DANIEL CHAPTER 4 - 6

DANIEL 4

1 Wrote Nebuchadnezzar the king,
To peoples, nations, tongues this thing,
To all that live in all the earth:
Peace multiplied to you in worth.
2 I thought good to declare the signs
And wonders that Most High Allah
Has worked for me. 3 How great His signs,
And how mighty His wonders’ awe!
His kingdom is everlasting,
A kingdom domain extending
From generation at the first
To the last generation’s burst.

The hidden hand of power, the devilish state
Knows how to sing Your praises soon and late,
Beloved, see how the wakened king writes now
That he’s confronted with the divine brow.
The one point of praise that he sees to note
Is that Your kingdom’s everlasting boat,
The very thing he coveted himself,
The sly creature, the evil, cunning elf!
It’s jealousy of You that fuels his part
In praising and in singing from the heart.
That is the seed that grows establishment
Of faith, both church and synagogue and bent
Mosque in this world, where truly Your name’s praised,
But at the core all systems are power-crazed.

4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at
Rest in my house and where I sat,
And flourishing in my palace.
5 I saw a dream which made my face
Afraid, and the thoughts on my bed
And the visions within my head
Troubled me. 6 Therefore I issued
Decree to bring in all reviewed
The wise men of Babylon to
Me, that they might make known the clue
To me of the dream. 7 Then they came,
Magicians, astrologers, same
Chaldeans, and soothsayers came
And I told them the dream, but they
Did not know its meaning to say.

Even after the threat to kill them all,
And after Daniel being on the ball,
Still the king first consults the royal hall
Of abusers of dreams’ reality
To show them despite all he faithfully
Upholds the claims of heathen gods to be
Foundation of his kingdom. One might ask
How such a thing can be after the task
Of showing which was wrong and which was right.
The fact is no king cares for right but might,
And Daniel’s God simply would take from him
The kingdom’s everlasting gear and trim.
Beloved, give me the penetrating eye
To see the truth of claims to power and why.

8 But at last Daniel came before
Me (his name is Belteshazzar,
According to my god’s true name,
In him is dwelling for his fame
The spirit of the holy gods),
And I told the dream for his prods,
Saying 9 “Belteshazzar, the chief
Of the magicians, with relief
I know the holy gods’ spirit
Is in you, and no secret fit
To trouble you, explain to me
The visions of the dream I see,
And its interpretation read.
10 “These were the visions of my head
While on my bed, I looked
Indeed, a tree in earth was hooked,
And its height was great. 11 “The tree grew
And became strong, its height reached to
The sky, and it could be seen to
The ends of all the earth. 12 “Its leaves
Were lovely, its fruit at the eaves
Abundant, and in it was food
For all. The beasts of the field rude
Found shade under it, and the bird
Of the sky in its branches stirred
Lived, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw visions of my head sit
While on my bed, and there was one,
A watcher, and a holy one,
Coming down from heaven. 14 “He cried
Aloud and said thus, ‘Cast aside,
Chop down the tree and cut off its
Branches, strip its leaves, scatter its
Fruit. Let the beasts forsake its shade
And the birds from its branches splayed.

I interject to note the king is sure
After his meditation that the pure
Power of his own god Bel enshrined upon
Daniel in the name given for court and fawn
Is what revealed the secret of his dream.
Besides that, Daniel’s answer, it would seem
Required an outlay from the state in gold
To counteract the dream that had foretold
The downfall of the kingdom. Now the pride
At having thwarted all that You would bide
Is ready at the heart and tongue of king
Who has a gilded answer for the thing.
Surprise is coming to cut down the great.
Beloved, never leave that plot from the gate.

15 ‘But leave the stump and roots in earth,
Bound with a band of iron its girth
And bronze, and in the tender grass
Of the field. Let it be, alas,
Wet with the dew of heaven, and let
Him graze with the beasts that are set
On the grass of the earth, 16 ‘and let
His heart be changed from of a man,
Let him be given a heart of beast,
And let seven years pass his bran.

The iron and bronze creep on the head of gold
And cut it down as those of slave who’s sold
Upon the market square. The grave delight
Of flycatcher on wing, the dewy sight
Of the brave tree caught on the dawning air
Are all confounded with the thunder blast
That strikes once to relieve the first outcast.
Beloved, I see the stump and roots in earth,
The warning and a dire one of the berth
Of kings to rise again, though humbled by
Democracy and yet, finger in pie,
Know that with companies to gloat and vie
The world’s better apportioned to exploit
After Babylon and after Detroit.

