Anno primo Baltassar regis Babylonis, Daniel somnium vidit: visio autem capitis ejus in cubili suo: et somnium scribens, brevi sermone comprehendit: summatimque perstringens, ait:

In the first year of Baltasar king of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream: and the vision of his head was upon his bed: and writing the dream, he comprehended it in few words: and relating the sum of it in short, he said:

In the first year of the Babylonian king Baltassar, Daniel had a dream; sleep he might, but still his thoughts were busy. The substance of this dream he put on record, giving no more than the sum of it, in these words following.

Videbam in visione mea nocte: et ecce quatuor venti cæli pugnabant in mari magno.

I saw in my vision by night, and behold the four winds of the heavens strove upon the great sea.

Night came, and brought with it a vision for my seeing. All the winds of heaven, I thought, did battle over the wide sea,

Et quatuor bestiæ grandes ascendebant de mari diversæ inter se.

And four great beasts, different one from another, came up out of the sea.

and out of it came four great beasts, each of them different from the last.

Prima quasi leæna, et alas habebat aquilæ: aspiciebam donec evulsæ sunt alæ ejus, et sublata est de terra, et super pedes quasi homo stetit; et cor hominis datum est ei.

The first was like a lioness, and had the wings of an eagle: I beheld till her wings were plucked off, and she was lifted up from the earth, and stood upon her feet as a man, and the heart of a man was given to her.

A lioness the first seemed, that yet had eagle’s wings; but as I watched, these wings were plucked, and with that it rose up from the ground, standing on its feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

Et ecce bestia alia similis urso in parte stetit: et tres ordines erant in ore ejus, et in dentibus ejus, et sic dicebant ei: Surge, comede carnes plurimas.

And behold another beast like a bear stood up on one side: and there were three rows in the mouth thereof, and in the teeth thereof, and thus they said to it: Arise, devour much flesh.

Then rose up another by its side, this one like a bear; three rows of teeth it had in its mouth, and a summons came to it, great part of mankind it should devour.

Post hæc aspiciebam, et ecce alia quasi pardus, et alas habebat quasi avis, quatuor super se: et quatuor capita erant in bestia, et potestas data est ei.

After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, and it had upon it four wings as of a fowl, and the beast had four heads, and power was given to it.

What saw I next? A leopard it seemed, yet had a bird’s wings, four of them, on its back, and four heads; this beast it was that now attained dominion.

Post hæc aspiciebam in visione noctis, et ecce bestia quarta terribilis atque mirabilis, et fortis nimis: dentes ferreos habebat magnos, comedens atque comminuens, et reliqua pedibus suis conculcans: dissimilis autem erat ceteris bestiis quas videram ante eam, et habebat cornua decem.

After this I beheld in the vision of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and wonderful, and exceeding strong, it had great iron teeth, eating and breaking in pieces, and treading down the rest with its feet: and it was unlike to the other beasts which I had seen before it, and had ten horns.

But still I dreamed on, and a fourth beast saw at last, fiercer, and stranger, and more powerful yet. It had great teeth of iron, ready to crush and to devour, and ever what these spared it would trample down with its feet; match it those others might not; and out of its head grew ten horns.

Considerabam cornua, et ecce cornu aliud parvulum ortum est de medio eorum: et tria de cornibus primis evulsa sunt a facie ejus: et ecce oculi, quasi oculi hominis erant in cornu isto, et os loquens ingentia.

I considered the horns, and behold another little horn sprung out of the midst of them: and three of the first horns were plucked up at the presence thereof: and behold eyes like the eyes of a man were in this horn, and a mouth speaking great things.

Even as I watched them, a new horn grew up in the midst of the others, and three of them must be plucked away to make room for it; eyes it had, this new horn, like a man’s eyes, and a mouth that talked very boastfully.

Aspiciebam donec throni positi sunt, et antiquus dierum sedit. Vestimentum ejus candidum quasi nix, et capilli capitis ejus quasi lana munda: thronus ejus flammæ ignis: rotæ ejus ignis accensus.

