Classic Poem

. . . . was broken.
He bade a warrior abandon his horse
And hurry forward to join the fighters,
Take thought to his hands and a stout heart.
Then Offa's kinsmen knew that the eorl
Would never suffer weakness or fear;
And he let from hand his beloved hawk
Fly to the forest, and made haste to the front;
By which one could know the lad would never
Weaken in war when he seized a sword.
Eadric also stood by his lord,
His prince, in the battle; forward he bore
His spear to the fight; he had firm resolve
While he could hold in hard hand-grip
Broad sword and buckler; he made good his boast
That he would battle beside his lord.
Byrhtnoth began to hearten his fighters;
He rode and gave counsel, instructing the men
How they should stand and defend the spot.
He bade that they hold their bucklers aright
Firm in their hands, and be not afraid.
When he had fairly mustered the folk
He lighted down where it liked him well,
Where he knew his retainers were truest and best.
Then stood on the strand and boldly shouted
The Viking herald, boastfully hurled
To the eorl on the shore the shipmen's message:
"These dauntless seamen have sent me to you,
Bade me say you must quickly send
Riches for ransom; better for you
That you buy off with tribute a battle of spears
Than that we should wage hard war against you.
Nor need we waste strength if you will consent;
But we for the gold will confirm a peace.
If you will agree, who are greatest here,
To ransom your people and promise to pay
On their own terms unto the shipmen
Gold for goodwill, and have peace at our hands,
We with the treasure will take to our ships,
Put to sea, and observe the peace."
Byrhtnoth addressed him; brandished his shield;
Shook pliant ash-spear; speaking with words
Enraged and resolute, gave him answer:
"Hear you, sea-rover, what my people say?
The tribute they'll send you is tribute of spears,
Ancient sword-edge and poisoned point,
Weapons availing you little in war!
Pirate messenger, publish this answer,
Proclaim to your people tidings more grim:
Here stands no ignoble eorl with his army
Guarding my lord AEthelred's country and coast,
His land and his folk. The heathen shall fall
In the clash of battle. Too shameful it seems
That you with our tribute should take to your ships
Unfought, when thus far you've invaded our land.
You shall not so easily take our treasure,
But sword-edge and spear-point first shall decide,
The grim play of battle, ere tribute is granted."
Then he bade bear buckler, warriors advance
And form their ranks on the river's edge;
Not yet, for the tide, could either attack.
The flood-tide was flowing after the ebb,
And the currents locked. Too long it seemed
Till men to battle might bear their spears.
Near Panta River in proud array
Stood the East Saxon host and the Viking horde;
Nor could either army do harm to the other
Except who through arrow-flight found his death.
Then the flood-tide ebbed; the raiders stood ready,
The pirate army eager for war.
The lord commanded a war-hardened man
To defend the ford, Wulfstan his name,
Brave among kinsmen, Ceola's son.
He wounded with weapon the foremost man
Who first there fiercely set foot on the ford.
At Wulfstan's shoulder stood fearless fighters,
AElfere and Maccus, a mighty pair.
Never would such take flight at the ford!
But they bravely defended against the foe
What time they were able to wield their weapons.
When the pirates perceived and clearly saw
That they had been met by bitter bridge-wardens,
The Viking shipmen began to dissemble,
Asked for permission to make approach,
To fare over ford and take their troops.
It was then the eorl disdainfully granted
Too much ground to the hostile host.
Across cold water Byrhthelm's son
Shouted reply, and the shipmen hearkened:
"Now way is made open, come quickly to us,
Warriors to the onset; God only knows
Who shall hold sway on the field of slaughter."
The war-wolves advanced, heeded not water,
West across Panta; the Viking host
Over shining water carried their shields.
Among his warriors Byrhtnoth stood bold
Against the grim foe; bade form with shields
The war-hedge for battle, hold firm the folk
Against the foemen. Then fighting was near,
Honor in battle. The hour was come
Doomed men must fall. A din arose.
Raven and eagle were eager for carnage;
There was uproar on earth. Men let from their hands
File-hard darts and sharp spears fly.
Bows were busy, shield stopped point,
Bitter was the battle-rush. Warriors fell
In both the armies. Young men lay dead.
