Vis and Ramin

I CHAPTER
VIII -2s
HERE IS THE GREAT BATTLE BETWEEN MOABAD AND VIRO
WHKN from the east came forth the sun, whose vizier is
the moon, and whose throne is the morning,
both hosts
formed early in battle array, 1 and both monarchs began to
deploy their two armies for battle and display. On both
sides began the beating of the copper drums, 2 the blare of
3 the trumpets, the voice of the clarion ; it was, you might
say, the noise of devils, for whoever heard that din every
one at the sound became a foeman to another. It was
such a clatter that old corpses which had crumbled to
earth would have trembled in the ground for fear of them.
They hurled themselves one upon another, and the shock
of them was like autumn winds that cast down the leaves
from the trees. Two armed men by the clash of such an
encounter were cut down, and from both sides copper drum
and trumpet shrieked thereat :
'*
Haste ye, ye ravishers
of life!" The trumpet evidently knew of their death, it
thus wept for them even beforehand. The keen swords in
the hands of the warriors smiled like lightning on their
souls. The heroes in the plain were like lions, and in the
mountains 4 like fierce panthers, and even those who were
experienced in battle became furious. | Of
a truth they 29
were mad and full of hate, so that they feared neither
fire nor water, neither sword, lance, scourge, 6 nor arrow,
neither lions nor elephants. In that battle there were
heroes such that they sacrificed their sweet souls for glory
rroi squadron, detachment. H., 801, etc.
1 Ko*it 80, 47. R., 708, I486, 1666. QvirotMri.
h.omiU" in the mountain*" / i:,. R, 1087.
..'7