The Exeter Book (Jebson)/Azarias

Azarias

Verse Indeterminate Saxon

Him þa Azarias    ingeþoncum
hleoþrede halig    þurh hatne lig,
dreag dædum georn,    dryhten herede,
wis in weorcum,    ond þas word acwæð:

5

"Meotud allwihta,    þu eart meahtum swið
niþas to nerganne.    Is þin noma mære,
wlitig ond wuldorfæst    ofer werþeode.
Sindon þine domas    on dæda gehwam
soðe geswiðde    ond gesigefæste,

10

eac þine willan    in woruldspedum
ryhte mid ræde.    Rodera waldend,
geoca us georne,    gæsta scyppend,
ond þurh hyldo help,    halig dryhten,
nu we þec for þearfum    ond for þreanydum

15

ond fore eaðmedum    arena biddaþ,
lege bilegde.    We þæs lifgende
worhton in worulde,    eac þon wom dydon
yldran usse,    in oferhygdum
þin bibodu bræcon    burgsittende,

20

had oferhogedon    halgan lifes.
Wurdon we towrecene    geond widne grund,
heapum tohworfne,    hylda lease;
wæs ure lif    geond londa fela
fracuð ond gefræge    foldbuendum.

25

Nu þu usic bewræce    in þas wyrrestan
eorðcyninges    æhtgewealda,
in hæft heorogrimmes,    sceolon we þær hæþenra
þreanyd   
   hæfdes

30

to Abrahame    ond to Isace
ond Iacobe,    gæsta scyppend.
þu him gehete    þurh hleoþorcwidas
þæt þu hyra fromcynn    on fyrndagum
ycan wolde,    þæt hit æfter him

35

on cyneryce    cenned wurde,
yced on eorþan,    þæt swa unrime,
had to hebban,    swa heofonsteorran
bugað bradne hwearft    oð brimflodas,
swa waroþa sond    ymb sealt wæter,

40

yþe geond eargrund,    þæt swa unrime
ymb wintra hwearft    weorðan sceolde.
Fyl nu þa frumspræce,    þeah þe user fea lifgen,
wlitega þine wordcwidas    ond ðin wuldor us.
Gecyð cræft ond meaht,    nu þec Caldeas

45

ond eac fela folca    gefregen habban
þæt þu ana eart    ece dryhten,
sigerof settend    ond soð meotod,
wuldres waldend    ond woruldsceafta."
Swa se halga wer    hergende wæs

50

meotudes miltse,    ond his modsefan
rehte þurh reorde.    ða of roderum wearð
engel ælbeorhta    ufon onsended,
wlitescyne wer    in his wuldorhoman,
cwom him þa to are    ond to ealdornere

55

þurh lufan ond þurh lisse.    Se þone lig tosceaf,
halig ond heofonbeorht,    hatan fyres,
þæt se bittra bryne    beorgan sceolde
for þæs engles ege    æfæstum þrim.
Tosweop ond toswengde    þurh swiðes meaht

60

liges leoman,    swa hyra lice ne scod,
ac wæs in þam ofne,    þa se engel cwom,
windig ond wynsum,    wedere onlicust,
þonne on sumeres tid    sended weorþeð
dropena dreorung    mid dæges hwile.

65

Se wæs in þam fire    for frean meahtum
halgum to helpe.    Wearð se hata lig
todrifen ond todwæsced,    þær þa dædhwatan
þry mid geþoncum    þeoden heredon,
bædon bletsian    bearn in worulde

70

ealle gesceafte    ecne dryhten,
þeoda waldend.    Swa hi þry cwædon,
modum horsce,    þurh gemæne word:
"Bletsige þec,    bilwit fæder,
woruldsceafta wuldor    ond weorca gehwylc,

75

heofonas ond englas    ond hluttor wæter,
ond eal mægen    eorþan gesceafta.
Bletsige þec, soðfæst cyning,    sunne ond mona,
leohte leoman,    lifgende god,
hædre ond hlutre    ond heofondreame

80

wæstem weorðian.    Ful oft þu, wuldorcyning,
þurh lyft lætest    leodum to freme
mildne morgenren.    Monig sceal siþþan
wyrt onwæcnan,    eac þon wudubearwas
tanum tydrað.    Trymmað eorðwelan,

85

hleoð ond hluttrað.    Næfre hlisan ah
meotud þan maran    þonne he wið monna bearn
wyrceð weldædum.    Wis bið se þe con
ongytan þone geocend,    þe us eall good syleð
þe we habbað    þenden we her beoð,

90

ond us milde meotod    mare gehateð,
gif we geearniað,    elne willað,
ðonne feran sceal    þurh frean hæse
sundor anra gehwæs    sawl of lice.
Ond þec, god dryhten,    gæstas hergen,

