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Beowulf

After these word the Weather-Geat prince
Dived into the Mere – he did not care
To wait for an answer – and the waves closed over
The daring man.  It was a day’s space almost
Before he could glimpse ground at the bottom
The grim and greedy guardian of the flood
Keeping her hungry hundred season watch

Discovered at once that one from above
A human, had sounded the home of the monsters.
She felt for the man and fastened upon him
Her terrible hooks; but no harm came thereby
To the hale body within – the harness so ringed him
That she could not drive her dire fingers
Through the mesh of the mail shirt masking his limbs

When she came to the bottom she bore him to her lair
The mere wolf, pinioning the mail-clad prince
Not all his courage could enable him
To draw his sword; but swarming through the water
Throngs of sea-beasts threw themselves upon him
With ripping tusks to tear his battle coat
Tormenting monsters

………………

[Beowulf kills the monster]

……

The survivor of his enemies’ onslaught in battle
Now set to swimming, and struck through the water;
Both the deep reaches and the rough wave swirl
Were thoroughly cleansed, now the creature from the otherworld
Drew breath no longer in this brief world’s space