The author introduces the poem
Hwo becasts bookcraftie bodewyrds
yn hwat delirancie? I, dighter, daedallize,
bedlamlie brimfill a bokeful
ynkhornie wyth imazen ynkle eloquens,
& gaudie wyth graven grandamschip
farfetchand fustian
on liplaboryous lynes
to yngyne yow yn ynfanglements
trist & tirful, bycause tonicht
schall we mackle mawmisch mounsters.
of Rothead and Rawbone.
I, babelyng blurpaper, bruterer,
candelwayster, wever of watir, paraph
of Rothead & ricketisch Rawbone
hwo samenlie slurged yn spelunks
& brimstonie smods, snakird thurgh
quavemires quavirlie quibiblyng
moonifien & malgracyous muttiratiouns.
Herken now hythirward & here thys.
Of the birth of Rothead.
Bellyall her bermothir burged,
ofkend sche an ophic oxpryng.
Sche spermd a sootirkyn, a scareflie.
Thys thwarterous Rothead was, thurse
& ornen lich an orbel orchant.
Lythirlie thys lyndwyrm lankd ynto
an etenisch evilwyller, an eatflesch,
a fienden firedrake hwich fould the eyr.
Rothead's childhood.
Als a childlyng, chameleous & chymericall,
freckend als the fell of a frosk,
despytouslie yt dehuskt dewsnayls
& scweeged stroups of swannets.
Yt be came a bellyful bloodsupper,
a noyful nightcrawler, a gnatsnapper.
Bellyall bandond hir burthen & flewgh.
It grows into a fiend.
But broodlie yt biggend ynto
a sluglie sarcophage, a snaklyng,
a flaysome fanger & fiendscath
hwich bendlie dyd beghost beastlyngs.
Yn theyr swother yt smotherlie swenced folk,
manslew mennen of middlerd,
dyd pulver & pasch theim to planetkyns
& unboweld undermen unseenlie.
Rothead's depradations.
Nightern coom thys nythful necrophage.
Pirplexful & pyneful pirsowns
woundird hwy the wastum was wyrmate
& none cnew, nor nurnd
hwat welkd theim ynto hwatkyns
broodlie wyth babylonicall blakartschip.
Of Ofmach, his strength.
Farborn & frim was Ofmach, a fearnothyng
& heih headlyng of healeths,
a warelich waplyng & wyrldthane
& bremest bern yn brethiryndom
hwich evir sturdelie steed bestrid.
A treeleggen tangler yn tirpells,
hys thyghs weor thike als a thurse.
and appearance.
Thys dreng was a derf drightman,
hys legs lapt in stell with luflych greves.
Abowt hys knees knagged weor cnots of guold;
the least lacket or loup was lemed
that glyterd & glent als glem of sun.
Of Ofmach's sweetheart Nonia.
Hys mullyn was a mildhearten magden,
a swallowfoot sweetkyn wyth sumerfolds.
Hir nome was Nonia of no compeer,
for bel & brith als a budlyng was sche,
a lovelich ladie in linnen yclothed.
Her beauty.
Glisiand als goldwire growd hir hayr,
hir fyngers unfeld fetis nayls.
Hir likand leggs weor lieflich.
Ful milchie hir midred, & malmisch.
Hwit was her hlihhen
& wynlustie hyr wundenlocks.
How they met.
Hwen bryth blosmes bred abrod
yn primtime thys pearleyen poplollie
to hys castel came. He crazed
& flatlong ynto hir frow arums he feol.
He hwettend for wedhood & wilnd
to beld & byde yn blyss
& wynlich wifehead wyth hir, sche
hys quene & cwemeful compagnioun,
for the cherubycall chuckabie was chyldgreat.
Yn hir milken matrice a mawmet was,
for thei wifthynged wythouten wed.
Their wooing foreshadowed.
But thys brithtime was nat to be.
Their wowyng was wythschadowd
by Rothead yts strang & stearc stynch.
Hys lofsong had not leaft hys lyps hwen
maladized was the maplefacen maydchild,
sepulchrized snayklie by a sarcophage.
She is slain by Rothead
Grislich was thys guiler als yt glod
fleschward thurgh the fenlich fleam.
Snick & snee goed the snakke.
Als sche bathed byside a bonk,
he swarled hir swalterand yn the strime.
Sche schrighted a schudderful schirl & Rothead
chaumed hir chalkhwyte channelbone,
bequasht hir to boneflowr, befong hir,
& forswallowed hir ynto hys wide womb.
who leaves only a lock of her hair.
Ofmach hys derwyrth dillydown was dissoulen.
The sarpent smord hir till he saden,
beslorkt hir bilehwit bloud & onely
an eavesyng of hayr leaft the etenisch eatflesch.
Ofmach seeks her in vain.
Hwen Ofmach heared, howful
he daunseld thys wandreme lovedrurie
& engeald etermynabel eyebryne.
He besought her bethurgh all byeways
& calloo, calloo, carrolld he, but all
to noght for lackaday sche long losen was.
For a year he roams & grieves.
In somer as the soft sun sated
he singen a soful song
hwich went O welawa, welawa o
hwere is sche to wash with my wopeshrings?
Thus the yere yirnd in yisterdays als
mong hylls & holtwoods he searcht
mong men hwich on this mold libben.
He swears vengeance.
Veterate he vowd veniance.
Hys eadnes cum to eathlich easles,
hys scrithel selth sepulted,
asunder & aburst weor hys aspyrements.