y his ships, commanded King Harald the
war-blast to be sounded, and after this was done, rowed his men ahead.
Stein Herdason saith:

'Before the river's mouth, damage did Harald Svein.
Hard withstanding made he; Harald asked not for peace.
The King's sword-swinging lads forward off Halland rowed,
And yonder on the sea caused wounds with blood to stream.'

|| Then did either side join combat, and the struggle waxed very fierce.
Either King lustily cheered on his men, as saith Stein Herdason:

'Eager for war the good shield-bearers bade their lads
To shoot and hew (but short the space was 'twixt the hosts).
Both stones & arrows streamed when the sword shook from it,
The light blood, depriving of life the men of either host.'

|| It was late in the day when battle was joined and the combatants
fought the whole night; King Harald himself shot for long with his bow.
Thiodolf saith thus:

'Elm-bow did the Upland
King draw all the night;
Shrewd ruler of the land sent
Arrows 'gainst the white shields;
Barbs bloody harmed the peasants,
And the King's arrows
Fast in the shields did lodge
(The spear-shots grew apace).'

|| Earl Hakon & the men of his company did not lash their ships together,
but rowed against the Danish keels that were faring loose, and every
ship that they grappled did they clear. When the Danes noted this same
did every man move his ship away from the spot whither the Earl was
faring, but went he after them even as they withdrew, and wellnigh to
fleeing were they.

But then came a boat rowing towards the Earl's ship, and those in it
shouted & said that the other arm of ye battle array of King Harald had
given way, and that many of their men had fallen there, so then rowed
the Earl away thither and fierce was his onset, so that the Danes again
caused their ships to fall astern. Thus did the Earl fare the whole of
that night, rowing round outside the combatants, and laying about him
wheresoever it was required; & whithersoever he went he was in no
fashion to be withstood.

During the waning part of the night was there a general fight among the
Danes; this was after King Harald & his band had boarded the own ship to
King Svein, and so utterly cleared it that all his men were slain save
and except those that leapt into the sea. Thus saith Arnor Earl's-skald:

'Svein courageous went not from off his ship
Without good cause (that is my mind);
Hard was the fi