Only with speeches fair

She woos the gentle air

To hide her guilty front with innocent snow,

And on her naked shame,

Pollute with sinful blame,

The saintly veil of maiden white to throw,

Confounded, that her Maker's eyes

Should look so near upon her foul deformities.

But He, her fears to cease,

Sent down the meek-eyed Peace;

She, crowned with olive green, came softly sliding

Down through the turning sphere

His ready harbinger,

With turtle wing the amorous clouds dividing,

And waving wide her myrtle wand,

She strikes an universal peace through sea and land.

tantum precatur lene sonantibus

obedientem vocibus aera,

celetur incestata castis

frons nivibus, tegat impudico

contaminatae flagitio scelus

candore vestis virgineo premens,

ne labe pollutam nefanda

Rex oculo propiore visat.

atqui timentem Caelipotens iubet

Pax lenis astans lumine mulceat;

quae laeta delabens ab axe

nuntia sidereo, revincta

crines olivae fronde, sequacia

ceu turtur ala nubila dividit,

myrtoque vibrata quietum

alma salum domat, alma terras.

No war or battle's sound

Was heard the world around:

The idle spear and shield were high up hung;

The hooked chariot stood

Unstained with hostile blood;

The trumpet spake not to the arméd throng;

And kings sat still with awful eye,

As if they surely knew their sovran Lord was by.

But peaceful was the night

Wherein the Prince of Light

His reign of peace upon the earth began:

The winds with wonder whist

Smoothly the waters kissed,

Whispering new joys to the mild ocean,

Who now hath quite forgot to rave,

While birds of calm sit brooding on the charméd wave.

non orbe toto martis erat sonus,

non conferentum signa cohortium :

hastile defunctamque parmam

militia paries habebat :

non falx cruorem traxerat hosticum,

non excitabant armigeros tubae:

Regem fatebantur venire

ora metu pavefacta regum.

nox ipsa puro consiluit polo

qua splendidorum Sceptriger ordinum

decrevit immortale pacis

imperium stabilire terris:

aurae stupentes oscula fluctibus

dantes quietis gaudia praecinunt,

quos ala parcentes moveri

alcyonum premit incubantum.

The stars with deep amaze

Stand fixed in stedfast gaze,

Bending one way their precious influence,

And will not take their flight,

For all the morning light,

Or Lucifer that often warned them thence;

But in their glimmering orbs did glow,

Until their Lord himself bespake, and bid them go.

And though the shady gloom

Had given day her room,

The sun himself withheld his wonted speed,

And hid his head for shame,

As his inferior flame

The new enlightened world no more should need; He saw a greater Sun appear

Than his bright throne, or burning axletree, could bear.