English
Part 14: The Night Attack
When the sun turned yellow, he moved his army on;
whoever could not march was left behind.
When half the night had passed and darkness fell,
the world ruler drew close to the Kurds.
He saw the whole plain filled with sleeping men,
and saw that every heart in that army was troubled.
When the commander reached the Kurds' bedsides,
he handed off the reins of his swift horse.
He drew his sword and set to the work,
crowning the grass with blood.
The whole plain filled with severed heads and hands;
the ground split apart under the mass of the dead.
Countless of them were taken captive;
their arrogance and folly were brought low.
He gave all their lands over to plunder,
and handed the army their treasure sacks and crowns.
Things grew so safe that even if an old man
carried a basin of gold coins across the open plain,
no one would so much as glance at his gold,
such was the good fortune, the luck, and the king's justice.
He took no boastful pride in that battle's valor;
he came proudly back to the city of Istakhr.
He ordered that the horses be made strong,
and the riders' weapons kept flawless.
When everyone had settled into feasting,
knowing the thought of the day of war returns quickly,
the brave men turned their minds to eating,
now that the battlefield and the war-belt were at rest.
Ardeshir remained lost in thoughts of war;
when you hear this tale, take it to heart.