Nativity and Passion
1. Thy tiny feet are pierced with nails,
Thy halo has made way for thorn,
The lash, not the caress, prevails,
The angel choir descends to scorn.
2. Thy mother saw both joy and loss,
Thy stable was a tomb in wait,
Thy paltry manger made a Cross,
Thy Census scroll a plaque of state.
4. The Shepherds' lamb, thy own device,
The ass returned to seat a king,
The Magi gold a silver price,
Thy birth a final reckoning.