Sebelumnya http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2003/12/christmas-anthology-3-dari-9.html
The Genealogy of Jesus
An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1-17)
__________________The Genealogy of Jesus
An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to Christ, fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1-17)
The Annunciation
In the sixth month the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 He came to her and said, "Hail, the favoured one! The Lord is with you." She was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The archangel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and in His kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the archangel, "How can this be, since I know not a man?" The archangel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy; the Son of God. Even your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word." Then the archangel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)
__________________In the sixth month the Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 He came to her and said, "Hail, the favoured one! The Lord is with you." She was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The archangel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His forefather David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and in His kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the archangel, "How can this be, since I know not a man?" The archangel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy; the Son of God. Even your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word." Then the archangel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)
The Visitation
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zachary and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." (Luke 1:39-45)
__________________In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zachary and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord." (Luke 1:39-45)
Magnificat
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden. Henceforeth all generations shall call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name. His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, according to the promise He made to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-56)
__________________And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden. Henceforeth all generations shall call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name. His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, according to the promise He made to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever." And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:46-56)
Christmas recipe:
Plum Pudding
Ingredients:
15 g melted butter, 25 g soft brown sugar
1 large can of plums, 125 g margarine
125 g caster sugar, 125 g self-raising flour
2 eggs and a pinch of salt
Methods:
Melt the butter over a low heat and brush the inside of a non-stick cake tin. Sprinkle soft brown sugar inside the tin. Line the bottom of the cake tin with the plums which should be sliced in half and have the stones removed, pressing firmly so that the plums stick well.
Mix the margarine, caster sugar, self-raising flour, eggs and salt in a bowl. When the mixture is soft and creamy pour it carefully into the tin (we used a loose-bottomed tin) and spread it flat.
Cook for approximately 40 minutes at 180°C or Gas Mark 4. To test it put a knife into the cake and if it comes out clean, it's ready. Turn it out carefully using a plate. Serve Plum Pudding hot with custard or cream for a treat
__________________Plum Pudding
Ingredients:
15 g melted butter, 25 g soft brown sugar
1 large can of plums, 125 g margarine
125 g caster sugar, 125 g self-raising flour
2 eggs and a pinch of salt
Methods:
Melt the butter over a low heat and brush the inside of a non-stick cake tin. Sprinkle soft brown sugar inside the tin. Line the bottom of the cake tin with the plums which should be sliced in half and have the stones removed, pressing firmly so that the plums stick well.
Mix the margarine, caster sugar, self-raising flour, eggs and salt in a bowl. When the mixture is soft and creamy pour it carefully into the tin (we used a loose-bottomed tin) and spread it flat.
Cook for approximately 40 minutes at 180°C or Gas Mark 4. To test it put a knife into the cake and if it comes out clean, it's ready. Turn it out carefully using a plate. Serve Plum Pudding hot with custard or cream for a treat
The Nativity
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, his bethroted, who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Be not afraid! For behold, I bring you good tidings of a great joy which will be for all people. Today, in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped in swathing bands and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those His favour rests!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:1-20)
__________________In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, his bethroted, who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Be not afraid! For behold, I bring you good tidings of a great joy which will be for all people. Today, in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a Child wrapped in swathing bands and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those His favour rests!" When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:1-20)
While Shepherds Watched Their Flock
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
“Fear not!” said she, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign.
“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”
Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song:
“All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease!”
By Nahum Tate (1700).
__________________While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
“Fear not!” said she, for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind.
“Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
“To you, in David’s town, this day
Is born of David’s line
A Savior, who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign.
“The heavenly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.”
Thus spake the seraph and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God on high,
Who thus addressed their song:
“All glory be to God on high,
And to the Earth be peace;
Good will henceforth from heaven to men
Begin and never cease!”
By Nahum Tate (1700).
"Hymn on the Morning of Christ's Nativity"
It was the winter wild,
While the Heav'n-born-child,
All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;
Nature in awe to Him
Had doff't her gawdy trim,
With her great Master so to sympathize:
It was no season then for her
To wanton with the sun her lusty paramour.
Only with speeches fair
She woo's the gentle air
To hide her guilty front with innocent snow,
And on her naked shame,
Pollute with sinfull blame,
The saintly veil of maiden white to throw,
Confounded, that her Makers eyes
Should look so neer upon her foul deformities.
