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SEPTEMBER, 1889.)
TAMIL HISTORICAL TEXTS..
263
(7) Elephants which looked like black rocks, when they entered the fight, resembled hills of red sand after the conflict, - in the field where the king of the country watered by the KAVört, in which the striped varál-fish (delight to) sport, killed his foes.
(8) Elephants, huddled one with another, and pierced on all sides by swiftly shot arrows, appeared like countless rocks with birds perched on them, - in the field where the lord of the land of the bounding waters, who owned thundering drums, killed those who slighted him.
(9) The feet of the horse-soldiers covered with leathern sandals and adorned with anklets, which were cut off by the warriors on foot, rolled in the flowing blood like blue sharks in the great ocean, — in the field where the lord of Punal-Nadu killed his enemies.
(10) The elephants, which, unable to bide the storm of numberless arrows flying on all sides, were in great distress, appeared like the famous red mountain (Mera), - in the field where the lord of Punal-Nadu slaughtered his enemies.
(11) The drums, abandoned by the weak in the thick of the fray, bathed in blood, and kicked by blinded elephants, resounded like thunder proceeding from dark-clouds, - in the field where the dauntless Chenkanmal destroyed his foes.
(12) Majestic elephants, shedding crimson blood, having been pierced by ceaseless arrows, appeared like rocks with red peaks, washed by rain, — in the field where the king of the country watered by the Kaveri, charged fiercely and killed those who would not be his friends.
(13) The trunks of elephants, lofty as mountains, which were cut down by warriors flourishing their bright and long swords, rolled on the ground like huge rocksnakes struck by lightning, - in the field where the young king, valiant in war, killed (his foes).
(14) The bright blood flowing from the maimed trunks of elephants, fell like strings of coral dropping from bags, - in the field where the lord of Punal-Nadu defeated the Kongas.
(15) The furious elephants having broken umbrellas and killed men wherever they charged, the scene appeared like the workshop of a carpenter, - in the field where the wrathful Cheňkanmal engaged in battle.
(16) Like tigers springing on rocks, columns of mailed steeds, ridden by veteran warriors, charged against the elephants which stood (motionless) unawed by the shouts of the horsemen, - in the field where the lord of Punal-Nadu slaughtered his rivals.
(17) Amid the battle-shouts the bright blood, shed by warriors who rushed on cach other, resembled the lights in the Karttikai feast, — in the field where the lord of the land of raging waters, who leads bannered hosts, killed his enemies with a loud shont.
(18) Corpses floated in the running blood like ships in the broad sen, in the field where the young king, who wears garlands of full-blown flowers (on his breast), and a sword and scabbard (at his waist), killed his enemies.
(19) Elephants, pierced by javeling which had entered deep between the tasks, appeared as if they had three tusks, - in the field where the lord of the land of waters killed his enemies.
(20) The eagles, flapping their extended wings, and feeding ravenously on the bleeding corpses, appeared like musicians beating their drums with both hands, in the field where the lord of Punal-Nadu killed those who opposed him.
(21) Pierced in the chest by rows of javelins, and sorely wounded by waves of arrows, helpless, faint, and weary, the elephants sank on the ground like falling rocks, - in the field where the wrathful Chenkapmal engaged in battle.
(22) The massive trunks of elephants, whose foreheads are wrinkled, cut off by undaunted swordsmen, lying on the ground alongside of the ambrellas, appeared like serpents licking the full-moon, in the field where the lord of the land of surging floods, possessing thundering drums, killed those who would not be reconciled.
