Saturday, December 20, 2008

Christ is Born

by John Alexander Chapman

Christus natus est, the Cock
Croweth to the lazy clock.
Christus natus est, he crows;
Christus and the Raven knows,
And the Lambs, as you shall hear.
Loudly croweth Chanticleer,
With an eager, piercing sound,
To the Beasts that lie around;
And they question and reply,
While the Sun mounts up the sky.
Quando? Quando? and again
That's thq Duck who's asking when?
In hac node, the Raven croaks
From the old snow-laden oaks,
Quando? Quando? from beyond
The willows by the frozen pond.
In hac nocte, croaks the Raven
From its bare winter's haven.
Ufa? Ubi? the Bull lows, .
Standing black against the snows;
And the Lambs: In Bethlehem:
It was God who told it them.

Source: Anne Thaxter Eaton, ed., Welcome Christmas! A Garland Of Poems. New York: The Viking Press, 1955.

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