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authors of the old Northern ballads, he embellishes his
poems by descriptions of many battles which he has
seen or in which he has participated; for example : —
“The Russians fenced round the wide field with their
purple-colored shields, sought honor for themselves and
glory for their princes. At daybreak on Friday, they
crushed the heathen host of the Polovtsians under their
feet, carried the beautiful Polovtsian girls away with
them, and with them gold and veils and costly velvet
garments. With the ribbons and capes and furs and
finery of all sorts they began to build bridges over pools
and swamps. But the red standards, the white banners,
and the spears with the silver points fell to the lot of
the brave Sviatoslavitch.”
Or read the description of the battle on the following
day : —
“On the next day the blood-red light very early
heralded the dawn. Black clouds swept in from the
sea; they would cover the four suns [the four Russian
leaders of the army], and the blue lightning trembled
in them. There was heavy thunder. The arrows flew
like rain from the great Don. Then the spears were
splintered; then the swords struck against the helmets
of the Polovtsians by the river, by Kayála, near the
great Don. O Russian land! thou art still protected.
But behold the winds, Stribog’s offspring; they blow a
sea of arrows against Igor’s brave warriors. The earth
trembles; sadly flow the rivers; the field is covered
with dust; the banners rustle; the Polovtsians come
from the Don and from the sea, and from all sides
surround the Russian army; the children of the devil
beset the shrieking battle-field; still the brave Russians
enclose it with their purple-colored shields.”
But the pearl of the poem is Yaroslávna’s lamentation
and Igor’s flight.
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