the soldiers were killed.(42) 
The intensity of arrows and guns was so great, 
That most of the men were annihilated.(43) 
A Raja called Gaj Singh came into the battlefield, 
As swiftly as an arrow from the bow or a shot from the gun.(44) 
He came in like an inebriated giant, 
He was like an elephant, and had a knobbed-head club in his hand.(45) 
She shot only one arrow towards that gentleman, 
And Gaj Singh fell down from his horse.(46) 
Another Raja, Ran Singh, full of wrath came forward, 
And flew like a moth approaching the naked light (to burn).(47) 
But when the lion-hearted brandished the sword, 
Ran Singh fell flat like a cypress tree in the garden.(48) 
There was one Raja of Amber and the other of Jodhpur, 
The woman with body radiating like pearls came forward,(49) 
When they hit her shield with great force, 
The fire sparks flashed out gleaming like gems.(50) 
Then the ruler of Boondi, with great vigour and force, came forward, 
Like a lion proceeds to pounce upon the deer.(51) 
But she hit an arrow right throw his eyes, 
And he fell down like a branch from the tree.(52) 
The fourth Ruler, Jai Singh, jumped into the battlefield, 
As, internally with rage, he was behaving like the Caucasian Mountain,(53) 
And this fourth one faced the same end. 
After Jai Singh, no body took courage to come forward.(54) 
Then came a European and the one belonging to Pland (Poland), 
And they pounced forward like lions.(55) 
The third one, an Englishman, radiated like the sun, 
And the fourth one, an Afro, came out like a crocodile emerging from water.(56) 
She hit one with a spear, punched the other, 
Treaded upon the third and knocked the fourth with the shield.(57) 
All the four fell flat and could not get up, 
And their souls flew towards celestial heights.(58) 
Then none other dared to come forward, 
Because none dared to face the one who was as courageous as crocodile.(59) 
When the night king (moon) took over along with his legion (stars), 
All the troops departed for their abodes.(60) 
The night broke and, to rescue the light, came the sun, 
Who occupied the seat like the master of the kingdom.(61) 
The warriors from both camps penetrated the battlefield, 
And the shields started to strike the shields.(62) 
Both the parties entered roaring like clouds, 
One was getting afflicted and the other seemed annihilating.(63) 
Because of the arrows showered from all sides, 
The voices of the distressed ones were emanating from all sides,(64) 
As the action was predominating through arrows, guns, swords, axes, 
Spears, lances, steel-arrows and shields.(65) 
Instantly a giant came, who was as dark as a leech, 
And who was howling like a lion and excited like an elephant.(66) 
He was throwing the arrows like rainstorm, 
And his sword was radiating like the lightening in the clouds.(67) 
The echoes from the drum blared their sounds, 
And the humanity was forced to face death.(68) 
Whenever the arrows were shot, 
They went through thousands of brave chests.(69) 
But when a great number of arrows were discharged, 
The giant fell down like the attic of a lofty mansion.(70) 
Another giant flew in like kite to participate in the fight, 
It was as big as a lion and as fast as an antelope.(71) 
He was hit hard, injured with a missile, and was toppled over, 
Like an uprooted tree.(72) 
None else dared to indulge in the confrontation, 
As the Chandra Mukhi was bent to fight out any body.(73) 
The King of China dislodged the crown from his head, 
As the devil of the darkness took over.(74) 
The night fell taking with her, her own army (stars), 
And commenced her own game plan.(75) 
‘Alas, alas,’ the princes lamented, 
‘How sad the moments of our lives have come?’(76) 
On the next day when the light commenced to unfold, 
And the light-expanding king (the sun) took its seat.(77) 
Then the armies of both the sides took positions, 
And started to shower the arrows and the gun shots.(78) 
The arrows with bad intentions flew far more, 
And it enhanced the wrath at the receiving end.(79) 
Most of the armies were annihilated. 
One person was spared and he was Subhat Singh.(80) 
He was asked, ‘Oh, You, Rustam, the Valiant of the Universe, 
‘Either you accept me or take up the bow to fight with me.‘(81) 
He flew into the rage like a lion, 
He said, ‘Listen, Oh damsel, I will not show my back in the fight.‘(82) 
In great gusto he put on an armoured suit. 
