Читать книгу 1001 Nights - Richard Francis Burton - Страница 134

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She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Infidels saw Luka bin Shamlut fall slain, they buffeted their faces and cried, “Alas!” and “Woe worth the day!” and called upon the Abbots of the monasteries and cried, “Where be the crosses?” So the Religious offered up prayers and the Christians all drew together against Sharrkan; and, brandishing their scymitars and lances, rushed forward to the attack. Then army met army and breasts fell under hoof, whilst spear and sword ruled the day and forearms and wrists grew weak and the coursers seemed created without legs;1094 nor did the herald of-war cease calling to fight, till arms were aweary and day took flight and night came on with darkness dight. So the two hosts drew apart, whilst every brave staggered like a drunken knave, for that with so much cut and thrust they strave; and the place was choked with the slain; fell were the wounds and the hurt knew not by whom they fell. Then Sharrkan joined his brother, Zau al-Makan, and the Chamberlain and the Wazir Dandan, and said to them, “Verily Allah hath opened a door for the Infidels to fall, praised be the Lord of the Worlds one and all!” Replied Zau al-Makan, “Let us never cease to praise Allah, for that He hath dispelled trouble from the Arab and the Ajam. Indeed the folk, generation after generation, shall tell of thy derring do against the accursed Luka, the falsifier of the Evangel;1095 of thy catching the throng spear in mid-flight, and how the enemy of Allah among men thou didst smite; and thy fame shall endure until the end of time.” Then said Sharrkan, “Harkye, O grand Chamberlain and doughty Capitayne!” and he answered, “Adsum!”1096 Quoth Sharrkan, “Take with thee the Wazir Dandan and twenty thousand horse, and lead them seven parasangs towards the sea, and force the march till ye shall have come near the shore, and there remain only two parasangs between thee and the foe. Then ambush ye in the hollows of the ground till ye hear the tumult of the Infidels disembarking from their ships; and the war cry from every side strike your ear and ye know that the sabres have begun labour between us and them; and, whenso ye see our troops falling back, as if defeated, and all the Infidels following them, as well those in front as those from the seaward and the tents, do ye still lie in wait for them: but as soon as ye see the standard with the words, There is no god but the God, and Mohammed is God’s Apostle (on whom be salutation and salvation!), then up with the green banner, and do your endeavour and fall on their rear and shout, ‘Alla ho Akbar! Allah is most Great!’ and circle round that they may not interpose between the retreating army and the sea.” He replied, “To hear is to obey!”; and forthright they agreed upon this matter and they went forth. Now the Chamberlain took with himself the Wazir Dandan and twenty thousand men even as Sharrkan had commanded. As soon as dawned the morn, the troops sprung to horse when they had donned their armour gear and drawn the scymitar and slung the spear. Then the Christians dispread themselves over hill and dale and the Ecclesiasts1097 cried out and all heads were bared, and those in the ships hoisted the Cross at their mast heads and began making for shore from every side, and landed their horses and get them ready for fight and fray, whilst the sword blades glittered bright and the javelins glanced like levee light on mail shirt white; and all joined fight and the grind mill of Death whirled round and ground those who fought from horse and aground: heads from bodies flew end tongues mute grew and eyes no vision knew. Scymitars strave with utmost strain and heads flew over the battle plain; gall bladders crave and wrists were shorn in twain; steeds plashed in pools of gore and beards were gripped right sore; the host of Al–Islam called out, saying, “On the Prince of Mankind be blessings and peace, and to the Compassionate glory and praise, which ne’er shall cease, for His boons which aye increase;” and the host of the Infidels shouted, “Glory to the Cross and the Belt and the vine press juice, and the wine presser and the Priests and the Monks and the Festival of Palms and the Metropolitan!” Now Zau al-Makan and Sharrkan held back and their troops gave way and feigned flight from before the enemy, while the Infidel array pressed hard upon them deeming them in rout, and made ready to foin and hew. Then the meiny of the Moslems raised their voices, reciting the first verses of the Chapter of the Cow,1098 whilst the dead were trampled under hoofs of steeds, and the heralds of the Greeks cried out, “Ho, servants of the Messiah! Ho, people of the True Faith! Ho, followers of the Primate!1099 Verily Divine grace upon you opes; for see, the hosts of Al Islam like birds with broken wings incline to elope! So turn ye not to them your backs, but let your swords cleave deep in their necks and hold not your hands from them, else are ye outcasts from the Messiah, Mary’s son, who spoke even when a cradled one!”1100 Now Afridun, King of Constantinople, deemed that the Infidels were victorious, knowing not that this was but a clever stratagem of the Moslems, and sent to King Hardub of Roum congratulations on success, adding, “Availed us naught but the Holy Merde of the Arch Patriarch, whose fragrance exhaled from the beards and mustachios of the slaves of the Cross near and far; and I swear, by the Miracles of the Messiah; and by thy daughter Abrizah, the Nazarene, the Mariolater; and by the Waters of Baptism, that I will not leave upon the earth a single defender of Al — Islam! And to the bitter end will I carry out this plan.” So the messenger betook himself with the address to King Hardub, whilst the Infidels called to one another saying, “Take we vengeance wreak for Luka!”— And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.