It is related that one day Farukh and Ayâz were present at a review of Mahmûd’s army. In the camp were elephants and innumerable troops. The king had mounted to a height. Ayâz and Haçan accompanied Mahmûd and reviewed the army with him. The elephants and soldiers made the face of the world resemble a road obstructed by ants and locusts. The eye of the world had never seen such an army, and no one before had witnessed such an assembly. Then the great king loosed his tongue and spoke thus to Ayâz: “My child, this great number of elephants and…”
men belongs to me, and thus all this belongs to thee, since I love thee to the point of regarding thee as my king.” Although the celebrated Mahmûd had spoken these words, Ayâz remained quite indifferent and unmoved. He did not thank the king at that moment, nor did he make any remark. Haçan, astonished, said to him: “A king does thee so much honour, simple slave that thou art, and yet thou remainest thus motionless and unconcerned; thou dost not bow, thou dost not prostrate thyself in token of thy devotion! Why dost thou not act with the proper respect? This is not acknowledging the king’s kindness as thou oughtest.”
men belongs to me, and thus all this belongs to thee, since I love thee to the point of regarding thee as my king.” Although the celebrated Mahmûd had spoken these words, Ayâz remained quite indifferent and unmoved. He did not thank the king at that moment, nor did he make any remark. Haçan, astonished, said to him: “A king does thee so much honour, simple slave that thou art, and yet thou remainest thus motionless and unconcerned; thou dost not bow, thou dost not prostrate thyself in token of thy devotion! Why dost thou not act with the proper respect? This is not acknowledging the king’s kindness as thou oughtest.”
“I must give two answers to this reproach,” said Ayâz, when he had heard these words. “The first is that if I, who have neither power nor station, present my respects to the king, I can only fall in the dust before him in a kind of abasement, or else address him in tearful speech. Between doing too much and doing too little toward the king, it is better to do nothing. Who am I to undertake such a thing before everyone? The slave belongs to the king, and the respect he has for the king is entirely natural. Who am I, if not obedience? For all is obedience toward the king. As for what this fortunate monarch does for me each day, and, above all, the honour He has bestowed upon me today, if both worlds were to proclaim His praises at once, I know not whether it would match what He deserves. Why should I appear ostentatiously in this review? Who am I to draw attention to myself? If I pay no homage to the king, and make no protestations of fidelity to him, it is because I do not deem myself worthy to do so.”
When Haçan had heard this discourse from Ayäz, he said: “Good, I see that thou art grateful. I give thee a certificate testifying that thou art ever worthy of a hundred favours from the king.” Then Haçan added: “Give me the other answer that thou didst promise me.” — “It is not well to give it openly before thee,” replied Ayâz; “I could do so only if I were alone with the king. As for thee, thou art not mahram to this secret; since thou art not the king, how should I tell it thee?”
The king therefore promptly sent away Hassan, who was one of that army. Then, since in this assembly there was neither we nor a word, for it would not have been right for Hassan to have taken part in it even to the value of a hair, the king said to Ayaz: “The assembly is now private; reveal thy secret, give me that particular answer.” — “Whenever,” said Ayaz then, “through the excess of His goodness, the king deigns to cast His eyes upon me, wretched as I am, He utterly annihilates my existence with the splendour of the rays of a single one of His glances. If I rise purified of the dust of the road, it is because I am confounded at seeing the sun of the king’s glory. Since not even the name of existence remains to me, how could I prostrate myself before thee to make thee accept my service? If Thou now beholdest someone, it is no longer me that Thou seest, but the king of the world (Mahmud). Whether thou grant me one favour or a hundred, they are bestowed upon Thyself. What service can there be from me, a feeble shadow lost in the sun? Ayaz is like a shadow upon Thy path; he is lost in the sun of thy face. So long as he has been the slave of himself, he has remained perishable; do with him as Thou wilt; Thou knowest what Thou must do, and he waits!”