Afrásiyáb departed to his palace,
With full heart, weeping; having gained the roofs
He looked upon the city. There he saw
The more part of his warriors slain, the rest
Withdrawing from the battle. There arose
Cries from the cavaliers, shouts from the leaders,
Din from the drummers on the elephants,
Which trod from sight all that they saw alive.

The place was full of smoke and shrieks for succour,
And all was conflagration, sack, and storm.
One side rejoiced, the other was in woe,
And in this Wayside Inn 'tis ever so.
Afrásiyáb, beholding matters thus,
Such terror and defeat, no Jahn, no brother,
No land, no throne, no realm, no gems, no treasure,
Cried out in very earnest, seared and sore:—
“How wantonly heaven's vault hath dealt with us!
Mine eyes have looked upon a day when death
And slaughter seemed to me of small account!”
He came down woeful from the palace-roof,
Farewelled his throne of sovereignty, and said:—
“When shall I ever look on thee again
Upon a day of pleasure, ease, and joy?”
He thence departed dazed, and disappeared;
His wits and counsel flew away like birds.
Now when he built the palace in the hold
He made a secret passage underground,
And not a soldier of the army wotted
That there was such a by-way underneath
The castle. He made choice of ten score chiefs,
And vanished by that secret souterrain.
Emerging he betook him to the waste,
While all his kingdom wondered after him,
None knowing where he was because he vanished
So suddenly. Khusrau approached the palace,
Trod down his foe's star, and assumed the throne
Amid the paladins with golden helms.
They made abundant quest, but failed to trace
That chief of nobles; then the Sháh inquired
Of Jahn and Garsíwaz about their king:—
“How did he go and whither hath he gone?
He vanished hence; where hath he taken shelter?”
They answered fully and Khusrau gave ear,
But not a trace showed of Afrásiyáb.
The conquering Sháh said to the Íránians:—
“Now that my foe hath vanished from the throne
His name and purpose matter not a jot;
'Tis one to us be he alive or not.”