CATHEMERINON LIBER OF PRUDENTIUS (continued 2)

Quid est, quod artum circulum sol iam recurrens deserit? Christusne terris nascitur, qui lucis auget tramitem? 5Heu quam fugacem gratiam festina volvebat dies, quam pene subductam facem sensim recisa extinxerat! Caelum nitescat laetius, 10gratetur et gaudens humus, scandit gradatim denuo iubar priores lineas. Emerge dulcis pusio, quem mater edit castitas, 15parens et expers coniugis, mediator et duplex genus. Ex ore quamlibet Patris sis ortus et verbo editus, tamen paterno in pectore 20sophia callebas prius. Quae prompta caelum condidit, caelum diemque et cetera, virtute verbi effecta sunt haec cuncta: nam verbum Deus. 25Sed ordinatis seculis, rerumque digesto statu fundator ipse et artifex permansit in Patris sinu, donec rotata annalium 30transvolverentur milia, atque ipse peccantem diu dignatus orbera viseret. Nam caeca vis mortalium venerans inanes nenias 35vel aera vel saxa algida, vel ligna credebat Deum. Haec dum sequuntur, perfidi praedonis in ius venerant, et mancipatam fumido 40vitam barathro inmerserant: Stragem sed istam non tulit Christus cadentum gentium inpune ne forsan sui Patris periret fabrica. 45Mortale corpus induit, ut excitato corpore mortis catenam frangeret hominemque portaret Patri. Hic ille natalis dies, 50quo te creator arduus spiravit et limo indidit sermone carnem glutinans. Sentisne, virgo nobilis, matura per fastidia 55pudoris intactum decus honore partus crescere? O quanta rerum gaudia alvus pudica continet, ex qua novellum seculum 60procedit et lux aurea! Vagitus ille exordium vernantis orbis prodidit, nam tunc renatus sordidum mundus veternum depulit. 65Sparsisse tellurem reor rus omne densis floribus, ipsasque arenas syrtium fragrasse nardo et nectare. Te cuncta nascentem puer 70sensere dura et barbara, victusque saxorum rigor obduxit herbam cotibus. Iam mella de scopulis fluunt, iam stillat ilex arido 75sudans amomum stipite, iam sunt myricis balsama. O sancta praesepis tui, aeterne rex, cunabula, populisque per seclum sacra 80mutis et ipsis credita. Adorat haec brutum pecus indocta turba scilicet, adorat excors natio, vis cuius in pastu sita est. 85Sed cum fideli spiritu concurrat ad praesepia pagana gens et quadrupes, sapiatque quod brutum fuit: Negat patrum prosapia 90perosa praesentem Deum: credas venenis ebriam furiisve lymphatam rapi. Quid prona per scelus ruis? agnosce, si quidquam tibi 95mentis resedit integrae, ducem tuorum principum. Hunc, quem latebra et obstetrix, et virgo feta, et cunulae et inbecilla infantia 100regem dederunt gentibus, peccator intueberis celsum coruscis nubibus, deiectus ipse et inritus plangens reatum fletibus: 105Cum vasta signum bucina terris cremandis miserit, et scissus axis cardinem mundi ruentis solverit: Insignis ipse et praeminens 110meritis rependet congrua, his lucis usum perpetis, illis gehennam et tartarum. Iudaea tunc fulmen crucis experta, qui sit, senties, 115quem te furoris praesule mors hausit et mox reddidit.