I beheld till thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days sat: his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool: his throne like flames of fire: the wheels of it like a burning fire.

While I still watched, there were judgement-thrones a-setting; and one took his seat there crowned with age. White as snow his garments were, his hair could match unsullied wool for whiteness; his throne all of flame, the wheels under it glancing fire;

Fluvius igneus rapidusque egrediebatur a facie ejus. Millia millium ministrabant ei, et decies millies centena millia assistebant ei: judicium sedit, et libri aperti sunt.

A swift stream of fire issued forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened.

and ever from his presence a stream of fire came rushing onward. A thousand thousand they were that waited on his bidding, and for every one of these, a thousand others were standing there before him. Assize should be held now, and the records lay open.

Aspiciebam propter vocem sermonum grandium, quos cornu illud loquebatur: et vidi quoniam interfecta esset bestia, et perisset corpus ejus, et traditum esset ad comburendum igni:

I beheld because of the voice of the great words which that horn spoke: and I saw that the beast was slain, and the body thereof was destroyed, and given to the fire to be burnt:

And still I watched, to see what would become of the boasts yonder horn had made; and all at once I was aware the beast itself had been slain, and even the carcase of it had vanished, handed over to the flames;

aliarum quoque bestiarum ablata esset potestas, et tempora vitæ constituta essent eis usque ad tempus et tempus.

And that the power of the other beasts was taken away: and that times of life were appointed them for a time, and a time.

nor might those other beasts enjoy power any longer, though life they should enjoy for a while, until their turn came.

Aspiciebam ergo in visione noctis, et ecce cum nubibus cæli quasi filius hominis veniebat, et usque ad antiquum dierum pervenit: et in conspectu ejus obtulerunt eum.

I beheld therefore in the vision of the night, and lo, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and he came even to the Ancient of days: and they presented him before him.

Then I saw in my dream, how one came riding on the clouds of heaven, that was yet a son of man; came to where the Judge sat, crowned with age, and was ushered into his presence.

Et dedit ei potestatem, et honorem, et regnum: et omnes populi, tribus, et linguæ ipsi servient: potestas ejus, potestas æterna, quæ non auferetur: et regnum ejus, quod non corrumpetur.

And he gave him power, and glory, and a kingdom: and all peoples, tribes and tongues shall serve him: his power is an everlasting power that shall not be taken away: and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed.

With that, power was given him, and glory, and sovereignty; obey him all must, men of every race and tribe and tongue; such a reign as his lasts for ever, such power as his the ages cannot diminish.

Horruit spiritus meus: ego Daniel territus sum in his, et visiones capitis mei conturbaverunt me.

My spirit trembled, I Daniel was affrighted at these things, and the visions of my head troubled me.

By this, Daniel wrote, my heart was ill at ease; a dread sight it was, and as I dreamed, my thoughts bewildered me.

Accessi ad unum de assistentibus, et veritatem quærebam ab eo de omnibus his. Qui dixit mihi interpretationem sermonum, et docuit me:

I went near to one of them that stood by, and asked the truth of him concerning all these things, and he told me the interpretation of the words, and instructed me:

So I drew closer to one that stood by, and asked to know the truth of all that had gone forward; he it was that read the riddle for me, and thus he unravelled it:

Hæ quatuor bestiæ magnæ, quatuor sunt regna, quæ consurgent de terra.

These four great beasts are four kingdoms, which shall arise out of the earth.

It is but earthly kingdoms they betoken, these four great beasts thou hast seen;

Suscipient autem regnum sancti Dei altissimi, et obtinebunt regnum usque in sæculum, et sæculum sæculorum.

But the saints of the most high God shall take the kingdom: and they shall possess the kingdom for ever and ever.

the servants of the most high God shall have dominion yet; theirs it shall be for ever and for evermore.

