Though Cæsar's sire was dead, his mother lived;
He had a younger brother too—Yánus—
A generous and potent atheling.
Troops mustered at his gate, his warlike mother
Gave them a donative, and said to him:—
“Avenge thy brother: seest not that a host
Hath come forth from Írán?”

He beat the drums,

And carried out the Cross. The Cross was great,
The army fierce. The hosts met face to face;
The warriors had no rest. The ranks were ranged;
A shout went up; Yánus led on the van.
Black dust-clouds rose, and none could see his way
Amid the murk. Upon one flank were mountains,
And on the other, where the troops were massed,
A river ran. The din of battle rose,
Sword, mace, and arrow flashed, while azure-dim
Was air with dust of horsemen, spearheads gleamed,

And banners fluttered while the stars looked down
Upon that strife—all wreak and malison.
The warriors of Rúm all girt their loins,
Like furious lions, for that strife. The air
Was lapis-lazuli, the ground was iron,
Dark dusk rose cloud-ward, and thou wouldst have
said:—
“The air is all a mist whence diamonds pour.”
The Sháh's troops likewise girt their loins for blood-
shed.
Thus blew the blast of battle till the sun
Grew dim. They slew until earth's surface turned
To iron with the breast-plates of the slain.
Then from the centre Sháh Shápúr advanced
His battle, calling on his left and right,
And on his meiny. Sháh and chiefs made hot
Their steeds, earth trembled, and the armies reeled.
He charged the Rúman host, and great and small
Were one. Aware that he could not withstand
The Sháh, Yánus fled with his troops, pursued
By valorous Shápúr, who robbed the air
Of lustre with his dust-clouds. On all sides
He piled the foe in heaps, smirched earth with brains,
And slew so many of the host of Rúm
That all the plain was heads and feet and trunks.
No host and Cross remained upon the field,
No crucifix and bishop in the holds.
He took such spoil on all sides that the troops
Were in amaze. He gave it all to them,
Reserving to himself but Cæsar's wealth,
Who had seen travail in amassing it,
And found his travail end not with his treasure!
The host of Rúm, assembling, said of him:—
“Be such chief ours no more! May Cæsar's name
Cease out of Rúm! The girdle of the priests,
And their archbishop's crozier are consumed!
So now for us Rúm and Kannúj are one,
Because the call of Christ's Faith is fordone!”