22
And magicians met, and the enchanters;
And inscribed on earth two separate circles,
Laid a sable bar within the circles,
Which they portioned in two equal pieces;
And on one inscribed the name of 'Kublay,'
On the other wrote 'the german princes.'
Then they sang an ancient incantation,
And the bars began to move in combat—
And the bar of Kublay swiftly triumph'd.
Then with joyous sounds the tatars shouted,
Every tatar sprung upon his war-horse,
And the battle mandate soon was issued.
All that pass'd was hidden from the christians;
On the heathen-troops they threw them boldly,
To the prowess of their army trusting—
So began the raging of the battle,
Arrows shower'd as thick as stormy hail-drops,
Spears smote spears as loud as is the thunder—
Swords flashed brightly as the flashy lightning,
And the armies rush'd on one another.
Fill'd with freshen'd strength and freshen'd courage
Now the christians gain'd upon the tatars,
