The Elik’s Question to Ogdülmish
One day the elik said to Ogdülmish:
“Answer me wisely about what you have learned:
It is known that the body has seven members,*
Each of them has its own delight and purpose.
What delights the heart, what pleases the eyes,
And which of their benefits do I myself enjoy?”
The Elik’s Question to Ogdülmish
“I understand all this,” the elik said,
“But answer me another question.
I want to understand an important matter;
Think it over carefully and answer me sensibly.”
The Elik’s Answer to Ogdülmish
Ogdülmish said: “Illustrious elik!
Knowledge raises the glory of rulers:
Rulers are the stronghold of mind and learning;
What can the ignorance of servants relate?”
Questions are easy, but answers are difficult;
That is why the elik needs knowledge.
Thus it is easier for the elik, and harder for me;
Better, mighty one, take pity on me!”
The Elik’s Answer to Ogdülmish
“Your request,” said the elik, “is weightier—
To ask for help in a matter you do not understand.
Therefore, my question is a delight to you;
I have asked, so you must answer!”
Ogdülmish said: “Man of righteous rule!”
Therefore, my question is a delight to you;
I have asked, so you must answer!”
Ogdülmish’s Answer to the Elik
Ogdülmish said: “Man of righteous rule!
Listening is far better than speaking a word!
He who speaks enslaves his own soul;
He who listens tends his body through idleness.
Take to heart the counsel of an experienced man:
‘Silence your speech, and let your reason listen.’
By listening, people grow wise through sound thought;
By chattering, they grow foolish through thoughtless pride.
What must one be like to lead them,
To govern their affairs with honor and dignity,
So that both people and country may flourish,
And times may pass with good repute,
So that the treasury may grow rich in gold,
And enemies may be forced to bow their necks,
So that the mighty army may grow strong,
And law may be tested against learning,
So that the bek’s fame may spread throughout the universe,
And happiness may grow in an unbroken succession,
So that he may be joyful and his power ever stronger,
And rule the world until his death?”
Ogdülmish’s Answer to the Elik
“I have understood the truth of your words with my mind;
Their truth is like musk,” replied the elik.
And it is not without reason that beks are called ‘those who know’:
The beks are expected to know and understand everything!
To be wise and intelligent is a great support;
The wise and knowledgeable have many enemies.
Hear what an understanding man said—
An experienced man who knows every thought:
‘The bek must be vigilant and wise, then
Unexpected evil will not bring sudden disaster.
He must possess honorable virtues
To earn a good reputation forever!’
And understand that all who became great men
Attained fame through wisdom alone!
A worthy descendant in a worthy lineage,
A worthy man honored and seen by all.
The rank of beks is sacred; honor is due to them,
And they must bear this rank valiantly.
The people need brave leaders
Whose strength is great in great deeds.
Listen to the words of the bek of Ötüken;
He has been famed for wise speech since ancient times:
‘The people love a worthy ruler,
They love a truthful and wise sovereign—
One whose knowledge and intellect are good,
Who is generous, broad-minded, and kind of heart,’
Whose will is virtuous in everything,
A guardian of law, counsel, and truth!”
And the valiant bek is the people’s leader,
And his lineage is glorious—valor lives within it.
One must lead affairs with knowledge of their nature,
And boldly set them right with purpose and wisdom.
The people must be nurtured with knowledge;
Without knowledge, the mind cannot understand.
The bek must be righteous and caring,
And prudent in his concern for his descendants.
All who are sensitive at heart are always cautious:
A cautious heart makes deeds just.
But if the bek lacks truthfulness,
His countless deeds harm his subjects.
And it is a marvel of beauty when the bek is cautious:
He holds the reins of government securely.
Wisdom is needed to settle difficulties,
And knowledge is needed for the thoughts of rulers.
To govern affairs is the lot of the thoughtful;
Keep the foolish far from public business.
And know this: the heartless are like the blind;
And if there is no heart, reason is of no use!
Hear the saying of the ruler of rulers,
A restrained and experienced man, great-hearted:
‘Call only him who has gathered wisdom into his reason
A true man, without stinting praise.
He who is renowned for reason, wise, and learned—
Though poor, he is good; though small, he is not insignificant!’
Great is the blessing of reason for humankind;
Do not fear to praise the mind.
Carelessness and rashness bring disaster,
And haste brings disgrace upon a bek.
Haste, folly, and the swift anger of the proud—
These are all signs of the ignorant and foolish.
Haste is harmful like immature rawness:
Undercooked food brings illness!
Prefer composure and wisdom in affairs;
Hasten only to offer your prayer.
Under a vigilant bek, government is strong:
Enemies are restrained and bow their necks.
Where the bek establishes reliable law,
The country enjoys a time of blessed prosperity.
These two foundations frame authority:
Where these blessings exist, power is majestic.
Hear what the brave warrior said,
Whose wise will defeated the enemy:
‘O beks! You delight in the elik’s diligence—
May your own devotion be great as well.
The diligence of beks strengthens power;
Through their idleness, it is destined to fall!’
Be vigilant—subdue and watch your enemies;
Strengthen the law, and you will find peace.
Two things are dangerous to a bek’s power;
They have warped his path since ancient times.
These two evils are negligence and oppression;
Through both, the bek corrupts the people.
If you wish to subdue an enemy more securely,
Be cautious with both eye and ear.
The diligent bek crushes enemies;
The careless can never be a bek.
The vigilance of negligence is a hunter’s net:
There will be no victories for the careless!
Where there is vigilance, the enemy cannot approach;
And if he does, the bek will apply reason.
