(.—Blessed be thy Birth that gladdens all creatures!)
1. The first year wherein, our Saviour was
born,—is source of blessing, and ground of life;—for by it
are borne,—manifold triumphs, the sum of all help:—as the
first day of “the beginning,”—the great pillar of all
creatures,—bears the building of Creation;—so the year of
the Firstborn bears help for man.
2. In the second year, of our Saviour’s
Birth,—the Magi exult, the Pharisees mourn:—treasures are
opened,—kings are hastening, and infants are slain.—For in
it are offered in Bethlehem,—oblations precious and
terrible;—for while love made offering of gold,—hatred
offered infants by the sword.
3. The day of the All-Lightening, exults in
His birth;—a pillar of radiance, which drives away, by its
beams—the works of darkness. After the type of that day, wherein light was created,—and sundered the darkness that spread—over the fair beauty of Creation;—the radiance of our Saviour’s birth—came in to sunder the darkness that was on the heart.
4. The first day the source and the
beginning,—orders the roots, to make all things grow.—Our
Saviour’s day—is praised far above it, a tree planted in
the world.—For His Death is as the root in the earth; His
Resurrection as the head in heaven; on all sides His words reach
as boughs; likewise His Body as fruit for the eaters.
5. Let the second day, sing praise to the
Birth—of the second Son, and His voice which
first—commanded the firmament and it was made,—divided the
waters that were above, and gathered the seas that were
under.—He Who divided waters from waters, divided Himself from
the Watchers and came down to man.—For the waters which at His
command were gathered.—He cleft the fountain of life and gave
drink.
6. Let the third day weave with divers
hymns—the crown of psalms and with one voice present it—for
His Birth who gave growth—of buds and flowers, on the third
day.—But now He the All-giver of growth,—has come down and
become the All-holy Flower; from the thirsting earth has sprang forth
and gone up,—that he may decorate and crown the conquerors.
7. Let the fourth day praise, first among the
four,—His Birth Who created as the fourth day—the two
lightgivers,—which fools worship, and are sightless and
blind.—The Lord of Lightgivers has come down,—and from the
womb has shone on us as the Sun.—His splendours have opened the
eyes of the blind:—His rays have given light to the
wandering.
8. Let the fifth day laud Him Who created—on
the fifth day creeping things and Dragons—of whose kind is the
serpent.—He deceived with guile our mother, a maid void of
counsel.—The deceiver who had mocked the maid,—by the Dove
was exposed as false,—which from a virgin bosom sprang, and came
forth—the Wise that trod down the crafty.
9. Let the sixth day laud Him who created—on
Vesper-day Adam, whom Satan envied; as a feigned friend—cheered
him in offering poison in his food.—The medicine of life reached
them both,—put on a body and came near to both.—The mortal
tasted Him and lived through Him;—the devourer who ate Him was
left void.
10. Let the seventh day hallow the Holy
One,—Who halloweth the Sabbath, and gave rest to all that
live.—The Blessed One Who wearied not—has care for mankind, and has care for the beasts.—When Freedom fell under the yoke,—He came to the Birth and became bond to make it free:—He was smitten on the face by servants in the judgment hall;—He broke the yoke that was on the free, as Lord.
11. Let the eighth day, which circumcised
the Hebrews,—praise Him Who commanded his namesake
Joshua—to circumcise with a flint—the people circumcised in
body, while the heart was profane within.—Lo! as the eighth day, as a Babe,—to circumcision He came Who circumcises all.—Though the sign of Abraham is on His Flesh,—the blind daughter of Sion had defiled it.
12. Let the tenth day sing, praises in its
turn.—For God the first letter of Jesus (goodly
name!), is ten in numbering.—He Who is as a lamb, turns
back the numbers.—For when the number goes up to ten, it is
turned back to begin again from one. O great mystery of that
which is in Jesus, Whose might turns all creation back
again!