17 ‘This fate is by watchers’ decree,
And sentence by the holy see,
In order that the living may
Know that the Most High holds the sway
In the kingdom of men, gives it
To whomever He will see fit,
Sets over it lowest of men.’
18 “This dream it was I saw again,
King Nebuchadnezzar, I’ve been.
Now you, Belteshazzar, declare
Its meaning, since all the wise men
Of my kingdom have not the share
To make known to me the meaning,
But you are able dreams to sing,
For in you is the spirit of
The holy ones, the gods above.”

The king hears the voice proclaim his own end
Accounted by the watchers as a friend.
The watchers are known better in the books
Of Enoch and of Jubilees in nooks
Not often read, and yet they find their way
Into the visions of kings in their sway.
The watchers, faithful watchers hold the day
In hand to bring the right creation’s light
Into the human patterns caught in night.
Beloved, though You hold sway by word of king
Reporting the revealed voice here to sing,
I seek the downfall of all those in power
Who wrest Your words along the broken tower
Of human strength. Let watchers be an hour.

19 Daniel, Belteshazzar by name,
Astonished was for a time’s claim,
And his thoughts troubled him. The king
Spoke, and said, “Belteshazzar, sing,
Do not let the dream or its meaning
Trouble you with sorrow or keening.”
Belteshazzar answered and said,
“My lord, may the dream come instead
On those who hate you, and its meaning
Concern your enemies! 20 “The tree
That you saw, which grew and was free
To be strong, whose height touched the sky,
And which all the earth passing by
Looked on, 21 “whose leaves were lovely and
Its fruit abundant, in which hand
Was food for all, under which beast
Of the field lived, and in whose least
Branches the birds of heaven had home,
22 “It’s you, O king, who under dome
Of heaven have grown and become strong,
For your greatness has grown and reaches
To the heavens, and your reign teaches
To the end of the earth. 23 “And so
As the king saw a watcher go,
A holy one, come from the sky
And saying, ‘Chop down the tree by
And destroy it, but leave its stump
And root in the earth for a hump,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze,
Before the time of silicons,
In the tender grass of the field,
Let it be wet with the dew’s yield
From heaven, and let him graze with beast
Of the field, till seven years at least
Pass over him’, 24 “this is the meaning,
O king, and this is the decree
Of the Most High, come intervening
Upon my lord the king. 25 “They shall
Drive you from men, your dwelling shall
Be with the beasts of the field, and
They’ll make you eat grass out of hand
Like oxen. They shall wet you down
With dew of heaven around the town,
And seven years shall pass over you,
Till you know that the Most High true
Rules in the kingdom of men, too,
And gives it to the one He chooses.
26 “And inasmuch as the king loses,
They gave the command to leave stump
And roots of the tree at the bump,
Your kingdom shall be assured you,
After you come to know the due
Rule of heaven. 27 “Therefore, O king,
Let my advice be as sterling
To you, break off your sins to be
Righteous, and your iniquity
By showing mercy to the poor.
Perhaps there may be a detour
To lengthen your prosperity.”

The vision was a warning and the king
Had time unmentioned for its length and ring
To make repentance and show by a change
Of heart and action to what ardent range
He had minded the danger of his pride.
But kings and presidents and such deride
Humility before the Lord their God.
Who lead the corporations out to prod
The parliament to favour business fraud
Are ready to fall in the sudden trap
That is about to cause the king’s mishap.
Beloved, Your mercy to the king is great,
With dreams to warn him of the coming fate.
Most men hear nothing until it’s too late.

28 And all this came upon the king
Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the string
Of twelve months he was walking round
The royal palace, one that crowned
Babylon. 30 The king spoke, and said
“Is not this great Babylon bred,
That I have built for royal dwelling
By my mighty power full-swelling
And honour of my majesty?”
31 While the word’s in the king’s mouth, see,
A voice fell from heaven “O King
Nebuchadnezzar, see this thing
To you spoken. Now the kingdom
Has departed from you to hum!
32 “And they shall drive you out from men,
And your dwelling shall be in den
With the beasts of the field. They’ll make
You eat grass like oxen, and take
Seven years passing over you,
Until you know the Most High true
Rules in the kingdom of men, and
Gives it to whom He will command.”