Wulfmaer was wounded; Byrhtnoth's kin,
His sister's son, was savagely butchered
Choosing the slaughter-bed, slain with the sword.
Then to the seamen requital was made.
I have heard that Eadweard slew one with sword,
Withheld not the blow; the fated fighter
Fell at his feet. And for that the prince
Thanked his retainer when later was time.
So resisted the stout of heart,
Young men in battle; boldly strove
Who first with spear, warrior with weapon,
Could visit death on life that was doomed.
There was slaughter on earth; steadfast they stood,
And Byrhtnoth heartened them, bidding each man
Take thought to the war who would win from the Danes.
The battle-hard brandished his weapon for war,
His shield for defense, and stormed at the foe;
Even so bold went eorl against churl.
Both purposed evil, each for the other.
Then the shipman cast a southern spear
And the lord of warriors suffered a wound.
He thrust with his shield so the shaft was shattered,
The lance was broken, the parts fell back.
The prince was angered; he stung with his spear
The arrogant Viking who gave him the wound.
He fought with skill driving his dart
Through the pirate's throat; he thrust with hand
So he touched the life of the savage foe.
Then most quickly he cast another
And the byrny burst. He was wounded in breast
Through his woven mail, and the poisoned point
Bit at his heart. The eorl was the blither;
The proud man laughed, gave thanks to God
For that day's work which the Lord had granted.
But one of the shipmen hurled from his hand
A flying spear; and the speeding dart
Pierced through AEthelred's princely thane.
A stripling lad stood at his shoulder,
A boy in the battle, who bravely drew
The bloody spear from the warrior's side,
Wulmaer the youthful, Wulfstan's son.
Back he hurled the battle-hard dart;
The point pierced in and he sank to earth
Whose hand had given the grievous hurt.
Then a pirate warrior went to the eorl;
Soon would he seize his jewels and gems,
His armor of rings, and his well-wrought sword.
But Byrhtnoth snatched his sword from the sheath,
Broad and brown-edged, and struck at his byrny.
Too speedily one of the shipmen hindered,
Striking aside the arm of the eorl;
And the gold-hilted sword fell to the ground,
Nor might he hold longer the hard blade,
Or wield his weapon. Once more he spoke;
The aged ruler rallied his men,
Bade them go forward and bear them well.
No more could he stand firm on his feet,
But he looked to heaven. . . .
"I give Thee thanks, O God of men,
For all the joys I have had on earth.
O Lord of mercy, I have most need
That now Thou wilt grant me good to my soul,
That my spirit may come into Thy kingdom,
O Prince of angels, departing in peace
Into Thy power. To Thee I pray
No fiend of hell may have hold upon me."
Then the heathen scoundrels hacked him down
And both the fighters who stood at his side.
AElfnoth and Wulmaer both were fallen;
They laid down their lives beside their lord.
Then fled from the battle who feared to be there:
The sons of Odda were first in flight,
Godric from battle, leaving his lord
Who had given him many a goodly steed;
He leaped on the horse that belonged to his leader,
Rode in the trappings that were not his right,
And his brothers with him both galloped off.
Godrinc and Godwig recked not of war,
But turned from the fighting, took to the wood,
Fled to the fastness, and saved their lives;
And more of men than was any way right
If they had remembered the many gifts
Their lord had given them to their good.
As Offa once said, at an earlier time
In the meeting-place when he held assembly,
That many were there making brave boasts
Who would never hold out in the hour of need.
Then was fallen the lord of the folk,
AEthelred's eorl; and his hearth-companions
All beheld that their lord lay dead.
Forward they pressed, the proud retainers,
Fiercely charged those fearless thanes.
Each of them wished one thing of two:
To avenge his leader or lose his life.
AElfric's son spurred them to battle,
A warrior young; in words that were bold
AElfwine spoke, undaunted of spirit:
"Take thought of the times when we talked at mead,
Seated on benches making our boasts,
Warriors in hall, concerning hard battle.
Now comes the test who truly is bold!
I purpose to prove my lineage to all mean:
That in Mercia I come of a mighty clan;
Ealhelm the name of my aged father,
A powerful ealdorman wealthy and wise.
