his army and attacked David at Maratuk. He met on the march seven women, and said to them, “Sing and dance until I return,” and they answered: “Why shall we dance and sing? We know not what we should say.”
And Holbaschi sang for them:
“May the little women busy themselves grinding corn;
May the stout women help with the camel-loading;
For Holbaschi carries grim war to Sassun.
Strong yoke-oxen and red milch-cows he’ll bring back
In the springtime; butter and Tochorton
Will be plentiful in the Land of Mösr.”
Holbaschi saw the women begin dancing and singing, and started his host again and went to Maratuk and entered its gates. The daughter of the priest of Maratuk had often glanced slyly at David, and he was not indifferent to her. The priest’s daughter went to David and said: “David, I am ready to die for you! Arise and see how many warriors are congregated in the courtyard.”
When she had spoken she went out and closed all the gates from without. David stretched himself and cried: “Bread and wine, the Lord liveth!” and began to knock off the heads of the men of war. He beheaded them so that the bodies flew over the walls and the heads remained lying in the court. And he laid hold of Holbaschi, and tore out his teeth and drove them into his brow like nails. And he bent his lance till it curved like a dog’s collar and put it around his neck. "Now,” he said, “take yourself off and tell all to Mösramelik. If people still remain in his country let him herd them together before I come.”
Holbaschi met the women a second time, and they were singing and dancing. And one of them sang:
“Holbaschi, dear Holbaschi, went hence like a cruel wolf.
Why come you back to us like a hunting dog?
Your lance lies on your neck like a dog's collar,
Thy mouth gapes like an open window,
And slime flows out like curdled milk from a skin;[1]
And whole caravans of flies buzz round it.”
- ↑ In Armenia, as is usual in the East, they make butter out of curdled milk; and for this reason the vessel is always covered with scum.
