932 AH. OCT. 18th 1525 to OCT. 8th 1526 AD. 449
(b. Mention of the Mubin})
From time to time before it,2 whatever came into my head, of good or bad, grave or jest, used to be strung into verse and written down, however empty and harsh the verse might be, but while I was composing the Mubln, this thought pierced through my dull wits and made way into my troubled heart, " A pity it will be if the tongue which has treasure of utterances so lofty as these are, waste itself again on low words ; sad will it be if again vile imaginings find way into the mind that has made exposition of these sublime realities."3 Since that time I had refrained from satirical and jesting verse; I was repentant (taib); but these matters were totally out of mind and remembrance when I made that couplet (on Mulla 'All-jan).* A few days later in Bigram when I had fever and discharge, followed by cough, and I began to spit blood each time I coughed, I knew whence my reproof came; I knew what act of mine had brought this affliction on me.
" Whoever shall violate his oath, will violate it to the hurt of his own soul; but whoever shall perform that which he hath covenanted with God, to that man surely will He give great reward" (Qordn cap. 48 v. 10).
(Turkl) What is it I do with thee, ah ! my tongue ? My entrails bleed as a reckoning for thee. Good once 5 as thy words were, has followed this verse Jesting, empty,6 obscene, has followed a lie. If thou say, "Burn will I not ! " by keeping this vow Thou turnest thy rein from this field of strife.7
1 The Mubln {g.v. Index) is mentioned again and quoted on f. 35I<5. In both places its name escaped the notice of Erskine and de Courteille, who here took it for min, I, and on f. 351£ omitted it, matters of which the obvious cause is that both translators were less familiar with the poem than it is now easy to be. There is amplest textual warrant for reading Muhln in both the places indicated above; its reinstatement gives to the English and French translations what they have needed, namely, the clinch of a definite stimulus and date of repentance, which was the influence of the Mubin in 928 ah. (1521-2 AD.). The whole passage about the peccant verse and its fruit of contrition should be read with others that express the same regret for broken law and may all have been added to the diary at the same time, probably in 935 ah. (1529 ad. ). They will be found grouped in the Index s.n. Babur.
** mimdin burun, by which I understand, as the grammatical construction will warrant, before writing the Mubin. To read the words as referring to the peccant verse, is to take the clinch off the whole passage.
3 i.e. of the Qoran on which the Mubin is based.
4 Dropping down-stream, with wine and good company, he entirely forgot his good resolutions.
? This appears to refer to the good thoughts embodied in the Mubin. 6 This appears to contrast with the "sublime realities" of the QorSn. ' In view of the interest of the passage, and because this verse is not in the Rampur Diwan, as are many contained in the Hindustan section, the Turkl original is
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