“The Nativity” by Zanobi Strozzi (Italian, Florence 1412–1468 Florence)

Painted:1433–34

 

The donkey and bull satteth and gazed

The beauteous sight

Of the Lord Jesus being birth that night

Come hither, come hither

The angels did cry

As they descend’d, exactly 11, from the deep blue sky

Mary and Joseph kneeling in awe, at his headeth and feet

They had to beest careful, cautious of their every moveth

F’r the Son of God’s life wast in their hands

Those gents hadst madeth a troth to the L’rd, to careth f’r his priz’d living

Not sw’rked, but acknown of their responsibility

Those gents satteth and worshipped their son

The animals, the angels, the people

Feeling blessed to beest in the presence of the most Holy One

 

As Lord Jesus did lie, not even in a cosh but in a stable

Knowing of his destiny

Who is’t that gent wast meanteth to be

And of the cruelty

That he wouldst visage in years to cometh

That gent kneweth, for that gent kneweth all things

That very soon, that gent wouldst be nailed to a cross

On a hill just liketh the one in the distance

 

In his purest f’rm as a baby knave, so mature for such a tiny being

That gent hath taken the w’rship of those surrounding

Agnized the respect these individuals and creatures and holy guardians hadst f’r him

in yond v’ry moment

And didst enjoyeth the precious moment, wh’re he wast rev’r’d

Crossed to what wouldst befall on yond hill in 33 years