Lines 495–619

þa him wearð on slæpe swefen ætywed,
Nabochodonossor; him þæt neh gewearð.
þuhte him þæt on foldan fægre stode
wudubeam wlitig, se wæs wyrtum fæst,
beorht on blædum. Næs he bearwe gelic,
ac he hlifode to heofontunglum,
swilce he oferfæðmde foldan sceatas,
ealne middangeard, oð merestreamas,
twigum and telgum. ðær he to geseah,
þuhte him þæt se wudubeam wilddeor scylde,
ane æte eallum heolde,
swylce fuglas eac heora feorhnere
on þæs beames bledum name.
ðuhte him þæt engel ufan of roderum
stigan cwome and stefne abead,
torhtan reorde. Het þæt treow ceorfan
and þa wildan deor on weg fleon,
swylce eac þa fugolas, þonne his fyll come.
Het þonne besnædan seolfes blædum,
twigum and telgum, and þeh tacen wesan,
wunian wyrtruman þæs wudubeames
eorðan fæstne, oðþæt eft cyme
grene bleda, þonne god sylle.
Het eac gebindan beam þone miclan
ærenum clammum and isernum,
and gesæledne in susl don,
þæt his mod wite þæt migtigra
wite wealdeð þonne he him wið mæge.
þa of slæpe onwoc, (swefn wæs æt ende),
eorðlic æðeling, him þæs egesa stod,
gryre fram ðam gaste ðe þyder god sende.
Het þa tosomne sine leode,
folctogan feran, frægn ofer ealle
swiðmod cyning hwæt þæt swefen bude,
nalles þy he wende þæt hie hit wiston,
ac he cunnode hu hie cweðan woldon.
ða wæs to ðam dome Daniel haten,
godes spelboda. Him wæs gæst geseald,
halig of heofonum, se his hyge trymede.
On þam drihtenweard deopne wisse
sefan sidne geþanc and snytro cræft,
wisne wordcwide. Oft he wundor manig,
metodes mihta, for men ætbær.
þa he secgan ongan swefnes woman,
heahheort and hæðen heriges wisa,
ealne þone egesan þe him eowed wæs.
Bæd hine areccan hwæt seo run bude,
hofe haligu word and in hige funde
to gesecganne soðum wordum
hwæt se beam bude þe he blican geseah,
and him witgode wyrda geþingu.
He ða swigode, hwæðere soð ongeat,
Daniel æt þam dome, þæt his drihten wæs,
gumena aldor, wið god scyldig.
Wandode se wisa, hwæðre he worde cwæð,
æcræftig ar, to þam æðelinge:
"þæt is, weredes weard, wundor unlytel,
þæt þu gesawe þurh swefen cuman,
heofonheane beam and þa halgan word,
yrre and egeslicu, þa se engel cwæð,
þæt þæt treow sceolde, telgum besnæded,
foran afeallan, þæt ær fæste stod,
and þonne mid deorum dreamleas beon,
westen wunian, and his wyrtruman
foldan befolen, fyrstmearc wesan
stille on staðole, swa seo stefn gecwæð,
ymb seofon tida sæde eft onfon.
Swa þin blæd lið. Swa se beam geweox,
heah to heofonum, swa þu hæleðum eart
ana eallum eorðbuendum
weard and wisa. Nis þe wiðerbreca,
man on moldan, nymðe metod ana.
Se ðec aceorfeð of cyningdome,
and ðec wineleasne on wræc sendeð,
and þonne onhweorfeð heortan þine,
þæt þu ne gemyndgast æfter mandreame,
ne gewittes wast butan wildeora þeaw,
ac þu lifgende lange þrage
heorta hlypum geond holt wunast.
Ne bið þec mælmete nymþe mores græs,
ne rest witod, ac þec regna scur
weceð and wreceð swa wildu deor,
oðþæt þu ymb seofon winter soð gelyfest,
þæt sie an metod eallum mannum,
reccend and rice, se on roderum is.
Is me swa þeah willa þæt se wyrtruma
stille wæs on staðole, swa seo stefn gecwæð,
and ymbe seofan tide sæde onfenge.
Swa þin rice restende bið,
anwalh for eorlum, oðþæt þu eft cymst.
Gehyge þu, frea min, fæstlicne ræd.
Syle ælmyssan, wes earmra hleo,
þinga for ðeodne, ær ðam seo þrah cyme
þæt he þec aworpe of woruldrice.
Oft metod alæt monige ðeode
wyrcan bote, þonne hie woldon sylfe,
fyrene fæstan, ær him fær godes
þurh egesan gryre aldre gesceode."
No þæs fela Daniel to his drihtne gespræc
soðra worda þurh snytro cræft,
þæt þæs a se rica reccan wolde,
middangeardes weard, ac his mod astah,
heah fram heortan; he þæs hearde ongeald.
Ongan ða gyddigan þurh gylp micel
Caldea cyning þa he ceastergeweorc,
Babilone burh, on his blæde geseah,
Sennera feld sidne bewindan,
heah hlifigan; þæt se heretyma
werede geworhte þurh wundor micel,
wearð ða anhydig ofer ealle men,
swiðmod in sefan, for ðære sundorgife
þe him god sealde, gumena rice,
world to gewealde in wera life:
"ðu eart seo micle and min seo mære burh
þe ic geworhte to wurðmyndum,
rume rice. Ic reste on þe,
eard and eðel, agan wille."
ða for ðam gylpe gumena drihten
forfangen wearð and on fleam gewat,
ana on oferhyd ofer ealle men.
Swa wod wera on gewindagum
geocrostne sið in godes wite,
ðara þe eft lifigende leode begete,
Nabochodonossor, siððan him nið godes,
hreð of heofonum, hete gesceode.