142 



SPECIMENS OF THE 



[Extra No. 



The distinguished (lit. two-turbaned) youths do not rise up to sport 

 among the houses, they rub no scent on their moustaches, but they eat 

 fat-tailed sheep and boil strong liquor in their stills. There is not one of 

 them with signs of a ruler about him. Tliey have eaten all their weapons, 

 they have gambled away their heads, they have children's sticks in their hands. 

 Let Grwaharam stay in dusty Gandava, a stone thrown into a well. Machi 

 has drunk blood ; All and Wall are traitors. The rebels' fort has been 

 surrounded, and reduced to earth by the tyrannous Turks and the Rinds 

 on highbred mares (chestnuts). Gwaharam (will be expelled) from both 

 places, (and possess) neither a grave nor Gandava. 



III. 



Dost en and Sht'ren. 



The legend on which the following poem is based is as follows : 

 During tlie war between Mir Chakar the Rind leader and Humau 

 Chuy/iatta king of the Turks (* e. the Badshah Humayiiu), Chakar was 

 forced to consent to give up some Rind maidens to Humaii, but actually 

 sent instead young men in disguise. On this being discovered, they were 

 ordered to be kept in perpetual imprisonment in the fort of Harrand. 

 Among these prisoners was Dosten. He had been engaged to marry his 

 cousin Shiren, who remained faithful to him during his many years' im- 

 prisonment. At last her parents said that she must no longer remain 

 unmarried, no hope being left of Dosten's return ; so they found for her 

 another husband, also named JDosten. (This is alluded to in line 98, where 

 she says ' Not this Dosten, but the old one.') Him she long refused to 

 marry, but at last yielded to the pressure put on her, and arrangements 

 were made for the ceremony. Meanwhile Dosten in prison at Harrand 

 bad succeeded in gaining the favour of the Muy/ial or Turk Governor of 

 the fort, and some liberty was allowed him. His mare had died, but had 

 first borne a fine colt which had grown up, and which Dosten was allowed 

 to keep. One day games and races were going on, and Dosten asked and 

 obtained leave to join in the race. Mounting his horse, he said good-bye 

 to the Governor, turned its head towards the Chachar Pass and went off at 

 full speed. Several pursuers followed him, but no horse had the endurance 

 of his chestnut. At intervals along the rocky pass they stumbled and fell, 

 and these spots bear tlie horses' names to tlie present day. At last he was 

 left alone, having wearied out all his pursuers, and travelled homewards. 

 On nearing his tribe, he overtook a minstrel (Dom or lori). He asked him 

 the news, and where he was going. The minstrel told him of the impend- 



