O mystery most wonderful!

Of curse the world to cure

The flesh that cleanseth sins of flesh
Doth all men's sins endure.

Than this what can be more sublime, That guilt for grace should sue, That perfect love should cast out fear, And death should life renew?

Death gulps the hook, and then himself

With his own knots he ties:

The Life of all men dies, that so
The life of all may rise.

Since death on all hath passed, may all The dead arise once more:

And Death, destroyed by his own blow, His death alone deplore.

V

IN THEOPHANIA

Inluminans altissimus Micantium astrorum globos, Pax, vita, lumen, veritas, Iesu, fave precantibus;

Seu mystico baptismate
Fluenta Iordanis retro
Conversa quodam tempore
Praesente sacraris die;

Seu stella partum virginis Coelo micans signaverit, Et hac adoratum die Praesepe magos duxerit;

Vel hydriis plenis aqua Vini saporem fuderis, Hausit minister conscius, Quod ipse non impleverat.

V

FOR THE EPIPHANY

O Thou who shinest from on high
Upon each gleaming planet's sphere,
Thou Peace, and Life, and Light, and Truth,
O Jesus, now Thy suppliants hear.

Or whether Thou by mystic rite
Didst hallow, on this very day,
The Jordan's stream that once of old
Was reverently turned away;

Or whether, gleaming in the heaven,
The star disclosed the Virgin's Son,
And on this day the magi led

To worship at Thy manger throne;

Or Thou didst then the taste infuse
Of wine, in jars with water stored,
The servant drew, though knowing well
That naught therein himself had poured.

Aquas colorari videns,
Inebriare flumina,

Elementa mutata stupet
Transire in usus alteros.

Sic quinque millibus virum
Dum quinque panes dividis,
Edentium sub dentibus
In ore crescebat cibus;

Multiplicabatur magis
Dispendio panis suo,
Quis haec videns mirabitur
Iuges meatus faucium?

Inter manus frangentium Panis rigatur profluus, Intacta, quae non fregerant, Fragmenta subrepunt viris.

Beholding then the waters blush
In an intoxicating flood,

Too greatly wondering at the change
To turn to other things, he stood.

And so, when to five thousand men

Five loaves of bread Thou didst divide,

And even whilst they ate, the food
Within their mouths was multiplied;

The bread was multiplied far more
Than even that which had been spent;
And seeing this, who still will feel,
At feasting men, astonishment?

And whilst they break, within their hands The bread a flowing stream becomes, And lo! that which they did not break Creeps to the men, untouched, in crumbs.