Welcome, all wonders in one night!
Eternity shut in a span,
Summer in winter, day in night,
Heaven in earth, and God in man.
Great Little One! Whose all-embracing birth
Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.
Eternity shut in a span,
Summer in winter, day in night,
Heaven in earth, and God in man.
Great Little One! Whose all-embracing birth
Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.
—Richard Crashaw, On the Nativity
A very merry Christmas to all readers of "Ralph."
(The image above is a painting by James Janknegt; go here and pick up a print of one of his wonderful pieces.)
Herbert Howells has an *amazing* setting of this text; it's one of my favorites of the season.
ReplyDeleteChoral setting, I meant to say...
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'll have to look for it.
ReplyDelete