But violence and oppression cannot preserve power;
The people do not tolerate the violence of the strong.
Hear what wise speech proclaimed:
‘Even strength cannot overcome the people forever!’
And if a dog rules among lions,
The lions will acquire a dog’s nature!”
The bek must be kind and humble in spirit,
Humble in spirit and composed in conduct.
Where beks are generous, their fame is secure,
And where fame is secure, the country is impregnable.
To one whom an army constantly gathers,
Everything in the world is accessible with a valiant host.
Hear what a man said about his army:
‘Win booty—do not spare rewards!’
Feed and reward them, sparing no distinctions;
When gifts run out, ride forth again for booty.
The capable man’s treasury does not grow poor;
Among birds, the abundance of grain does not run out.
While a man bears weapons, he is brave and strong;
Why should he fear times without booty?”
The ruler of the whole world will acquire wealth:
With an army, a warrior will acquire riches!
To govern a country, one must nurture the army;
For the army, one must gather reliable revenue.
Revenue is good when the people are prosperous,
And people are rich when order is firm!
If one support falls, all supports may fall;
When four fall, authority collapses.
There are five more things forbidden to a ruler;
Without them, his name and fame are universal.
First, haste; second, greed;
Third, anger—keep far from them!
The fourth evil is stubborn obstinacy,
And the fifth: falsehood is immeasurably disgraceful!
Beks must avoid these evils;
Then nothing will threaten their greatness.
The bek is bright, while the common people are destined to be dark,
And white has no kinship with black.
Do you wish to be a worthy ruler?
Be valiant, O man of great honor!
But if the bek is dark as mortal sin,
He is the most vicious among the vicious.
A bek should be pleasing and well-proportioned,
And of medium height—how beautiful that is!
A pleasing appearance will be loved by all,
And everyone will admire him as one.
Let him crush enemies more boldly and fiercely,
Blinding the eyes of those who look upon him with his brilliance!
If height is excessive, it is unattractive;
And in shortness, beauty is even less to be found.
Thus medium height is the most harmonious:
He of medium height has a fine bearing.
Hear what the much-experienced man said,
The man who knew life’s troublesome hardships:
‘He who is small and ungainly is always irritated,
And anger has led to quarrels since time immemorial.’
Everything should be moderate—build and height;
Everything in due measure, O wise one—that is the law!”
The bek must shun wine and debauchery:
These two evils are the sure loss of happiness.
Where ruler-beks are fond of sweets,
The people suffer—their days are not sweet.
And if the ruler is drawn to games,
He will impoverish everyone and become poor himself.
If you neglect a task, no matter how hard you try,
You cannot catch a bird that has taken flight.
Hear what a learned man said to the wicked,
Rebuking a fool for his habit of drinking:
And this poem confirms these words;
See what meaning is hidden in them:
‘By whatever path the rulers proceed,
Along that same path the subjects walk.
And if the ruler is on a good path,
The subjects’ path is also good, not bad!’
And another thing: arrogance and conceit are vile;
He who is haughty has strayed from the righteous road.
All beks raised high by fortune
Cared for the people’s welfare without conceit.
Listen to what was said by a knowledgeable man,
A worthy man who understood everything:
‘All beks who loved boastful pride
Have known contempt, my son, to this day!’
Everything goes well with the humble;
No one can rise to heaven through arrogance and conceit.
Where there are arrogance and pride, the heart is like ice;
Humility gives greatness to the heart.
The bek must be modest and open-hearted,
Forgiving transgressions and harboring no resentment.
He who is compassionate at heart is faithful,
And the faithful are exemplary in service.
The ruler of the people needs diligence,
And truthful love for the people.
Through diligence and goodness one can attain fame,
And capture the desired prey in one’s nets.
He who lacks diligence is like a corpse;
He will receive no reward in either world.
Diligence is necessary for the good of government,
And authority of command is necessary for government.
The enemy is inactive when the sword is active,
But when the sword is sheathed, peace cannot be preserved.
O bek, honor those who wield the sword.
Everything will be in order, and trouble will not prevail!”
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Ogdülmish said: “O illustrious elik!
The burden of governing the realm is heavy.
To rule the people is no easy task,
And there is no end to cares and hardships.
There is little delight, while troubles are harsh;
You will not receive praise—only reproaches in abundance.
Wherever you look, everything is fraught with danger.
You await joys, but alas, there are too few of them!
There are many opponents and few allies,
Many stubborn people and few who agree.
Dishonest and insincere people are everywhere without number,
And the people’s dishonesty is yet another concern.
Wherever you look, danger is at hand;
And where there is danger, affairs are joyless!
Hear what a man of supreme wisdom said,
A wise word shining like a pearl:
‘Even if a ruler had a head as large as a whole house,
Those firm in mind would not trust him.’
A ruler has more cares than he can bear,
And thousands of intrigues constantly surround him!”
Such are the cares with which the bek rules:
He savored bliss—now answer for it with your head!
If you care for life in this world and the next,
Then devote yourself with the greatest zeal:
Be truthful to God in heart and speech;
Pray, affirming God’s will in your deeds.
Whatever God commands, be ready to submit:
Service is the duty of faithful servants.
The Elik’s Question to Ogdülmish
“Yes,” said the elik, “your answer is just;
You have told everything, forgetting nothing.
But there is one more thing I wish to understand,
And answer my question openly.
Tell me: if the bek’s virtues are great,
What should the vizier be like beside the ruler?
Surely he must strengthen the treasury,
To care for the people, cities, and country,
Observe the laws and supervise everything,
And encourage the army with good care,
So that people may live without knowing evil,
And the ruler’s good fame may grow?”
