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,  </dd> <dt>20</dt> <dd> had oferhogedon  halgan lifes.  Wurdon we towrecene  geond widne grund,  heapum tohworfne,  hylda lease;  wæs ure lif  geond londa fela  fracuð ond gefræge  foldbuendum.  </dd> <dt>25</dt> <dd> Nu þu usic bewræce  in þas wyrrestan  eorðcyninges  æhtgewealda,  in hæft heorogrimmes,  sceolon we þær hæþenra þreanyd hæfdes </dd> <dt>30</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>35</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>40</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>45</dt> <dd> 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  </dd> <dt>50</dt> <dd> 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  </dd> <dt>55</dt> <dd> 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  </dd> <dt>60</dt> <dd> 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.  </dd> <dt>65</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>70</dt> <dd> ealle gesceafte ecne dryhten, þeoda waldend. Swa hi þry cwædon, modum horsce, þurh gemæne word: "Bletsige þec, bilwit fæder,  woruldsceafta wuldor  ond weorca gehwylc,  </dd> <dt>75</dt> <dd> 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  </dd> <dt>80</dt> <dd> 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,  </dd> <dt>85</dt> <dd> 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,  </dd> <dt>90</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>95</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>100</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>105</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>110</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>115</dt> <dd> 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. </dd> <dt>120</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>125</dt> <dd> geofonfloda gehwylc georne bihealdeð, þonne merestreamas meotudes ræswum wæter onwealcað. Witon ealdgecynd þæt ær gescop ece dryhten lagufloda bigong, leohtes hyrde, </dd> <dt>130</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>135</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>140</dt> <dd> 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. </dd> <dt>145</dt> <dd> 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, </dd> <dt>150</dt> <dd> ond þine þeowas, ðeoda hyrde, swylce haligra hluttre saule, ond, ece god, eaðmodheorte. Nu þec Ananias ond Azarias ond Misahel, meotud, miltsum hergað. </dd> <dt>155</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>160</dt> <dd> 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,  </dd> <dt>165</dt> <dd> 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),  </dd> <dt>170</dt> <dd> 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 </dd> <dt>175</dt> <dd> 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  </dd> <dt>180</dt> <dd> 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  </dd> <dt>185</dt> <dd> 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,  </dd> <dt>190</dt> <dd> modum gleawe,  in monþeawum,  þurh foreþoncas  fyr gedygdon.  </dd> </dl>