95
for those who gazed upon them.[1]—Now will I tell thee of that knight's battle, the punisher of his adversaries.
597. "I perceived their design,[2] and saw them donning their headgear.[3] Ships met me, I know not if there were eight (in all); swiftly I threw myself upon them; they began to row; I struck (one of the ships) with my heel and upset it; like women they bewailed themselves.
598. "I betook myself to yet another, and seized the lip (prow) of the ship with my hand; I drowned them in the sea, I slew them; they had no opportunity for battle. The rest fled from me, they made for their harbour[4]; all who saw me marvelled, they praised me, they hated me not.
599. "We crossed the sea, we landed. Mounted they threw themselves on us. Again we engaged; there began the vicissitudes of battle. P'hridon's bravery and agility pleased me then; in warfare a lion, in face a sun, that aloe-tree fought.
600. "With his sword he cast down both his cousins, he cut their hands clean off; thus he crippled them[5]; he led them away bound by the arms; the one did not abandon the two. He made their knights to weep, his knights to vaunt themselves.[6]
601. "Their soldiers fled from us, we threw ourselves upon them, we scattered them; swiftly we seized the city, we wasted no time; we broke their legs with stones, we tanned their skin into leather.[7] Kill me,[8] if it was possible to empty the treasure both by lading and stowing!
602. "P'hridon inspected the treasures and put his seals upon them; he himself led away his two vanquished cousins; he shed their blood in exchange for his, and
- ↑ ? because they were of such might.
- ↑ To begin.
- ↑ Chabalakhi, 1384, veil of mail, helmet.
- ↑ Sakulbage. Ch., "building with shops on ground, and dwelling-house above." ? dock, boat-house.
- ↑ Sapqari, 180, 953, 1529; also a prisoner, in the sense of one who cannot use his limbs.
- ↑ Amaqi, qmani? servants.
- ↑ For nata, cf. 261. An obscure passage.
- ↑ Momcalith! an expletive. Cf. 550, 612, 1142.
