Elegy

Let us sing, companions, let us sing honor to the Lord,

Let the sweet love of Christ resound with pious mouth.

Proud, from great light, he first rushed down to the depths,

So man, when he swelled with pride, first rushed down to the depths.

Because of the merit of one, all lesser ones were to perish,

All are saved because of the merit of one.

There was but one woman, by whom the door to death lay open:

And by whom life returns, there was but one woman.

An unjust brother it was who once struck down the just one,

The condemner of Christ was an unjust brother.

That crossing warns of what the first origin lost,

Of what things to come are preparing, that crossing warns.

The ark is lifted up by the waters, lest the flood destroy men,

Lest men perish, the ark is lifted up by the waters.

Take, Father, all peoples for the wound of the Son,

When you hand over Christ, take, Father, all peoples.

The highest victim of the Father, marked by silent figures;

Which Christ was to represent, the highest victim of the Father.

Behold, the hero limps seeing the Lord, while he prevails,

The rough people, seeing Christ, behold, limps.

He drove back famine, sold by the crime of his brothers:

Christ was sold, he drove back famine.

Faithless one, you perish in heart, while plagues lay waste all things,

While the plagues cease, faithless one, you perish in heart.

The sacred Lamb recalled the fathers from the enemy by his blood,

And by his blood the sacred Lamb brings us back too.

The wave overwhelmed wickedness, as the people walked through the sea,

Now the wave overwhelms the wickedness of the world's peoples.

Impiety murmurs, though refreshed by the coming manna,

Christ is present as bread, impiety murmurs.

A hard-hearted people adopts for itself a head of earthly tilling,

Alas! The hard-hearted people took away Christ as their head.

The Law gave a sign concerning the punishment for the old sin,

And that salvation would come, the Law gave a sign.

Behold the flowing rock, be satisfied, unbeliever, from the fountain:

You who reject Christ, behold the flowing rock.

The offering and vow of the pious is consumed by sacred fire,

The seditious tribe is consumed by sacred fire.

The blessed kingdoms of the Father the heir of the Law did not attain,

Jesus dispenses the blessed kingdoms of the Father.

The ark of God destroys the enemy, while it circles the walls,

So the ark of God destroys the enemy of the world.

The threshing floor has the fleece, but is dry though the fleece is wet,

The floor, wholly wet, has a dry fleece.

You surpass the nations in the honor of God, by the gift promised,

You surpass the affection of a daughter by the honor of God.

You are the whole glory of your own, who lay Goliath low with slaughter;

You who conquer the world, you are the whole glory of your own.

All the prophets sang of the greatest gifts of God,

Christ fulfilled the greatest gifts of God.

He bore the harsh weights of the Law's command, and its wrath,

The grace of the command bore the harsh weights.

The Virgin Mary shines, her modesty untouched by any violation,

After the birth of the child, the Virgin Mary shines.

This son of man becomes the greatest question of the world,

God is with us, this son of man.

The world received and embraced the great joys of God,

Alas! The world rejected the great joys of God.

Signs move the peoples, the blind perceive great works,

Yet no signs move the hardened peoples.

Harsh death, drawn upon the peoples, ran its course by wood,

By wood harsh death is taken away from the peoples.

The Lord himself bore gifts in place of punishments for his servants,

For his servants the Lord himself bore the punishments.

The blessed life came to turn away death from the wretched,

The blessed life endured death from the wretched.

Vast hell perceived that the light of God was present.

Yet men do not perceive that the light of God is present.

Fierce death, through wretched man, subdued the world to itself,

Subdued, fierce death groaned through man.

Behold, that profane father raises up the race for death,

Behold, Christ raises up the race for life.

This people denied the Lord with stiff neck,

This people was the first to receive the Lord.

The impious nation returns rejoicing when the blood of Christ was shed,

Having tasted the blood of Christ, it returns rejoicing.

The earthly author brought all sins upon his own,

Christ dissolves all sins for his own.

Sin had once bound to itself hearts that were free,

Now Christ restores free hearts to himself.

The savage power of sin gave strong chains,

The sweet love of Christ gave strong chains.

Now he sits above the stars, rejoice, all you faithful:

Faithless one, why do you rage? Now he sits above the stars.

Dead, he thunders, he has subdued heaven and earth:

What will the enemies do? Dead, he thunders.

The shadow is driven out by day, the figure yields at Christ's coming,

Christ comes to the nations, the shadow is driven out by day.

Both the signs and the first ages teach that you are hastening,

The sacred rites we perform teach that you are hastening.

The Only-begotten, coming, confirmed the vows of the ancients,

The Only-begotten, coming, gave vows to us.

Your passion, O Christ, fulfilled the offerings of the Law,

Your passion, O Christ, fulfills our offerings.

This man, who is God, is the ancient hope of the pious,

This man, who is God, is at the end the hope of the pious.

The gift of faith will be for believers throughout all ages,

He who gave that they should believe, will be the gift of faith.

At your coming, O God, worldly error collapsed,

This world perished, at your coming, O God.

The grace of God is full, which stands forth among all nations,

Let the sects depart, the grace of God is full.

Only the dove returns, which circled the whole world,

Let the ravens depart, only the dove returns.

The Lord will come to give worthy things to the pious, evil things to the wicked,

Believe now, wretched ones, the Lord will come.

The sight of you, O Christ, is torment and punishment for the wicked,

All glory for the good is the sight of you, O Christ.

Great glory to the Father, glory always to you, O Son,

With the Holy Spirit, great glory to the Father.