Poem by Ephraem of Syria, 4th century

Child of Bethlehem
What contrasts You embrace
No one has ever been so humble
No one has ever wielded such power
We stand in awe of Your holiness
And yet we are bathed in Your love.

And where shall we look for You
You were in high heaven In the glory of the godhead
Yet those who search for You on earth
Found You in a tiny baby at Mary's breast
We came in hushed reverance to find You as God
and You welcome us as man.

We come unthinkingly to find You as man
and are blinded by the light of Your Godhead
You are the heir to David's throne
But You renounced all of his royal splendour.
Of all his luxurious bedrooms,
you chose a stable.

Of all his magnificent beds,
you chose a feeding trough.
Of all his golden chariots, you chose an ass.
Never was there a king like you!
Instead of royal isolation,
you made yourself available to everyone who needed you.

Instead of high security,
you made yourself vulnerable to those who hated you.
It is we who need you, above anything in the world.
You give yourself to us with such total generosity,
that it might almost seem that you need us.
There was never a king like this before!