Part 2: The Battle on the Plain

It happened that a hundred thousand of the Arabs came, seasoned horsemen who fought with the spear. They set out, and their commander was Shoeib, a famous man from the line of Qotib. The ruler of Iran brought an army so great that they said it could not be counted. The two armies closed in on each other, and the world grew dark with fighters hungry for battle. The ground could not hold so many troops; on that field no one could find room to move. From the rain of javelins and the rain of arrows, the earth turned into a pool of blood. A great cry rose from every side, and heaps of the dead were seen everywhere. For three days and three nights the fighting went on this way; you would think the world had closed in tight upon them. On the fourth day the Arabs turned back, and by night they abandoned the field of war. Shoeib was killed on that battleground, and the Arabs' fortune failed them for good. Many an Arab horse with its saddle of poplar wood, along with spears, swords, and armor of war, were left behind on the spot by those who fled, falling to the ruler, the son of Homay. He shared out among the army whatever remained: horses, lances, swords, and helmets. From the army he chose one marzban, a border lord who could understand and hear their speech. He sent him to collect the tribute from the plain, both for this year and for the year now past.