Krapp and Dobbie, 1936 88-94; Krapp, G.P. and Dobbie, E.V.K., The Exeter Book, ASPR 3 (New York).
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
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.