Anthology of Russian literature from the earliest period to the present time, volume 1 (of 2) : $b From the tenth century to the close of the eighteenth centuryWiener, Leo
General
Anthology of Russian literature from the earliest period to the present time, volume 1 (of 2) : $b From the tenth century to the close of the eighteenth century
Wiener, Leo
Russia -- Literary collections; Russian literature -- Translations into English
And Dmítri spoke to him: “Brother Andréy! We will not spare our lives
for the Russian land and Christian faith, and to avenge the insult to
Grand Prince Dmítri Ivánovich. Already, O brother, there is a din and
thunder in the famous city of Moscow. But, brother, it is not a din or
thunder: it is the noise made by the mighty army of Grand Prince Dmítri
Ivánovich and his brother Prince Vladímir Andréevich; the brave fellows
thunder with their gilded helmets and crimson shields. Saddle, brother
Andréy, your good swift steeds, for mine are ready, having been saddled
before. We will ride out, brother, into the clear field, and will
review our armies, as many brave men of Lithuania as there are with
us, but there are with us of the brave men of Lithuania seven thousand
mailed soldiers.”
Already there have arisen strong winds from the sea; they have wafted
a great cloud to the mouth of the Dnieper, against the Russian land;
bloody clouds have issued from it, and blue lightnings flash through
them. There will be a mighty din and thunder between the Don and the
Dnieper, and bodies of men will fall on the field of Kulikóvo, and
blood will flow on the river Nepryádva, for the carts have already
creaked between the Don and Dnieper, and the pagan Tartars march
against the Russian land. Grey wolves howl: they wish at the river
Mechá to invade the Russian land. Those are not grey wolves: the
infidel Tartars have come; they wish to cross the country in war, and
to conquer the Russian land. The geese have cackled and the swans have
flapped their wings,--pagan Mamáy has come against the Russian land and
has brought his generals....
What is that din and thunder so early before daybreak? Prince Vladímir
Andréevich has reviewed his army and is leading it to the great Don.
And he says to his brother, Grand Prince Dmítri Ivánovich: “Slacken
not, brother, against the pagan Tartars, for the infidels are already
in the Russian land, and are taking away our patrimony!”...
The falcons and gerfalcons have swiftly flown across the Don, and have
swooped down on the many flocks of swans: the Russian princes have
attacked the Tartar might, and they strike with their steel lances
against the Tartar armour; the tempered swords thunder against the
Tartar helmets on the field of Kulikóvo, on the river Nepryádva. Black
is the earth under the hoofs, but they had sowed the field with Tartar
bones, and the earth was watered with their blood, and mighty armies
passed by and trampled down hills and fields, and the rivers, springs
and lakes were turbid. They uttered mighty cries in the Russian land
... and they vanquished the Tartar horde on the field of Kulikóvo, on
the river Nepryádva.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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