Gív saw afar the dust raised by the troops,
And having drawn his sword sent up a shout
Like thunder, such a shout as would have dazed
A lion's brain and spirit, then he rushed
Like dust among the troop and made earth dark
By combat. With his sword and mace he showered
Down iron from above, till by the blows
The heads of all the chiefs grew sick of strife,
While to his eyes, such were his pain and rage,
A river seemed a rill. Anon they hemmed him—
A raging Lion in a host of men.
The field became a reed-bed with their spears,
Both sun and moon were hid, the Lion raged,
And made a winefat of the bed of reeds
With blood, o'erthrowing many of his foes:
Those valiant cavaliers were all astound,

And thus Kulbád addressed brave Nastíhan:—
“This is a rock of flint with neck and arms!
See here the Grace of Kai Khusrau and not
The mace of Gív! I know not what will come
Upon our fields and fells, for who can traverse
The will of God? Astrologers presage
Disaster to Túrán and to her lords.”
They made a charge at Gív with all their troops
Like lions, giving and receiving blows:
The battle-shouts and blast of clarions
Went up and shook the mountains to their cores,
The valleys and the plains were filled with slain,
And earth became like cercis-bloom with blood.
The whole host turned away in flight from Gív—
That noble chief, the refuge of the troops—
And made their way all wounded and fordone
To proud Pírán, while gallant Gív returned,
With breast and hands all bloody, like a lion
To Kai Khusrau, and said: “O prince! rejoice!
May health be thine, and wisdom thy companion!
Kulbád and Nastíhan the deft of hand
Have been pursuing us with hostile troops,
And those that still survive have gone back home
With necks and chests in case to ask our tears.
I know not any horseman in Írán
Save Rustam able to encounter me.”
Khusrau, pure in the Faith, rejoiced o'er Gív,
Called blessings down on him, and praised him greatly;
They took some food, such as came first to hand,
And hasted on toward the trackless waste.
Now when the Turkman troops came to Pírán
So stricken, heated, and discomfited,
He spake in anger to Kulbád, and said:—
“This is a marvel which must not be hidden!
What have ye done to Gív? Where is Khusrau?
How went the matter? Tell me honestly.”
Kulbád said: “If I tell, O paladin!
What gallant Gív did to our warriors,
Thou wouldst no more of battles. Thou hast seen me
Oft with the host, and hast approved my prowess,
Yet when I charged him, thinking: ‘Now shall I
Behold his overthrow,’ in sooth he bore
Above a thousand buffets of mine ax.
Thou wouldst have said: ‘His head is but an anvil,
His chest and arms are solid ivory!’
Oft have I gazed on Rustam in the fight,
And hearkened tales of mighty warriors,
But never knew one so endure the blows,
The rush, and whirl of war. Though we had borne
Wax maces, and our horsemen pard-skin lances,
No wonder had his shoulders, arms, and breast
Been pounded small. He kept his dash and keenness
Throughout, and bellowed like an elephant.
The plain was heaped with slain, our warriors
Were routed by one man!”

Pírán was wroth;

“Enough,” he said, “'tis shame to tell the tale;
Such words as these are not for cavaliers.
Attempt no more to strive with men of war.
Thou wentest forth with noble Nastíhan,
And troops like lions; now thou makest Gív
A maddened elephant; thy fame is sped
With mighty men; Afrásiyáb at hearing
Will fling away from him the imperial crown,
Because two paladins, two gallant horsemen,
Accompanied by soldiers dight for war,
Turned tail before a single cavalier,
Who slaughtered many! Mocking and disgrace
Are thine, not standard, kettledrum, and mace.”