Just as the Sabbath command shows to all
That the subordinate is not to fall
In abject obedience to the call
Of father, mother, employer in stall,
So watchers on the great celestial wall
Insist the king should know his power is lent,
And can be withdrawn in a breath once spent.
You, my Beloved, the Most High, give the crown
To whom You will, to test those in renown
And with the rare exception cause the chap
To fail before the test of pride’s mishap.
I hope that does not mean all those who lead
The boardrooms and the companies succeed
In going down to hell for word and deed.

33 That very hour the word was done
Upon Nebuchadnezzar’s bun,
He was driven from men and ate
Grass like oxen, his body’s state
Was wet with the dew of heaven till
His hair had grown like eagles’ quill
And his nails like birds’ claws and bill.

And yet the social scientist with wit
Will note that those who serve Auschwitz best fit,
Who kill the most in war with enemy,
Who survive with a boast their enmity,
Are those who also rise to wealth and fame
In attending to the corporate game.
So violence is at the heart of each
Successful pitch at attaining the peach,
And who does best to imitate Your song
As sovereign and creator of the wrong
Does best to forge his own law’s blast of gong.
Beloved, the world’s a-trample with the lust
Of turning precious life into gold dust.
The true gold’s not to grasp, spring’s failing rust.

34 And at the end of the time I,
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted eye
To heaven, and my understanding
Returned to me, and I blessed King
Most High and praised and honoured Him
Who lives forever, grows not dim:
For His dominion’s everlasting,
And His kingdom is for the casting
Of generations now and coming.
35 All the dwellers of the earth bumming
Are reputed as nothing, He
Does according to His will free
In the army of heaven, among
The dwellers of the earth unsung.
No one can restrain His hand or
Say to Him, “What, why, and wherefore?”
36 At the same time my reason came
Back to me, for my kingdom’s fame,
My honour and splendour returned.
My councillors and nobles learned
To come to me, I was restored
To my kingdom majestic lord.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise
Extol and honour all my days
The King of heaven, all of whose
Works are truth, and His ways still choose
Justice. And those who walk in pride
He is able to put aside.

Beloved, there is one and one only who
Rose to rule the world and then turned from view
And understood after the fiery trial
That those who walk in pride walk on a mile
To their perdition. Seven years sent out
To learn from ox and lion not to shout
Is little cost to avoid infamy
And pains of hell for an eternity.
Beloved, though all the rest who wield a rod
Of power upon the earthly, common sod
Should go into oblivion and night,
At least I see one burning brand and bright
Plucked from the raging fires of lust to rule,
And willing to be brought into Your school.

DANIEL 5

1 Belshazzar the king made a great
Feast for a thousand lords in state,
And drank wine in the presence of
The thousand. 2 While he tasted love
Of wine, Belshazzar gave command
To bring the gold and silver band
Of vessels which his father had,
Nebuchadnezzar acting bad
Had taken from the temple which
Was in Jerusalem, now ditch,
That the king and his lords, his wives,
And his concubines for their lives
Might drink from them. 3 Then they brought gold
Vessels that were taken of old
From the temple of Allah's own
House which had been His ancient throne
In Jerusalem, and the king
And his lords, his wives, and the ring
Of his concubines drank from them.
4 They drank the wine sparkling like gem,
And praised gods of silver and gold,
Bronze, iron, wood and stone, bought and sold.

These people were not monotheists here,
But needed drink to dare to break their fear
Of desecrating vessels though of gold
Taken out of Your temple in the old
Days of the king Nebuchadnezzar’s raid.
They had to drink so’s not to be afraid.
Such people follow on as soon as one
King learns to do Your will until it’s done.
There’s no respite on earth for saints below
As long as You test tyrants with a show.
Beloved, You look upon the feast today
That goes on as it did after the sway
Of Nebuchadnezzar, and see the drum
Of wickedness that settles under thumb.

