Blessed is the Messenger!

Blessed is the Messenger who came bearing
a great peace. By the mercy of His Father,
He lowered Himself to us. Our own debts
He did not take up to Him. He reconciled
His Lordship with His servants.
Glory to Your Dawn, divine and human!
Glorious is the Wise One, Who allied and joined
Divinity with humanity,
one from the height and the other from the depth.
He mingled the natures like pigments
and an image came into being: the God-man.
O Zealous One who saw Adam
who had become dust and the accursed serpent
devouring him. Reality dwelt
in what had lost its flavor. He made him salt
by which the cursed serpent would be blinded,
Blessed is the Compassionate One Who saw, next to paradise,
the lance that barred the way
to the Tree of Life. He came to take up
the body that would be struck so that by the opening in His side
He might break through the way into paradise.
Glorious is the Compassionate One Who did not use
violence, and without force,
by wisdom He was victorious.
Glory to Your Dawn, divine and human!


--St. Ephraim the Syrian
Hymn 8 On the Nativity 1-5