English
The Battle with Fur
When Alexander drew near to Fur, each army saw the other from afar.
A roar rose up and dust of battle from both sides; the warriors, hungry for combat, advanced.
They set fire with naphtha to the horses and threw all of Fur's army into chaos.
The black naphtha blazed up in flame, and the iron war machines began to move.
When the elephants saw a way to flee the fire, they bolted from their place with the army behind them.
A cry rose from the whole army; the wounds drove the elephants into a frenzy.
When their trunks caught fire, the elephant drivers were left stunned.
The entire Indian army turned back, and so did the mighty, high necked war elephants.
Then Alexander, wary, galloped after the army like a raging wind,
until the sky turned indigo in color, and there was no more room left for the army to fight.
The world seeker, with his Roman troops together, made camp between two mountains.
He sent scouts out on every road, keeping the army watchful against the enemy.
When the shaft of the sun's crown appeared, the world turned white like crystal.
A roar rose from the ox horn trumpets, the blast of the horn and the brass and bronze war drums.
Army made ready for war against army, and they raised their lances up to the clouds.
Alexander came between the two ranks, a Roman sword held in his hand.
He sent a rider to Fur to summon him and to speak from a distance:
That Alexander has come before the army and seeks a way to meet with you,
to speak, and to hear what you say; if you speak justly, he will accept it.
When Fur the Indian heard this, he set out and came swiftly to the front from the center.
Alexander said to him: O renowned one, two armies have been shattered in this fight.
Wild beasts are devouring men's brains, and horses' hooves trample over the bones.
We are two men, both brave and young, eloquent, and two heroes with sense.
The brave men of the army have all been killed, or if alive, have fled the battle.
Why should the whole army end in slaughter, or in fleeing alive from the fight?
Let us gird ourselves and fight, since a kingdom must be won by hand.
Whichever of us fortune makes victorious, to him will remain this army, crown, and throne.
When Fur heard the Roman's words, he took up his challenge as if it were a feast.
He saw himself with a lion's strength, mounted on a steed like a fierce dragon,
and Alexander a slim rider like a pen, lightly armed, on a grim, swift footed horse.
Fur said to him: This is the custom and the way, that we contend one against the other without our armies.
Each took a dagger in his hand, and they circled long between the two ranks.
When Alexander saw that mad elephant of a man, like a mountain seated on a dragon,
he was left amazed at the combat with him; his heart grew grieved and he gave up on his own life.
As he still circled with him on the field, a great shout rose from behind Fur's army.
Fur's heart filled with pain at that shout, and his heart, eyes, and ears turned toward it.
Alexander, like the wind, came through the dust and struck a sharp blade at that lion of a man.
He cut the sinews of his neck and shoulder, and his body tumbled from the saddle to the dust.
The Roman army's cry rose to the heavens, and the roaring warriors advanced.
Fur had a war drum made of lion's hide whose sound would rise beyond the clouds.
The blast of the horn and the drumbeat rose up; the earth turned to iron, the air to ebony.
In the same fashion the Indian warriors pressed forward, face to face in the crush.
A shout came from the Romans: O friends, chief lords of the land of India,
Fur the Indian's head lies in the dust, his elephant like body torn apart.
For whom do you fight now, all these sword strokes, all this delay?
Alexander is now to you what Fur was; from him you should seek both battle and feasting.
The warriors of India went forth and with one voice came to agreement.
They saw Fur's body covered in blood and dust, his chest and torso slashed by the sword.
A cry of grief rose from the army, and they cast down their weapons of war.
Full of pain they came to the emperor, full of wailing, with dust upon their heads.
Alexander returned the warriors' arms and spoke to them kindly in every way.
He said: One man of India has died; you must not surrender your hearts to grief.
Now I will honor you all the more; I will strive to drive your sorrow away as well.
I will give you all his treasure; his hardship is forbidden to my army.
I will make all the Indians wealthy; I will strive to raise one to throne and crown.
From there he mounted the throne of Fur, turning that day of mourning into a day of feasting.
Such is the way of this passing world: it wants you to remain in it in suffering.
Eat whatever you have, hold nothing back; why should your toil be left for someone else?
The emperor stayed on the throne two months and gave away all its treasure to the army.
There was a noble man named Surg, a great hero from India.
He gave the kingship's throne to him and said: Never hoard away gold.
Give and eat whatever comes your way; take no pride in this passing crown and throne,
for one moment it is Alexander's, the next it is Fur's; now grief and rage, now joy and feasting.
He gave silver and gold to his army and adorned the warriors of his realm.