The Armies Close beneath a Black Cloud

From B14.10, Battle Is Joined. It illustrates B14.10.20–29:

B14.10.20
The armies closed; a black cloud seemed to rise,As both sides pressed beneath the darkening skies.
B14.10.21
That cloud rained shafts and swords upon the field;Earth was a sea of pitch, its face concealed.
B14.10.22
Steel arrowheads and eagle-plumes in flightObscured the sun and blackened all its light.
B14.10.23
Through dust the spearheads flashed; their points on highSeemed staining all the stars with blood-red dye.
B14.10.24
Ox-headed gorz then crashed on helms and bones;The sky seemed raining down a storm of stones.
B14.10.25
The earth and dust were drenched with gore and brains;The helms were smashed on heads across the plains.
B14.10.26
The diamond blades flashed fiercely overhead;A cloud arose whose rain fell crimson-red.
B14.10.27
Old Gudarz said, “Since first my wars began,And I took arms to stand a fighting man,
B14.10.28
I never saw such slaughter on the plain,Nor heard the chiefs tell of so many slain.
B14.10.29
The world is heaped with dead; amid these woes,One lies brought low, another takes repose.”