ورد الله الرحيم — Germanus Farhat — Saqi

وَرَدَ اللَهُ الرحيمْ
وهو بالسر العليمْ
The merciful God came,
and He is the Knower of the secret,
مِن سَماه برضاه
ما خلا منه النعيم
from His heaven, of His own will;
bliss was not bereft of Him.
وتراءى بشريّاً
وله الجسم أديم
And He appeared as a human,
with the body as His covering.
وأتى الناموس طوعاً
ولذا المعنى رسوم
He willingly observed the Law,
and this meaning has its rites,
منذ إبراهيم حتى
جاءنا موسى الكليم
from Abraham until
Moses, who spoke with God, came to us.
وخِتانَتْهُ تُرينا
جسداً فيه كلوم
And His circumcision shows us
a body bearing wounds,
من ختانٍ في ثمانٍ
مَن تعدّاها ذميم
from circumcision on the eighth day;
whoever goes beyond it is blameworthy.
وبها أثَّرَ في جث
مانه منها خُتوم
And through it were imprinted upon
His body the marks it left.
ودُعي فيها يسوعاً
صدق اللَه العظيم
And then He was named Jesus;
God the Great has spoken truly.
قد محا عنا الخطايا
بدَواهٍ والهموم
He has erased our sins
through afflictions and sorrows.
ينقذُ الضالَ ويُحيي
من أتى وهو أثيم
He rescues the lost and gives life
to whoever comes as a sinner.
فالختان التام للنا
سوتِ عنوانٌ أليم
Thus complete circumcision of human
nature is a painful sign
من عذابٍ وصليبٍ
ثم موتٍ ويَقوم
of torment and a cross,
then death—and He rises.
فبه زال ختانٌ
وبه تمَّ الرسوم
Thus through Him circumcision ceased,
and through Him the rites were fulfilled.
وأتانا بعِمادٍ
عن ختانٍ ويَسوم
And He brought us baptism
in place of circumcision, and enjoins it.
مُلكُهُ ملكُ نعيمٍ
وبه ثُلَّ الجحيم
His kingdom is a kingdom of bliss,
and through Him hell was overthrown.
أيها المؤمن حقّاً
أنت بالماء حميم
O true believer,
you are bathed in water.
أيها المؤمن حقّاً
أنت بالروح حميم
O true believer,
you are bathed in the Spirit.
أيها المؤمن حقّاً
أنت للَه حميم
O true believer,
you are God's intimate friend.
بسواه خاب يوماً
من يصلي ويصوم
Without it, one day he comes to grief—
whoever prays and fasts.
يا زَريّاً بعِمادٍ
أنت شيطانٌ رجيم
O scorner of baptism,
you are an accursed devil.