But he her fears to cease,
Sent down the meek-eyed Peace,
She crown'd with olive green, came softly sliding
Down through the turning sphear
His ready harbinger,
With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,
And waving wide her mirtle wand,
She strikes a universall peace through sea and land.
No war, or battles sound
Was heard the World around,
The idle spear and shield were high up hung;
The hooked chariot stood
Unstain'd with hostile blood,
The trumpet spake not to the armed throng,
And kings sat still with awful eye,
As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.
But peacefull was the night
Wherin the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began:
The winds with wonder whist,
Smoothly the waters kist,
Whispering new joys to the mild ocean,
Who now hath quite forgot to rave,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmeed wave.
The stars with deep amaze
Stand fixt in stedfast gaze,
Bending one way their pretious influence,
And will not take their flight,
For all the morning light,
Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence;
But in their glimmering Orbs did glow,
Untill their Lord Himself bespake, and bid them go.
And though the shady gloom
Had given day her room,
The sun himself with-held his wonted speed,
And hid his head for shame,
As his inferiour flame,
The new enlightn'd world no more should need;
He saw a greater Sun appear
Then his bright throne, or burning axltree could bear.
The shepherds on the Lawn,
Or ere the point of dawn,
Sat simply chatting in a rustick row;
Full little thought they than,
That the mighty Pan
Was kindly com to live with them below;
Perhaps their loves, or els their sheep,
Was all that did their silly thoughts so busie keep.
When such music sweet
Their hearts and ears did greet,
As never was by mortal finger stroock,
Divinely-warbled voice
Answering the stringed noise,
As all their souls in blisfull rapture took
The air such pleasure loth to lose,
With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close.
Nature that heard such sound
Beneath the hollow round
Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling,
Now was almost won
To think her part was don,
And that her reign had here its last fulfilling;
She knew such harmony alone
Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union.
At last surrounds their sight
A globe of circular light,
That with long beams the shame-fac't night array'd,
The helmed cherubim
And sworded seraphim,
Are seen in glittering ranks with wings displayed,
Harping in loud and solemn quire,
With unexpressive notes to heav'ns new-born Heir.
Such music (as 'tis said)
Before was never made,
But when of old the sons of morning sung,
While the Creator Great
His constellations set,
And the well-ballanc't world on hinges hung,
And cast the dark foundations deep,
And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.
Ring out ye crystall sphears,
Once bless our human ears,
(If ye have power to touch our senses so)
And let your silver chime
Move in melodious time;
And let the base of heav'ns deep organ blow
And with your ninefold harmony
Make up full consort to the angelic symphony.
For if such holy song
Enwrapt our fancy long,
Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold,
And speckl'd vanity
Will sicken soon and die,
And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould,
And hell it self will pass away,
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.
Yea Truth, and Justice then
Will down return to men,
Th'enameld arras of the rain[color=sky blue]b[/color]ow wearing,
And Mercy set between,
Thron'd in celestial sheen,
With radiant feet the tissued clouds down stearing,
And heav'n as at som festivall,
Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.
But wisest Fate says no,
This must not yet be so,
The Babe lies yet in smiling infancy,
That on the bitter cross
Must redeem our loss;
So both Himself and us to glorify:
Yet first to those chain'd in sleep,
The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep,
With such a horrid clang
As on mount Sinai rang
While the red fire, and smouldring clouds out brake:
The aged earth agast
With terror of that blast,
Shall from the surface to the center shake;
When at the world's last session,
The dreadful Judge in mid air shall spread His throne.
And then at last our bliss
Full and perfect is,
But now begins; for from this happy day
Th'old Dragon under ground
In straiter limits bound,
Not half so far casts his usurped sway,
And wrath to see his kingdom fail,
Swindges the scaly horror of his foulded tail.
The oracles are dumbed,
No voice or hideous hum
Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
Apollo from his shrine
Can no more divine,
With hollow shreek the steep of Delphos leaving.
No nightly trance, or breathed spell,
Inspired the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell.
The lonely mountains o're,
And the resounding shore,
A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament;
From haunted spring, and dale
Edg'd with poplar pale,
The parting genius is with sighing sent,
With flowering wov'n tresses torn
The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn.
