Then Piran led Siawosh before Afrasiyab. And when Afrasiyab saw him, he rejoiced at his strength and his beauty, and his heart went out towards him, and he embraced him, and spake, saying-

Then Siawosh called before him a scribe, and wrote a letter, perfumed with musk, unto Kay-Kavous his father. And when he had invoked the blessings of Heaven upon his head, he told him all that was come to pass, and how he had conquered the foes of Iran. And Kay Kavous, when he had read the letter, rejoiced, and wrote an answer unto his son, and his gladness shone in his words, and you would have said it was a letter like to the tender green of spring.

Now when they were come there they rested them a while, and feasted in the house of Zal. And while they revelled there came out to join them riders from Cabul and from Ind, and wherever there was a king of might he sent over his army to aid them. Then when a month had rolled above their heads they took their leave of Zal and of Zabolestan, and went forward till they came unto Balkh. And at Balkh the men of Turan met them, and Garsivaz, the brother of Afrasiyab, was at their head. Now when he saw the hosts of Iran, he knew that the hour to fight was come. So the two armies made them in order, and they waged battle hot and sore, and for three days the fighting raged without ceasing, but on the fourth victory passed over to Iran.

MESSENGER. O queen, our whole disaster thus befell, Through intervention of some fiend or fate— I know not what—that had ill will to us.

ATOSSA. Nay, we were worsted by an unseen power Who swayed the balance downward to our doom! MESSENGER. In ward of heaven doth Pallas’ city stand. ATOSSA. How then? is Athens yet inviolate?

MESSENGER. O walls and towers of all the Asian realm, O Persian land, O treasure-house of gold! How, by one stroke, down to destruction, down, Hath sunk our pride, and all the flower of war That once was Persia’s, lieth in the dust! Woe on the man who first announceth woe— Yet must I all the tale of death unroll! Hark to me, Persians! Persia’s host lies low. CHORUS. O ruin manifold, and woe, and fear! Let the wild tears run down, for the great doom is here! MESSENGER. This blow hath fallen, to the utterance, And I, past hope, behold my safe return! CHORUS. Too long, alack, too long this life of mine, That in mine age I see this sudden woe condign!

CAME then from the moor-land, all under the mist-bents,.mw-parser-output .wst-pline{color:#2E8B57;font-size:83%}.mw-parser-output .wst-pline-default2{margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .wst-pline-r{float:right;text-indent:0;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .wst-pline-l{float:left;text-align:right;margin-left:-3em;width:2.5em}.mw-parser-output .wst-pline-or{float:right;text-align:right;margin-right:-3em;width:2.5em}.mw-parser-output .wst-pline-n{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .wst-pline-i{font-style:italic}710Grendel a-going there, bearing God's anger.The scather the ill one was minded of mankindTo have one in his toils from the high hall aloft.'Neath the welkin he waded, to the place whence the wine-house,The gold-hall of men, most yarely he wistWith gold-plates fair colour'd; nor was it the first timeThat he unto Hrothgar's high home had betook him.Never he in his life-days, either erst or thereafter,Of warriors more hardy or hall-thanes had found.Came then to the house the wight on his ways,720Of all joys bereft; and soon sprang the door open,With fire-bands made fast, when with hand he had touch'd it;Brake the bale-heedy, he with wrath bollen,The mouth of the house there, and early thereafter On the shiny-fleck'd floor thereof trod forth the fiend;On went he then mood-wroth, and out from his eyes stoodLikest to fire-flame light full unfair.In the high house beheld he a many of warriors,A host of men sib all sleeping together,Of man-warriors a heap; then laugh'd out his mood;730In mind deem'd he to sunder, or ever came day,The monster, the fell one, from each of the men thereThe life from the body; for befell him a bodingOf fulfilment of feeding: but weird now it was notThat he any more of mankind thenceforwardShould eat, that night over. Huge evil beheld thenThe Hygelac's kinsman, and how the foul scatherAll with his fear-grips would fare there before him;How never the monster was minded to tarry,For speedily gat he, and at the first stour,740A warrior a-sleeping, and unaware slit him,Bit his bone-coffer, drank blood a-streaming,

Hail to thee, Hrothgar! I am of HygelacKinsman and folk-thane; fair deeds have I manyBegun in my youth-tide, and this matter of Grendel409On the turf of mine own land undarkly I knew.'Tis the seafarers' say that standeth this hall,The best house forsooth, for each one of warriorsAll idle and useless, after the even-lightUnder the heaven-loft hidden becometh.

When he had cursed the Trapper to his heart's content he turned on the harlot. He was rousedto curse her also. 'As for you, woman, with a great curse I curse you! I will promise you adestiny to all eternity. My curse shall come on you soon and sudden. You shall be without aroof for your commerce, for you shall not keep house with other girls in the tavern, but doyour business in places fouled by the vomit of the drunkard. Your hire will be potter's earth,your thievings will be flung into the hovel, you will sit at the cross-roads in the dust of thepotter's quarter, you will make your bed on the dunghill at night, and by day take your standin the wall's shadow. Brambles and thorns will tear your feet, the drunk and the dry will strikeyour cheek and your mouth will ache. Let you be stripped of your purple dyes, for I too oncein the wilderness with my wife had all the treasure I wished.'

Enkidu had becomea man; but when he had put on man's clothing he appeared like a bridegroom. He took armsto hunt the lion so that the shepherds could rest at night. He caught wolves and lions and theherdsmen lay down in peace; for Enkidu was their watchman, that strong man who had norival.

There was virtue in him of the god ofwar, of Ninurta himself. His body was rough, he had long hair like a woman's

This was the man to whom all thingswere known; this was the king who knew the countries of the world. He was wise, he sawmysteries and knew secret things, he brought us a tale of the days before the flood.