Why doth the sun re-orient take A wider range, his limits break? Lo! Christ is born, and o'er earth's night Shineth from more to more the light! Too swiftly did the radiant day Her brief course run and pass away: She scarce her kindly torch had fired Ere slowly fading it expired. Now let the sky more brightly beam, The earth take up the joyous theme: The orb a broadening pathway gains And with its erstwhile splendour reigns. Sweet babe, of chastity the flower, A virgin's blest mysterious dower! Rise in Thy twofold nature's might: Rise, God and man to reunite! Though by the Father's will above Thou wert begot, the Son of Love, Yet in His bosom Thou didst dwell, Of Wisdom the eternal Well; Wisdom, whereby the heavens were made And light's foundations first were laid: Creative Word! all flows from Thee! The Word is God eternally. For though with process of the suns The ordered whole harmonious runs, Still the Artificer Divine Leaves not the Father's inmost shrine. The rolling wheels of Time had passed O'er their millennial journey vast, Before in judgment clad He came Unto the world long steeped in shame. The purblind souls of mortals crass Had trusted gods of stone and brass, To things of nought their worship paid And senseless blocks of wood obeyed. And thus employed, they fell below The sway of man's perfidious foe: Plunged in the smoky sheer abyss They sank bereft of their true bliss. But that sore plight of ruined man Christ's pity could not lightly scan: Nor let God's building nobly wrought Ingloriously be brought to nought. He wrapped Him in our fleshly guise, That from the tomb He might arise, And man released from death's grim snare Home to His Father's bosom bear. This is the day of Thy dear birth, The bridal of the heaven and earth, When the Creator breathed on Thee The breath of pure humanity. Ah! glorious Maid, dost thou not guess What guerdon thy chaste soul shall bless, How by thy ripening pangs is bought An honour greater than all thought? O what a load of joy untold Thy womb inviolate doth hold! Of thee a golden age is born, The brightness of the earth's new morn! Hearken! doth not the infant's wail The universal springtide hail? For now the world re-born lays by Its gloomy, frost-bound apathy. Methinks in all her rustic bowers The earth is spread with clustering flowers: Odours of nard and nectar sweet E'en o'er the sands of Syrtes fleet. All places rough and deserts wild Have felt from far Thy coming, Child: Rocks to Thy gentle empire bow And verdure clothes the mountain brow. Sweet honey from the boulder leaps: The sere and leafless oak-bough weeps A strange rich attar: tamarisks too Of balsam pure distil the dew. Blessèd for ever, cradle dear, The lowly stall, the cavern drear! Men to this shrine, Eternal King, With dumb brutes adoration bring. The ox and ass in homage low Obedient to their Maker bow: Bows too the unlearn'd heartless crowd Whose minds the sensual feast doth cloud. Though, by the faithful Spirit impelled, Shepherds and brutes, unreasoning held, Yea, folk that did in darkness dwell Discern their God in His poor cell: Yet children of the sacred race Blindly abhor the Incarnate grace: By philtres you might deem them lulled Or by some bacchic phrenzy dulled. Why headlong thus to ruin stride? If aught of soundness in you bide, Behold in Him the Lord divine Of all your patriarchal line. Mark you the dim-lit cave, the Maid, The humble nurse, the cradle laid, The helpless infancy forlorn: Yet thus the Gentiles' King was born! Ah sinner, thou shalt one day see This Child in dreadful majesty, See Him in glorious clouds descend, While thou thy guilty heart shalt rend. Vain all thy tears, when loud shall sound The trump, when flames shall scorch the ground, When from its hinge the cloven world Is loosed, in horrid tumult hurled. Then throned on high, the Judge of all Shall mortals to their reckoning call: To these shall grant the prize of light, To those Gehenna's gloomy night. Then, Israel, shalt thou learn at length The Cross hath, as the lightning, strength: Doomed by thy wrath, He now is Lord, Whom Death once grasped but soon restored.

