_In stabulum ubi natus est Dominus._
Illa domus stabulum? non est, Puer auree, non est:
Illa domus, qua tu nasceris, est stabulum?
Illa domus toto domus est pulcherrima mundo;
Vix coelo dici vult minor illa tuo.[79]
Cernis ut illa suo passim domus ardeat auro?
Cernis ut effusis rideat illa rosis?
Sive aurum non est, nec quae rosa rideat illic;
Ex oculis facile est esse probare tuis.
{Oikos hod' est' aule? ou me. teos oikos, Iesou,
En th' o ty tikte aulion ou peletai.
Oikon men panton mala de kallistos ekeinos;
Ouranou oude teou mikroteros peletai.
Enide keino neo dom' empyrizeto chryso,
Enide keino neois doma rhodoisi gela.
En rhodon ouchi gela, en oude te chrysos ekeithen;
Ek sou d' ophthalmon estin elenchemenai.}
_On the stable where our Lord was born._
That house a stable? nay, bright Infant, nay:
Where Thou art born--a stable do we say?
Of mansions in this world fairest of all,
That house but little less than heaven we call.
Seest thou that house with golden splendour flush?
Seest thou that house with scatter'd roses blush?
There is no gold, no rose there laughing lies:
It is the light that falls from His fair eyes. A.