The drums and trumpets sounded from both hosts,
No room remained for guile or grammarye;
The mountains and the plains were all a-quake,
The earth was troubled by the tramp of steeds.
Kámús commanded the Túránian right,
Behind him were the mighty elephants
And baggage. On the left the lord of Hind
Stood clad in mail, a Rúman sword in hand,
And in the centre was the Khán of Chín.
The sky grew dark, the earth shook. Faríburz,
Like Sol irradiant in Aries,
Commanded on the left wing of Írán.
Gúdarz, son of Kishwád, encased in steel,
Was on the right, and in the centre Tús,
Son of Naudar, in front were drums and clarions.
From all parts of the host a shout arose—
A shout which rent the ears of elephants—

And e'en from water rose the fumes of fire:
It was a fight surpassing warriors' dreams.
The first man that appeared between the lines,
His heart's blood all afoam upon his lips,
Was that famed chief Kámús accompanied
By soldiers, elephants, and kettledrums.
He, bearing in his hand an ox-head mace,
Cried like a furious elephant trumpeting:—
“Where is that man on foot who challengeth
Illustrious heroes? Let him come and see
A bow and arrow that will cost him life.”
The gallant warriors—illustrious Tús,
Ruhhám, and Gív—beheld Kámús, but none
Desired to strive with him; the field remained
Void of Íránian chiefs; none had the strength
To fight with him for he was like a pard;
They were like deer. Yet was there one, Alwá,
A Zábulí, who promptly drew his sword.
He used to bear the spear and guard the back
Of Rustam, was a skilful cavalier,
And had with liver-burning toil and trouble
Acquired from him the use of arrow, mace,
And spear. What said the sage, the eloquent,
The ancient man? Now listen and perpend:—
“Let not thy prowess fill thee with conceit,
But look well to the ground beneath thy feet;
To match a rivulet against the sea
Would be a contest of insanity.”
Now when Alwá adventured on Kámús,
Who for his part was eager for the fray,
They cleared an ample space. He of Kashán
Came wolf-like, with his spear unhorsed his foe
With ease, then wheeled his steed and trampled o'er
The fallen till the dust was red with gore.