Hear how the Khán and the Haitálians fought,
And since a fight is toward take thy mace.
Thus said the rustic bard, that noble one;
Keep thou in mind what thou shalt hear from him:—
Of all the chiefs possessed of Grace and justice,
Of men of war, of treasure, and high birth,
Omitting Nushírwán, there was not one
To match the Khán of Chín in all the world.
All people from that realm to the Jíhún
Paid homage to him as their sovereign.
That chief with troops, with treasure, and with crown,
Was camped on the Gulzaryún upon
The further side of Chách. Reports had spread,
Among the great men and throughout the world,
Of Núshírwán, his manhood, knowledge, Grace,
His greatness and imperial usages.
Then was it that the Khán, that prudent man,
Desired to win the friendship of the king.
He sat awhile with his own counsellors,
And all the men of name were gathered there.
In his desire for amity he sought
The counsel of the nobles and the priests,
Got ready presents that exceeded count—
All keepsakes worthy of a king's acceptance—
Of Rúman chargers and brocade of Chín,
Of thrones and crowns and swords and signet-rings;
He got him ready five-score camel-loads
Of sundry trinkets that the land produced,
And bade his treasurer provide as largess
A hundred thousand of dínárs of Chín.
He also brought and added to the present
Ten camel-loads of drachms out of his treasures.
He then chose out a man of eloquence
Among his chiefs—a wise and travelled man—
And called a scribe before him with command
To write a letter from the Khán of Chín
On silk, as was the custom of the country,
Profuse in courteous greetings to the Sháh.
The envoy's way lay through the Haitálians' land—
A route beset by shaft and battleax—
Before whose ruler stood a host whose lines
From Sughd extended down to the Jíhún.
That people's ruler hight Ghátkar the brave—
The most distinguished of their warriors—
Who when he heard of what the Khán had done,
And of his presents to the Íránian king,
Called from the host his veterans, discoursed
To them at large about the case, and said:—
“Ill hath befallen us from the stars. If now
The monarch of Írán and Khán of Chín
Negotiate and thus become good friends,
That friendship will hold menace for ourselves,
And this our state be wasted on two sides.
We needs must make a foray and deprive
The envoy of his life.”

He chose among

The troops a man of name, of rank, and prowess,
Such as befitted, gave up all that wealth,
The camels and the steeds caparisoned,
To plunder and cut off the envoy's head.
One horseman of those warriors of Chín
Escaped. Now when the tidings reached the Khán
His heart was filled with grief, his head with vengeance.
He marched an army from Káchár Báshí;
No chief was left in Chín or in Khutan.
He let no scion of Afrásiyáb,
Or of Arjásp, partake of rest and sleep.
They all marched forth to the Gulzaryún
With full hearts and with heads set on revenge.
The captain of the army of the Khán
Of Chín was Funj, who made dust reek to heaven.
At Chách the fury of the horsemen flushed
The waters of Gulzaryún rose-red.
Ghátkar heard of the doings of the Khán,
And chose an army from the Haitálians,
An army that obscured the sun, and called
For treasure, money, troops, and arms from Balkh,
Shaknán, Ámwí, the Zam, Khatlán, Tirmid,
And Wísagird; he gathered troops from all sides;
From mount and waste, from sands and places bare,
They seethed like ants and locusts. When the Khán
Had passed the mighty river with his host,
With drums and lusty elephants, he massed
His powers round Mái. and Margh; the sun became
As dusky as a falcon's plumes.*

Bukhárá
Was all fulfilled with mace and ax, for there
The ruler of the Haitálians was encamped.
Ghátkár had come forth with a mighty host,
And gathered all the native chiefs. The troops
Advanced from every quarter to the war,
And left the wind no way. What with the flashing
Of chieftains' swords and play of massive maces,
Thou wouldst have said: “Now iron hath a tongue,
And air a mace for its interpreter!”
A wind arose, rose too the army's dust,
And light departed from the sun and moon.
Men of Kashán and Sughd were gathered there.
Tears filled the eyes of all—men, women, children—

As to the issue of that battlefield,
And whom the circling sun and moon would favour.
For one whole week those battle-loving hosts
Were opposites. On all sides lay the slain
In heaps, and dust and stones were cercis-like
With blood. So thick were spear, mace, sparth, and
sword
That thou hadst said: “The clouds are raining
stones!”
The sun evanished in the reek; dust filled
The eyes of eagles as they flew. It veered,
Upon the eighth day, 'gainst Ghátkar, the world
Was all bedarkened like night azure-dim,
The Haitálians were o'erthrown, irreparably
For years, the wounded seattered everywhere,
And all the march was full of slain and captives.
The living from their hearts invoked God's name,
And said to one another: “Ne'er have we
Seen such a stubborn fight. Good sooth! yon host
Is not of men; 'tis ill to look on them;
They have the faces of wild beasts and dívs,
And heed not right and wrong. Thou wouldst have
said:—
‘They know not what it is to flee away
From scimitar and spear, from mace and sword.’
They all have dragon-faces and could pierce
A mountain with their spears, they all have claws
Like pards and hearts insatiate of war
And strife, ne'er take the saddle off their steeds,
And think a battle naught. Their chargers batten
On thorns, their riders sleep not but are watchful;
They pass the nights in foray and attack,
And hazarding their persons in the flames.
They know not food or sleep. Would that the Dív
Would challenge them to fight! We cannot strive
Against the Khán, and we must seek Írán.
If now Ghátkar will carry out our wishes
He will submit to Núshírwán, surrender
The Haitálians' land to him, and think no more
Of mace and sparth; but if not we will choose
Some bold chief of the race of Khúshnawáz,
Some man acceptable to Núshírwán,
One that can make our state renew its youth,
To tell the Khán's proceedings to the Sháh.
The whole world praiseth Núshírwán, for he
Hath Grace, high bearing, destiny, and wisdom,
And wisdom is the cherisher of right.
He hath made Cæsar tributary. None
Can strive with Núshírwán.”

The Haitálians—

Men, women, children—were at one herein.

There was a high-born warrior of Chaghán,
Aspiring, youthful, fortunate, and just—
A man of wisdom, Faghánísh by name,
Possessing troops and treasures of his own:
The chiefs and warriors*

called him to the throne.