5 In the same hour the fingers of
A man’s hand appeared and above
Wrote opposite the lamp-stand on
The plaster of the wall upon
The king’s palace, and the king saw
The part of the hand that wrote law.
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed,
And his thoughts troubled him and ranged,
So that his hips came out unjointed,
And knees knocked wherever they pointed.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in
Astrologers, those men of sin,
The Chaldeans, soothsayers too.
The king spoke to the great and few
Wise men of Babylon to say,
“Whoever reads this writing way,
And tells me what it means to say,
Shall be clothed with purple and chain
Of gold around his neck to reign
As third ruler in the kingdom.”

I told You drunkards shook in superstition,
But Your delirium tremens’ remission
Is like to scare the pants off Belshazzar.
It’s been a long day since You were the star
To write something with Your own finger’s par.
Let’s see, it was the Decalogue You wrote
On stone for every king and fool to quote
Until the fall of time upon the note
Of judgement. My Beloved, I see the sign
Of what You write about the blur of wine.
The message that endures written on heart
And wall and stone for treaty from the start
Convinces me the tale of old is true.
I find Your message always in my view.

8 Now all of the king’s wise men come,
But they could not read the writing,
Or show its meaning to the king.
9 Then King Belshazzar greatly troubled,
His countenance was changed and doubled,
His lords astonished at the thing.
10 The queen hearing of the king’s words
And of his lords, came to those birds
In the banquet hall. The queen spoke,
Saying, “O king, forever stoke!
Do not let your thoughts trouble you,
Nor let your countenance change too.
11 “There is a man in your kingdom
To whose spirit the gods have come
In holiness. And in the days
Of your father’s eternal praise,
Light, understanding and wisdom,
Like gods’ wisdom were found in him,
And King Nebuchadnezzar grim,
Your father, your father the king,
Made him chief of magicians’ ring,
Astrologers, Chaldeans, and
All of the soothsayers at hand.
12 “Inasmuch as excellent spirit,
Knowledge, understanding, or near it,
Interpreting dreams, and to solve
Riddles, and explaining resolve
Enigmas were found in this one
Daniel, whom the king named when done
Belteshazzar, now let be called
Daniel, and he’ll give sense enthralled.”

I see that Daniel had not been invited
To the feast when it was so singly blighted
With drunken excess and with orgy’s shame.
But he was called when they minded Your name.
The righteous man is needed, if he’s known
By someone in the crowd close to the throne,
When exploitation and excess explode
Into the crisis evil actions goad.
Beloved, the path is paved with carriageways
Broad enough for the missile-lorries craze,
But when the spectre silent and complete
Writes on the wall, the armies know defeat.
Belshazzar quails, the guests drop cups of wine,
But Daniel simply knows the voice divine.

13 Then Daniel was brought in before
The king. The king spoke what is more,
And said to Daniel, “Are you that
Daniel who’s one of those who sat
Among the captives from Judah,
The king my father brought by claw
From Judah? 14 “I have heard of you,
The spirit of the gods in you,
And light and understanding and
Excellent wisdom at your hand.
15 “Now the wise and astrologers,
Have been brought in as case avers
That they should read this writing and
Make known to me its meaning, but
They could not give its meaning shut.
16 “And I have heard of you, that you
Can give interpretations and
Explain enigmas out of hand.
Now if you can read the writing
And make it known to me the king,
You shall be clothed with purple and
Have chain of gold around your neck,
And shall be third to call and beck
A ruler in the kingdom stand.”

The flattery of state is always there,
Even in darkest trials the princes bear.
The coin in plea is always empty power,
Third in a kingdom with hardly an hour
Before the armies of the Persian crew
Break through the flood-gates on the party-rue.
A golden chain, a medal on the chest,
A silken garment or a pin-striped vest,
And nothing more to meet the fetid heat,
The shrunken haunch, manicured hands and feet.
Beloved, I see the palace with the eyes
Of Daniel who marks with a nod the wise
Who wait upon the wall the rivers rise
And fall before the victor’s cunning guise.

