Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIII/Ephraim the Syrian and Aphrahat/Hymns on the Nativity/Hymn XVIII

.&#8212;Praise be to Him Who sent Him! (bis)

1.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, for lo! in thee is the sound,&#8212;of the great feast the festival of the King!&#8212;Sion is deserted, her gates are sore athirst,&#8212;and forsaken of festivals.&#8212;Blessed thy gates that are open yet not filled,&#8212;and thy halls that are enlarged yet suffice not!&#8212;In the midst of thee lo! is the sound, of the nations that cry out, and have put to silence the People.

2.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, that in thy festivals,&#8212;the Watchers rejoice amid thy festivity!&#8212;for one night the Watchers gave praise,&#8212;on the earth which withheld and refused praise.&#8212;Blessed thy voices that have been sown and reaped,&#8212;and in Heaven stored up in garners!&#8212;Thy mouth is a censer, and thy voices as perfumes, breathing vapour in thy festivals.

3.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, that all oblations,&#8212;are brought unto thee in this feast.&#8212;The Magi once among traitors, offered them to the Truth.&#8212;Blessed thy abode that He bowed Himself and dwelt therein, Son of the King Who is worshipped with gifts!&#8212;Gold from the West, and spices from the East,&#8212;are offered in Thy Festivals.

4.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, that there is not with thee,&#8212;a tyrant King slayer of babes! for he killed in Bethlehem the little ones at random,&#8212;that he might put to death the Child that gives life to all.&#8212;Blessed thy children that are envied and worshipped,&#8212;by Kings, for those are promised for Thy worship,&#8212;the crowns of the East:&#8212;he who trod down thy dear ones, shall be trodden down by thy beloved.

5.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, for lo! over thee,&#8212;Isaiah too exults in his prophecy,&#8212;&#8221;Lo a Virgin shall conceive and bear,&#8212;a Son&#8221; Whose name is great mystery!&#8212;O interpretation revealed in the Church!&#8212;two names that were joined and became one;&#8212;&#8221;Emmanuel,&#8221;&#8212;God be with thee ever, Who joined thee with His members!

6.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, in Micah who cried out,&#8212;&#8220;A Shepherd shall come forth from Ephrata&#8221;:&#8212;for He came to Bethlehem to take&#8212;from thence the rod of Jesse and to rule the nations.&#8212;Blessed thy lambs that are sealed with His seal,&#8212;and thy sheep that are kept by His sword!&#8212;Thou art, O Church,&#8212;the abiding Bethlehem,&#8212;for in thee is the Bread of Life!

7.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, for lo! in thee rejoices,&#8212;Daniel also the man beloved,&#8212;who foretold that the glorious Messiah shall be killed,&#8212;and the city of holiness be laid desolate at His killing!&#8212;Woe to the People that was rejected and is not converted&#8212;Blessed the nations that were called and turned not away!&#8212;The bidden guests refused,&#8212;and others in their stead enjoyed their banquet.

8.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, for on thy, lute, lo! King David sings psalms in thee!&#160; In the Spirit he sings of Him &#8220;Thou art My Son and I&#8212;this day have begotten Thee&#8221; in the glories of holiness.&#8212;Blessed thy ears that have been purged to hear!&#8212;On His day watch thou as His Body and call on Him;&#8212;be taught by Sion,&#8212;which saddened His Feast; make Him glad Who has gladdened thee.

9.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, that all festivals&#8212;have taken flight from Sion and sheltered with thee!&#8212;In the midst of thee the wearied Prophets have found rest,&#8212;from the labour and the reproachthey bore in Judah.&#8212;Blessed the books unrolled in thy temples,&#8212;and the festivals celebrated in thy shrines!&#8212;Sion is forsaken,&#8212;and lo! today the nations shout in thy festivals.

10.&#160; Blessed art thou, O Church, in ten blessings,&#8212;which our Lord has given as a mystery complete:&#8212;for on ten all the numbers hang, therefore art thou perfect by ten blessings.&#8212;Blessed thy crowns that are twined&#8212;with all blessings mixed in every crown!&#8212;O blessed one,&#8212;with every blessing crowned, on me too send thy blessing!

11.&#160; Blessed art thou, Ephrata, mother of Kings, that from thee sprang the Lord of diadems!&#8212;Micah gave thee tidings that He is from everlasting, and the span of His times is not comprehended.&#8212;Blessed thine eyes which first of all discerned Him!&#8212;thee He deemed worthy to see Him when He appeared,&#8212;Chief of benediction,&#8212;and Beginning of gladness, thou didst receive first of all.

12.&#160; Blessed art thou, Bethlehem, that the towns envy thee,&#8212;and the fortified cities!&#8212;As they envy thee, so the women envy Mary,&#8212;and the virgins daughters of princes.&#8212;Blessed the maiden in whom He deigned to abide,&#8212;and the city wherein He deigned to sojourn;&#8212;a poor maiden,&#8212;and a small city, He chose Him to humble Himself.

13.&#160; Blessed art thou, Bethlehem, that in thee was the beginning,&#8212;for Him the Son Who from everlasting is in the Father!&#8212;It is hard to comprehend, that before Time He is,&#8212;Who in thee made Himself subject to Time.&#8212;Blessed thine ears, for in thee first was heard the cry&#8212;of the Lamb of God who exulted in thee!&#8212;Narrow though thy manger,&#8212;He spread Himself on all sides, and was worshipped of every creature.

14.&#160; Blessed art thou too, Mary, that thy name&#8212;is great and exalted because of thy child!&#8212;Thou canst tell then how and how long&#8212;and where He dwelt in thee, the great One in small room.&#8212;Blessed thy mouth that praised and enquired not,&#8212;and thy tongue that glorified and questioned not!&#8212;For His Mother was uncertain concerning Him,&#8212;even while she carried Him in the womb; who then shall suffice to comprehend Him?

15.&#160; O Woman, thou whom no man knew,&#8212;how can we behold the Son thou hast borne?&#8212;For no eyes suffice to stand&#8212;before the transfigurations of the glory, that is on Him.&#8212;For tongues of fire abide in Him&#8212;Who sent tongues by His Ascension.&#8212;Be every tongue warned,&#8212;that our questioning is as stubble, and as fire our scrutiny.

16.&#160; Blessed is he the priest who in the sanctuary,&#8212;offers to the Father the Son of the Father,&#8212;the fruit that is plucked from our tree, though it be wholly of the Divine Majesty!&#8212;Blessed the hands that are hallowed and offer Him!&#8212;and the lips that are spent in kissing Him!&#8212;The Spirit in the Temple&#8212;longed for His embrace; and at His Crucifixion rent the veil and went forth.

17.&#160; The Archangel gave thee greeting,&#8212;as the earnest of holiness&#8212;Earth became to him new Heavens,&#8212;when the Watcher came down and sang glory on it.&#8212;The sons of the Highest encompassed thy habitation&#8212;because of the Son of the King that dwelt in thee.&#8212;Thy abode below,&#8212;to the Heaven above was made like by the host of Watchers.