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