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.