Shams-al-Muálí-Kabús remained eight years at Khurasán, and displayed patient attention to the transaction of affairs, and thus passed his days and the events of his life. He was not deficient in manliness or highmindedness, and lost nothing of the splendour of his station, or the perfume of his position. There was none of the great lords of Khurasán, or notables of the State, who was not courted by his gratifications and recipients of his favours, and no one saluted him on the road who was not rendered happy with some gifts, liberalities and portions, and there was not one either of the nobles or of the people, who did not clothe himself in a dress of glory or honour from him, or who had not drank of the cup of his gifts in places and dignities. And the Princes of the house of Sámán endeavoured to raise him to their own desirable state and grandeur, and that they might make his happiness and eminence lasting, and that by pro­moting his power and affairs, he might wrest the sceptre of precedence from the Kings of the earth and Sultáns of the world. But by reason of the heaven-descending calamities, the eventual trials, and hindrances of the times, and the contingencies of fortune, the arrow of their intention never at­tained the desired object. He stood indeed like a mountain against the force of the hurricanes, and the beating of the moving waters. And he knew by experience, that the disquiet of the pain of suffering is an overflowing disquiet, and from the wrestlings of the world’s events nothing but distress and anguish are produced. And these distiches are the result of his thoughts, and the effect of his reflections (Verse)

And when the Amír Nasir-Addin arrived at Khurasán, and had sent out Abú-Alí from thence, he displayed gladness at a meeting with Kabús, and wished to establish and preserve his rule by his aid and assistance. A journey to Balkh inter­cepted his intentions, and the occupations of his time hindered him, until the affair of Abú-Alí arrived at cessation, and by reason of Abúl-Kasim-Simjúr, an opportunity for returning to Khurasán again fell out; there was a fresh treaty of aid, and they displayed great kindnesses on each other’s behalf. And Fakr-Addoulat-Alí-’bn-Boyah, who was the possessor of Jurján, had a powerful army, and came with a great army of Kurds to support Badr-’bn-Husnaví, and Nasir-Addin wished, in order to meet them, to bring an army of Turks. And for the purpose of assisting and supporting them in the promotion of this affair, in a stronger manner, he sent the Grand Chamberlain, Alton­básh, to Ilek-Khan, and asked an auxiliary force of two thousand horse, so that he might send them to Jurján, with Shams-al-Muálí, and himself depart to his capital of Balkh. And he remained looking for and expecting the arrival of these auxiliaries. But the Divine decree coincided not with his pro­posal, and Nasir-Addin, before the return of his messenger, changed his abode for Paradise. And between the Sultán and Shams-al-Muálí, by means of a great quantity of money, a reconciliation was defined, that the Sultán should hold his territory at peace from the inconvenience of rivals, and that he should confirm the possession of his rank and dignity to the other. It was also stipulated that this sum should be delivered to the Sultán’s trea­sury after two months. He asked a delay of this space of time, because some of this settled amount must be obtained from the revenues of Jurján, and Shams-al-muálí did not wish to squander the ryots’ money by collecting those customs then. And the Sultán, on account of the death of his father, and the disturbed state of Ghazni, desisted from that proposal, and went to Ghazni, and his wish was thus delayed. And Abúl-Kasim-Simjúr was established at Koms, and when Fakr-Addoulát died, he sent one to Kábús, and communicated the news of his death, and of the flame that was spreading over the surface of the country, and ex­pressed a wish to settle the country peacefully upon him. And they had sent Fírzán-’bn-Al-Hasan, from Ray to Jurján, with a great army of Kurds and Dalamites. But when Kabús came near to Jurján, they wrote from Bukhárá a letter to Abúl-Kasim-Simjúr, and gave unto him the country of Kohistán. And he then abandoned Kábús, and acted contrary to his promises, and cared not for the path of contention and repugnance to his engage­ment, and the falsification of his word. So he came to Isfardín, and thus Kabús returned privately,* and came to Nishapúr, and there remained