None shall reproach me among that people
That I was willing to slink from the strife,
Hastening home when my lord lies dead,
Slain in the battle. Of all disasters
That to me is the greatest of griefs,
For he was my kinsman; he was my lord."
Then he dashed forward, took thought of the feud;
One of the shipmen he stabbed with spear
Among the folk, and he fell to earth
Slain with weapon. He encouraged his comrades,
Friends and companions to press to the front.
Offa spoke and brandished his ash-spear:
"Now hast thou, AElfwine, heartened us all
In the hour of need. Now our lord lies dead,
Our eorl on earth, there is need that we all,
Each of us here embolden the others,
Warriors to combat, while hand may bear
Good sword and spear, and hold hard blade.
This sneaking Godric, Odda's son,
Has betrayed us all; for when he rode off
Sitting on horse, on our lord's proud steed,
Many men weened that it was our lord.
On the field of fate now the folk is divided,
The shield-hedge is shattered; cursed be his deed
That he caused so many to flee from the fight."
Leofsunu spoke, lifted his buckler,
His board for protection, making his boast:
"I promise you here I will never turn hence
Or flee one foot, but I'll fight in the front,
In the bitter strife, and avenge my lord.
Steadfast warriors by the River Stour
Shall never have need of words to reproach me,
Now my lord is fallen, that lordless I fled,
Turned back from the battle and went to my home;
But weapon shall take me, sword-edge and spear."
Then in rage he rushed to the fighting
Despising to flee.
Dunnere shook spear,
The aged churl, called out to them all,
Bidding take vengeance for Byrhtnoth's fall:
"He may not weaken who thinks to avenge
His lord on this folk, nor fear for his life."
Then they rushed forward, recked not of life,
Household-retainers fierce in the fight,
Bitter spear-bearers beseeching God
They might work revenge for their friendly lord
In death and destruction upon the foe.
Then a hostage began to give them help,
Of Northumbrian race and hardy kin,
A son of Ecglaf, AEscferth his name.
He wavered not in the midst of the war-play
But forward pressed to the arrow-flight,
Now shooting on shield, now piercing a shipman,
But oft and often dealing a wound,
While he could wield his weapon in war.
In front line still stood Eadweard the long,
Skillful and eager; he spoke his boast:
That he would not flee foot-measure of ground
Nor turn from the battle where his better lay dead.
He shattered the shield-wall and fought with the Danes.
Upon the shipmen he stoutly avenged
His gracious lord ere he sank in the slaughter.
So did AEtheric, excellent comrade,
Sibyrht's brother; he boldly strove
Eager and ready; and many another
Stood their ground and shattered the shields.
Bucklers broke, and byrnies sang
A song of terror. Then Offa smote
One of the shipmen and laid him low;
But Gadd's kinsman also fell in the fight.
Quickly in battle was Offa cut down.
But he had performed what he promised his lord,
When he made his boast to his bracelet-bestower,
That both unharmed they would ride to the borough,
Back to their homes, or fall in the fight
And perish of wounds in the place of slaughter.
Thane-like he lay beside his lord.
Then was breaking of bucklers, shipmen advanced
Bold to the battle; sharp spears pierced
Life-house of doomed men. Wistan hastened,
Thurstan's son, and strove with the Danes.
Three he slew in the stress of battle
Ere Wiglin's son was slain in the war.
The strife was stern warriors were steadfast,
Bold in battle; fighters fell
Weary with wounds. Death covered earth.
Oswold and Ealdwald all the while,
Both the brothers, marshalled their men;
Bade friend and kinsman endure in combat
And never weaken, but wield the sword.
Byrhtwold encouraged them, brandishing buckler,
Aged companion shaking ash-spear;
Stout were the words he spoke to his men:
"Heart must be braver, courage the bolder,
Mood the stouter as our strength grows less!
Here on the ground my good lord lies
Gory with wounds. Always will he regret it
Who now from this battle thinks to turn back.
I am old in years; I will never yield,
But here at the last beside my lord,
By the leader I love I think to lie."
And Godric to battle heartened them all;
AEthelgar's son hurled many a spear
At the Viking horde. First in the front
He hacked and hewed till he fell in the slaughter.
He was not the Godric who fled from the fight. . . .