Hymn 16
(Resp.— Glory to all of You from all of us! (bis.)
1. Who then that is mortal man, can declare concerning the All-Life giver—Who quitted the height of His Majesty, and abased Himself to humility?— You Who exaltest all in Your Birth, exalt my weak mind—to declare of Your Birth; not that I should search out Your Majesty,— but that I should proclaim Your grace.
R., Blessed be He Who conceals and reveals in His discourses!
2. It is a great marvel that the Son, dwelt wholly in a body—abode therein wholly and it sufficed for Him; dwelt therein though not bounded thereby.— His Will was wholly therein; His bounds reached wholly to His Father.— Who is sufficient to tell, how though He dwelt wholly in a body.— He likewise dwelt wholly in all?
R., Blessed is He Who though without bounds was bounded!
3. Your Majesty is concealed from us; Your Grace is revealed before us.— I will be silent, O Lord of Your Majesty; and I will tell of Your grace.— Your grace clove to You, and bowed You down to our vileness:— Your grace made You a babe; Your grace made You man:— it straitened, it enlarged, Your Majesty.
R., Blessed be the might that became little and became great!
4. Glory to Him Who became lowly, though lofty He was by His nature!— He became in His love the firstborn of Mary, Firstborn though He be of Godhead.— He became in name the offspring of Joseph, offspring though He be of the Most High.— He became by His own Will man, God though He be by His Nature.— Glorified be Your Will and Your Nature!
R., Blessed be Your Glory which put on our image!
5. Yea, O Lord, Your Birth, has become mother of all creatures; for it travailed anew and gave birth, to mankind which gave birth to You. You were born of it bodily; it was born of You spiritually.— All that You came for to birth, was that man might be born in Your likeness.— Your Birth became the author of birth to all.
R., Blessed be He Who became a youth and to all gave youth!
6. When man's hope had broken down, hope was increased by Your Birth.— Good tidings of hope they bore, the Heavenly Ones to men.— Satan who cut off our hope, his own hope by his own hands had cut off.— when he saw that hope was increased: Your Birth became to the hopeless,— a fountain teaming with hope.
R., Blessed be He Who bore the tidings of hope!
7. The day of Your Birth is like You, for it is desired and loved as You.— We who saw not Your Birth, and its flame as in its own time,— in this Your day we see You, even as You were a babe—beloved by all men, lo! In You the Churches rejoice—Your day adorns and is adorned.
R., Blessed be Your day which was ordained for us!
8. Your day has given us a gift, to which the Father has none other like—It was not Seraphim He sent us, nor yet did Cherubim come down among us—there came not Watchers or Ministers, but the Firstborn to Whom they minister.— Who can suffice to give thanks, that the Majesty which is beyond measure— is laid in the lowly manger!
R., Blessed be He Who gave us what He had won!
9. That generation Your Birth made glad, and our generation Your day makes glad: twofold was the happiness of that generation, for they saw Your Birth and also Your day:— less is the happiness of them that come after, for the day of Your Birth they see only.— Yet because they that then were, doubted, greater is the happiness of them that come after—who though they have not seen You have believed in You.
R., Blessed be Your happiness that is added to us!
10. The Magi exalted from afar; the Scribes murmured near at hand—the prophet showed his message, and Herod his wrath—the scribes showed their doctrine, the Magi showed their offerings. It is a marvel that to Him, the Babe, they of His own house hasted with their swords, and they that were strangers with their offerings.
R., Blessed be Your Birth which has stirred up all!
11. The bosom of Mary amazes me, that it sufficed for You, Lord, and embraced You.— All creation were too small, to conceal Your Majesty;— Heaven and earth too narrow, to be in the likeness of wings, to cover Your Godhead.— Too small for You was the bosom of earth; great enough for You was the bosom of Mary.— He dwelt in the bosom and healed in her bosom.
R.,
12. He was wrapped meanly in swaddling clothes, and offerings were offered Him.— He put on garments in youth, and from them there came forth helps: He put on the waters of baptism, and from them there shone forth beams:— He put on linen cloths in death, and in them were shown forth triumphs; with His humiliations, His exaltations.
R., Blessed be He Who joined His Glory to His Passion!
13. All these are the changes of raiment, which Mercy put off and put on—when He strove to put on Adam, the glory which he had put off.— He was wrapped in swaddling-clothes as Adam with leaves; and clad in garments instead of skins.— He was baptized for Adam's sin, and buried for Adam's death:— He rose and raised Adam into Glory.
R., Blessed be He Who came down and clothed him and went up!
14. Though Your Birth had sufficed, for Adam's sons as for Adam;— O Mighty One Who became a babe, in Your Birth anew have You begotten me!— O pure One Who wast baptized, let Your Washing wash away our filth— O Living One who wast buried, may we gain life in Your death!— I will praise all of You in Him that fills all.
R., Glory to all of You from all of us!
Source: On the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh (New Advent)