in ex­pectation of happier days, and a more decided opportunity. And when he became aware that the affairs of the family of Sámán were day by day falling to ruin, and from every corner and every side new imbecility and decay existed, and that to hold on in expectation of their good fortune was to be deceived by the glitter of the mirage, and that to be occupied with their affairs was to engrave upon the surface of the water, he sent As-Afhahad-Shariár-’bn-Sharwín to the country of Sharíar, to seize upon that country, and Rastam Marz-bán,* Khal-Maj-Addoulat, Abu-Talib Rustam-’bn-Fakh-Addoulát was posted at that place. And Asafahad engaged him and defeated him, and obtained great plunder from his army. And in those coasts the Khutbah was offered in the name of Shams-al-Muálí. And Baní-’bn-Said in the midst of a troop of cavalry was fixed at Isfand-Yár, and often double-heartedness appeared in them, and his heart and soul were full of ill-feeling to Shams-al-muali-Kabús. And Nasr-’bn-Al-Hasan-Fírúzán, by reason of a famine which had lately appeared in the land of Dilem, fell upon their country, and became rapacious there. And he sent an army against them, and expelled them all. And he took Asa­fahad-Abul-Fadhl and imprisoned him, and he was in prison until he found an opportunity (of escape). And Bání became a friend with Nasr, and both placed their heart upon the possession of Amíl. Now Abúl-Abbás, the Chamberlain, was at Amíl, and with him one thousand men of the army. And when Abúl-Abbás was too weak to resist them, and was defeated, they took Amíl by stratagem. And Bání wrote a letter to Kabús, and gave him an account of the particulars of that victory, and expressed a readiness to submit to him, and as a mark of true attachment intimated to him an intention of uniting their standards. And Bání separated from Nasr, and came to Isterábád, and declared for the claim of Kábús. And of the cavalry army all who were inclined to Kábús pre­sented themselves before him. And Shams-al-Muálí-Kabús wrote to Asafahad that he should proceed to Bání, and give his whole attention to the task of repairing the friendship and re-uniting the favour of his Highness to Bání. And Asafahad, pursuant to this order, reconciled Kábús with Bání.

And when Fírúzán-’bn-Al-Hasan heard the intelligence of their alliance and union, he set out from Jurján, with a view to make war with them. A sharp battle took place, in the plain of Isterábád, and Bání was very nearly defeated, until a body of Kurds and Arabs, from the army of Fírúzán, shouted forth the war-cry of Shams-al-muálí, and joined the side of Bání; and the army of Bání came after him, and took Fírúzán, with twenty of his chiefs and generals. The remainder of the army took the road to Jurján, and, when they arrived there, Salár-Kharkás, who was one of the kindred of Kabús, came there, and stood up to oppose (the fugitives).

And they were defeated; and these good tidings came to Kabús, and he became happy and glad in heart, and was conscious that the days of sorrow had passed over, and the time of fortune had arrived; and, with heart at ease and exhila­rated breast, he turned his face to Júrján; and he took his seat upon the musnud of his empire and settled grandeur, in Shaabín; and, in the year 388, one of the poets of the time says, in congratulating him (Verse)

And when this army in their flight returned to Rai they met with much blame, and they cast dis­graceful reproach and finger-pointing scorn in their faces. And Abú-Ali-Husain-’bn-Hamúlah was Vizíer; he collected two thousand men, Turks and Arabs, and natives of Dilam, and Manúchhar ’bn-Kábús, and Bayaston-’bn-Kardoyah, and Abúl-Abbás-’bn-Jáhí, and Abdul-Malik-bn-Bákán, &c., proceeded to Jurján, to join his standard. And this army consisted of the nobles of the State and nawwabs of the people of Dilem. When, then, they came to the country of Shahriar, Shams-Al-Muálí fixed his heart upon meeting them, and his hope upon the assistance of the Almighty and His favour to the fortunes of his empire. And Abú-Ali-Hamúlah felt uneasy, on account of Nasr-’bn Al-Hasan-Fírúzán, and his aid and friendship unto Kabús, and, to secure his favour and support, employed subtlety and repentance, and said, “The various relations of kindred that exist between you and Majd-ad-doulah-Abú-Talib render it impera­tive that you should resolve to preserve his well-being and his dominions. And you should not make a difficulty in helping and aiding him, and if you