Sanctis autem tuis maxima erat lux, et horum quidem vocem audiebant, sed figuram non videbant. Et quia non et ipsi eadem passi erant, magnificabant te;

Brightest of all, that light shone on thy chosen people. These neighbours of theirs, heard but not seen, the Egyptians must congratulate on their escape from the common doom,

But thy saints had a very great light, and they heard their voice indeed, but did not see their shape. And because they also did not suffer the same things, they glorified thee:

et qui ante læsi erant, quia non lædebantur, gratias agebant, et ut esset differentia, donum petebant.

thank them for letting vengeance be, and ask forgiveness for past ill-will.

And they that before had been wronged, gave thanks, because they were not hurt now: and asked this gift, that there might be a difference.

Propter quod ignis ardentem columnam ducem habuerunt ignotæ viæ, et solem sine læsura boni hospitii præstitisti.

To these thou gavest, not darkness, but a pillar of burning fire, to be the guide of their unfamiliar journey, a sun, all gracious welcome, that brought no harm.

Therefore they received a burning pillar of fire for a guide of the way which they knew not, and thou gavest them a harmless sun of a good entertainment.

Digni quidem illi carere luce, et pati carcerem tenebrarum, qui inclusos custodiebant filios tuos, per quos incipiebat incorruptum legis lumen sæculo dari.

A fitting punishment it was for the Egyptians, this loss of light; fitting that they should be imprisoned in darkness, who had kept thy own sons in prison; thy own sons, through whom that law, which is light unfailing, was to be given to the world.

The others indeed were worthy to be deprived of light, and imprisoned in darkness, who kept thy children shut up, by whom the pure light of the law was to be given to the world.

Cum cogitarent justorum occidere infantes, et uno exposito filio et liberato, in traductionem illorum, multitudinem filiorum abstulisti, et pariter illos perdidisti in aqua valida.

It was their purpose, besides, to slay all the children born of that holy stock; but one child survived exposure and lived to rebuke them; through him thou didst destroy Egypt’s own children in their thousands, and drown its assembled host in the rushing waves.

And whereas they thought to kill the babes of the just, one child being cast forth, and saved, to reprove them, thou tookest away a multitude of their children, and destroyedst them all together in a mighty water.

Illa enim nox ante cognita est a patribus nostris, ut vere scientes quibus juramentis crediderunt, animæquiores essent.

Of what should befall that night, our fathers had good warning; confidence in thy sworn protection should keep them unafraid.

For that night was known before by our fathers, that assuredly knowing what oaths they had trusted to, they might be of better courage.

Suscepta est autem a populo tuo sanitas quidem justorum, injustorum autem exterminatio.

A welcome gift it was to thy people, rescue for the just, and doom for their persecutors;

So thy people received the salvation of the just, and destruction of the unjust.

Sicut enim læsisti adversarios, sic et nos provocans magnificasti.

at one stroke thou didst punish our enemies, and make us proud men by singling us out for thyself.

For as thou didst punish the adversaries: so thou didst also encourage and glorify us.

Absconse enim sacrificabant justi pueri bonorum, et justitiæ legem in concordia disposuerunt; similiter et bona et mala recepturos justos, patrum jam decantantes laudes.

In secret they offered their sacrifice, children of a nobler race, all set apart; with one accord they ratified the divine covenant, which bound them to share the same blessings and the same perils; singing for prelude their ancestral hymns of praise.

For the just children of good men were offering sacrifice secretly, and they unanimously ordered a law of justice: that the just should receive both good and evil alike, singing now the praises of the fathers.

Resonabat autem inconveniens inimicorum vox, et flebilis audiebatur planctus ploratorum infantium.

But music was none in the enemy’s cry that answered them; here all was dirge for children untimely mourned.

But on the other side there sounded an ill according cry of the enemies, and a lamentable mourning was heard for the children that were bewailed.

Simili autem pœna servus cum domino afflictus est, et popularis homo regi similia passus.

Slave and master, prince and peasant, a common doom met them, and a common loss; death levelled all under one title;

And the servant suffered the same punishment as the master, and a common man suffered in like manner as the king.

Similiter ergo omnes, uno nomine mortis, mortuos habebant innumerabiles: nec enim ad sepeliendum vivi sufficiebant, quoniam uno momento quæ erat præclarior natio illorum exterminata est.

unnumbered everywhere the slain, nor might the living suffice to bury them; all in one moment, the flower of their race had perished.

So all alike had innumerable dead, with one kind of death. Neither were the living sufficient to bury them; for in one moment the noblest offspring of them was destroyed.

De omnibus enim non credentes, propter veneficia; tunc vero primum cum fuit exterminium primogenitorum, spoponderunt populum Dei esse.

