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FARRUKHI'S SUCCESS . '39
ANECDOTE XV,
:.:/..
Farrukhi was a native of Sistan, and was the son of Julugh,
the slave of Amir Khalaf-i-Banu 1 . He possessed' excellent
talents, composed pleasing verses, and was a dexterous performer
on the harp ; and he was retained in the service* of one of the
dihqdns of Sistan, who gave him a yearly allowance of two
hundred measures of corn, each containing five maunds, and a
hundred dirJiams in silver coinage of Nuh, which amply sufficed
for his needs. But he sought in marriage a woman of KhalaPs
clientage, whereby his expenses were increased and multiplied
in all directions 2
that 'Farrukhi remained without sufficient
, 50
provision, nor was there in Sistan anyone else save his 3 nobles.
"
He therefore appealed to the dihqdn saying, My expenses have
been increased how would it be if the ; dihqdn, having regard to
his generosity, should make my allowance of corn three hundred
measures, and make my salary one hundred and fifty dirhams, so
'that my means may perhaps be equal to my expenditure ? " The
diJiqdn wrote on the back of the appeal, " So much shall not be
refused you, but there is no possibility of any further increase."
Farrukhi, on hearing this, was in despair, and made enquiries
of such as arrived and passed by to hear of some patron in some
region or part of the world who might look upon him with favour,
so that he might chance on a success ; until at length they in-
forme,d him that the Amir Abu'1-Muzaffar-i-Chaghani
in Cha-
ghaniyan 4 was a munificent patron of this class, conferring on
them splendid presents and rewards, and was at that period unrivalled
in this respect amongst the kings of the age and nobles
6f the time. So Farrukhi set out thither, having composed t\te
qasida beginning :
" With caravan/or Hilla boundfrom Ststdn did I start,
With fabric* spun within my brain and woven by my heart?
In trutH it is a fine rhapsody in which he has admirably described
the Poetic* Art, while as a panegyric it is incomparable.
So Farrukhi, having furnished himself with what was necessary
for the journey, ^set out for Chaghaniyan. And when he
i
'
/.^..the Amir Abii Ahmad Khalaf ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalaf ibn
Layth as-Saffarf, King of Sistdn, whose mother, called Bdmi ("the Lady"), was the
daughter of 'AmPibn Layth. He died in captivity in 399/1008-9.
2
,See the fiarhang-i-Aujuman-drd-yi-Ndsiri, s.v. **Jj 3
*J.e. Khal*f5.
4
Or, in its Arabicized form, Saghanidn, a place in Transoxiana, near Tirmidh and
Qubadhiyan. See de Goeje's Bibl. Geogr. Arab., where it is mentioned repeatedly.
.
*