Quicumque Christum quaeritis, oculos in altum tollite, illic licebit visere signum perennis gloriae. 5Haec stella, quae solis rotam vincit decore ac lumine, venisse terris nuntiat cum carne terrestri Deum. Non illa servit noctibus 10secuta lunam menstruam, sed sola caelum possidens cursum dierum temperat. Arctoa quamvis sidera in se retortis motibus 15obire nolint, attamen plerumque sub nimbis latent. Hoc sidus aeternum manet, haec stella nunquam mergitur, nec nubis occursu abdita 20obumbrat obductam facem. Tristis cometa intercidat, et si quod astrum Sirio fervet vapore, iam Dei sub luce destructum cadat. 25En Persici ex orbis sinu, sol unde sumit ianuam, cernunt periti interpretes regale vexillum Magi. Quod ut refulsit, ceteri 30cessere signorum globi, nec pulcher est ausus suam conferre formam Lucifer. Quis iste tantus, inquiunt, regnator astris inperans, 35quem sic tremunt caelestia, cui lux et aethra inserviunt. Inlustre quiddam cernimus, quod nesciat finem pati, sublime, celsum, interminum, 40antiquius caelo et chao. Hic ille rex est gentium populique rex Iudaici, promissus Abrahae patri eiusque in aevum semini. 45Aequanda nam stellis sua cognovit olim germina primus sator credentium, nati inmolator unici. Iam flos subit Davidicus 50radice Iesse editus, sceptrique per virgam virens rerum cacumen occupat. Exin sequuntur perciti fixis in altum vultibus, 55qua stella sulcum traxerat claramque signabat viam. Sed verticem pueri supra signum pependit inminens, pronaque submissum face 60caput sacratum prodidit. Videre quod postquam Magi, eoa promunt munera, stratique votis offerunt tus, myrrham, et aurum regium. 65Agnosce clara insignia virtutis ac regni tui, puer o, cui trinam Pater praedestinavit indolem. Regem Deumque adnuntiant 70thesaurus et fragrans odor turis Sabaei, ac myrrheus pulvis sepulcrum praedocet. Hoc est sepulcrum, quo Deus, dum corpus extingui sinit 75atque id sepultum suscitat, mortis refregit carcerem. O sola magnarum urbium maior Bethlem, cui contigit ducem salutis caelitus 80incorporatum gignere. Altrice te summo Patri haeres creatur unicus, homo ex tonantis spiritu idemque sub membris Deus. 85Hunc et prophetis testibus isdemque signatoribus, testator et sator iubet adire regnum et cernere: Regnum, quod ambit omnia 90diva et marina et terrea a solis ortu ad exitum et tartara et caelum supra. Audit tyrannus anxius adesse regum principem, 95qui nomen Israel regat teneatque David regiam. Exclamat amens nuntio, successor instat, pellimur; satelles i, ferrum rape, 100perfunde cunas sanguine. Mas omnis infans occidat, scrutare nutricum sinus, interque materna ubera ensem cruentet pusio. 105Suspecta per Bethlem mihi puerperarum est omnium fraus, ne qua furtim subtrahat prolem virilis indolis. Transfigit ergo carnifex 110mucrone destricto furens effusa nuper corpora, animasque rimatur novas. Locum minutis artubus vix interemptor invenit, 115quo plaga descendat patens iuguloque maior pugio est. O barbarum spectaculum! inlisa cervix cautibus spargit cerebrum lacteum 120oculosque per vulnus vomit. Aut in profundum palpitans mersatur infans gurgitem, cui subter artis faucibus singultat unda et halitus. 125Salvete flores martyrum, quos lucis ipso in limine Christi insecutor sustulit, ceu turbo nascentes rosas. Vos prima Christi victima, 130grex inmolatorum tener, aram ante ipsam simplices palma et coronis luditis. Quid proficit tantum nefas, quid crimen Herodem iuvat? 135unus tot inter funera inpune Christus tollitur. Inter coaevi sanguinis fluenta solus integer ferrum, quod orbabat nurus, 140partus fefellit virginis. Sic stulta Pharaonis mali edicta quondam fugerat Christi figuram praeferens Moyses, receptor civium. 145Cautum et statutum ius erat, quo non liceret matribus, cum pondus alvi absolverent, puerile pignus tollere. Mens obstetricis sedulae 150pie in tyrannum contumax ad spem potentis gloriae furata servat parvulum: Quem mox sacerdotem sibi adsumpsit orbis conditor, 155per quem notatam saxeis legem tabellis traderet. Licetne Christum noscere tanti per exemplum viri? dux ille caeso Aegyptio 160absolvit Israel iugo. At nos subactos iugiter erroris inperio gravi dux noster hoste saucio mortis tenebris liberat. 165Hic expiatam fluctibus plebem marino in transitu repurgat undis dulcibus, lucis columnam praeferens: Hic praeliante exercitu, 170pansis in altum brachiis, sublimis Amalech premit, crucis quod instar tunc fuit. Hic nempe Iesus verior, qui longa post dispendia 175victor suis tribulibus promissa solvit iugera. Qui ter quaternas denique refluentis amnis alveo fundavit et fixit petras, 180apostolorum stemmata. Iure ergo se Iudae ducem vidisse testantur Magi, cum facta priscorum ducum Christi figuram finxerint. 185Hic rex priorum iudicum, rexere qui Iacob genus, dominaeque rex ecclesiae, templi et novelli et pristini. Hunc posteri Efrem colunt, 190hunc sancta Manasse domus omnesque suspiciunt tribus bis sena fratrum semina. Quin et propago degener ritum secuta inconditum, 195quaecumque dirum fervidis Baal caminis coxerat, fumosa avorum numina saxum, metallum, stipitem, rasum, dolatum, sectile, 200in Christi honorem deserit. Gaudete quidquid gentium est, Iudaea, Roma, et Graecia, Aegypte, Thrax, Persa, Scytha, rex unus omnes possidet. 205Laudate vestrum principem omnes beati, ac perditi, vivi, inbecilli ac mortui: iam nemo posthac mortuus.

