Then he plunged in their midst, and such havoc he wrought in the Hunnish horde,
That they shrank before him, and dared not close in the strife of the sword;
But they hurled their spears, till so thickly did the shafts in his buckler stand
That the weight thereof constrained him to cast it away from his hand.
Then thought they to overbear him, that one man shieldless left.
Ha! but he hewed two-handed, and through helmet and brain he cleft.
Before him many a brave man went reeling and staggering back.
High praise and renown bold Dankwart won in the battle-wrack.
Then leapt his adversaries upon him to left and to right:—
Ha! but of these full many too hastily came to the fight!