seized a small sword and fought like a lion in earnest, like a tiger
rushing, like a bird swooping. He fought so cleverly that he felled the
thirteen who opposed him; many were wounded besides. They fled without
swords or arrows. Then Kumasaka said, 'Are you the devil? Is it a god who
has struck down these men with such ease? Perhaps you are not a man.
However, dead men take no plunder, and I'd rather leave this truck of
Yoshitsugu's than my corpse.' So he took his long spear and was about to
make off.

KUMASAKA
--But Kumasaka thought--

CHORUS (taking it up)
What can he do, that young chap, if I ply my secret arts freely? Be he
god or devil, I will grasp him and grind him. I will offer his body as
sacrifice to those whom he has slain. So he drew back, and holding
his long spear against his side he hid himself behind the door and stared
at the young lad. Ushiwaka beheld him, and holding his sword at his side
he crouched at a little distance. Kumasaka waited likewise. They both
waited, alertly; then Kumasaka stepped forth swiftly with his left foot,
and struck out with the long spear. It would have run through an iron
wall. Ushiwaka parried it lightly, swept it away, left volted. Kumasaka
followed and again lunged out with the spear, and Ushiwaka parried
the spear-blade quite lightly. Then Kumasaka turned the edge of his
spear-blade towards Ushiwaka and slashed at him, and Ushiwaka leaped to
the right. Kumasaka lifted his spear and the two weapons were twisted
together. Ushiwaka drew back his blade. Kumasaka swung with his spear.
Ushiwaka led up and stepped into shadow.

Kumasaka tried to find him, and Ushiwaka slit through the back-chink of