Lift up your eyes, whoe'er ye be That fare the new-born Christ to see: For yonder is the shining sign Of grace perennial and divine. What means this star, whose piercing rays Outshine the sun's resplendent blaze? 'Tis token sure that God is come In mortal flesh to make His home. No courtier of the realms of night Nor monthly moon's bright acolyte, This star directs the course of day, Sole sovereign of the heavenly way. Although the Bears their track retrace, Nor wholly their clear beams efface, Yet ofttimes 'neath the dun cloud's haze They hide themselves from mortal gaze. But yon Star's glory hath no end, Nor to the depths can it descend: It ne'er is whelmed by envious cloud That seeks its beauty to enshroud. Now let the baleful comet die, The brood of blazing Sirius fly: God's orb shall quench their sultry heats And drive them from their haughty seats. Lo! from the regions of the morn Wherein the radiant sun is born, The Persian sages see on high God's ensign shining in the sky. Soon as its rising beams prevail The starry hosts in order pale: E'en Lucifer durst not upraise The silvery splendours of his face. Who is this sovereign (they enquire) That lords it o'er the ethereal choir? 'Fore whom the heavens bow down afraid, Of all the worlds of light obeyed? Sure 'tis the sign most reverend Of Being that doth know no end: Of One in state sublime arrayed Ere sky and chaos yet were made. This is the King of Israel, Of all in Gentile lands that dwell: The King to Abram and his seed Throughout all ages erst decreed. To him 'twas given his progeny As stars innumerous to see: First of believers! moved to slay His only son, so God to obey. Behold the Flower of David shine, Of Jesse's root the Branch benign: The sceptre spread with blossoms rare Wields o'er the world its lordship fair. Roused by the portent of the sky The sages fix their gaze on high, And speed them 'neath the furrowed way Marked by the star's effulgent ray. At length its flaming steps it stayed Poised over where the Child was laid: Straightway with downcast mien it shed Its splendours on the sacred Head. Whereat the travellers outpour Of Eastern gifts their treasure-store, Myrrh and sweet-smelling frankincense, Gold meet for regal opulence. Behold herein the triple sign Of Thy pure being, King divine: Seeing the Father willed in Thee To plant a threefold majesty. The gift of gold thee King proclaims: Thee God the fragrant incense names: The myrrh declares that Death shall thrust Within the tomb Thy body's dust. Ah! that dark sepulchre, whose fold God's body quenched in death doth hold: Yet shall He from that durance wake And Death's strong prison-fetters break. O Bethlehem! no longer thou The least of cities: all shall vow That thou art greatest on the earth: For thou man's King didst bring to birth. Yea thou didst on thy bosom bear The All-loving Father's only heir: Man of the Thunderer's Spirit made And God in human flesh arrayed. The prophets witnessed to the bond Which sealed to Him the realm profound: The Father's Kingdom He received And the vast legacy perceived. All things are His in sea and sky, In hell beneath, in heaven on high: From East to setting sun, in fee He holds the earth's immensity. Distraught, the tyrant base doth hear That now the King of Kings draws near To reign in David's seat of state And Israel's empire dominate. "Betrayed are we," he maddened cries, "Our throne's usurper doth arise: Go, soldiers, go with sword in hand And slay all babes within my land. "Spare no male child: each nurse's robe Your scrutinizing steel must probe: Spare not the suckling infant, though O'er mother's breast its life-blood flow. "On Bethlehem our suspicion falls, On every hearth within its walls: Lest mothers with love's tender zeal Some manly scion may conceal." With daggers drawn the infuriate crew Upon their murderous errand flew: Each latest offspring of the womb To bloody death they foully doom. Ah tiny limbs! 'twas hard to know How best to strike the fatal blow: Too wide the sword-blades are to smite Those throats so silken-fragile, slight. O horrid sight! the tender bones Are dashed against the jaggèd stones: Sightless and mangled there they lie, Poor babes! untimely doomed to die. Perchance the still deep river laves Their bodies thrust into the waves: The current with their sighing sighs, Sobs with their latest, broken cries. Ye flowers of martyrdom, all hail! Of rising morn pure blossoms frail! By Jesu's foe were ye downcast, Like budding roses by the blast. Lambs of the flock too early slain, Ye first fruits of Christ's bitter pain! Close to His very altar, gay With palms and crowns, ye now do play. Of what avail is deed so vile? Doth Herod gain by murderous guile? Of all to death so foully done Escapes triumphant Christ alone. Amidst that tide of infant gore Alone He wins