The Sibyl · a new plain-English translation from the original language
Heaven, air, fire, earth, and the flowing stream of the sea,
sun, moon, the chorus of stars, the mountains . . .
evening and day, sleep and waking, breath and impulse,
soul and understanding, skill and voice and strength,
the wild tribes of creatures, those that swim and those that fly,
those that walk, those that live in both realms, and the twin-natured crawling things—
for all these were ordered together by you, under your own command.
In the last of times he crossed over to earth, and coming for a little while,
from the womb of the virgin Mary a new light rose up,
and coming down from heaven he put on mortal form.
First Gabriel was shown, a strong and holy shape;
second, the archangel spoke to the girl with his voice:
"Receive God, O virgin, into your unstained womb."
So speaking, God breathed grace, forever, into the girl,
and fear together with wonder seized her as she listened,
and she stood trembling; her mind was startled,
her heart pounding at the unfamiliar words.
Again her heart was gladdened and warmed by the voice,
and she laughed a girl's laugh, and her cheek reddened,
delighting in joy, her mind charmed by reverence,
and courage came upon her. The word flew into her womb,
and made flesh in time, quickened in the belly,
it was shaped into mortal form, and became a boy
through a virgin's childbirth—this indeed is a great wonder to mortals,
but no great wonder to God the Father and God the Son.
As the babe was born, the earth leapt up in joy,
the heavenly throne laughed, and the cosmos exulted,
and a strange new star, foretold, was revered by the magi,
and the swaddled babe was shown in a manger that trusted God,
to drivers of oxen, and herders of goats, and shepherds of lambs,
and Bethlehem, called by God, was named the fatherland of the Word.
To be humble in heart, to hate bitter ends,
and to love one's neighbor, every one, as oneself,
and to love God from the soul, and to serve him alone—
for this we, born of the holy heavenly
line of Christ, are called his kindred by blood,
keeping the memory of gladness in our worship,
walking the paths of piety and truth.
Never are we permitted to draw near the inner shrines of temples,
nor pour libations to carved images, nor honor them with prayers,
nor with the sweet scents of flowers, nor with the gleam
of lamps, nor indeed to adorn them with votive offerings,
nor to raise up the flame of incense-smoke on an altar,
nor to send the blood of slaughtered sheep with bull-sacrificing libations,
delighting in ransom, appeasement of an earthly penalty,
nor to defile the bright air of heaven with the greasy smoke
and foul breath of a flesh-devouring pyre;
but rejoicing with pure minds and a cheerful spirit,
with generous love and open-handed gifts,
with gentle psalms and songs worthy of God,
we are bidden to hymn you, imperishable and never false,
the Father of all, the all-wise God . . .