Зевая, дни проводит люд…

Коль то — для женщины услада,

Нет, нет, подобной жизни мне не надо!

Перевод А. Серебренникова

Nahum Tate (1652–1715)

* * *

While shepherds watch’d their flocks by night,

All seated on the ground,

The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around.

“Fear not!” he said, 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!”

Наум Тейт (1652–1715)

* * *

В ночи сидели пастухи,

Блюли свои стада,

В сияньи ангел Божий к ним

Сошел с небес тогда.

«Оставьте страх! — рек пастухам

Небесный ангел сей.

— Я возглашу благую весть

Для вас и всех людей.

Спаситель наш, Господь Христос,

Явился к нам, и Он

В Давидов род, в Давидов град

Сегодня был рожден.

И вот вам знак — Младенец-Бог

Очам людским открыт:

Обернут скудной пеленой,

В вертепе он лежит».

Окончил слово серафим,

И вдруг небесный хор

Явился, пеньем огласив

Заоблачный простор:

«О, слава в вышних Божеству

И на земле покой!

Благоволение небес,

Наполни род людской!»

Перевод А. Серебренникова

John Norris of Bemerton (1657–1711)

Hymn to Darkness

Hail thou most sacred venerable thing!

What Muse is worthy thee to sing?

Thee, from whose pregnant universal womb

All things, even Light thy rival, first did come.

What dares he not attempt that sings of thee,

Thou first and greatest mystery?

Who can the secrets of thy essence tell?

Thou like the light of God art inaccessible.

Before great Love this monument did raise,

This ample theatre of praise.

Before the folding circles of the sky

Were tun’d by Him who is all harmony.

Before the morning stars their hymn began,

Before the councel held for man.

Before the birth of either Time or Place,

Thou reign’st unquestion’d monarch in the empty space.

Thy native lot thou didst to Light resign,

But still half of the globe is thine.

Here with a quiet, and yet aweful hand,

Like the best emperours thou dost command.

To thee the stars above their brightness owe,

And mortals their repose below.

To thy protection Fear and Sorrow flee,

And those that weary are of light, find rest in thee.

Tho light and glory be th’ Almighty’s throne,

Darkness in His pavilion.

From that His radiant beauty, but from thee

He has His terror and His majesty.

Thus when He first proclaim’d His sacred Law,

And would His rebel subjects awe,

Like princes on some great solemnity,

H’ appear’d in’s robes of State, and clad Himself with thee.

The blest above do thy sweet umbrage prize,

When cloy’d with light, they veil their eyes.

The vision of the Deity is made

More sweet and beatifick by thy shade.

But we poor tenants of this orb below

Don’t here thy excellencies know,

Till Death our understandings does improve,

And then our wiser ghosts thy silent night-walks love.

But thee I now admire, thee would I chuse

For my religion, or my Muse.