the sheltering shore: The virgin's Child survives the stroke, When every mother's heart was broke. Thus Moses 'scaped the mad decree Of evil Pharaoh and set free The flock of God, prefiguring so Christ spared from fate's malignant blow. Vain too the king's hostility Who framed the pitiless decree That Israel's mothers should not rear To manhood's strength their offspring dear. Quickened by love, a woman's mind Found means to thwart that law unkind, And, falsely true, the child concealed Destined to be his people's Shield. On him it was that God did place The august priesthood's holy grace, The law on stony tablets writ Did to his trembling hands commit. And may we not with prophet's eye In such a hero Christ descry? The proud Egyptian's might he broke And freed his kinsmen from the yoke. So we by Error's might hemmed round Were by our Captain's strength unbound: His foe He wounded in the fight And saved us from Death's horrid night. Cheering by sign of flame their feet, Moses renewed with waters sweet His folk, albeit purified From stain, what time they crossed the tide. And he, remote on peaceful height, Amalek's banded hosts did smite: He prayed with arms stretched out above, Foreshadowing the Cross of Love. Yet truer Jesus surely he, Who after many a victory And labours long the tribes' renown With promised heritage did crown; Who when the waters rose on high And now the Jordan's bed was dry, Set up twelve stones of memory, Types of apostles yet to be. Rightly the Wise Men said, I ween, That they Judaea's King had seen, Since noble deeds of other days Prophetic chant the Saviour's praise. Of those old rulers He is King Who did to Jacob judgment bring, King of the Mother Church divine, God's ancient and God's present Shrine. Of Ephraim's sons He is adored: Manasseh's sacred house as Lord Reveres Him: to His might the seed Of brethren twelve their fealty plead. Nay, each degenerate race hath fled Its shameful rites and orgies dread: Grim Baal in glowing furnace cast Sinks to the earth, forsook at last. Idols smoke-blackened, wooden-hewn, Of brass and stone, in dust are strewn: The chiselled deities downtrod: For all confess in Christ their God. Rejoice all peoples, Jewry, Rome, Fair Hellas, Thrace, Aegyptus' home: Persians and Scythian land forlorn, Rejoice: the world's great King is born! Behold your Chief! His praise forth tell: Ye sick, ye hale, all heaven and hell: Ay, you whose vital spark hath sped: For lo! in Him e'en Death is dead.

Inmolat Deo Patri pius, fidelis, innocens, pudicus dona conscientiae, quibus beata mens abundat intus: 5alter et pecuniam recidit, unde victitent egeni. Nos citos iambicos sacramus et rotatiles trochaeos, sanctitatis indigi 10nec ad levamen pauperum potentes; adprobat tamen Deus pedestre carmen, et benignus audit. Multa divitis domo sita est per omnes angulos supellex. 15Fulget aureus scyphus, nec aere defit expolita pelvis: est et olla fictilis, gravisque et ampla argentea est parabsis. Sunt eburna quaepiam, 20nonnulla quercu sunt cavata et ulmo: omne vas fit utile, quod est ad usum congruens herilem, Instruunt enim domum ut empta magno, sic parata ligno. 25Me paterno in atrio ut obsoletum vasculum caducis Christus aptat usibus, sinitque parte in anguli manere. Munus ecce fictile 30inimus intra regiam salutis; attamen vel infimam Deo obsequelam praestitisse prodest. Quidquid illud accidit, iuvabit ore personasse Christum.

The pure and faithful saint, whose heart is whole, To God the Father makes his sacrifice From out the treasures of a stainless soul, Glad gifts of innocence, beyond all price: Another with free hand bestows his gold, Whereby his needy neighbour may be fed. No wealth of holiness my heart doth hold, No store have I to buy my brothers bread: So here I humbly dedicate to Thee The rolling trochee and iambus swift; Thou wilt approve my simple minstrelsy, Thine ear will listen to Thy servant's gift. The rich man's halls are nobly furnishèd; Therein no nook or corner empty seems; Here stands the brazen laver burnishèd, And there the golden goblet brightly gleams; Hard by some crock of clumsy earthen ware, Massive and ample lies a silver plate; And rough-hewn cups of oak or elm are there With vases carved of ivory delicate. Yet every vessel in its place is good, So be it for the Master's service meet; The priceless salver and the bowl of wood Alike He needs to make His home complete. Therefore within His Father's spacious hall Christ fits me for the service of a day, Mean though I be, a vessel poor and small,-- And in some lowly corner lets me stay. Lo in the palace of the King of Kings I play the earthen pitcher's humble part; Yet to have done Him meanest service brings A thrill of rapture to my thankful heart: Whate'er the end, this thought will joy afford, My lips have sung the praises of my Lord.