17 Then Daniel answered to the king
Saying, “Let your gifts be a thing
For yourself, and give your rewards
To another, ladies and lords,
Yet I shall read the writing to
The king, and make known at his cue
The meaning. 18 “O king, the Most High
Allah once gave your father nigh,
Nebuchadnezzar, a kingdom
And majesty, glory to come
And honour. 19 “And because of that
Majesty given him where he sat,
All peoples, nations, languages
Trembled and feared for him and his.
Whomever he wished, he would slay,
Whomever he wished, saw the day,
Whomever he wished, he set up,
And whom he wished, had poison cup.
20 “But when his heart was lifted up,
And his spirit was hard in pride,
He was deposed from his throne’s side,
And they took his glory from him.
21 “Then he was driven from the rim
Of human beings, for his heart
Was made like the beasts for his part,
And his dwelling was with wild ass.
They fed him like the ox with grass,
His body was wet with the dew
Of heaven, till at last he knew
That the Most High Allah now rules
In the kingdom of men and fools,
Appoints over it whom He choose.
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, lose,
For you have not humbled your heart,
Although you knew all this or part.

The tragedy that falls on every man
Who raises up his heart to rule a span
Is that he steps in to illusion’s black
Because he did not realize the lack
That was the silver self he thought was god.
He stumbles at the stretching of Your rod.
The humble heart is not monopoly
Of any human being’s sophistry,
But stings for every soul in glory’s grasp,
Both office boy and manager like asp.
Belshazzar, though he knew the cup’s deep drought,
Could not bear to relinquish golden spot.

23 “And you have lifted yourself up yourself
Against the Lord of heaven, not elf.
They’ve brought the vessels of His house
Before you, and you with each spouse
And your lords and your concubines,
Have drunk wine, your favourite wines.
And you have praised the gods of gold
And silver, bronze and iron untold,
And wood and stone, which do not see
Or hear or know a thing to be,
Allah who has your breath in hand
And owns all your ways through the land,
You have not glorified at all.

The heart believes too easily that when
The pew is warmed and praises sung in den
The soul is free to worship its estate
In gathering up wealth and health and mate.
The sacrifice that You demand is great,
And not merely a sop to recompense
The storm-god or the goddess of hair tents.
You demand that illusion of men’s fate
Be set aside with gold and silver plate.
Beloved, the lifting up of soul to be
A god beside You in a trinity
Is the one sin that sets all others round
To dance of death upon the struggle ground.
So Belshazzar meets his eternity.

24 “Then the hand’s fingers sent by call
From Him, and this writing was written.
25 “And this is the inscription written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 “This is the meaning of each arson.
MENE: Allah has numbered your
Kingdom, and put end to its score,
27 “TEKEL: You have also been weighed
In balances, found wanting stayed,
28 “PERES: Your kingdom’s been divided,
And to Medes and Persians confided.”

The writing on the wall is just the same
As that You wrote to Moses from the flame,
It simply iterates the Decalogue
Before the minds caught in a drunken fog
And clears the soul laid bare before the rod
To know that each man stands before his God.
The mystic words deal always with the score
To show the day arrives to greet the door
Of judgement, and that judgement once it’s set
Puts in the balance hearts and deeds’ regret
Until the fatal stroke lays at the root
The final and incriminating suit.
You alone, my Beloved, have power to reign.
All other hearts lift up themselves in vain.

29 Then Belshazzar gave the command,
And they clothed Daniel foot and hand
With purple and put chain of gold
Around his neck, and made a bold
Proclamation concerning him
That he should be the third in trim
A ruler in the kingdom sold.
30 That very night Belshazzar, king
Of the Chaldeans, saw death ring.
31 And Darius the Mede took hold
Kingdom at sixty-two years old.

That very night, what awful words to hear!
And yet I know within my heart of fear
That those work speak to every soul that lives
Upon the earth that Your grace’ bounty gives.
There is a night that comes on suddenly
To everyone, no matter what the plea,
When least expected, it falls on the brow
On the deathbed too soon to be the now.
The last breath is always at least one drawn
Before the one that I had counted on.
That very night, Beloved, the omen dark
Rests like a shadow on the sunlit park.
And yet it might have been a surety
If only Belshazzar had soul set free.

