Ego Nabuchodonosor quietus eram in domo mea, et florens in palatio meo:

I Nabuchodonosor was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:

All went well in my household; never was Nabuchodonosor’s court more flourishing.

somnium vidi, quod perterruit me: et cogitationes meæ in strato meo, et visiones capitis mei conturbaverunt me.

I saw a dream that affrighted me: and my thoughts in my bed, and the visions of my head troubled me.

And then I had a dream that put me in fear; nor waking thoughts gave my troubled wits repose.

Et per me propositum est decretum ut introducerentur in conspectu meo cuncti sapientes Babylonis, et ut solutionem somnii indicarent mihi.

Then I set forth a decree, that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should shew me the interpretation of the dream.

Thereupon I gave orders that all the wise men of Babylon should appear before me, to interpret my dream;

Tunc ingrediebantur arioli, magi, Chaldæi, et aruspices, et somnium narravi in conspectu eorum: et solutionem ejus non indicaverunt mihi,

Then came in the diviners, the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them: but they did not shew me the interpretation thereof:

diviner and sage, astrologer and soothsayer, all must assemble, and there in their presence I rehearsed what dream it was, but never one of them could tell me the meaning of it.

donec collega ingressus est in conspectu meo Daniel, cui nomen Baltassar secundum nomen dei mei, qui habet spiritum deorum sanctorum in semetipso: et somnium coram ipso locutus sum.

Till their colleague Daniel came in before me, whose name is Baltassar, according to the name of my god, who hath in him the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him.

At last came Daniel, one of their number, styled after my own god’s name Baltassar, and endowed by all the holy gods with their spirit. To him I unfolded my dream thus:

Baltassar, princeps ariolorum, quoniam ego scio quod spiritum sanctorum deorum habeas in te, et omne sacramentum non est impossibile tibi: visiones somniorum meorum, quas vidi, et solutionem earum narra.

Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee: tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them.

Diviner is none, Baltassar, such as thou art; the spirit of all the holy gods is in thee, and there is no mystery beyond thy ken. Tell me, thou, what vision came to me in sleep, what events it boded.

Visio capitis mei in cubili meo: videbam, et ecce arbor in medio terræ, et altitudo ejus nimia.

This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding great.

Wouldst thou know, what fantasies disturbed my rest, this was what I saw. Grew a tree from the heart of earth, beyond measure tall;

Magna arbor, et fortis, et proceritas ejus contingens cælum: aspectus illius erat usque ad terminos universæ terræ.

The tree was great, and strong: and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.

a great tree and a thriving; top of it reached the heavens, and the ends of the earth had view of it.

Folia ejus pulcherrima, et fructus ejus nimius: et esca universorum in ea. Subter eam habitabant animalia et bestiæ, et in ramis ejus conversabantur volucres cæli: et ex ea vescebatur omnis caro.

Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle, and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh did eat of it.

What fair leaves it had, what foison of fruit, enough to cater for a whole world! Beast was none but might take shelter under it, bird was none but might nest in its branches, and to all living creatures it gave food.

Videbam in visione capitis mei super stratum meum, et ecce vigil, et sanctus, de cælo descendit.

I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.

But as I lay watching in my dream, came down from heaven one of the holy ones that mount guard there,

Clamavit fortiter, et sic ait: Succidite arborem, et præcidite ramos ejus: excutite folia ejus, et dispergite fructus ejus: fugiant bestiæ, quæ subter eam sunt, et volucres de ramis ejus.

He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.

and loud rang his message: Down with yonder tree, lop branch, strip leaves, spill fruit! Let beast its shade, bird its covert forsake!

Verumtamen germen radicum ejus in terra sinite, et alligetur vinculo ferreo et æreo in herbis quæ foris sunt, et rore cæli tingatur, et cum feris pars ejus in herba terræ.

Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron, and of brass, among the grass, that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.

Yet leave the stock of it fast in earth.Band of iron, chain of bronze! There on the soft meadow-grass heaven’s dew wet him, pasture with the beasts find he;

Cor ejus ab humano commutetur, et cor feræ detur ei: et septem tempora mutentur super eum.

Let his heart be changed from man’s, and let a beast’s heart be given him; and let seven times pass over him.

heart of man be changed in him, beast’s heart given him, till seven seasons there have found him, and passed him by.

In sententia vigilum decretum est, et sermo sanctorum, et petitio: donec cognoscant viventes quoniam dominatur Excelsus in regno hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, dabit illud, et humillimum hominem constituet super eum.

This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers, and the word and demand of the holy ones; till the living know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men; and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.

