BOOK I
39 Εἰς τοὺς ποιμένας καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους
Εἷς χορός, ἓν μέλος ἀνθρώποισι καὶ ἀγγελιώταις, οὕνεκεν ἄνθρωπος καὶ θεὸς ἓν γέγονεν.
40 Εἰς τὴν Χριστοῦ γέννησιν
Οὐρανὸς ἡ φάτνη, καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἔπλετο μείζων, οὕνεκεν ὅνπερ ἔδεκτο ἄναξ πέλεν οὐρανιώνων.
41 Εἰς τοὺς μάγους
Οὐκέτι δῶρ᾽ ἀνάγουσι μάγοι πυρὶ ἠελίῳ τε· ἠέλιον γὰρ ἔτευξε τόδε βρέφος, ὡς πυρὸς αὐγάς.
42 Εἰς τὸ Βηθλεέμ
Δέχνυσο, Βηθλεέμ, ὃν προέειπε προφήτης ἐσθλὸς ἵξεσθαι λαῶν ἡγούμενον ἐκ σοῦ ἁπάντων.
2 ἵξεσθαι Jacobs ἵζεσθαι P43 Εἰς τὴν Ῥαχήλ
—τίπτε, Ῥαχήλ, γοόωσα πικρὸν κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβεις; —ὀλλυμένην ὁρόωσα γονὴν κατὰ δάκρυον εἴβω.
CHRISTIAN EPIGRAMS
39 On the shepherds and angels
One choir, one song for men and angels, for man and god have become one.1
40 On the birth of Christ
The manger was heaven—and greater than heaven, for he whom it received was king of the heavenly ones.1
41 On the magi
No longer do the magi bring presents to fire and the sun, for this child made sun and fire.1
42 On Bethlehem
Receive, O Bethlehem, the one who, as the good prophet foretold, would come from you to be the ruler of all peoples.1
43 On Rachel
“Why do you mourn, Rachel, and shed bitter tears?”
“Because I see my children slain I shed tears.”1