The Cripples' Shield-Wall

Consider the plight of the one-legged knight
As he braces his crutch with his sheild
He'll stand still and wait till you come for the bait
Then you'll find that the bastard won't yield

Do you knock his one leg down? There's still no relief
He'll crawl down the field with a sword in his teeth
And the reach of his sword arm defies all belief
When he fights in the cripples' shield-wall

Beware the old dame who's arthritic and lame
So knee-sprung she barely can stand
For her hands and her eyes are still steady and spry
She's the best crossbow shot in the land

With a repeating crossbow and war arrow blade
She can pierce any armor that's ever been made
Be glad she's not drawn to the high women's trade
She just fights in the cripples' shield-wall

No profit you'll find from the knight who is blind
He can hear you twelve paces away
He'll listen offhand till he's sure where you stand
Then his billhook reaps far more than hay

He can fight in the forest, the river, the plain
With his hearing unhampered by dark, fog, or rain
He must know his ground but he'll sure bring you pain
As he fights in the cripples' shield-wall

Pray, do not go near the knight who can't hear
Though he can't tell command calls at all
He reads signs from his friends and his post he defends
With a lightning-fast seven foot maul

They say when it's whirling it raises a breeze
And the head on its chain has been known to break trees
So when he starts swinging, the prudent man flees
Where he fights in the cripples' shield-wall

Watch out in the fight for the cripple-armed knight
Whose hand can't swing up, only down
For he'll watch through the dance till he spies a good chance
Then his downstroke will cost you your crown

His shield arm will raise up his sword arm and then
He'll watch for a chance with his downstroke again
You know that he'll strike but you never know when
And he fights in the cripples' shield-wall

Beware, I implore, all ye masters of war
Who prefer to draft healthy young boys
For the blind, halt, and lame can be good at this game
When well-placed defending the toys

They've learned their art well and they strike hard and true
If they've something to prove then they'll prove it on you
The last line on Earth that you'd want to drive through
You can swear is the cripples' shield-wall
Beware of the cripples' shield-wall