Faik, after his defeat by Abú-Alí, retreated to Marurúd and there took up his abode, and occupied himself there in arranging his affairs and in obvi­ating difficulties, and preparing provisions and necessaries for the army. And when his affairs began to arrive at some order and to be settled he set forward towards Bukhárá, without having obtained permission from His Highness, and invited him to enter into consultation with him. And Núh, from that circumstance, conjectured something wrong, and came forth from Bukhárá, and sent out his chief officers of the army, with his special officers of State to fight against him. And they defeated him and they slew and destroyed, in various ways, his officers and chief men; and Fáík, when he came to the bank of the Jihún, found no boat, but escaped from the talons of death by his own skill, and passed over the water, and came unto the side near Balkh; and, after some days, he arrived at Termad, and wrote a letter to the Khán,* and told the whole story respecting his opposition to and his making war against Nuh. And Nuh sent a royal order to the prince of Jurján, Abu-Al-Hareth-Farigúní, that he should assist in repulsing that enemy. And Abú-Al-Hareth collected together a considerable army and made war against him, and Fáík sent back, to oppose him, Arslán, known by the name of Akhir-Sálár (Lieutenant-General) with five hundred chosen cavalry together with Turkish and Arab soldiers, and they fell like a wolf upon the flock, and they utterly destroyed the army, and took possession of their property, and their arms, and their horses, and returned with ample booty to Balkh.

And, at this conjuncture, Zahir-’bn-Al-Fadhl had taken forcible possession of the coast of Saganyan, from Abu-Al-Muzaffar-Ibn-Ahmad, and, by force of arms, had taken up his abode in his territory. And Abu-Al-Muzaffar, when he had thus been driven out from his land, betook himself to the protection of Fáík, and requested assistance from him, and Fáík felt strongly inclined to grant all that was necessary, considering that his truth and his excellence, and the greatness of his kindred, and the splendour of his rank, and the illustrious records of history, relating to his family, were remarkable, and, moreover, that with regard to him, he had been specially connected with the Amírs of Khurasán, by race and by benefits; therefore he sent his army to his service. And Zahir, hearing of the slender resources of Fáík, of the small number of chiefs who were attached to him, and of the deserted state of the whole plain of Balkh, began earnestly to covet the possession of Balkh, and came, with all his forces, into the citadel; and the people of the city came from Balkh, and began to fight against him; and one of the Arab troops knew Zahir, and, by casting a javelin at him, threw him from his elephant, and, coming down, took his head.

And when the army heard the news of this event they were thrown into confusion, and every one of them went to his own province and became entirely dispirited.

And when the affairs of Ibekh* came to such an extreme point of necessity as has been described, and they carried him prisoner to Turkestán, the kingdom of Bukhárá became disordered, and its odious corruption became evident, and the back of the chiefs of the State became broken, and neither regard nor veneration for the throne of that royal house remained. And, in the midst of this confu­sion, he began to incline to Fáík and called him to the service of the throne, and to the support of His Highness; and, when he came to Court, His Highness conferred upon him increased gifts and favours, and sent him to Samarkand, with all needful supplies and provisions, in order that he might exert himself in guarding the precious deposit of the State, and in preserving the passes of the kingdom. And when he arrived at these boundaries Baghrakhán* attacked him, and Fáík, being without perseverance or sufficient knowledge of affairs, came to Bukhárá, routed and in confu­sion, and he left his comrades and the chief officers of the Sultán to the pleasure of the sword, and placed them beneath the dragon’s tail (Verse)

And it seemed very likely to every one that his flight from Samarkand had been determined beforehand, and that he was induced to commit this treachery through his odious disposition and corrupt meanness, and his ingratitude to the author of his prosperity, which was the cause that the vigour of the State was exhausted and this ancient royal house given to the winds. And Núh, hearing the news of this unfortunate affair, and of this great event, became alarmed and con­fused, and deserted his capital, and settled in some retired spot. Truly God is omniscient!