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Daniel (Old English) · c. 8th-9th century (poet unknown)

Lines 372–494

by Anonymous (Old English) c. 7th–11th century


And þec, mihtig god, gastas lofige!
Byrnende fyr and beorht sumor
nergend hergað! Niht somod and dæg,
and þec landa gehwilc, leoht and þeostro,
herige on hade, somod hat and ceald!
And þec, frea mihtig, forstas and snawas,
winterbiter weder and wolcenfaru,
lofige on lyfte! And þec ligetu,
blace, berhtmhwate, þa þec bletsige!
Eall eorðan grund, ece drihten,
hyllas and hrusan and hea beorgas,
sealte sæwægas, soðfæst metod,
eastream yða and upcyme,
wætersprync wylla, ða ðec wurðiað!
Hwalas ðec herigað, and hefonfugolas,
lyftlacende, þa ðe lagostreamas,
wæterscipe wecgað! And wildu deor
and neata gehwilc naman bletsie!
And manna bearn modum lufiað,
and þec Israela, æhta scyppend,
herigað in hade, herran sinne!
And þec haligra heortan cræftas,
soðfæstra gehwæs sawle and gastas,
lofiað liffrean, lean sellende
eallum eadmodum, ece drihten!
Annanias ðec and Adzarias
and Misael metod domige
breostgeðancum! We þec bletsiað,
frea folca gehwæs, fæder ælmihtig,
soð sunu metodes, sawla nergend,
hæleða helpend, and þec, halig gast,
wurðiað in wuldre, witig drihten!
We ðec herigað, halig drihten,
and gebedum bremað! þu gebletsad eart,
gewurðad wideferhð ofer worulde hrof,
heahcyning heofones, halgum mihtum,
lifes leohtfruma, ofer landa gehwilc!"
ða þæt ehtode ealdor þeode,
Nabochodonossor, wið þam nehstum
folcgesiðum: "þæt eower fela geseah,
þeode mine, þæt we þry sendon,
geboden to bæle in byrnende
fyres leoman. Nu ic þær feower men
geseo to soðe, nales me sefa leogeð."
ða cwæð se ðe wæs cyninges ræswa,
wis and wordgleaw: "þæt is wundra sum
þæt we ðær eagum on lociað.
Geðenc, ðeoden min, þine gerysna!
Ongyt georne hwa þa gyfe sealde
gingum gædelingum! Hie god herigað,
anne ecne, and ealles him
be naman gehwam on neod sprecað,
þanciað þrymmes þristum wordum,
cweðað he sie ana ælmihtig god,
witig wuldorcyning, worlde and heofona.
Aban þu þa beornas, brego Caldea,
ut of ofne. Nis hit owihtes god
þæt hie sien on þam laðe leng þonne þu þurfe."
Het þa se cyning to him cnihtas gangan.
Hyssas hearde hyrdon lare,
cyrdon cynegode swa hie gecyðde wæron,
hwurfon hæleð geonge to þam hæðenan foran.
Wæron þa bende forburnene þe him on banum lagon,
laðsearo leoda cyninges, and hyra lice geborgen.
Næs hyra wlite gewemmed, ne nænig wroht on hrægle,
ne feax fyre beswæled, ac hie on friðe drihtnes
of ðam grimman gryre glade treddedon,
gleawmode guman, on gastes hyld.
ða gewat se engel up secan him ece dreamas
on heanne hrof heofona rices,
heh þegn and hold halgum metode.
Hæfde on þam wundre gewurðod ðe þa gewyrhto ahton.
Hyssas heredon drihten for þam hæðenan folce,
septon hie soðcwidum and him sædon fela
soðra tacna, oðþæt he sylfa gelyfde
þæt se wære mihta waldend se ðe hie of ðam mirce generede.
Gebead þa se bræsna Babilone weard
swiðmod sinum leodum, þæt se wære his aldre scyldig,
se ðæs onsoce þætte soð wære
mære mihta waldend, se hie of þam morðre alysde.
Agæf him þa his leoda lafe þe þær gelædde wæron
on æht ealdfeondum, þæt hie are hæfdon.
Wæs heora blæd in Babilone, siððan hie þone bryne fandedon,
dom wearð æfter duguðe gecyðed, siððan hie drihtne gehyrdon.
Wæron hyra rædas rice, siððan hie rodera waldend,
halig heofonrices weard, wið þone hearm gescylde.
þa ic secan gefrægn soðum wordum,
siððan he wundor onget,
Babilone weard, þurh fyres bryne,
hu þa hyssas þry hatan ofnes,
færgryre fyres, oferfaren hæfdon.
Wylm þurhwodon, swa him wiht ne sceod
grim gleda nið, godes spelbodan,
frecnan fyres, ac him frið drihtnes
wið þæs egesan gryre aldor gescylde.
ða se ðeoden ongan geðinges wyrcan;
het þa tosomne sine leode,
and þa on þam meðle ofer menigo bebead
wyrd gewordene and wundor godes,
þætte on þam cnihtum gecyðed wæs:
"Onhicgað nu halige mihte,
wise wundor godes! We gesawon
þæt he wið cwealme gebearh cnihtum on ofne,
lacende lig, þam þe his lof bæron;
forþam he is ana ece drihten,
dema ælmihtig, se ðe him dom forgeaf,
spowende sped, þam þe his spel berað.
Forðon witigað þurh wundor monig
halgum gastum þe his hyld curon.
Cuð is þæt me Daniel dyglan swefnes
soð gesæde, þæt ær swiðe oðstod
manegum on mode minra leoda,
forþam ælmihtig eacenne gast
in sefan sende, snyttro cræftas."
Swa wordum spræc werodes ræswa,
Babilone weard, siððan he beacen onget,
swutol tacen godes. No þy sel dyde,
ac þam æðelinge oferhygd gesceod,
wearð him hyrra hyge and on heortan geðanc
mara on modsefan þonne gemet wære,
oðþæt hine mid nyde nyðor asette
metod ælmihtig, swa he manegum deð
þara þe þurh oferhyd up astigeð.

MLA

Anonymous (Old English). Daniel (Old English), Lines 372–494. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/work/daniel-oe/3/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old English). Daniel (Old English), Lines 372–494. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/work/daniel-oe/3/.

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