Prudentius

Though you came from the mouth of God,
Born as his Word on earth below,
Yet as his Wisdom you lived
Forever in the Father’s heart.
This Wisdom uttered made the sky,
The sky and light and all besides;
All by the Word’s almighty power
Were fashioned, for the Word was God.
But when the universe was formed
And ordered by unchanging laws,
The Cause and architect divine
In the Father’s bosom still remained,
Until the slow revolving years
In centuries at length had passed,
And he himself condescended to come
Down to the world grown old in sin.…
But such destruction of humankind
The heart of Christ could not endure;
And lest his Father’s handiwork,
Unvindicated, should be lost,
He clothed himself in mortal flesh,
That by arising from the tomb
He might unlock the chains of death
And bring man to his Father’s house.
This is your natal day, on which
The high Creator sent you forth,
And gave to you a form of clay,
Uniting flesh with his own Word.

Of the Father’s love begotten before the beginning of the world,
Called Alpha and Omega, himself both source and end
Of all that is, has been, and will exist in times to come.
He commanded and they were created, he spoke and they were made,
Earth, heavens, the depths of the sea—the triple structure of the universe—
And all that inhabits them beneath the lofty orbs of sun and moon.
He put on mortal body’s form and limbs vulnerable to death,
To prevent the destruction of the race sprung from the first creature
Whom a deadly law had plunged deep into hell.
O what a blessed birth was then, when a virgin in labor,
Having conceived by the Holy Spirit, brought forth our salvation,
And the child who is the world’s redeemer revealed his sacred face.
Let the heights of heaven sing, all you angels, sing,
Let all the powers everywhere sing in praise of God,
Let no tongue be silent, let every voice ring in harmony.
Look how the one who was foretold by seers in ages past
And pledged in the prophets’ reliable writings,
Shines forth, he who was promised long ago: let all things praise him.