My favorite poem for this glorious season is “A Child He Was,” by Giles Fletcher (1588-1623). I have never found any other expression that so fully captures the wonder, awe, terror and glory of the incarnation of our Lord. May God richly bless us all–Merry Christmas, friends!
Who can forget – never to be forgot –
The time, that all the world in slumber lies,
When like the stars the singing angels shot
To earth, and heaven awaked all his eyes,
To see another sun at midnight rise
On earth? Was ever sight of pareil fame
For God before, man like Himself did frame,
But God Himself now like a mortal was become.
A Child He was, and had not learnt to speak,
That with His word the world before did make.
His mother’s arms Him bore, He was so weak,
That with one hand the vaults of heaven could shake.
See how small room my infant Lord doth take
Whom all the world is not enough to hold,
Who of His years, as of His age hath told?
Never such age so young, never a child so old.
And yet but newly He was infanted,
And yet already He was sought to die;
Yet scarcely born, already banishëd.
Not able yet to go, and forced to fly:
But scarcely fled away, when by and by,
The tyran’s sword with blood is all defiled,
And Rachel, her sons, with fury wild,
Cries, “O thou cruel king!”, and “O my sweetest child!”
Egypt His nurse became, where Nilus springs,
Who, straight to entertain the rising sun,
The hasty harvest in his bosom brings;
But now for drought the fields were all undone,
And now with waters all is overrun:
So fast the Cynthian mountains poured their snow,
When once they felt the sun so near them flow,
That Nilus Egypt lost, and to sea did grow.
The angels carolled loud their song of peace;
The cursed oracles were strucken dumb;
To see their Shepherd the poor shepherds press;
To see their king the kingly sophies come;
And them to guide unto his Master’s home,
A star comes dancing up the Orient,
That springs for joy over the strawy tent,
Where gold to make their prince a crown, they all present.
Source: Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914), pp. 273-4.