thoroughly come into this design and exhibit a wish to shrink from that party to which you now adhere, and draw off from the string of his service, whatever may happen in the way of position, ful­filment of your desires, honours, gifts, dignities, and pre-eminences may be acquired, and the con­dition of Koms will be exalted by your support, so that you will be established there, and the ideas of benefits, with regard to yourself, will be perfected.” With this glance of lightning (i. e., hint), Nasr-’bn-Al-Hasan became a mutilated limb (i. e., a detached member) and decamped. And when he arrived at Sáríah he passed Jurján on the left, and came on the right side; and, when he arrived at Koms, he openly declared the secret of his thoughts, and laid before his followers the idea which he entertained within, with respect to embracing obedience to Majduldoulah. But their voices were discrepant, so that some went to Isfandiar and some towards Jurján, and Nasr, with the rest of his army, proceeded to Koms. And Abú-Ali-Hamúlah sent a person and requested a fort from him, that he might protect himself therein, and might send his baggage and his heavy furniture and money thither. Therefore he gave him the castle of Jomund, and he went and sent his packages there.* But when Abú-Alí heard of this defection, which was the consummat­ing victory of his usual ills and hard calamities, he betook himself to Saniyah, with a design to pass by Jurján; and, when he arrived at that place, Manuchhar sent one secretly to him and expressed a readiness to shun the exhibition of disobedience, and neglect of duty. And Abú-Alí felt some apprehension respecting Bayaston-’bn-Bejásab and his followers, on account of his kindred with Kábús and their having been brought up together, as well as on account of the interwoven relations between them, in the connexion of former artfulness and inclinations, and his past affection to Kábús, so he seized him and sent him to Rai. And he went on to Jurján, and the people there presented a strong heart for struggling and fighting, and from morning to evening they were engaged in measur­ing the garment of strength and pushing the cups of perfect (bravery). Two months passed in repeated endeavours to transact this business;* and a famine arose in the trenches of Jurján, and no food was found, and the allies of Kábús, in this distress, contented their noble souls with a scanty portion, and whatever they had succeeded in obtaining they stored up. But the army, on the part of the martyrdom-seeker,* on account of their straitened condition and scarcity of provi­sions, and the intercepting of supplies, sat down before Muhammadabad, in order that they might be able to fill their hands from the magazines of pay.* But, by reason of the continual rains and the difficulty of the roads, cares and anxieties replaced the search for pay and provision; but a storm arose, and they became too weak to contrive or arrange the means of conveying maintenance or fodder, and the force of thunder and lightning, and the vehemency of the west and north winds, over­threw the tents. And when the partizans of Kábús saw them in this confusion and distress, they came out from the citadel, and, with edges of their well arranged swords cut off the cheeks and necks of this multitude, and, with furious and repeated strokes, inundated the fountains of their livers, and with the sickles of battle cut off the members of these wretches from their united frame, until sixteen hundred men became bedfellows of the tombs, and food for vultures and crows. And they took prisoners, Asfahsálár-’bn-Gorangíz, and Zarín-Ghol, and Saján-’bn-Askali, and his brother, Hajder-’bn-Sálár, and Muhammad-’bn-Masúd, and they obtained as booty all the followers and horses of the army of Dilam, which the finger of confisca­tion sufficed not to estimate; but its reality was less than its reported value. And Shams-al-Muáli, in attending to the wounded of the army, and in care of the sick, and the regulation of prisoners, and the liberal distribution of generosities and honours, and the special assignment of all kinds of gifts, displayed the conjunction of the footsteps of generosity and the lights of disposition (i. e., his inherent generosity and enlightened disposition) and the true decree and foreknowing order of the Almighty was displayed in the most beautiful manner, in ordaining and bringing success upon this happy event. And Abú-Mansúr-Thaálabí, in commemorating this victory, says—