Now when Khusrau heard from his watchful spies
About the Turkmans and Afrásiyáb:—
“He hath conveyed such hosts across Jíhún
That neither sands nor rocks are visible!”
He called his warriors and declared to them
What he had heard, chose from among his troops
The fittest of the mighty of Írán,
Men that had tasted this world's salts and sours,
To succour Gustaham, son of Naudar,
At Balkh, and bade Ashkash to lead to Zam
A host with treasure, elephants, and drachms
That none might take him in the rear and frustrate
The purpose of the Lions of Írán;
He ordered next his warriors to horse,
Struck up the tymbals and led on the host,
But marched with counsel, prudence, and no haste,
For that in warfare leadeth to repentance.
The Sháh, when he had reached the waste, inspected
The bearing and equipment of his men.
The army's route was toward Khárazm, where sands
And plains were fit for strife, with Dahistán
To left, the stream to right, the sands between,
Afrásiyáb in front. The Sháh in person,
With Rustam, Tús, Gúdarz, Gív, and a staff
Of noble warriors, went round the field
To view the approaches and the pathless waste;

Then, having heard about his grandsire's force,
He made his dispositions craftily,
And, having not expected such a host,
So many elephants and men of war,
He strengthened his position with a fosse,
And spread his scouts about on every side.
He filled the fosse with water when night came
Upon the side toward Afrásiyáb,
And scattered caltrops all about the plain
So that the foemen should not traverse it.
When Sol was shining out of Aries,
And gracing all the surface of the world,
The Turkman general reviewed his host,
Struck up the tymbals and arrayed his ranks.
The world was filled with din of trump and troops,
The warriors put on their iron helms.
Thou wouldst have said: “Earth's face is iron, and air
Empanoplied with spears!”

Three days and nights

The hosts abode thus and none stirred a lip.
The cavalry were mounted on both sides,
The footmen stood in front. Thou wouldst have said:—
“Earth is an iron mountain, heaven is mailed.”
Before the two kings the astrologers,
Much musing and with tables on their breasts,
Sought out the secret purposes of heaven
With astrolabes to find the favoured side,
But heaven looked on with a spectator's eye,
And left the gazers in perplexity.