Post hoc volui diligenter discere de bestia quarta, quæ erat dissimilis valde ab omnibus, et terribilis nimis: dentes et ungues ejus ferrei: comedebat, et comminuebat, et reliqua pedibus suis conculcabat:

After this I would diligently learn concerning the fourth beast, which was very different from all, and exceeding terrible: his teeth and claws were of iron: he devoured and broke in pieces, and the rest he stamped upon with his feet:

But I was minded to know the truth more fully; what was the fourth beast, so different from all the rest, so dreadful; why must it have teeth and claws of iron, to crush and to devour, to trample on what was left?

et de cornibus decem, quæ habebat in capite, et de alio, quod ortum fuerat, ante quod ceciderant tria cornua: et de cornu illo, quod habebat oculos, et os loquens grandia, et majus erat ceteris.

And concerning the ten horns that he had on his head: and concerning the other that came up, before which three horns fell: and of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth speaking great things, and was greater than the rest.

What of the ten horns on its head, and that other, before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes, and a mouth to boast with, and grew greater than the rest?

Aspiciebam, et ecce cornu illud faciebat bellum adversus sanctos, et prævalebat eis,

I beheld, and lo, that horn made war against the saints, and prevailed over them,

This horn it was I saw doing battle against the servants of the most High, and getting the better of them,

donec venit antiquus dierum, et judicium dedit sanctis Excelsi, et tempus advenit, et regnum obtinuerunt sancti.

Till the Ancient of days came and gave judgment to the saints of the most High, and the time came, and the saints obtained the kingdom.

until the Judge appeared, crowned with age, to give them redress, and their turn came to have dominion.

Et sic ait: Bestia quarta, regnum quartum erit in terra, quod majus erit omnibus regnis, et devorabit universam terram, et conculcabit, et comminuet eam.

And thus he said: The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be greater than all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

And his answer was, this fourth beast was the fourth of those earthly kingdoms, and the greatest of them all, to crush and devour and trample down a whole world.

Porro cornua decem ipsius regni, decem reges erunt: et alius consurget post eos, et ipse potentior erit prioribus, et tres reges humiliabit.

And the ten horns of the same kingdom, shall be ten kings: and another shall rise up after them, and he shall be mightier than the former, and he shall bring down three kings.

Ten kings be the ten horns of that kingdom, and after these another shall rise, more poweful yet, and three of them shall bite the dust.

Et sermones contra Excelsum loquetur, et sanctos Altissimi conteret: et putabit quod possit mutare tempora, et leges: et tradentur in manu ejus usque ad tempus, et tempora, et dimidium temporis.

And he shall speak words against the High One, and shall crush the saints of the most High: and he shall think himself able to change times and laws, and they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time.

Boastfully he shall challenge the most High, and do his servants despite; calendar and ordinance he shall think to set aside; for a space of time, and for twice as long, and for half as long, he must needs have his way.

Et judicium sedebit, ut auferatur potentia, et conteratur, et dispereat usque in finem.

And a judgment shall sit, that his power may be taken away, and be broken in pieces, and perish even to the end.

Then assize shall be held on him, and all his power be taken away, crushed down and forgotten for ever.

Regnum autem, et potestas, et magnitudo regni, quæ est subter omne cælum, detur populo sanctorum Altissimi: cujus regnum, regnum sempiternum est, et omnes reges servient ei, et obedient.

And that the kingdom, and power, and the greatness of the kingdom, under the whole heaven, may be given to the people of the saints of the most High: whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all kings shall serve him, and shall obey him.

Then what royalty, what empire, what earth-embracing dominion shall be theirs, the people set apart for the most High! Sovereignty everlasting; no monarch but must bow to its yoke.

Hucusque finis verbi. Ego Daniel multum cogitationibus meis conturbabar, et facies mea mutata est in me: verbum autem in corde meo conservavi.

Hitherto is the end of the word. I Daniel was much troubled with my thoughts, and my countenance was changed in me: but I kept the word in my heart.

So ended the revelation made to Daniel. Bewildered my thoughts were, and my cheek pale, but I kept the memory of it faithfully in my heart.