What boots it to be pale with fear,
And dread each grief that waits us here?
Protected by the power divine,
Our lot is written--why repine?"

Tús, according to his threat, attacked the fort, and burst open the
gates. Ferúd defended himself with great valor against Byzun; and whilst
they were engaged in deadly battle, Báhrám, the hero, sprang up from his
ambuscade, and striking furiously upon the head of Ferúd, killed that
unfortunate youth on the spot. The mother, the beautiful Gúlshaher,
seeing what had befallen her son, rushed out of the fort in a state of
frenzy, and flying to him, clasped him in her arms in an agony of grief.
Unable to survive his loss, she plunged a dagger in her own breast, and
died at his feet. The Persians then burst open the gates, and plundered
the city. Báhrám, when he saw what had been done, reproached Tús with
being the cause of this melancholy tragedy, and asked him what account
he would give of his conduct to Kai-khosráu. Tús was extremely
concerned, and remaining three days at that place, erected a lofty
monument to the memory of the unfortunate youth, and scented it with
musk and camphor. He then pushed forward his army to attack another
fort. That fort gave way, the commandant being killed in the attack; and
he then hastened on toward Afrásiyáb, who had ordered Nizád with thirty
thousand horsemen to meet him. Byzun distinguished himself in the
contest which followed, but would have fallen into the hands of the
enemy if he had not been rescued by his men, and conveyed from the field
of battle. Afrásiyáb pushed forward another force of forty thousand
horsemen under Pírán-wísah, who suffered considerable loss in an
engagement with Gíw; and in consequence fell back for the purpose of
retrieving himself by a shubkhún, or night attack. The resolution proved
to be a good one; for when night came on, the Persians were found off