Daniel

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,