# 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.