Doom it is of the unsleeping ones, will and word of the holy ones; live men and learn that he, the most High, of human kingship is overlord, gives it to whom he will, and holds none too base for the having of it.

Hoc somnium vidi ego Nabuchodonosor rex: tu ergo Baltassar interpretationem narra festinus, quia omnes sapientes regni mei non queunt solutionem edicere mihi: tu autem potes, quia spiritus deorum sanctorum in te est.

I king Nabuchodonosor saw this dream: thou, therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

Thus dreamt I, the great king Nabuchodonosor. Make haste, Baltassar, and read me the riddle; wise man was none in my kingdom that could tell me the meaning of it, but thou hast the spirit of the holy gods in thee; thou canst unravel it.

Tunc Daniel, cujus nomen Baltassar, cœpit intra semetipsum tacitus cogitare quasi una hora: et cogitationes ejus conturbabant eum. Respondens autem rex, ait: Baltassar, somnium et interpretatio ejus non conturbent te. Respondit Baltassar, et dixit: Domine mi, somnium his, qui te oderunt, et interpretatio ejus hostibus tuis sit.

Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thoughts troubled him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.

But Daniel, Baltassar if you will, made no answer. For a whole hour, in silence, he gave himself up to his thoughts, and right comfortless they were. Nay, Baltassar, the king said at last, never lose heart over a dream, and the interpretation of a dream! Lord king, said he, such dreams be for thy enemies! To ill-wishers of thine bode they what they bode!

Arborem, quam vidisti sublimem atque robustam, cujus altitudo pertingit ad cælum, et aspectus illius in omnem terram;

The tree which thou sawest which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all the earth:

A tree tall and sturdy, top reaching the heavens, in all the world’s view,

et rami ejus pulcherrimi, et fructus ejus nimius, et esca omnium in ea, subter eam habitantes bestiæ agri, et in ramis ejus commorantes aves cæli:

And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.

fair branches, fruit abounding, food for all, beasts sheltering, birds nesting there,

tu es rex, qui magnificatus es, et invaluisti: et magnitudo tua crevit, et pervenit usque ad cælum, et potestas tua in terminos universæ terræ.

It is thou, O king, who art grown great and become mighty: for thy greatness hath grown, and hath reached to heaven, and thy power unto the ends of the earth.

what is it, lord king, but thou? So great thy power has grown, it reaches heaven; earth’s bounds are the bounds of thy dominion.

Quod autem vidit rex vigilem, et sanctum descendere de cælo, et dicere: Succidite arborem, et dissipate illam, attamen germen radicum ejus in terra dimittite, et vinciatur ferro et ære in herbis foris, et rore cæli conspergatur, et cum feris sit pabulum ejus, donec septem tempora mutentur super eum:

And whereas the king saw a watcher, and a holy one come down from heaven, and say: Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, and let it be bound with iron and brass among the grass without, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and let his feeding be with the wild beasts, till seven times pass over him.

He watches ever, that holy one thou sawest coming down from heaven; and his word was, Down with the tree, away with it, yet leave the stock of it rooted fast! Of iron band he spoke, and chain of bronze; of soft meadow-grass under the dews of heaven; of one that should have his pasture among the beasts, till seven seasons had found him there, and passed him by.

hæc est interpretatio sententiæ Altissimi, quæ pervenit super dominum meum regem,

This is the interpretation of the sentence of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king.

Sentence from the most High this dream forbodes, and the king’s grace the subject of it.

Ejicient te ab hominibus, et cum bestiis ferisque erit habitatio tua, et fœnum ut bos comedes, et rore cæli infunderis: septem quoque tempora mutabuntur super te, donec scias quod dominetur Excelsus super regnum hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, det illud.

They shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and with wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass as an ox, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven: and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

Far from the haunts of men thou shalt be driven out, and among brute beasts thou shalt have thy dwelling; eat grass, ox-fashion, and with heaven’s dew be drenched, till seven seasons have passed thee by; so learn thou must, that of all human kingship the most High is overlord, and grants it where he will.

Quod autem præcepit ut relinqueretur germen radicum ejus, id est arboris: regnum tuum tibi manebit postquam cognoveris potestatem esse cælestem.

But whereas he commanded, that the stump of the roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left: thy kingdom shall remain to thee after thou shalt have known that power is from heaven.

If stock of tree is to be left rooted, be sure thy throne shall be thine once again; but first thou must learn thy lesson, that all power is from above.

