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 thund'rous boom: If he race the wind he will lead the way, ✿ And the lightning-flash will behind him loom.[451]
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,[452] 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 one man, 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.