As soon as that grim Turkman heard the words
He shook, drew one quick breath, then cried in fury:—
“O warriors of Túrán! are we engaged
In banquet, feast, or battle on this field?
Ye must endure hard toil in this emprise,
For I will give you treasure in return.”
They shouted when they heard the monarch's words;
The sun so gloomed with dust that thou hadst said:—
“Earth is submerged!” Upon the elephants
The drums were beaten, horns and trumpets blown.

The warriors with their breastplates formed a wall
Of iron on the battlefield. The plain
Shook and the hills re-echoed with the shouts
Raised by the cavaliers upon both sides;
The trenchant swords flashed mid the clouds of dust;
Thou wouldst have said: “The Day of Doom hath
come!”
Steel sparths descended like a storm of hail
Upon the coats of mail, the helms, and casques,
While at the gleam of Rustam's dragon-flag
The bright sun's face grew azure-dim; he veiled
The air with arrows, “Smearing,” thou hadst said,
“The sun with pitch.” Where'er he urged on Rakhsh
He trampled on the heads of cavaliers.
Grasped in his hand he bore an ox-head mace,
And seemed a dromedary broken loose.
He came forth from the centre like a wolf,
And scattered all the foemen's vast array.
Then horsemen's heads were shed as leaves are shed
Before the blast, and fortune left the Turkmans.
Swift as the wind Ashkash upon the right
Sought to engage the swordsman Garsíwaz,
Gúrgín, Farhád, and brave Ruhhám o'erthrew
The left wing of the monarch of Túrán,
While in the centre dexterous Bízhan
Esteemed the battlefield a banquet-hall.
Blood flowed in streams, the Turkman monarch's
standard
Sank, he beheld his fortunes all averse,
The warriors of Túrán all slain, so flung
His Indian scimitar away and, mounting
A fresh steed, fled attended by his nobles
Toward Túrán, balked of revenge, and followed
By lion-taking Rustam, who rained mace
And arrow on the enemy, and blasted
For two leagues, thou hadst said, like dragon grim
The warriors. A thousand cavaliers
Were captured. Rustam then returned to camp
In order that he might divide the spoil,
And, when the elephants were loaded, he
Marched back to Kai Khusrau victoriously.