DANIEL 6

1 It pleased Darius to set over
The kingdom, town, country and clover
One hundred and twenty satraps,
To be over the whole perhaps
Of the kingdom, 2 and over these,
Three governors, of whom to please
Daniel was one, that the satraps
Might give account without mishaps
To them, so that the king would suffer
No loss. 3 Then this Daniel, no duffer,
Distinguished himself above all
The governors’ and satraps’ ball,
Because a fine spirit in him,
The king intended to set him
Over the whole realm. 4 And for this
The governors and satraps miss
No opportunity to find
A charge against Daniel to bind
Concerning the kingdom, but they
Could find no charge or fault in grey,
Because he was faithful, without
Any error or fault to flout.
5 Then these men said, “We shall not find
Any charge against Daniel’s kind
Unless we find it against him
About his Allah's law and dim.”
6 So these governors and satraps
Thronged before the king without caps,
And said so to him “King Darius,
Live forever and without bias!
7 “All the governors of the realm,
Administrators at the helm
And satraps, counsellors, advisors,
Have consulted as good surprisers
To set a royal statute up
And make a firm decree for cup,
That whoever petitions god
Or man for thirty days by rod,
Except you, O king, shall be cast
Into the den of lions fast.
8 “Now, king, establish the decree
And sign the writing and make free,
So it cannot be changed at all,
According to the laws that fall
From the Medes and Persians, which law
Does not alter by force or awe.”
9 Therefore the King Darius signed
The written decree not declined.

The truth is few risk life to pray today,
And yet without the risk of the king’s sway
It seems there’s not excitement in the deed.
Instead it’s few who feel any such need
At all to pray, whether to Median king
Or to the manager of anything,
Much less to One invisible like You.
Perhaps if there was law that none in pew
Had right under the legal statute here
To pray to You, the multitude would fear
Enough to come back in repentance sheer.
I doubt. I doubt that prayer can be made clear
Except by the vision of night and mind,
When You awaken both the lame and blind.

10 When Daniel knew the writing signed,
He went home. In his upper room,
With his windows open to loom
Toward Jerusalem, he knelt
Down on his knees three times for welt
That day, and prayed and gave thanks there
Before his Allah and with care,
As was his custom all his life
To pray both in peacetime and strife.

I note, Beloved, that Daniel thought it right
And necessary to pray well in sight
Toward the holy city and qibla
With You instead of king spread in his awe.
I note he did so three times in the day,
Both morning, noon, and night to find his way
Before the divine throne, no law of king
Of accomplice could change his daily thing.
To save my life, I think I’d find enough
To pray within my heart as do the tough
Christians today, who always answer so
When I tell them to bow prostrate to show
Obedience to Your word. Not many now
Risk life to pray to You when such ones bow.

11 Then these men came together and
Found Daniel praying by command
And making supplication to
His Allah. 12 And then they went to
The king, and spoke about the thing
That had signature of the king:
“Have you not signed a law to say
That every man who comes to pray
To any god or to appeal
To any man for thirty days,
Except to you, O king, for weal
Shall be cast in the lions’ den?”
The king answered and made apprise,
“The thing is true, according to
The law the Medes and Persians do,
Which cannot change.” 13 So they replied
And said before the king betide,
“That Daniel, who’s one of the slave
Captives from Judah, does behave
Without show of regard for you,
O king, for the decree that you
Have signed, but makes his own petition
Three times a day, at his admission.”

At least the man could have shut window fast
Against the spies that came with reproach cast,
Not for religion and not for faith spawned,
But for the jealousy of courtier fawned.
Perhaps the prophet knew that walls shut out
The qibla from the soul, perhaps the doubt
That rose from ruins of the temple shore
Made him think that the open window more
Required his eyes and bowed head to the floor.
Beloved, whatever frail belief or sign
Of superstition in the heady wine
Of hope, whatever stubbornness of mine
Makes me turn to You and against the vine
Of government and business, it is fine.

14 And the king, when he heard these words,
Was greatly displeased with himself,
And set his heart against the birds
To save Daniel from man and elf,
And laboured till the sun went down
To save the geezer from the town.
15 Then these men came in to the king,
And said to the king, “Know, O king,
That it’s the law of Medes and Persians
That no decree or statute’s versions
The king establishes may change.”
16 So the king started to arrange
Commands, and they brought Daniel and
Threw in the den of lions’ band.
But the king spoke to Daniel, saying
“Your Allah you serve always staying,
He will deliver you from slaying.”

I’ve always found the by-laws of the church
Or club or government leave in the lurch,
Till none is left but You, Beloved, for those
Who recognize Your laws above all foes.
The law of Medes and Persians, law of France,
Or law of Britain or the strutting prance
Of States United, foreign workers union
Established by some refugees impunion,
All these are greater far than what You said
On Sinai. So folk follow them instead.
Sunday and trinity and right to kill
Are democratic ways that still fulfil
Illusions of such liberty in gross
That feed the populace with the verbose.

