Malayan Literature: Comprising Romantic Tales, Epic Poetry and Royal Chronicles
General
Malayan Literature: Comprising Romantic Tales, Epic Poetry and Royal Chronicles
Malay literature -- Translations into English
One day the Sultan started to go and amuse himself at that place, and
as soon as the news spread abroad, a great number of people followed
him there. When he arrived he halted at a spot level, clean, and well
lighted, and said to his treasurer:
"Expose my treasures here, in this place, so that all those who are
happy shall obtain a present according to their degree of happiness,
and that one may know who are those who have the most luck and those
who have the least."
All hearing these words quickly approached, pressing forward, with
their eyes wide open and their looks fixed on the treasurer, praying
him to exhibit the presents at the designated place. At this very
moment the Sultan spurred his horse to a gallop and rode from their
presence. When he was far away and out of their sight, he stopped and
looked behind him. There he saw Ayaz, the only one who had followed
him. The others, preoccupied with getting their share of the treasures,
never suspected that the Sultan had gone and was already far away from
them. The Sultan, halting a moment, returned to the city.
On their side, the ministers and the grandees, having taken possession
of the most precious objects, returned joyfully to their homes. On the
way they compared notes with each other about their shares of the
treasure. One said, "I had the best luck"; and another, "No, I had the
best." And all, whoever they were, said the same thing, for all except
Ayaz had their share of the King's presents. So they said among
themselves, "It is clear that the one who has no luck is Ayaz."
Some jealous ones added: "In truth, Master Ayaz has no luck at all. By
his lack of intelligence and good judgment he has had none of the
Sultan's presents."
Ayaz heard all these remarks, but kept silence. Some days later, the
Sultan came out of his palace and sat upon the throne. All the grandees
came into his presence. Ayaz was standing before him. The Sultan asked:
"Who among you had no luck?"
The ministers answered: "It is Ayaz! He did not get a single one of
your Majesty's many presents. It is clear that he has no luck, for he
left all those precious objects and came back with empty hands."
The Sultan said: "O Ayaz, are our presents without value in your eyes,
that you disdain them? I don't know why you took nothing that was
within your grasp. You would have prevented them from saying that you
have no luck. What was your motive in doing a thing that has the
approbation of nobody?"
Ayaz responded: "May the days and prosperity of the King increase! May
the presents never tarnish that he has given to his servants. As for
me, I have more luck than those who received the presents of your
Majesty."
The Sultan said, "O Ayaz, prove to me the truth of your words."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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