The mill-wheels of war whirled round, with
cutting and thrusting; the swords and spears played and the
plains and valleys were filled with blood. The priests and monks
prayed aloud, girding on their girdles and uplifting the crosses,
whilst the Muslims shouted out the praises of the Requiting King
and chanted verses of the Koran. The hosts of the Compassionate
God fought against the legions of Satan and heads flew from
bodies, what while the good angels hovered above the people of
the Chosen Prophet, nor did the sword cease to play, till the day
departed and the night came with the shadows. Now the unbelievers
had encompassed the Muslims and made sure of overcoming the host
of the True Faith with the dawn, deeming not that they could
escape destruction. As soon as it was light, the Chamberlain
mounted, he and his men, trusting that God would help them, and
the two armies came together and joined battle. The fight raged
all along the line and heads flew from bodies, whilst the brave
stood fast and the faint-hearted turned their backs and fled; and
the Judge of death judged and gave sentence, so that the
champions fell from their saddles and the meadows were heaped
with the slain. Then the Muslims began to give back and the
Greeks took possession of some of their tents; whereupon the
Muslims were about to break and retreat, when behold, up came
Sherkan, with the rest of their troops and the standards of the
believers in the Unity of God, and fell upon the infidels,
followed by Zoulmekan and the Vizier Dendan and the Amirs Behram
and Rustem and Terkash.
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