Dawn.
Thus yn darkhood the drightmen dredden
till at ughten an underwynd uprose
& budbyrds bewoke yn beardtrees,
the donkand dew draped of leves,
& fenfyres flut.
Rothead appears.
Thei heared a huscht hove thurgh
the grimful gryndle als Rothead grobbed,
hwuffyng lyke a hweyblooden hwimlyng
a wylfen, a wilder or an aelwiht,
a gigant, a gorge, a hellgast.
They see it breathe.
Behield thei yts beasten blead.
Yts swoty snuffers sweald
as yt snufted & smeld & smired.
Yt gnasted gogmagogytall golls
& toclatterd yts twaytoothen tutel
as gramelie the gagril toweard theim glod.
It sees them.
Allatonce agrose the astonyng wyrm.
Sighlentlie yt slithed & swole.
Yts pizzel paggled pulpilie als
serpentlich yt slipperd screwways
& cwark, cwark yt uglie quod.
It advances upon them.
Hard & hask als hundfisch
wyth writhlich wrizzlen wrats
& foul flesch yn foreteeth
yt clove asundir clowds of cley
& yts horie loom heng hyndlong.
Mooncow flees.
Yn a swime to sen the spitpoyson
Mooncow bived & blutherd bawways.
Cowherdlie he cwekt & crang
then arghlie awaped arselyng
elsehwither, hys eddres embladderd.
Of Ofmach's armour.
Uplie Ofmach unyarked hys umbrere,
hys chaul & hys chyn wyth chayns bond.
Bedight he was wyth breastlet & badelar.
The glisch on hys graith dyd gloze
& truelie to tel he trimbeld for dred.
He unsheathes his sword
Hondled he hardlie hys
helve
& husked the hornen handel.
Begirden wyth a barben bistourie
impen wyth herd yren & harnischt hys
cnife he cnotcht yn cnightweed.
and fights Rothead.
Then fierced the funestall foemates.
Ofmach hys gomegraith glentyng
he foind hys fist wyth the sweord forn
but the wyver waived & wered
& uplie areard yts atteren anleth.
