On the other side Pírán all pain and wrath,
With heart grief-stricken and with eyes all tears,
Dispatched a messenger to Nastíhan
To say: “O famous warrior, good at need!
Make ready to engage and dally not
O'er this our brother's blood, attack the Íránians
By night and make earth a Jíhún with gore.
Lead forth ten thousand cavaliers of proof,
Armed for the fray. Thou mayst avenge Húmán,
And bring our foemen's heads between the shears.”

Then Nastíhan: “So will I do for I
Will make earth like Jíhún.”

Two-thirds of night

Passed, then the plain shook with the tramp of horse-men—
The Turkmans eager to exalt their necks
By that emprise. As Nastíhan led on
His vengeful powers toward the Íránian host
He came, as dawn was breaking, to a place
Where from the look-out the Íránian watchman
Saw him, and shouted to the scouts: “A force
Is on us from Túrán!”

They lightly sped

Toward Gúdarz to say: “A host approacheth
As 'twere a gliding stream; thou wouldest say:—
‘They have not speaking tongues.’ The general knoweth
How men are wont to make a night-attack.”
Gúdarz said to the troops: “Be vigilant
And bright of heart, let every ear be open
To any indication of the foe.”
With that he called the son of Gív—Bízhan,
The swordsman and heroic paladin—
And said: “Success and fortune are thine own,
The hearts of foes are shivered at thy name.
Take whom thou needest of my famous troops,
Go lion-like, receive the foemen's charge,
And by thy courage bring the heavens down.”
Bízhan chose out a thousand cavaliers,
And, when the two hosts met, they drew their maces;
Murk gathered overhead wherefrom dark dust
Descending veiled the Turkman soldiers' eyes.
Bízhan, when he perceived the Turkman host
Thus hidden, bade his warriors string their bows.

The war-din rose. Encountering Nastíhan
He saw the flag of Wísa's family
Borne by that chief whose steed an arrow reached
Sent from the broad breast of Bízhan. The charger
Fell in its anguish, then Bízhan came up,
And with his mace smote Nastíhan's helmed head,
Brained it, and there an end. Then cried Bízhan:—
“If any soldier handle aught but mace
And scimitar, then will I break his bow
Across his head because although the Turkmans
Have fairy faces they are naught in fight.”
His warriors took courage at his words,
And every one unsheathed his glittering glaive;
The air seemed rusty, earth a sea of blood.
Most of the Turkman troops blood-boltered fell
Beneath the chargers' feet, the others fled
Toward their host, the Íránians in pursuit.
Pírán missed Nastíhan, the earth turned black
To him, he bade the scouts: “Dispatch at once
A cameleer to the Íránian host
That he may get me news of Nastíhan,
Or if not I will pluck out both his eyes.”
They instantly dispatched a cameleer,
Who went, beheld, returned to them in haste,
And said: “Lo! Nastíhan is on the field
With other chieftains of the Turkman host,
Beheaded, lying like an elephant,
His body blue with bruises from the mace!”
Pírán swooned at the news, then tore his hair
And wept, rejecting food, repose, and sleep.
He rent his Rúman vest, and wailings rose.
He said: “Almighty Ruler of the world!
In sooth I must unwittingly have sinned
Against Thee, for Thou hast deprived mine arms
Of might, so darkened are my star and sun!
Alas! that lion-quelling hero-taker,
That cavalier so young and brave and goodly—
My brother dearer to me than my life—
The head of Wísa's race, my brave Húmán,
And Nastíhan, that Lion fierce in fight,
To whose claws any leopard was a fox!
Whom have I left upon the field? My course
Is to lead out the host.”

He blew the trumpets,

Bound on the drums, and with the heaven murky,
The earth like ebon, sun and moon obscured,
Marched from Mount Kanábad. Gúdarz too sounded
His clarions, marched, and took up his position.
Full in the centre, guarded by blue falchions,
Was Káwa's flag, while chiefs intent on strife
Stood ready with the lance and ox-head mace.
As morning dawned the hosts advanced, and battled
Till daylight failed, then both, still fit for fight
And eager for revenge, returned to camp.
The Íránian general occupied Raíbad,
And could not rest for his anxiety.
“A mighty battle have we fought to-day,”
He said, “and slain the leaders of the foe,
And now methinketh that Pírán will send
His king a cameleer and ask for succours
In this campaign against me, and I now
Will send intelligence to Kai Khusrau.”