AMIR HUSAIN and Amir Timur, having offered up praise and thanksgiving to the Padishah of Padishahs (may His name be exalted), mounted their horses and began to make preparations for battle. They divided the army into two parts; Amir Husain commanded the right wing, and raised the victorious standard, while Amir Timur led the left wing of his troops, who were so accustomed to victory. Having arranged all this, and having put the army into order of battle, they went forward.
The enemy meanwhile were at Tásh Arighi, and they, in the same manner, divided their forces into two parts; Ilyás Khwája Khán and Amir Hamid commanding the left wing, and Amir Tuk Timur and Amir Begjik the right. The opposing armies, having drawn themselves up in order of battle,* attacked one another with vigorous onslaught.
| [Verses]: | The world and time ranged themselves on his side, |
| You would have thought he was about to overcome the universe. | |
| Nor the shining sun nor the moon looked more brilliant than did his army. | |
| His troops on a sudden raised a loud cry | |
| And their spear points made the clouds bright. |
The fighting began at a place called Kaba Matan, and clamour and shouting filled the vault of the heavens. The first attack was made upon the soldiers of Amir Timur, by the scouts of the enemy, who were boasting of the superiority of their army in numbers, and were burning for the fray.
But Timur, keeping his foot as firmly fixed upon the spot where he was standing, as was his kingdom upon its foundations, seized his bow and arrow and made his left arm like an Alif and his right arm like a Dál.* [Verses] …
And his soldiers, in imitation of their king, discharged their missiles into the souls of the enemy, just as the starry army of the moon let fly their shooting stars; and the reed of the arrow—according to the words “we have ordained them as missiles against the evil spirits”—made such writing with the blood of the scouts, that not one of them remained alive…*
Among those slain were Tuk Timur, a Beg, brother of Begjik, Daulat Shah, and two princes besides, who were both of them leaders of the other army.
| [Verses]: | Of all these daring men not one was left, |
| But all fell wretchedly, of life bereft. |
The two armies then rushed upon one another, and blood flowed from the enemy as if it were tears from a thousand eyes.
| [Verses]: | They charged one another like great mountains; |
| The desert became a sea of blood; | |
| You would have said that tulips had | |
| Sprung up on the face of the earth.4 |
The attacks and charges of the veteran warriors grew more frequent, and the waves of the ocean of combat increased. Amir Timur, in accordance with the blessed promise (thanks be to God, who has aided and blessed us), was able to overcome and put to rout this enormous army, in comparison with which his own was but as a drop of rain. “And there is no victory but from God.”
Amir Ilyás Khwája, Amir Begjik, Iskandar Oghlán, Amir Hamid and Amir Yusuf were taken prisoners. But the generosity, common to all Turks, was favourable to the Khán, for the soldiers who had captured him, when they recognised him, without saying anything to their leaders, mounted him and Begjik on horseback and set them at liberty. But the other captives they kept bound. On the same night, Amir Timur continued his march until he reached the River Yám, in order to cut off the retreat of the enemy, of whom many had been killed.
| [Verse]: | From their blood, the water of the stream became like wine. |
Amir Chagu and Amir Saifuddin, at his command, marched against Samarkand. They conquered this town in the beginning of the year 765 of the Hajra [A.D. 1363], corresponding to the year of the Crocodile [Lui] of the Tartar cycle.
Amir Timur, who was attended by success in all his endeavours and desires, bastened to hold counsel with Amir Husain and Shir Bahrám, and then set out in pursuit of the enemy. Having crossed the river at Khojand, he fixed his royal camp at Tashkand, and there, in order that his good fortune might not be quite perfect, he was afflicted with a few days' sickness. [Verses] …
Both Amir Timur and Amir Husain were for a short time a prey to a malady in that place. But they were soon released from the house of sickness; and the illustrious Princess Uljái Turkán arrived in safety from Kar.*
| [Verse]: | Bilkis again returned to Sulaimán. |
Amir Timur then resolved to return, and therefore recrossed the river at Khojand. Being seized with a desire to hunt, he threw out a ring of beaters round a large extent of country, and Amir Husain did the same thing in a place called Dazák Bulbul. They set out from opposite directions towards Akár Kamár. Several days were spent in pleasure and amusement, according to the words, “Seize the opportunity while you may,” and then they returned in safety to Samarkand.
At the joyful advent of this augmenter of happiness and decorator of kingdoms, the people of that district were illumined by the protecting dust of the royal prince, so that the evils of the buffetings of events, which had crept in among high and low, were cured by the healing properties of his humanity and encouragement.