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English translation

In the end, he initiated the battle, He unfurled the banner of war. His army pitched their tents upon the plain, Like tulips, they drew their swords for blood. There were so many troops in the plains and mountains That the face of the entire world was blackened by them. When the trumpet of dawn was blown in the world, The sleepers fled from their beds. As morning came, the morning rooster Began to cry out from the early dawn. When the West put the ring of the moon in its ear, The fountain of the sun bubbled up from the East. When upon the head of the decapitated sky, They placed that gold-embroidered crown. Clamour arose from both armies, Reaching from both hosts to the Gemini. Due to the vastness of the army, there did not fall from the heavens Even a speck of the sun's light upon the earth. You would say the name of the earth was erased from the world, The back of the earth became a mountain of fire. You would say it was another revolving sphere, Wherein the tips of swords and spears shone like stars. The entire plain was flashing so much That you would say the sky was raining fire. The gleam of helmets and the reflection of swords and chainmail Lit up the world from East to West. Those brave men of steel-like resolve became so fierce That iron itself yielded to them. The noble warriors, like iron-bodied mountains, Struck the iron mountain against the earth with iron. So many arrows leaped from the bowstrings That the path was blocked by arrows from both sides. You would say the air rained hailstones of arrowheads, You would say the earth was a tulip field from so much blood. Resurrection was at hand, the trumpet and drum roaring, The arrows flying like swift letters. The entire face of the sky from the arrows Had become completely like a net-like snare. The chainmail was like a cloud, and from the archers' grips Rain was falling toward the cloud. From the reflection of the swords, the seven-layered sky Hid the bright day like a star. The swords rained down upon the stubborn warriors Like hail from a cloud in the spring season. From the clamor, roars, shouts, and cries, The echo returned from the seven heavens. From the sound of the drums and the clash of weapons, Resonance fell into the nine bowls of the heavens. Such was the beat of the drum and the roar of the crowd That the sky stuffed cotton tightly into its ears. Whenever the sound of the drum fell upon the plain, The earth would spin like a wheel. The earth had become terrifying with blood, The constellations of the sky were filled with dust. The dust raised from beneath the horses' hooves Became like kohl in the eyes of the stars. Since every sword was in the midst of a sea of blood, How was the sword's blade itself in that sea of blood? The entire face of the earth became a sea of blood, The sky above it became like an inverted bowl. As the sea of blood went beyond the borders of the world, The sky sailed upon the blood like a ship. When the wave of blood rose above the head, They plunged a bowl into that sea. On dry land, Fate saw a ship sailing, Seeing the sea full of life-snatching crocodiles. How could Death even operate in that sea, When every single man was the commander of a hundred deaths? The armies clashed face to face all at once, They opened their arms to shed each other's blood. The sun was lost in the dust of the army, The moon became black like the beauty mark of beloveds. A layer of dust rose from the earth, A layer of dust was raised up to the sky. The world became entirely filled with the dust of the road, The earth became equal to the sky. The soldiers could not see one another, This one threw away the sword, that one the shield. From the vast amount of dust and dirt that arose, All at once a great cry arose from the world. When the face of the earth went under blood, The blood raised its head toward the back of the Fish. The blood of the army sank down to the Fish, While the cry of 'Allahu Akbar' rose to the Moon. One poured blood and rushed forward, Another was driven by blood toward the battlefield. The entire plain, whether of free men or slaves, Was strewn with headless bodies and body-less heads. King Khosrow, like a piece of a mountain, Was carving rocks with his blood-shedding sword. In his hand was a poisoned dagger, Attached to his saddle-strap was a twisted lasso. From his spear, the blood of kings flowed like a river, By his sword, the heads of rebels rolled like balls. In the end, Khosrow, with a hundred elephants in front, All at once shouted to his army. When he gathered both the elephants and the army, Like a mountain, he charged toward another mountain. He dislodged the enemy host from their position, The bewildered army was brought to its knees. Panic and confusion fell upon the army, You would say a fire broke out in the land. What shall I say of how that army fought, For they made the plain