Page:The Queens Court Manuscript with Other Ancient Bohemian Poems, 1852, Cambridge edition.djvu/45

Soon came the woeful news abroad,
To arms all nations flew,
Four mighty armies did they raise,
The death-fight to renew.
On their right wing the Tatars rush’d,
And hurl’d themselves with might,
As a black cloud, that threats with hail
The fruitful fields to smite,
E’en so was heard the Tatar foe,
Thick swarming for the fight.

With speed do the Hungarians
Collect in companies,
With speed they arm themselves, and go
To meet their enemies.
But all in vain their courage was,
Vain all their manliness,
All, all in vain their efforts brave;
Upon their centre press
The Tatars, break their ranks, and all
Their num’rous host doth flee;
The Tatars all things devastate,
That in the land there be.

All hope the Christians doth forsake,
Had been such sorrow never;

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