95

byrnende fyr    ond beorht sumor,
wearme wederdagas,    waldend manna,
frean on ferðe.    Fremest eorðwelan
þurh monigne had,    milde dryhten,
ond þec dæg ond niht,    domfæst cyning,

100

lofigen ond lufigen,    lux et tenebre,
þe þas werþeoda    weardum healdað.
Deop dryhtnes bibod    drugon hi þæt longe.
Ond þec, Crist cyning,    ceolas weorðian,
fæder, forst ond snaw,    folca waldend,

105

winterbitera weder    ond wolcna genipu,
ond þec liexende    ligetta hergen,
blace, breahtumhwate,    brytenrices weard,
dyrne dryhten.    A þin dom sy
god ond genge.    þu þæs geornlice

110

wyrcest, wuldorcyning.    Wæstmum herge,
bletsien bledum,    ond þin blæd wese
a forð ece,    ælmihtig god.
Wesað ond weaxað    ealle werþeode,
lifgað bi þam lissum    þe us se leofa cyning,

115

ece dryhten,    ær gesette
sinum bearnum to brice,    bremen dryhten.
Ond þec, halga god,    hea duna
geond middangeard    miltsum hergen,
fæger folde    ond fæder rice.

120

Forðon waldend scop    wudige moras,
lofe leanige    leohtes hyrde.
Bletsige þec, soðfæst cyning,    sæs ond wætra
hea holmas,    haligne dryhten,
domlice deop wæter;    ond dryhtnes bibod

125

geofonfloda gehwylc    georne bihealdeð,
þonne merestreamas    meotudes ræswum
wæter onwealcað.    Witon ealdgecynd
þæt ær gescop    ece dryhten
lagufloda bigong,    leohtes hyrde,

130

on þam wuniað    widferende
siðe on sunde    seldlicra fela.
Bletsien þec þa ealle,    ece dryhten,
þurh þinne willan,    wuldorfæst cyning,
ond þec ealle æsprynge,    ece dryhten,

135

heanne hergen.    Ful oft þu hluttor lætest
wæter wynlico    to woruldhyhte
of clife clænum.    þæt us se cyning gescop
monnum to miltse    ond to mægeneacan.
Bletsien þec,    bilwit fæder,

140

fiscas ond fuglas,    felameahtigne,
ealle þa þe onhrerað    hreo wægas
on þam bradan brime,    bremen dryhten,
hergen haligne,    ond heofonfuglas,
þa þe lacende    geond lyft farað.

145

Bletsien þec, dryhten,    deor ond nyten.
Meotud monna bearn    miltsum hergen
ond ecne god,    Israhela cynn.
Bletsien þe þine sacerdas,    soðfæst cyning,
milde mæsseras    mærne dryhten,

150

ond þine þeowas,    ðeoda hyrde,
swylce haligra    hluttre saule,
ond, ece god,    eaðmodheorte.
Nu þec Ananias    ond Azarias
ond Misahel, meotud,    miltsum hergað.

155

Nu we geonge þry    god bletsiað,
felameahtigne    fæder in heofonum,
þone soðan sunu    ond þone sigefæstan gæst.
Forþon us onsende    sigora waldend
engel to are,    se þe us bearg

160

fyr ond feondas,    ond mid fiþrum bewreah
wið brynebrogan."    Breahtmum hwurfun
ymb þæt hate hus    hæðne leode,
ða þæt ongeaton    godes ondsacan
þæt hi ne meahtan,    ne meotod wolde,

165

acwellan cnyhta æ,    ac hy Crist scilde.
Hwearf þa to healle,    swa he hraþost meahte,
eorl acolmod,    þæt he ofer his ealdre gestod.
Abead þa for þære duguðe    deop ærende,
haligra gehyld,    (hlyst wæs þær inne),

170

gromhydig guma:    "þæt ic geare wiste,
þæt we III hæfdon,    þeoda wisa,
geonge cniehtas,    for gæstlufan
gebunden to bæle    in byrnendes
fyres leoman.    Nu ic þær IIII men

175

seo to soðe,    nales me sylfa gerad.
Hweorfað nu æfter heorðe,    nængum hat sceþeð,
ofnes æled,    ac him is engel mid,
hafað beorhtne blæd;    ne mæg him bryne sceþþan
wlitigne wuldorhoman."    ða þam wordum swealg

180

brego Caldea,    gewat þa to þam bryne gongan
anhydig eorl,    þæt he ofer þam ade gestod.
Het þa of þam lige    lifgende bearn
Nabocodonossor    near ætgongan.
Ne forhogodon þæt þa halgan,    siþþan hi hwætmode

185

woruldcyninges    weorn gehyrdon,
ac eodon of þam fyre,    feorh unwemme,
wuldre gewlitegad,    swa hyra wædum ne scod
gifre gleda nið,    ac hi mid gæstlufan
synne geswencton    ond gesigefæston,

190

modum gleawe,    in monþeawum,
þurh foreþoncas    fyr gedygdon.