And that lion hearted came forward like an alligator.(83) 
Walking like a majestic lion, he advanced, 
And began to emit arrows like a rain storm.(84) 
Swiftly moving his hands to the right and to the left, 
He used the Chinese bow, which thundered the skies.(85) 
Who-so-ever was struck with his spear, 
He was torn either into two or four pieces.(86) 
She wanted to grab him like a vulture seizes its prey, 
And a red reptile wrapped around a valiant man.(87) 
The intensity of the arrows was so great, 
That the soil got drenched with the blood.(88) 
All day the arrows were showered, 
But none came out to be victorious.(89) 
The brave ones became weary with tiredness, 
And started to fell flat on the barren land.(90) 
The Emperor, the Great, of Rome (sun) covered its face, 
And other King (moon) coolly took over the reign.(91) 
In this war, none attained the comfort, 
And both sides were felling flat like the dead bodies.(92) 
But next day again both became vivacious, 
And like crocodiles pounced upon each other.(93) 
The bodies of both sides were torn apart, 
And their chests were laden with blood.(94) 
They came dancing like black crocodiles, 
And octopuses of the country of Bangash.(95) 
The lopsided, black, and spotted horses, 
Came in dancing like the peacocks.(96) 
Various types of armours, 
Were torn apart into pieces in the fight.(97) 
The intensity of the arrows was so fierce, 
That fire started to emanate from the shields.(98) 
The braves commenced dancing like the lions, 
And with the hoofs of the horses, the soil looked like the back of leopard.(99) 
The fire was let loose with the showers of the arrows so much, 
That the intellect abandoned the minds, and the senses took their leave.(100) 
Both sides were absorbed to such an extent, 
That their scabbards became swordless and the quivers were all emptied.(101) 
From morning till evening they continued fighting, 
As they did not have time to take meals, they fell flat.(102) 
And the tiredness had ousted them absolutely, 
Because they had been fighting like two lions, two vultures or two leopards.(103) 
When the slave took away the golden crest (sun set). 
And the universe was enveloped in the darkness,(104) 
Then on the third day the sun triumphed and came out, 
And, like moon, everything became visible.(105) 
Once again, at the site of the war, they became alert, 
And commenced to throw arrows and shoot the guns.(106) 
The fight flared again, 
And twelve thousand elephants were destroyed.(107) 
Seven hundred thousand horses were killed, 
And all the stalwart young men were eliminated.(108) 
All the horses, the ones from Sindh, Arabia and Iraq, 
Which were very fast, were annihilated.(109) 
Many lion-hearted valiant persons were exterminated, 
Who, at the time of need, showed exceptional courage.(110) 
Two clouds (of fighters) came roaring, 
Their action flew blood to the highest skies.(111) 
Hue and cry was raised in the fields, 
And the earth was trampled over by the hoofs of the horses.(112) 
Flying like wind, the horses had the steel hoofs, 
Which made the earth look like the back of leopard.(113) 
In the mean time the lamp of the universe drank the wine from the pitcher (sunset), 
And endowed the crown on the head of the brother (moon).(114) 
When the sun appeared on the fourth day, 
And radiated its golden rays,(115) 
Then, girding up their lions, 
They took the bow of the Yaman and shielded their faces.(116) 
They assimilated their senses, and the rage for fight blew, 
And they became extremely wrathful.(117) 
On the fourth day, ten thousand elephants were killed, 
And twelve thousand lightening horses were slain.(118) 
Three hundred thousands of foot-soldiers were liquidated, 
Who were like the lions and very adept.(119) 
Four thousands chariots were shattered, 
And many killers of the lions were decimated, too.(120) 
Four horses of Subhat Singh were slaughtered, 
The second arrow pierced through the head of his chariot- driver.(121) 
The third arrow hit above his eyebrows, 
And he felt like a snake had been forced out of a treasure.(122) 
When the fourth arrow was hit, he lost all his consciousness, 
His determination fled away and forgot his sense of righteousness.(123) 
As the fourth arrow had penetrated nearby his wind-pipe, 
And he had fallen on the ground.(124) 
It became apparent that the man was almost dead, 
As he had dropped down like an inebriated lion.(125) 
She stepped out of her chariot, and stepped down on the ground, 
She looked like very delicate but steadfast.(126) 
She had a cup of water in her hand, 
And glided to approach him (Subhat Singh).(127) 
(She) spoke, ‘Oh, You the strange man of Royalty,, 
‘Why are you lumbering in the blood ridden dust?(128) 
‘I am the same, your life and love, and you at the prime of your youth, 
‘Currently, I have come to have a glimpse of you.’(129) 
(He) said, ‘Oh, you the kind hearted, 
‘Why have you come to this place full of afflictions?’(130) 
(She,) ‘If you were dead, I would have come to take your body., 
‘But, as you are still alive, I would like to thank the Almighty.’(131) 
He embraced her with soft-spoken oration, 
And said, ‘Oh you the one with such exquisite body,(132) 
‘What ever you desire, tell me, I will grant, 
‘Because, Oh, the lion-hearted, I am a slave to you.’(133) 
‘Oh, you the toiling-hard in your deeds, 
‘Take me as your wife and endow me to become a kind woman.’(134) 
She stamped her feet on the chest of the earth, 
And repeated the custom of her predecessors (married him).(135) 
He (Subhat Singh) was laid down on the chariot, and she brought him home, 
And the king of kings (her father) beat the drums (in happiness).(136) 
With the noise of the drums, when he (Subhat Singh) was awaken, 
He asked, ‘In whose house, I have been brought in?’(137) 
She replied, ‘I have won you in the war, 
And through the war I have taken you as my husband.’(138) 
He repented on the unintended words he had spoken, 
But what could be done then and he accepted (the marriage).(139) 
(The poet says), 
‘O, Saki, Give me the cup full of green (liquid), 
Which I need at the end of the long day.(140) 
Give me so that my heart brims with freshness, 
And fetches the pearls out of the depleted soil.(141) 
Completed - Tale Four 
Category:Hikayats