1 * Can you catch a sea monster*

by using a fishhook?

Can you tie its mouth shut

with a rope?

2 Can it be led around

by a ring in its nose

or a hook in its jaw?

3 Will it beg for mercy?

4 Will it surrender

as a slave for life?

5 Can it be tied by the leg

like a pet bird

for little girls?

6 Is it ever chopped up

and its pieces bargained for

in the fish-market?

7 Can it be killed

with harpoons or spears?

8 Wrestle it just once—

that will be the end.

9 Merely a glimpse of this monster

makes all courage melt.

10 And if it is too fierce

for anyone to attack,

who would dare oppose me?

11 I am in command of the world

and in debt to no one.

12 What powerful legs,

what a stout body

this monster possesses!

13 Who could strip off its armor

or bring it under control

with a harness?

14 Who would try to open its jaws,

full of fearsome teeth?

* 15 Its back* is covered

with shield after shield,

16 firmly bound and closer together

17 than breath to breath.

18 When this monster sneezes,

lightning flashes, and its eyes

glow like the dawn.

19 Sparks and fiery flames

explode from its mouth.

20 And smoke spews from its nose

like steam

from a boiling pot,

21 while its blazing breath

scorches everything in sight.

22 Its neck is so tremendous

that everyone trembles,

23 the weakest parts of its body

are harder than iron,

24 and its heart is stone.

25 When this noisy monster appears,

even the most powerful*

turn and run in fear.

26 No sword or spear can harm it,

27 and weapons of bronze or iron

are as useless as straw

or rotten wood.

28 Rocks thrown from a sling

cause it no more harm

than husks of grain.

This monster fears no arrows,

29 it simply smiles at spears,

and striking it with a stick

is like slapping it with straw.

30 As it crawls through the mud,

its sharp and spiny hide

tears the ground apart.

31 And when it swims down deep,

the sea starts churning

like boiling oil,

32 and it leaves behind a trail

of shining white foam.

33 No other creature on earth

is so fearless.

34 It is king of all proud creatures,

and it looks upon the others

as nothing.