Constantine of BERAT
Mary Stood before the Cross
Came Saint Mary, our good Lady,
she
before the cross was standing,
She was queen of all the angels,
she
was mistress of the planet,
When she saw him nailed upon it,
mankind's
only hope and saviour,
In distress she started weeping,
and
in longing she lamented:
Oh that damned, accursed Judas,
who
did call the Jews to gather,
And they gathered and they seized you,
like
a wolf pack with no feelings,
And they took you to your trial,
and
at Pilate's court they judged you,
And false witness did they bear there,
both
to shame and denigrate you,
They defiled you, spit upon you,
piling
insults, adding beatings,
In loud voices they did clamour,
and
to Pilate: "Slay him!" ordered.
What harm have you ever done, lad,
or
what evil have you rendered
That they nailed you to this cross,
and
left you here to hang and perish?
Oh, my sweet and cherished young man,
oh,
the son I love so dearly,
How is it that you must suffer,
all
these beatings and revilements?
Both your hands and feet are blemished,
by
those cruel and heartless rivets,
And a crown of thorns they fashioned,
and
upon your head did place it,
With a lance they pierced your rib cage,
from
which flowed both blood and water.
What vile crime, oh faithless Jews,
have
you with all this gore committed?
You denied the very saviour,
who
has brought you the commandments,
No faith did you e'er store in him,
and
these torments heaped upon him,
Even though he was kind to you,
since
forever he did heal you,
Both the blind and the disabled,
both
the lame ones and the crippled.
From the dead he raised your fellows,
that
you'd see it and believe him.
Notwithstanding all his good deeds,
you
then gave him up to perish.
When you nailed him to the cross,
the
sun at once went dim and sombre,
At the same time dimmed the moonlight,
by
that venom it was poisoned.
Yet despite all he accomplished,
he
was paid with crucifixion,
Though his human form did perish,
his
divinity did flourish.
Heaven and earth did shake and tremble,
and
the rocks were burst asunder.
Why did you not ponder on it,
so
at least you might believe him?
You denied him and forsook him,
and
have faithlessly betrayed him.
Where is now Saint Peter,
who
had said that he would perish with you?
He betrayed you and fled from you,
all
alone among the others.
They took flight and left you helpless,
in
the hands of non-believers.
When you cried out: "I am thirsty",
they
prepared a cup of poison,
Gall and vinegar they mixed,
and
then into your mouth they squeezed it.
But as you have said yourself,
son,
you'll rise up, a divine being,
From the dead you will ascend,
and
all of humankind you'll succour,
Saving each one who believed you,
for
you came, were incarnated.
And for them did you turn human,
and
yet all of this you suffered,
With your blood, that sacred liquid,
which
you spilt and poured out for them,
To protect them from the devil,
and
again you did transport them
To their dear abode in heaven,
where
you placed them there before you,
That they might pray and adore you,
in
that life forever lasting.
[Zonja Shën Mëri përpara
kryqësë, ca. 1780. Translated from the Albanian
by Robert Elsie] |