17 Then a stone was brought there and laid
On the mouth of the den and stayed,
And the king sealed it with his own
Signet ring and with signets’ stone
Of his lords, that the purpose for
Daniel might never be changed more.
18 Now the king went to his palace
And spent the night fasting, with face
Of no musicians in the place,
Yet could not get to fall asleep.

No music could assuage the conscience thirst
That tempted the king with sins of the worst?
Today I think matters have greatly changed:
The president rocks with the roll that ranged
About the media and concert-hall,
And feels no remorse for the wicked pall
That exploits populace, that shuts in bars
Those who reject the message of rock stars.
Poor king! If only he had had a band
From my century, he could have made a stand,
And in its numbing opiate stay firm
That who has power to make the other squirm
Is right and democratic with good taste.
Poor sleeplessness of the king, what a waste!

19 Then the king very early rose
And quickly went to interpose
At the den of lions. 20 And when
He came to the den, he cried out
With a lamenting voice to shout
To Daniel. The king spoke and said
To Daniel, “Daniel, servant led
Of the living Allah, has your
Allah you served always before,
Been able to deliver you
From the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said
To the king, “O king, always live!
22 “Allah sent His angel to give
A shutting to the lions’ maws,
So they’ve not hurt me with their claws,
Because I was found innocent
Before Him, and also intent,
O king, I’ve done no wrong to you.”

Brave Daniel dares to say he’s done no wrong,
Despite his breaking of the statutes strong
Of the land where he lived and served in state.
Such a view is both sad and perviate.
The essence of democracy is that
We accept injustices on the mat
As soon as they are ratified as law.
It’s called the state of justice in the jaw.
Instead he thinks that doing wrong’s defined
By Your law only, Beloved. So confined
A view is unacceptable, I think
The king should throw the prophet in the clink.
Beloved, to live in ancient days when men,
Even kings, could be swayed by truth again.

23 And then the king was glad, it’s true,
And commanded that they should take
Daniel up from the den awake.
So Daniel was taken up out
Of the den, with no harm about
Him, because he believed in his
Allah, who was true God and is.
24 And then the king gave the command,
And they brought those men in a band
Who had accused Daniel, and they
Threw them into the lions’ way,
Them, and their children, and their wives,
And the lions attacked their lives,
And broke their bones in pieces all
Before they even hit the wall
At bottom of the lion’s den,
And that was the end of those men.

The retribution of the modern state
Is just the same as that for which we wait
In Persian times and in the Median grate.
Whatever happens, there are those who fall.
At every change, somebody hits the wall.
Not possible, it seems, to feed the all
And send them out to tread the shopping mall.
Not possible, it seems, to send them out
To dig and delve in field and roundabout.
Somebody has to die, it is the law
Of retribution in the court of claw.
No solution, it seems, has yet been found
Where crucifying’s not the choice of ground.
Simply live and let live is choice too small.

25 Then King Darius wrote, “To all
Peoples, nations, and languages
That live in all the earth to call,
Peace be multiplied unto you.
26 “I make a decree and that is
In every dominion accrue
Of my kingdom, tremble and fear
Before the God of Daniel here.
For He’s the living Allah and
Steadfast forever, and to stand.
His kingdom is the one which shall
Not be destroyed, and His power shall
Endure to the end. 27 “He delivers
And rescues, and He works and shivers
Signs and wonders in heaven and earth,
Who has saved Daniel from the berth
Of the lions.” 28 So this Daniel
Prospered in Darius’ reign well
And in the reign of Cyrus too
The king of all the Persian crew.

Religion by decree of kings is set
To treat the world with passions not yet met
In any other form, though formula
May well propose to keep You in the awe
Of populace by icon, gold and straw.
Ivan the Third had one chance to replace
The heathen dance with Your belovèd face,
And settled for a woman’s lack of grace
Who grew up by the Vatican’s bold mace.
So Ivan called the Terrible arose
From simple choices made against Your nose.
All Russias could have been from Novgorod
To Vladivostok palaces of God
Instead of exploitation of the sod.

AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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