narrow for themselves with the slain. The head of every brave champion, Each holding the severed head of another man in his hand. In the end, by an evil fate, at nightfall, Defeat suddenly fell upon Shapur. No peace remained for that host and retinue, The banner suffered a downfall. The banner had the wind of pride in its head; It left its head when it was cast down. The intoxicated King Shapur fled, He entered the city secretly and locked the gates. All night he worked to prepare for departure, Loading camels with silver and gold. At night, with a group of troops, He took the fresh rose away to Termez via a secret path. When this azure-colored field found its signet ring, The bride of the seven vaults shone upon the earth. From the radiance of her face, the face of the era Flared up like fire from every side. When the dark world became bright, The astounded people were left in wonder. They went out like sinners, Seeking quarter from the pure-hearted king. Grant us time to remain on this earth, And grant safety to the lives of the world's people. The world will gird its loins in service to you, If you grant life to the people of the world. No one bore any malice toward the people; The lion does not attack a meager prey. The king treated them with kindness And showed great compassion to each one. He stayed for two weeks, and finally at dawn, Set off toward Termez with an army. An army whose number was beyond limit, More numerous than sand, leaves, and stars. In the end, when they reached Termez, They drew up in lines around its fortress. Its moat was so full of water That fish could swim on the level of the ground. Its towers were so joined to the moon That the moon's path would be blocked when passing by. Perhaps the moon of heaven shone from its tower, Finding its highest peak within that tower. Its heights and depths spanned from the moon to the fish; What can I say of where its army was stationed? There was neither a bridge nor a passage across its water; From head to toe, it was fully guarded. Finally, when the candle of the stars raised its banner, Clamor arose from the gathering of people to the heavens. The army marched toward the fortress, Fighting for a while with arrows and stones. For anyone from either army who harbored this ambition, Things did not go well from any side. In the end, in this manner, for one month That helpless army remained on the road. One night, Farrukh went in before Khosrow, Perhaps that night was filled with scheme and stratagem. He said to Khosrow: 'There is no way to handle this, Unless I gain it through a stratagem. For if I sit beneath it for a hundred years, I know for certain I will not see its face. A plan has now occurred to me on my way; I will say it, to see what my king says now. Every night, a strong man must come To draw water up from the moat. He will draw so much water from the moat That the water in the moat will subside. I have a resolution to go one night in a boat Quietly to the other side of the moat. When the man lowers the bucket of a hundred maunds, I will sit in it so he pulls me up. Once I go up, if fortune aids me, I will shed his blood upon the earth in disgrace. And after that, prepare a hundred boats And seek the sign of it from me. So that when you receive that sign, You place a hundred men in the boats. One by one, I will pull them up; Even if it were an elephant, I would pull it up alone. When a hundred men reach the top, then We will open the gate of that fortress for the king. We will lay the bridge of the fortress over the water And put the enemies to sleep by our good fortune. The world will go according to the desire of brave men, If this revolving wheel of heaven aids us.' His speech pleased the king so much That he became completely enamored of him. The prince praised him abundantly, Saying, 'May the king be a servant before your servants. This is an extremely correct opinion and plan; Your heart is pure and your judgment is like the sun. This thinking has turned out well; Now arise to prepare the boat.' In the end, when the boat was well-prepared, The next night Farrukh went toward the moat. It was a night as black as a day In which a heart is far from its beloved. Darkened from East to West, The eyes of the stars dazzled by the darkness. The cunning man boarded the boat And proceeded to beneath the wall. When the man threw down the bucket from above, The warrior cast himself into it alone. The man quickly pulled him up, Whereupon Farrukh ripped open his liver. It was a dark night and the man was unaware; He received a wound to his heart from the hand of the enemy. The sign was that the swift bucket Should strike the water ten times near Khosrow. When Farrukh did so ten times with the bucket, The king quickly dispatched the boats. In short, Farrukh threw down the rope And pulled up sixty men. The other companions pulled up a hundred men, And all at once they drew their daggers. From there to...