But when they were all jingling and clashing on together, the dust arising from the sun-dried turf, the earth shaking with the thunder of the horse-hoofs, then the heart of the long-hoary one stirred within him as he bethought him of the days of his youth, and to his old nostrils came the smell of the horses and the savour of the sweat of warriors riding close together knee to knee adown the meadow.  So he lifted up his voice and sang: 

      “Rideth lovely along
      The strong by the strong;
      Soft under his breath
      Singeth sword in the sheath,
      And shield babbleth oft
      Unto helm-crest aloft;
   How soon shall their words rise mid wrath of the battle
   Into wrangle unheeded of clanging and rattle,
   And no man shall note then the gold on the sword
   When the runes have no meaning, the mouth-cry no word,
   When all mingled together, the war-sea of men
   Shall toss up the steel-spray round fourscore and ten.

      “Now as maids burn the weed
      Betwixt acre and mead,
      So the Bearings’ Roof
      Burneth little aloof,
      And red gloweth the hall
      Betwixt wall and fair wall,
   Where often the mead-sea we sipped in old days,
   When our feet were a-weary with wending the ways;
   When the love of the lovely at even was born,
   And our hands felt fair hands as they fell on the horn. 
   There round about standeth the ring of the foe
   Tossing babes on their spears like the weeds o’er the low.

      “Ride, ride then! nor spare
      The red steeds as ye fare! 
      Yet if daylight shall fail,
      By the fire-light of bale
      Shall we see the bleared eyes
      Of the war-learned, the wise. 
   In the acre of battle the work is to win,
   Let us live by the labour, sheaf-smiting therein;
   And as oft o’er the sickle we sang in time past
   When the crake that long mocked us fled light at the last,
   So sing o’er the sword, and the sword-hardened hand
   Bearing down to the reaping the wrath of the land.”

So he sang; and a great shout went up from his kindred and those around him, and it was taken up all along the host, though many knew not why they shouted, and the whole host quickened its pace, and went a great trot over the smooth meadow.

So in no long while were they come over against the stead of the Erings, and thereabouts were no beasts afield, and no women, for all the neat were driven into the garth of the House; but all they who were not war-fit were standing without doors looking down the Mark towards the reek of the Bearing dwellings, and these also sent a cry of welcome toward the host of their kindred.  But along the river-bank came to meet the host an armed band of two old men, two youths who were their sons, and twelve thralls who were armed with long spears; and all these were a-horseback:  so they fell in with their kindred and the host made no stay for them, but pressed on over-running the meadow.  And still went up that column of smoke, and thicker and blacker it grew a-top, and ruddier amidmost.