DESCRIPTION:
Le Jeu de Daniel - Ludus Danielis
The Dufay Collective - William Lyons, dir.

Ludus Dianelis is a 12th century liturgical play composed by various artists and played at the Beauvais Cathedral in France.

CD info: http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/cds/hmu7479.htm
Complete lyrics: http://www.ahorie.net/Daniel_Text.pdf

Ludus Dianelis is a 12th century liturgical play composed by various artists and played at the Beauvais Cathedral in France.

Prelude: Astra tenenti

Astra tenenti, cunctipotenti, turba virilis et puerilis contio plaudit.
Nam danielem multa fidelem et subisse atque tulisse firmiter audit.
Convocat ad se rex sapientes gramata dextrae qui sibi dicant e nucleantes.
Quae quia scribae non potuere solvere, regi ilico muti conticuere.
Sed Danieli scripta legenti mox patuere quae prius illis clausa fuere.
Quem quia vidit prevaluisse Balthasar illis, fertur in aula praeposuisse.
Causa reperta non satis apta destinat ilium ore leonum dilacerandum.
Sed, Deus, illos ante malignos in Danielem tunc voluisti esse benignos.
Huic quoque panis, ne sit inanis, mittitur a te praepete vate prandia dante.

While Belshazzar the King approaches. his noblemen sing before him these words:
To the Bearer of the Universe, Potentate of the world, the multitude of men and boys sing his praise.
They hear how Daniel, so faithful, suffered and endured steadfastly.
How the King assembled his wise men, calling them to solve the riddle of the words that were written by The Hand.
How they were not able to decipher the message, and fell silent before the King.
How Daniel soon illuminated the message, long obscure.
How Belshazzar realised his pre-eminence, so that he was taken up as favourite in the court.
How a trap was laid, not cunning enough, to have him torn to pieces in the lions' den.
But God, you turned the beasts from malice into tenderness and kept Daniel from starving, delivering bread at the hands of your prophet messenger.

Entrée du roi Balthazar, sous les acclamations des seigneurs de sa cour:
La foule des hommes et des enfants chante la louange de celui qui porte les étoiles, du souverain tout·puissant.
Ils écoutent l'histoire de Daniel, de sa foi inébranlable, de ses actions et de ses tourments.
Le roi fit venir ses sages, pour qu'ils lui révèlent le sens de l'écriture tracée par la Main.
Mais ils ne purent déchiffrer le message, et restèrent muets devant le Roi.
Daniel eut tôt fait d'en interpréter le sens, longtemps resté obscur.
Balthazar réalisa la prééminenee de Daniel et en fit un grand favori de sa eour.
On l'accusa, à tort, pour le faire jeter dans la fosse aux lions.
Mais Seigneur, tu changeas la cruauté des bêtes en tendresse et tu empêchas Daniel de mourir de faim, en lui faisant porter du pain par ton prophète.