O vision of happiness! holy Jerusalem!
Fairest of king's thrones! fortress of Christ!
The home-seat of angels, where the holy alone,
The souls of the righteous, shall find rest unceasing,
Exulting in triumph. No trace of sin
55 Shall be made manifest in that mansion of bliss,
But all faults shall flee afar from thee,
All crime and conflict; thou art covered with glory
Of highest hope, as thy holy name showest.
Cast now thy gaze on the glorious creation,
60 How around thee the roomy roof of heaven
Looks on all sides, how the Lord of Hosts
Seeks thee in his course and comes himself,
And adopts thee to dwell in, as in days agone
In words of wisdom the wise men said,
65 Proclaimed Christ's birth as a comfort to thee,
Thou choicest of cities! Now the child has come,
Born to make worthless the work of the Hebrews.
He bringeth thee bliss; thy bonds he unlooseth;
He striveth for the stricken; understandeth their
needs,--
70 How woeful men must wait upon mercy.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. This poem begins in the fragmentary manner indicated by the
translation.

2. See Psalms 118:22.

3. Joseph and Mary

[_Mary_] "O my Joseph, O Jacob's son,
165 Kinsman of David, the king renowned,
Dost thou plan to turn from thy plighted troth,
And leave my love?"
[_Joseph_] "Alas, full soon
I am oppressed with grief and deprived of honor.
I have borne for thee many bitter words,
170 Insulting slurs and sorrowful taunts,
Scathing abuses, and they scorn me now
In wrathful tones. My tears I shall pour
In sadness of soul. My sorrowful heart,
My grief full easily our God may heal,
175 And not leave me forlorn. Alas, young damsel,
Mary maiden!"
[_Mary_] "Why bemoanest thou
And bitterly weepest? No blame in thee,
Nor any fault have I ever found
For wicked works, and this word thou speakest
180 As if thou thyself with sinful deeds
And faults wert filled."
[_Joseph_] "Far too much grief
Thy conception has caused me to suffer in shame.