220
Forthright let fly showers of arrows,
Of battle-adders, out from the horn-bows,
Of strongly-made shafts; stormed they aloud,
The cruel warriors, sent forth their spears
Among the brave; the heroes were angry, 225
The dwellers-in-land, with the loathed race;
The stern-minded stepped, the stout-in-heart,
Rudely awakened their ancient foes
Weary from mead; with hands drew forth
The men from the sheaths the brightly-marked swords 230
Most choice in their edges, eagerly struck
Of the [host of] Assyrians the battle-warriors,
The hostile-minded; not one they spared
Of the army-folk, nor low nor high
Of living men, whom they might subdue. 235

[1] 'Thank-worthy,' Kr.

XII.

Thus then the thanes in the morning-hours
Pressed on the strangers unceasingly,
Until they perceived, those who were hostile,
The army-folk's chiefest leaders,
That upon them sword-strokes mighty bestowed 240
The Hebrew men. They that in words
To their most noted chiefs of the people
Went to announce, waked helmeted warriors
And to them with fear the dread news told,
To the weary-from-mead the morning-terror, 245
The hateful sword-play. Then learnt I that quickly
The slaughter-fated men aroused from sleep
And to the baleful's sleeping-bower
The saddened[1] men pressed on in crowds,
To Holofernes: they only were thinking 250
To their own lord to make known the fight,
Ere terror on him should take its seat,
The might of the Hebrews. They all imagined
That the prince of men and the handsome maid
In the beautiful tent were [still] together, 255
Judith the noble and the lustful one,
Dreadful and fierce; though no earl there was
Who the warrior durst [then] awake,
Or durst discover how the helmeted warrior
With the holy maid had passed his time, 260
The Creator's handmaid. The force approached,
The folk of the Hebrews, courageously fought
With hard battle-arms, fiercely repaid
Their former fights with shining[2] swords,
The old-time grudge; was of the Assyrians 265
By that day's work the glory diminished,
The pride brought low. The warriors stood
'Round their prince's tent strongly excited,
Gloomy in mind. They then all together
Began to groan,[3] to cry aloud