In consecrated earth,
And on the holy hearth,
The lars, and lemures moan with midnight plaint,
In urns, and altars round,
A drear, and dying sound
Affrights the flamins at their service quaint;
And the chill marble seems to sweat,
While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat
Peor, and Baal,
Forsake their temples dim,
With that twise-batter'd god of Palestine,
And mooned Ashtaroth,
Heav'ns queen and mother both,
Now sits not girt with tapers holy shine,
The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn,
In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded [color=sky blue]Thammuz[/color] mourn.
And sullen Moloch fled,
Hath left in shadows dred,
His burning idol all of blackest hue,
In vain with cymbals ring,
They call the grisly king,
In dismall dance about the furnace blue;
The brutish gods of Nile as fast,
Isis and Horus, and the dog Anubis hast.
Nor is Osiris seen
In Memphian grove, or green,
Trampling the unshowr'd grass with lowings loud:
Nor can he be at rest
Within his sacred chest,
Naught but profoundest hell can be his shroud,
In vain with timbrel'd anthems dark
The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipped ark.
He feels from Judah's Land
The dredded Infant's hand,
The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn;
Nor all the gods beside,
Longer dare abide,
Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine:
Our Babe to shew His Godhead true,
Can in His swadling bands controul the damned crew.
So when the sun in bed,
Curtain'd with cloudy red,
Pillows His chin upon an orient wave,
The flocking shadows pale,
Troop to th'infernall jail,
Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave,
And the yellow-skirted fays,
Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-lov'd maze.
But see the Virgin blest,
Hath laid her Babe to rest.
Time is our tedious song should here have ending,
Heav'ns youngest teemed Star,
Hath fixt her polished car,
Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending:
And all about the courtly stable,
Bright-harnest nngels sit in order serviceable.
By John Milton (1608-1674).
__________________It was the winter wild,
While the Heav'n-born-child,
All meanly wrapt in the rude manger lies;
Nature in awe to Him
Had doff't her gawdy trim,
With her great Master so to sympathize:
It was no season then for her
To wanton with the sun her lusty paramour.
Only with speeches fair
She woo's the gentle air
To hide her guilty front with innocent snow,
And on her naked shame,
Pollute with sinfull blame,
The saintly veil of maiden white to throw,
Confounded, that her Makers eyes
Should look so neer upon her foul deformities.
But he her fears to cease,
Sent down the meek-eyed Peace,
She crown'd with olive green, came softly sliding
Down through the turning sphear
His ready harbinger,
With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,
And waving wide her mirtle wand,
She strikes a universall peace through sea and land.
No war, or battles sound
Was heard the World around,
The idle spear and shield were high up hung;
The hooked chariot stood
Unstain'd with hostile blood,
The trumpet spake not to the armed throng,
And kings sat still with awful eye,
As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.
But peacefull was the night
Wherin the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began:
The winds with wonder whist,
Smoothly the waters kist,
Whispering new joys to the mild ocean,
Who now hath quite forgot to rave,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmeed wave.
The stars with deep amaze
Stand fixt in stedfast gaze,
Bending one way their pretious influence,
And will not take their flight,
For all the morning light,
Or Lucifer that often warn'd them thence;
But in their glimmering Orbs did glow,
Untill their Lord Himself bespake, and bid them go.
And though the shady gloom
Had given day her room,
The sun himself with-held his wonted speed,
And hid his head for shame,
As his inferiour flame,
The new enlightn'd world no more should need;
He saw a greater Sun appear
Then his bright throne, or burning axltree could bear.
The shepherds on the Lawn,
Or ere the point of dawn,
Sat simply chatting in a rustick row;
Full little thought they than,
That the mighty Pan
Was kindly com to live with them below;
Perhaps their loves, or els their sheep,
Was all that did their silly thoughts so busie keep.
When such music sweet
Their hearts and ears did greet,
As never was by mortal finger stroock,
Divinely-warbled voice
Answering the stringed noise,
As all their souls in blisfull rapture took
The air such pleasure loth to lose,
With thousand echo's still prolongs each heav'nly close.
Nature that heard such sound
Beneath the hollow round
Of Cynthia's seat, the airy region thrilling,
Now was almost won
To think her part was don,
And that her reign had here its last fulfilling;
She knew such harmony alone
Could hold all heav'n and earth in happier union.
