Then I found that the king of the Elamites, Orlahomar, 1960
a pious leader, made an expedition: in aid of him Am-
brafel set forth from Sennar with a great multitude.
Four kings then set out with mighty power to seek 1965
Sodoma and Gomorra, southward from there. Then was
the country of the men by Iordan widely besieged by
warriors, the land [was surrounded] by foes. Many
a terrified pale-cheeked maiden would have to go trem- 1970
bling to the embrace of a stranger: the defenders of
the brides and rings would fall, weak with wounds.
Against them with warlike zeal five kings came forth 1975
from the south, with their armies, who wished to rid
the city of Sodoma of its foes: for twelve winters before
of necessity they had had to yield tribute and pay
indemnity to the men of the north, until the people
no longer would enrich the king of the Elamites with 1980
their own treasures, but revolted from him.
In rage the slaughter-hordes came together: the jav-
elins were loud; the dark fowl sang among the flying
weapons, the dewy-feathered [raven] looked for the slain. 1985
The warriors rushed on in cohorts with unfaltering cour-
age, until the nations' armies had come together widely,
from south and north, protected by their helmets. There
was bitter struggle, exchanges of deadly spears, great 1990
tumult of war, loud din of conflict. The heroes drew
from the sheath with their hands the ring-mailed sword,
keen of edge. Then was booty easy to find for the
chieftain who before this was not readily sated with 1995
battle! The northern men were fatal to the southern
men: the men of Sodoma and Gomorra, dispensers of
gold, were bereft of their dear allies at the shield-clash-
ing. They went forth from their homesteads to save 2000
themselves by flight; behind them the youths of the race
fell, slain by the sword, [and] their allies [were] cleft with
the edge. The leader of the army of the Elamites had 2005
victory in battle, was master of the battlefield. The
survivors of the weapons fled to seek fastnesses. The
enemy seized upon gold, robbed with devastation the
treasure-cities of the people, Sodoma and Gomorra. Then
misery requited the great strongholds; the maidens, 2010
wives, and widows, deprived of friends, departed from
their homesteads. The enemy led out with them from
the city of Sodoma, with their spoils, the kinsman of
Abraham.
We may now relate this true history further, as to
what was the fate of the war-wolves after the battle, 2015
who carried off Loth and the goods of the people, the
treasures of the southlanders, [and] exulted in victory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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