Steel against steel, as lightning swift,
With lances firm in rest.
The Frankish king sat on his throne,
’Mid lords of high degree,
To watch the fight. “Hold firm,” he said,
“Black Raven of the Sea!
Courage! hold firm, thou Raven bold,
And plume this merle for me.”
Then, as the tempest breaks upon
The corsair, so the Moor,
With furious might and giant weight,
Down upon Lez-Breiz bore;
His lance in thousand splinters flew,
And, with one mighty bound,
Unhorsed by that dread shock, he fell
And rolled upon the ground.
And when they found themselves afoot,
Then each, with all his might,
Fell on the other furiously
In close and deadly fight.