It is said that the Emperor, on hearing this, fell at Nanak's feet, and declared that God appeared on his face. Upon this all the courtiers saluted Nanak. The Emperor asked him to accept a present from him. The Guru replied that he wanted nothing for himself, but he requested that the captives of Saiyidpur might be released, Upon this the Emperor ordered that they should be set free and their property restored to them. The captives, however, refused to depart without the Guru. He was then allowed to go with them, and they went to their homes in the city. They found that all the people who had remained in Saiyidpur had been put to death. Mardana told his master that it had all happened as God had willed it. Upon this the Guru. to the accompaniment of Mardana's rebeck, sang the following lamentation:--

[1. An account of the saints mentioned in this hymn, with their compositions contained in the Granth Sâhib, will be given in the final volume of this work.]

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Where are those sports, those stables, and those horses?

Where those bugles and clarions?

Where are those who buckled on their swords and were mighty in battle? where those scarlet uniforms?

Where those mirrors and fair faces? we see them no longer here.

This world is Thine, O Lord of the earth.

In one ghari Thou establishest and disestablishest; Thou distributest wealth as Thou pleasest.

Where are those houses, those mansions, and those palaces where those beautiful seraglios?

Where are those easy couches and those women a sight of whom banished sleep?

Where is that betel, those betel-sellers, and those fair ones? They have vanished.

For wealth many are ruined; this wealth hath disgraced many.

It is not amassed without sin, and it departeth not with the dead.

Him whom the Creator destroyeth He first depriveth of virtue.

Millions of priests tried by their miraculous power to restrain the emperor when they heard of his approach.

He burned houses, mansions, and palaces; he cut princes to pieces, and had them rolled in the dust.

No Mughal hath become blind; no priest hath wrought a miracle.

There was a contest between the Mughals and Pathans the sword was wielded in the battle.

One side aimed and discharged their guns, the other also handled their weapons:

They whose letter[1] hath been torn in God's court must die, my brethren.

There were the wives of Hindus, of Turks, of Bhattis, and of Rajputs.

[1. In India when announcing the death of' a relation it is usual for the writer to tear the top of the letter. The reference here is to that custom.]

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The robes of some were torn from head to foot; the dwellings of others were their places of cremation.

How did they whose husbands came not home pass the night?

The Creator acteth and causeth others to act; to whom shall man complain?