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Gudarz Mourns His Sons by Night

Gudarz Mourns His Sons by Night

From B13.11, The Retreat to Mount Hamavan. It illustrates B13.11.11–17:

  • B13.11.11
    All night they raised their wounded, sunk in grief;The wounded foe they left without relief.
  • B13.11.12
    With fire they seared the wounds their comrades bore,Then bound and stitched the flesh that gaped and tore.
  • B13.11.13
    Of Gudarz’s line, full many wounded lay,Some fell; some, bound as captives, went away.
  • B13.11.14
    At this dark news he raised a bitter cry,The earth boiled where the horses thundered by.
  • B13.11.15
    The chiefs all tore their clothes in bitter pain;He poured dark dust upon his head like rain.
  • B13.11.16
    He cried: “No white-haired man has ever knownSuch grief as mine, such ruin of his own.
  • B13.11.17
    Why must I still survive with silver hair,When many sons lie slaughtered in despair?

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