All night until the sun rose in the sky,
And made the mountains like white elephants' backs,
Afrásiyáb was ordering the host:
What Turkman cavalier took any sleep?
Whenas the din of tymbals rose from Gang,
While earth grew iron, heaven ebony,

The famous Sháh—magnanimous Khusrau—
Bestrode his steed at dawn, rode round the hold,
And noted places open to attack.
He ordered Rustam to assail one side
With forces like a mountain, Gustaham,
Son of Naudar, to occupy another,
And wise Gúdarz the third, while he himself,
Who prospered everywhere, attacked the fourth
With tymbals, elephants, and cavalry;
Thus he disposed his forces and, resuming
His seat upon the throne, required the troops
To excavate entrenchments round the fortress.
Then all who had experience in sieges
From Rúm, from Chín, and Hind, with veteran chiefs
From every quarter, rode around the place,
Like couriers, devising plans to take it.
The monarch made a trench two spears in depth,
And stationed guards that none might make a sally
By night and slay his troops ere they could draw.
Around were ranged two hundred arbalists,
And, when a foe's head showed above the ramparts,
Those engines showered like hail thereon; behind
Were Rúman troops engaged in working them.
The Sháh then bade that elephants should draw
Shores to the hold. He undermined the walls
And shored them up; upon the wooden props
He smeared black naphtha, such was his device,
Whereby the walls were stayed and overthrown.
When all had been prepared the king of earth
Drew near the Maker of the world in prayer,
Writhed in his quest of vengeance like a serpent
Upon the dust, and praised the Almighty, saying:—
“Thine is it to abase and to exalt;
In every strait we look to Thee for succour.
If Thou perceivest that my cause is just
Make not my foot to slip, hurl from the throne
This sorcerer-king, and give me joy and fortune.”
When he had prayed he raised his head, arrayed
His shining breast in armour, girt his loins,
Sprang up, and rushed as swift as smoke to battle,
Commanding onslaught on each gate in force.
They set the wood and naphtha all ablaze,
And hurled stones on the heads of the besieged.
Then twanged the arbalists while in the smoke
The sun's bright visage gloomed, the scorpions,
The catapults, and flying dust turned heaven
To azure dimness, earth to indigo.
Chiefs shouted, trumpeted the elephants,
Flashed swords and massive maces. From the showers
Of arrows and troops' dust thou wouldst have said:—
“The sun and moon contend!” The world was hidden
To clearest eyes so viewless grew the sky!
The woodwork, covered with black naphtha, blazed,
And burned like firewood, for God willed it so.
The walls, thou wouldst have said, came headlong down
From their foundations like a mount in motion.
With them fell many a Turkman, like a lion,
Surrendered to ill fortune, when its head
All unawares is taken in the toils.
The Íránians' war-cry rose victoriously;
They made with warlike Rustam for the breach.
Afrásiyáb, on hearing that the ramparts
Were shattered, rushed to Jahn and Garsíwaz,
Like dust, and shouted: “What are walls to you?
The army's hold must be the scimitar.
Now for your country and your children's sake,
For treasure and for kin, bind ye your skirts
Together,*

leave no foeman anywhere.”
Then mountain-like the Turkman troops advanced
In rank toward the breach; they closed like lions,
And both sides raised a shout, but in the strife
The Turkman horsemen shook like willow-trees,
And gave up land and country in despair.
The Sháh bade Rustam bring up to the breach
The spear-armed footmen followed by two bands
Of archers eager for the fray on foot,
And armed moreover both with sword and shield,
With mounted warriors as their support
Where'er the stress of battle proved severe.
The horsemen and the footmen on both sides
Came onward like a mountain to the fight,
And warlike Rustam, like a mighty lion,
Led forward all his forces to the breach.

He mounted on the walls like flying dust,
Struck the black flag and set up on the rampart
The ensign of the Sháh, the violet ensign
Charged with a lion, while the Íránians
Hailed with a shout the triumph of Khusrau.
A multitude of Turkman troops were slain,
The fortunes of the foe were overthrown,
And Rustam at the crisis of the fight
Gat in his grasp brave Jahn and Garsíwaz,
Those two supporters of the Turkman throne,
The glorious son and brother of the king,
Such was the evil fate that fell on them!
The Íránian troops on entering the city—
An army full of vengeance and heart-seared—
Gave up themselves to pillaging and slaughter,
While shrieks arose and lamentable cries;
The women and the children wailed aloud,
And left their dwellings to the conquerors.
What multitudes of women and of babes
Were lost beneath the feet of elephants!
The people fled like wind and none took thought
Of country more. In woeful plight all eyes
Wept blood. The Turkman warriors' fortunes fell.
The treasuries were given up to spoil,
The women and the children captive borne,
Their souls by heaven, their flesh by arrows, torn!