Thee Dreddlyn stalkes all forystes of oakes;
Borne was he of oaken tre,
and clergial of his ancestrel erthe,
An auncient barde of fayre Mona,
Thee mothyre ysle his playce of burthe.
Slayneth amonge hys kyn by thee handes of slayvesh horddes,
a layke of Druwyds blod layft uppon thee drakon’s lande,
Wyped from thee erthe was he;
Layde to ruyne by thee shyelde and thee sworde.
Bvt thro’ hys wylleth to seyke revennge,
He caymeth bak agayn in feendli fourme,
To trede uppon thee fayce of grene and bloded erthe,
and drawe hys blakend crafte from thee breken oaken henge.
Halfe man, halfe oak tre and drypping wythe mvd,
Shroweded wythe thee raggs of erthen bane,
hys fayce a blak pool of shaddow,
hys hoode drawneth in awken venegence.
Wyth fyngeres as sharpe styckes,
theye crawleth thro’ thee forystes,
seekyng thee cheldren of thee ones who didst slayeth hym and hys fellowwes,
denyde theyr ryghte to walketh on thee erthe,
He claymes theyr soules as payement.
Thee woodes hys domayne,
whene a chylde be loste,
Thee Dreddlyn wyll tayke them,
and wythe hys sharpe woodyrne clawwes,
That cracketh thee wynters skye;
He seepeth insyde theyr skyns.
He filleth them wyth thee coulde wett erthe,
Drowwnyng them in mvd from insydes to owte.
Ofteyn sene is he wythe thee fayce of som wylde and hayerles mare,
and lyvyde fyre of redde wythyn hys eyse,
and fanges wyth whych to tayre thee flessh;
Thee Dreddlyn bellowes withe thee awroken mouthes of counteless sloughtered yonge.