At last surrounds their sight
A globe of circular light,
That with long beams the shame-fac't night array'd,
The helmed cherubim
And sworded seraphim,
Are seen in glittering ranks with wings displayed,
Harping in loud and solemn quire,
With unexpressive notes to heav'ns new-born Heir.
Such music (as 'tis said)
Before was never made,
But when of old the sons of morning sung,
While the Creator Great
His constellations set,
And the well-ballanc't world on hinges hung,
And cast the dark foundations deep,
And bid the weltring waves their oozy channel keep.
Ring out ye crystall sphears,
Once bless our human ears,
(If ye have power to touch our senses so)
And let your silver chime
Move in melodious time;
And let the base of heav'ns deep organ blow
And with your ninefold harmony
Make up full consort to the angelic symphony.
For if such holy song
Enwrapt our fancy long,
Time will run back, and fetch the age of gold,
And speckl'd vanity
Will sicken soon and die,
And leprous sin will melt from earthly mould,
And hell it self will pass away,
And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.
Yea Truth, and Justice then
Will down return to men,
Th'enameld arras of the rain[color=sky blue]b[/color]ow wearing,
And Mercy set between,
Thron'd in celestial sheen,
With radiant feet the tissued clouds down stearing,
And heav'n as at som festivall,
Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.
But wisest Fate says no,
This must not yet be so,
The Babe lies yet in smiling infancy,
That on the bitter cross
Must redeem our loss;
So both Himself and us to glorify:
Yet first to those chain'd in sleep,
The wakeful trump of doom must thunder through the deep,
With such a horrid clang
As on mount Sinai rang
While the red fire, and smouldring clouds out brake:
The aged earth agast
With terror of that blast,
Shall from the surface to the center shake;
When at the world's last session,
The dreadful Judge in mid air shall spread His throne.
And then at last our bliss
Full and perfect is,
But now begins; for from this happy day
Th'old Dragon under ground
In straiter limits bound,
Not half so far casts his usurped sway,
And wrath to see his kingdom fail,
Swindges the scaly horror of his foulded tail.
The oracles are dumbed,
No voice or hideous hum
Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
Apollo from his shrine
Can no more divine,
With hollow shreek the steep of Delphos leaving.
No nightly trance, or breathed spell,
Inspired the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell.
The lonely mountains o're,
And the resounding shore,
A voice of weeping heard, and loud lament;
From haunted spring, and dale
Edg'd with poplar pale,
The parting genius is with sighing sent,
With flowering wov'n tresses torn
The nymphs in twilight shade of tangled thickets mourn.
In consecrated earth,
And on the holy hearth,
The lars, and lemures moan with midnight plaint,
In urns, and altars round,
A drear, and dying sound
Affrights the flamins at their service quaint;
And the chill marble seems to sweat,
While each peculiar power forgoes his wonted seat
Peor, and Baal,
Forsake their temples dim,
With that twise-batter'd god of Palestine,
And mooned Ashtaroth,
Heav'ns queen and mother both,
Now sits not girt with tapers holy shine,
The Libyc Hammon shrinks his horn,
In vain the Tyrian maids their wounded [color=sky blue]Thammuz[/color] mourn.
And sullen Moloch fled,
Hath left in shadows dred,
His burning idol all of blackest hue,
In vain with cymbals ring,
They call the grisly king,
In dismall dance about the furnace blue;
The brutish gods of Nile as fast,
Isis and Horus, and the dog Anubis hast.
Nor is Osiris seen
In Memphian grove, or green,
Trampling the unshowr'd grass with lowings loud:
Nor can he be at rest
Within his sacred chest,
Naught but profoundest hell can be his shroud,
In vain with timbrel'd anthems dark
The sable-stoled sorcerers bear his worshipped ark.
He feels from Judah's Land
The dredded Infant's hand,
The rays of Bethlehem blind his dusky eyn;
Nor all the gods beside,
Longer dare abide,
Not Typhon huge ending in snaky twine:
Our Babe to shew His Godhead true,
Can in His swadling bands controul the damned crew.
So when the sun in bed,
Curtain'd with cloudy red,
Pillows His chin upon an orient wave,
The flocking shadows pale,
Troop to th'infernall jail,
Each fetter'd ghost slips to his several grave,
And the yellow-skirted fays,
Fly after the night-steeds, leaving their moon-lov'd maze.
