Hymn LVIII.
1. Lo! Death was prompt beforehand, to mock
Satan: him who was doomed to become a mockery at the
last.—2.
R., Glory to Thee Who by Thy crucifixion, didst
conquer the Evil One: and by Thy resurrection gain victory,
likewise over Death!
—3. And for our Lord’s sake Death
spake curses on him: who was the cause of His shame, and
crucifixion.—4.
D
., The fiery pit be thy grave, O
Satan: who blasphemedst the Voice from the grave, that rent the
graves—5. My Lord I know, and the Son of my Lord, O thou Satan!
thou hast denied thy Lord, and crucified the Son of thy Lord.—6.
This is the name that fits thee, “Slayer of thy
Lord”: when He appears Whom thou slewest, He shall slay
thee.—7. At thee shall every one shake the head, for by thee the
chiefs: shook their heads at Him, the Lord of life.—8. A
bruised reed under the feet, of the just shalt thou be: for
through thee they put a reed in His hand, Who upholds all.—9.
With a crown of thorns was He crowned, to signify: that He took
the diadem of the kingdom, of the house of David.—10. With a
crown of thorns was He crowned, the King of kings: but He took
the diadem of the king, of those that shamed him.—11. In the
robes of mockery that they gave him, in those He mocked
them
: for He took the raiment of glory, of priests and
kings.—12. To vinegar is thy memory akin, O thou Satan: who
didst offer vinegar for the thirst, of the Fount of Life.—13. The
hand shall every man lift against thee who strengthenedst the hand that
smote Him by Whose hand, all creatures stand.—14. He was smitten
by the hand and He cut off the hand, of Caiaphas: the hand of the
priesthood is cut off, in the cutting off of the unction.—15.
On
the pillar again
they stretched Him, as for scourging: Him Whose pillar went
before, to
guide
their tribes.—16. The pillar on the
pillar, He was scourged: He removed Himself from out of Zion, and
its fall came.—17. When they put two beams together, to form the
Cross: He broke them, even the two staves, the guardians of
them.—18. Ezekiel put together the sticks, the two in one:
in the two beams of the Cross, their staves have ceased.—19. The
two sticks, as it were wings, bore the people: lo! his two staves
were broken, even as his wings.—20. The bosom and wings of the
Cross, He opened in mercy: its pinions bowed and bore the
nations, to go to Eden.—21. It is akin to the Tree of Life, and
unto the son of its stock: it leads its beloved that on its
boughs, they may feed on its fruits.—22. Go howl and weep, Evil
One, for me and for you: for not one of us shall enter the
“Garden of Life.”—23.
S
., Now that thou hast
confessed O Death, come let me tell thee: that all this discourse
of thine, to me is idle talk.—24. I will go and watch the snares,
which I have set: thou too, Death, fly and look after, all that
are sick.—25. Our Lord has brought both to nought, on either
hand: the Evil One shall be brought to nought here, and Death
hereafter there.