Quam ob rem, rex, consilium meum placeat tibi, et peccata tua eleemosynis redime, et iniquitates tuas misericordiis pauperum: forsitan ignoscet delictis tuis.

Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor: perhaps he will forgive thy offences.

Deign, my lord king, to be advised by me; with almsgiving, with mercy to the poor, for fault and wrong-doing of thine make amends; it may be he will condone thy guilt.

Omnia hæc venerunt super Nabuchodonosor regem.

All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.

All this king Nabuchodonosor underwent.

Post finem mensium duodecim, in aula Babylonis deambulabat.

At the end of twelve months he was walking in the palace of Babylon.

A twelvemonth later, as he walked to and fro on the roof of his palace at Babylon,

Responditque rex, et ait: Nonne hæc est Babylon magna, quam ego ædificavi in domum regni, in robore fortitudinis meæ, et in gloria decoris mei?

And the king answered, and said: Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built to be the seat of the kingdom, by the strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence?

he said aloud: Babylon lies before me, the great city, the royal city I have built; sure proof of my power, fair monument of my renown!

Cumque sermo adhuc esset in ore regis, vox de cælo ruit: Tibi dicitur, Nabuchodonosor rex: Regnum tuum transibit a te,

And while the word was yet in the king’s mouth, a voice came down from heaven: To thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, it is said: Thy kingdom shall pass from thee,

And before the words had died on his lips, came a voice from heaven: King Nabuchodonosor, here is thy doom! Pass away from thee it must, that royal power of thine;

et ab hominibus ejicient te, et cum bestiis et feris erit habitatio tua: fœnum quasi bos comedes, et septem tempora mutabuntur super te, donec scias quod dominetur Excelsus in regno hominum, et cuicumque voluerit, det illud.

And they shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and wild beasts: thou shalt eat grass like an ox, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

driven from the haunts of men, with beasts dwell thou, grass like the cattle eat thou, till seven seasons have passed thee by, and learned thou hast that the most High is overlord of all human kingship, to grant it where he will.

Eadem hora sermo completus est super Nabuchodonosor, et ex hominibus abjectus est, et fœnum ut bos comedit, et rore cæli corpus ejus infectum est, donec capilli ejus in similitudinem aquilarum crescerent, et ungues ejus quasi avium.

The same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like birds’ claws.

There and then fell the doom on Nabuchodonosor; thrust him out they did, to feed on grass, and ever the dew of heaven drenched him; thick as eagle’s feathers his hair grew, and like birds’ talons his nails.

Igitur post finem dierum, ego Nabuchodonosor oculos meos ad cælum levavi, et sensus meus redditus est mihi: et Altissimo benedixi, et viventem in sempiternum laudavi et glorificavi: quia potestas ejus potestas sempiterna, et regnum ejus in generationem et generationem.

Now at the end of the days, I Nabuchodonosor lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the most High, and I praised and glorified him that liveth for ever: for his power is an everlasting power, and his kingdom is to all generations.

When the appointed time was over, I lifted up my eyes to heaven, I, Nabuchodonosor, and right reason came back to me. Blessed I then the most high God, to the eternal gave glory and praise; such a reign as his lasts for ever, such power as his the ages cannot diminish.

Et omnes habitatores terræ apud eum in nihilum reputati sunt: juxta voluntatem enim suam facit tam in virtutibus cæli quam in habitatoribus terræ: et non est qui resistat manui ejus, et dicat ei: Quare fecisti?

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him: for he doth according to his will, as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him: Why hast thou done it?

Matched with him, the whole world of men counts for nothing; in the heavenly powers, as in our mortal lives, he accomplishes his will, and none may resist him, none may ask his meaning.

In ipso tempore sensus meus reversus est ad me, et ad honorem regni mei, decoremque perveni: et figura mea reversa est ad me, et optimates mei et magistratus mei requisierunt me, et in regno meo restitutus sum: et magnificentia amplior addita est mihi.

At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my nobles, and my magistrates sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and greater majesty was added to me.

And when reason came back to me, back came royal pomp and state, back came the beauty I once had; prince and senator waited on me, restored to my throne now in more magnificence than ever.

Nunc igitur, ego Nabuchodonosor laudo, et magnifico, et glorifico regem cæli: quia omnia opera ejus vera, et viæ ejus judicia, et gradientes in superbia potest humiliare.

Therefore I Nabuchodonosor do now praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven: because all his works are true, and his ways judgments, and them that walk in pride he is able to abase.

What wonder if I, Nabuchodonosor, praise this King of heaven, extol and glorify him, so faithful to his promise, so just in his dealings? Proud minds none can abase as he.