But see the Virgin blest,
Hath laid her Babe to rest.
Time is our tedious song should here have ending,
Heav'ns youngest teemed Star,
Hath fixt her polished car,
Her sleeping Lord with handmaid lamp attending:
And all about the courtly stable,
Bright-harnest nngels sit in order serviceable.
By John Milton (1608-1674).
Little Jack Horner
Sat on a corner
Eating his Christmas pie
He put in his thumb
& pull out a plum
& said, "What a good boy am I!"
__________________Sat on a corner
Eating his Christmas pie
He put in his thumb
& pull out a plum
& said, "What a good boy am I!"
Christmas recipe:
Mince Pies
Ingredients:
12 slices of medium white bread
12 tsp mincemeat
50 g butter
25 g fine brown sugar
Methods:
You will need 2 biscuit cutters- the 7 cm and 5 cm size are ideal. Cut out a large and small circle from each slice of bread.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and lightly brush each large circle. Coat both sides and around the edges. Push each circle into a bun tin to form the base of the mince pies. There is no need to grease the tin as the bread is already coated with butter.
Put a teaspoonful of mincemeat into each of pies bases.
Lightly brush the smaller bread circles with butter. Dip one side of each into fine brown sugar. Place each circle on top of the mincemeat, sugar side up.
Place the bun tin in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 or 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until the pies turn golden brown.
Empty the bun tray and place the mince pies on a cooling rack.
_________________
Christmas is here,
The goose is getting fat
Put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you don't have a penny.
A ha-penny will do.
If you don't have a ha-penny,
Then God bless you!
Anonymous
__________________
Christmas recipe:
Christmas Crackers
Ingredients:
8 sheets of filo pastry (you can buy it fresh or frozen)
50g of hard cheese
8 premium sausages (any variety: lamb, pork, beef or vegetarian)
Melted butter for brushing
Chives (optional)
Methods:
Cut the filo pastry sheets into halves and set aside on a cool surface. Then grate the cheese.
Slit the skins of the sausages (if they have a skin - veggie sausages might not) and remove the filling into a bowl. It's a good idea to ask an adult to help you cut open the skin, it can be a bit tricky.
Add the cheese and, if you like, add a few finely chopped chives. Mix everything together.
Roughly divide the mixture into 16 portions and shape them back into small sausages. Place each portion in the middle of the filo squares and roll up. Gently squeeze and twist each end to give it a cracker shape and stop the filling coming out.
Place the crackers on a non-stick baking sheet and brush them with a little melted butter. Then, put the tray in a preheated oven (200 degrees celsius or gas mark 6). They take about ten minutes to cook and should turn a golden brown.
To finish off, twist a little strip of chives round each end of the cracker and serve hot or cold.
post by hansel @ WG
Berikutnya
http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2004/01/christmas-anthology-5-dari-9.html
The goose is getting fat
Put a penny in the old man's hat.
If you don't have a penny.
A ha-penny will do.
If you don't have a ha-penny,
Then God bless you!
Anonymous
__________________
Christmas recipe:
Christmas Crackers
Ingredients:
8 sheets of filo pastry (you can buy it fresh or frozen)
50g of hard cheese
8 premium sausages (any variety: lamb, pork, beef or vegetarian)
Melted butter for brushing
Chives (optional)
Methods:
Cut the filo pastry sheets into halves and set aside on a cool surface. Then grate the cheese.
Slit the skins of the sausages (if they have a skin - veggie sausages might not) and remove the filling into a bowl. It's a good idea to ask an adult to help you cut open the skin, it can be a bit tricky.
Add the cheese and, if you like, add a few finely chopped chives. Mix everything together.
Roughly divide the mixture into 16 portions and shape them back into small sausages. Place each portion in the middle of the filo squares and roll up. Gently squeeze and twist each end to give it a cracker shape and stop the filling coming out.
Place the crackers on a non-stick baking sheet and brush them with a little melted butter. Then, put the tray in a preheated oven (200 degrees celsius or gas mark 6). They take about ten minutes to cook and should turn a golden brown.
To finish off, twist a little strip of chives round each end of the cracker and serve hot or cold.
post by hansel @ WG
Berikutnya
http://renunganpagi.blogspot.com/2004/01/christmas-anthology-5-dari-9.html