Читать книгу One Thousand and One Nights (Complete Annotated Edition) - Richard Francis Burton - Страница 146

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She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King Zau al-Makan saw that the accursed Infidel had struck with javelin his brother Sharrkan, he deemed him dead, and despatched cavaliers towards him; and the first to reach him were the Wazir Dandan and the Emir of the Turks, Bahram, and the Emir of the Daylamites, Rustam. They found him falling from his horse; so they stayed him in his saddle and returned with him to his brother, Zau al-Makan; then they gave him in charge to his pages, and went again to do the work of cut and thrust. So the strife redoubled and the weapons together clashed and ceased not bate and debate and naught was to be seen but blood flowing and necks bowing; nor did the swords cease on the napes of men to make play nor the strife to rage with more and more affray, till the most part of the night was past away and the two hosts were aweary of the mellay. So they called a truce and each army returned to its tents, whilst all the Infidels repaired to King Afridun and kissed the ground before him, and the priests and monks wished him joy of his victory over Sharrkan. Then the King fared for Constantinople and sat upon the throne of his realm, when King Hardub came to him and said, “May the Messiah strengthen thy fore arm and never cease to be thy helper and hearken to what prayers my pious mother, Zat al-Dawahi, shall pray for thee! Know that the Moslems can make no stay without Sharrkan.” Replied Afridun, “To morrow shall end the affair when to fight I fare: I will seek Zau al-Makan and slay him, and their army shall turn tail and of flight shall avail.” Such was the case with the Kafirs; but as regards the host of Al–Islam, when Zau al-Makan returned to his tent, he thought of naught but his brother and, going into the pavilion, found him in evil case and sore condition; whereupon he summoned for counsel the Wazir Dandan and Rustam and Bahram. When they entered, they opined to assemble the physicians that they might medicine Sharrkan, and they wept and said, “The world will not readily afford his like!” and they watched by him all that night, and about the later hours came to them the Recluse in tears. When Zau al-Makan saw him, he rose in honour; and the Religious stroked Sharrkan’s wound with his hand, chanting somewhat of the Koran and repeating by way of talisman some of the verses of the Compassionate One. And the pretender ceased not to watch over him till dawn, when he came to himself and, opening his eyes, moved his tongue in his mouth and spake. At this Zau al-Makan rejoiced, saying, “Of a truth the blessing of the Holy Man hath taken effect on him!” And Sharrkan said, “Praised be Allah for recovery; indeed, I am well at this hour. That accursed one played me false; and, but that I swerved aside lighter than lightening, the throw spear had pierced through my breast. So praised be Allah for saving me! And how is it with the Moslems?” Answered Zau al-Makan, “All are weeping for thee.” Quoth Sharrkan, “I am well and in good case; but where is the Holy Man?” Now he was sitting by him and said, “At thy head.” So the Prince turned to him and kissed his hand when he said, “O my son! Be of good patience and Allah shall increase thy reward; for the wage is measured by the work.” Sharrkan rejoined, “Pray for me,” and he prayed for him. As soon as morning dawned and day brake in shine and sheen, the Moslems sallied out to the plain and the Kafirs made ready to thrust and cut. Then the Islamite host advanced and offered fight with weapons ready dight, and King Zau al-Makan and Afridun made to charge one at other. But when Zau al-Makan fared forth into the field, there came with him the Wazir Dandan and the Chamberlain and Bahram, saying, “We will be thy sacrifice.” He replied, “By the Holy House and Zemzem and the Place!1149 I will not be stayed from going forth against these wild asses.” And when he rode out into the field he played with sword and spear till riders marvelled and both armies wondered; then he rushed upon the foe’s right wing and of it slew two knights and in like manner he dealt with the left wing. Presently he stayed his steed in the midst of the field and cried out, “Where is Afridun, that I may make him taste the cup of disgrace?” But when King Hardub saw the case he conjured Afridun not to attack him, saying, “O King, yesterday it was thy turn to fight: it is mine to day. I care naught for his prowess.” So he rushed out towards Zau al-Makan brand in hand and under him a stallion like Abjar, which was Antar’s charger and its coat was jet black even as saith the poet,

“On the glancing racer outracing glance

He speeds, as though he would collar Doom:

His steed’s black coat is of darkest jet,

And likest Night in her nightliest gloom:

Whose neigh sounds glad to the hearer’s ears

Like thunders rolling in thun d’rous boom:

If he race the wind he will lead the way,

And the lightning flash will behind him loom.’’1150

Then each rushed upon the opponent, parrying blows and proving the marvellous qualities were stored in him; and they fell to drawing on and withdrawing till the breasts of the bystanders were straitened and they were weary of waiting for the event. At last Zau al-Makan cried out his war cry and rushed upon Hardub, King of Cæsarea,1151 and struck him a stroke that shore head from trunk and slew him on the spot. When the Infidels saw this, they charged in a body, compact and united, upon Zau al-Makan, who met them amidfield, and they engaged in hewing and foining, till blood ran in rills. Then the Moslems cried out, “Allaho Akbar!” (God is most Great) and “There is no god but the God!”, and invoked salvation for the Prophet, the Bringer of Glad Tidings, the Bearer of Bad Tidings. And there befel a great fight, but Allah assigned victory to the Faithful and defeat to the Faithless. The Wazir Dandan shouted, “Take your blood revenge for King Omar bin al Nu’uman and his son Sharrkan!”; and bared his head and cried out to the Turks. Now there were by his side more than twenty thousand horse, and all charged with him as men, when the Faithless found naught to save their lives but flight. So they turned tail to fly while the biting sabre wrought its havoc and the Moslems slew of them that day some fifty thousand horse and took more than that number: much folk also were slain while going in at the gates, for the flock was great. Then the Greeks hove to the doors and swarmed up the walls to await the assault; and in fine the Moslem hosts returned to their tents aided to glory and victory, and King Zau al-Makan went in to his brother whom he found in most joyous case. So he made a prostration of thanks to the Bountiful and the Exalted; and then he came forward and gave Sharrkan joy of his recovery. Answered he, “Verily we are all under the benediction of this Religious, holy and righteous, nor would you have been victorious, but for his accepted orisons; indeed all day he remained at prayer to invoke victory on the Moslems.”— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.