Now when the sun spread out its gold brocade
The ocean of the plain of battle heaved,
A war-cry rose from both contending hosts,
And earth shook underneath the horses' hoofs;
On every side the troops advanced in force,
And all the plains and hills were clad in mail.
Both chieftains, both like leopards, mustered all
Their powers for that encounter. Arrows showered
Like rain descending from a darksome cloud.
The world was like a winter's night*

for murk,
But what a murk! Its rain was shafts and swords!
The earth was iron with the horses' hoofs,
The warriors' breasts and hands were red with gore.
So many headless corpses strewed the field,
That there remained no longer room to turn,
Or passage for the horses' feet; the earth
Was tulip-hued, the air like indigo,
And waves ran high upon that sea of blood.
Both chiefs said: “If our warriors thus maintain
The fight by nightfall nothing will be left
Save heaven, the world, and God!”

Now when Pírán

Saw how the battle went he bade Lahhák
And Farshídward: “Dispose in three divisions
What troops ye have efficient to restore
The fight, and let the shrewdest of the three
Compose our rear while ye march to our flanks.”

He bade Lahhák to lead his troops in mass
Toward the heights, and Farshídward withal
His toward the stream, and raise dust o'er the sun.
As those Túránian chiefs led on their men,
Intent on fight, a watchman of Írán
Sent forth a messenger to tell Gúdarz,
But he was with his army, on the watch,
And when, along the route whereby they came
To fall upon their foemen unawares,
Lahhák and Farshídward sent up the dust
From both the flanks the Íránian cavaliers
Closed with the foe and mixed the dust with blood,
While messengers from all sides came in haste
To tell the paladin, who looked to see
What warriors he had still keen for fight.
His noble son, Hajír, that angry Lion,
Was in reserve with shaft and sword; Gúdarz
Bade him to go to Gív, the army's Stay,
Bid him send reinforcements toward the mountain
And river, and withal leave in his stead
Some valiant man and hurry to the front.
Thereat the brave Hajír girt up his loins,
And sped forth to his brother with that charge.
Gív chose at once a man of high renown—
A warrior named Farhád—and having called him
Committed to his hands the chief command;
Then ordered Zanga, son of Sháwarán,
With ten score valiant veterans to fall
On Farshídward and raise the dust from stream
And mountain. Swift as wind he gave Gurgín,
Son of Mílád, two hundred with a standard,
And said: “Lead hence thy glittering spears and maces,
Display thy prowess and assail the foe,
For their supports are broken and their chiefs
Downhearted in the strife.”

Then to Bízhan

He said: “O lion-man! a rending Tiger
Art thou upon the battle-day, and now
Thy lion-manhood will bestead thee well,
For thou must fight the foe. Our army's hopes
Are set on thee and thou must take the field.
Spare not the enemy, expose thyself,
The time for battle and revenge hath come.
Go to the centre and engage Pírán,
For all his country hath its stay in him,
And he will burst his skin at sight of thee.
If thou shalt conquer him our work is done;
May God and thy good fortune be thine aid.
Then will our soldiers rest from toil and stress,
Our world-possessing Sháh will be rejoiced,
Thou wilt obtain much treasure and much goods,
And thy prosperity will be assured;

'Twill break the backbone of Afrásiyáb,
And fill his heart with blood, his eyes with tears.”
When Gív had ceased, his son girt up his loins,
And urged his steed on like Ázargashasp.
Those heroes fell upon the foemen's centre,
As they were lions on a hunting-day,
Bestriding windfoot steeds with outstretched necks,
And satisfied the vengeance of their hearts.
The horsemen and mailed chargers of Túrán
Were scattered by the onset o'er the plain.
What numbers fell beneath the horses' feet,
Their grave the lion, mail their winding-sheet!