Against those earlier plagues, sorcery had hardened their hearts; Israel they recognized for God’s children only when the first-born died.

For whereas they would not believe any thing before by reason of the enchantments, then first upon the destruction of the firstborn, they acknowledged the people to be of God.

Cum enim quietum silentium contineret omnia, et nox in suo cursu medium iter haberet,

There was a hush of silence all around, and night had but finished half her swift journey,

For while all things were in quiet silence, and the night was in the midst of her course,

omnipotens sermo tuus de cælo, a regalibus sedibus, durus debellator in mediam exterminii terram prosilivit,

when from thy heavenly throne, Lord, down leaped thy word omnipotent. Never lighted sterner warrior on a doomed land;

Thy almighty word leapt down from heaven from thy royal throne, as a fierce conqueror into the midst of the land of destruction,

gladius acutus insimulatum imperium tuum portans: et stans, replevit omnia morte, et usque ad cælum attingebat stans in terra.

never was sword so sharp, errand so unmistakable; thy word that could spread death everywhere, that trod earth, yet reached up to heaven.

With a sharp sword carrying thy unfeigned commandment, and he stood and filled all things with death, and standing on the earth reached even to heaven.

Tunc continuo visus somniorum malorum turbaverunt illos, et timores supervenerunt insperati.

All at once came terror in their dreams; phantoms dismayed, and sudden alarms overtook them;

Then suddenly visions of evil dreams troubled them, and fears unlooked for came upon them.

Et alius alibi projectus semivivus, propter quam moriebatur causam demonstrabat mortis.

and when they lay a-dying, each fallen where fall he must, they confessed what fault it was they expiated;

And one thrown here, another there, half dead, shewed the cause of his death.

Visiones enim quæ illos turbaverunt hæc præmonebant, ne inscii quare mala patiebantur perirent.

all was foretold by the dreams that so disquieted them; they were not suffered to perish ignorant of their offence.

For the visions that troubled them foreshewed these things, lest they should perish and not know why they suffered these evils.

Tetigit autem tunc et justos tentatio mortis, et commotio in eremo facta est multitudinis: sed non diu permansit ira tua.

There was a time, too, when God’s own people tasted the bitterness of death; out there in the desert a plague fell upon the common folk; but not for long this vengeance lasted.

But the just also were afterwards touched by an assault of death, and there was a disturbance of the multitude in the wilderness: but thy wrath did not long continue.

Prosperans enim homo sine querela deprecari pro populis, proferens servitutis suæ scutum, orationem et per incensum deprecationem allegans, restitit iræ, et finem imposuit necessitati, ostendens quoniam tuus est famulus.

A peerless champion they found, in Aaron, that quickly took up the shield of his appointed ministry; the power of intercession that was his, and the atoning incense, held thy wrath in check, and brought the calamity to an end; none could doubt now he was the man of thy choice!

For a blameless man made haste to pray for the people, bringing forth the shield of his ministry, prayer, and by incense making supplication, withstood the wrath, and put an end to the calamity, shewing that he was thy servant.

Vicit autem turbas non in virtute corporis, nec armaturæ potentia: sed verbo illum qui se vexabat subjecit, juramenta parentum et testamentum commemorans.

Not by strength of body, not by prowess in arms, he won the victory; by persuasion he disarmed resistance, calling to mind the sworn covenant of our race.

And he overcame the disturbance, not by strength of body nor with force of arms, but with a word he subdued him that punished them, alleging the oaths and covenant made with the fathers.

Cum enim jam acervatim cecidissent super alterutrum mortui, interstitit, et amputavit impetum, et divisit illam quæ ad vivos ducebat viam.

Already the corpses were piled thick one on another; but he kept vengeance at bay, standing in between to breach the path between dead and living.

For when they were now fallen down dead by heaps one upon another, he stood between and stayed the assault, and cut off the way to the living.

In veste enim poderis quam habebat, totus erat orbis terrarum; et parentum magnalia in quatuor ordinibus lapidum erant sculpta, et magnificentia tua in diademate capitis illius sculpta erat.

Such blazonings he bore; what meant that long robe of his but the whole world’s orbit, the four rows of gems but the great deeds of our first fathers, the mitre on his head but thy own greatness?

For in the priestly robe which he wore, was the whole world: and in the four rows of the stones the glory of the fathers was graven, and thy majesty was written upon the diadem of his head.

His autem cessit qui exterminabat, et hæc extimuit: erat enim sola tentatio iræ sufficiens.

In awe of these shrank the destroying angel away; for thy own people, some taste of thy vengeance should be enough.

And to these the destroyer gave place, and was afraid of them: for the proof only of wrath was enough.