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12
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JONE, 1921
(Quoth the poet : "Lovers are fortunate whose tangled affairs have been put straight by the kindness of God.")
Then Hfr came and told her mother :-."Mother, the difficulty that has so long beset us bas at last been settled. The herd will no longer be masterless nor go astray in the forest, I have entrapped a Ját, & real jewel. I entreated him kindly and beguiled him with sweet talk and I have at length persuaded him to be shepherd of our cattle."
And thus it came to pass that after a little Hfr came to Ranjha and consoled him with sweet talk. And the boys of the village laughed and said to Ranjha -“Now you will live on milk and cream all your life long."
And Hîr said :-" You should not mind the jeste of these rude boys. I will bring you butter and sugar and sweet bread. Go and drive the buffaloes into the forest and trust in God. I and my sixty maids will accompany you and together we will track the footprints of the lost cattle."
CHAPTER 7. (Ranjha meets the Five Pirs in the forest.) God showed his mercy and the Bar was covered with green, even with innumerable grasses and herbs. The buffaloes formed into a black line like & snake and set out for the forest and Ranjha took upon himself the task of a herdsman. He called on the name of God and entered the forest. And the sun smote him sore and he was in great tribulation.
Good fortune however came to him and he met the Five Pirs in the way. First came Khwaja Khizr, god of all the waters, then Shakarganj, the holy saint of Pakpattan. Then Shahbaz Qalandar the holy saint of Uch, and Zakaria, saint of Multân, and Sayyid Jalal of Bukhara, whom men also call Makhdom Jahånfân. And Ranjha saw by their countenances that they were holy men and besought their help.
The Pire replied "Child, eat your fill and drink grey buffaloes' milk and live on the fat of the land. Dismiss all sadness from your mind. God himself will set your affairs right."
And Ranjha replied “Sirs, I am in great distress. You are mediators with God and I salaam before you seven times. I beseech you bestow the girl Hir upon me, for the fire of Love is devouring me."
The holy Pirs answered and said " Child, all your wishes will be fulfilled ; your arrow will hit the target, and your boat will reach the shore. Hir has been bestowed on you by the Darbâr of God. My child, remember the Five Pirs in the time of your distress."
Thus by the grace of God and the kindness of the Five Pirs, Hir, the Ját girl, was bestowed on Ranjha.
(Quoth the poet : "When the days of good fortune come, all the pirs, fakirs and amits are ready to help.")
The Five Pirs were gracious unto Ranjha. Khizr gave him a turban tuft, Sayyid Jallal & dagger, Zakaria a stick and blanket, Lal Shahbaz a ring, and Shakrganj a kerchief. And they said :-"No one will do you harm. God has made you the owner of these cattle."
And the buffaloes streamed out into the forest and were the glory of the land, even As swans are the glory of a lake. There were black buffaloes, grey buffaloes and brown. Some had horns upturned, others drooping, others curly horns. Some were lazy and mild tempered : others were fat and lusty and of fiery spirit. They gambolled and jumped and threshed their tails from side to side. They swam in deep water. Their soft eyes were like lotus buds and their teeth like rows of pearls. Ranjha drove the cattle into the forest and they were happy with him and hearkened to his voice, and he drove them whithertoever he listed.
