Daniel

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.

Seofon winter samod susl þrowode,

wildeora westen, winburge cyning.

ða se earfoðmæcg up locode,

wilddeora gewita, þurh wolcna gang.

Gemunde þa on mode þæt metod wære,

heofona heahcyning, hæleða bearnum

ana ece gast. þa he eft onhwearf

wodan gewittes, þær þe he ær wide bær

herewosan hige, heortan getenge.

þa his gast ahwearf in godes gemynd,

mod to mannum, siððan he metod onget.

Gewat þa earmsceapen eft siðian,

nacod nydgenga, nið geðafian,

wundorlic wræcca and wæda leas,

mætra on modgeðanc, to mancynne,

ðonne gumena weard in gylpe wæs.

Stod middangeard æfter mandrihtne,

eard and eðel æfter þam æðelinge,

seofon winter samod, swa no swiðrode

rice under roderum oðþæt se ræswa com.

þa wæs eft geseted in aldordom

Babilone weard, hæfde beteran ðeaw,

leohtran geleafan in liffruman,

þætte god sealde gumena gehwilcum

welan swa wite, swa he wolde sylf.

Ne lengde þa leoda aldor

witegena wordcwyde, ac he wide bead

metodes mihte þær he meld ahte,

siðfæt sægde sinum leodum,

wide waðe þe he mid wilddeorum ateah,

oðþæt him frean godes in gast becwom

rædfæst sefa, ða he to roderum beseah.

Wyrd wæs geworden, wundor gecyðed,

swefn geseðed, susl awunnen,

dom gedemed, swa ær Daniel cwæð,

þæt se folctoga findan sceolde

earfoðsiðas for his ofermedlan.

Swa he ofstlice godspellode

metodes mihtum for mancynne,

siððan in Babilone burhsittendum

lange hwile lare sægde,

Daniel domas. Siððan deora gesið,

wildra wærgenga, of waðe cwom,

Nabochodonossor of niðwracum,

siððan weardode wide rice,

heold hæleða gestreon and þa hean burh,

frod, foremihtig folca ræswa,

Caldea cyning, oðþæt him cwelm gesceod,

swa him ofer eorðan andsaca ne wæs

gumena ænig oðþæt him god wolde

þurh hryre hreddan hea rice.

Siððan þær his aferan ead bryttedon,

welan, wunden gold, in þære widan byrig,

ealhstede eorla, unwaclice,

heah hordmægen, þa hyra hlaford læg.

ða in ðære ðeode awoc his þæt þridde cneow.

Wæs Baldazar burga aldor,

weold wera rices, oðþæt him wlenco gesceod,

oferhyd egle. ða wæs endedæg

ðæs ðe Caldeas cyningdom ahton.

ða metod onlah Medum and Persum

aldordomes ymb lytel fæc,

let Babilone blæd swiðrian,

þone þa hæleð healdan sceoldon.

Wiste he ealdormen in unrihtum,

ða ðe ðy rice rædan sceoldon.

ða þæt gehogode hamsittende,

Meda aldor, þæt ær man ne ongan,

þæt he Babilone abrecan wolde,

alhstede eorla, þær æðelingas

under wealla hleo welan brytnedon.

þæt wæs þara fæstna folcum cuðost,

mæst and mærost þara þe men bun,

Babilon burga, oðþæt Baldazar

þurh gylp grome godes frasade.

Sæton him æt wine wealle belocene,

ne onegdon na orlegra nið,

þeah ðe feonda folc feran cwome

herega gerædum to þære heahbyrig

þæt hie Babilone abrecan mihton.

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