Religion

The Kings Who Came to Christ

by Anonymous (Old Irish) c. 8th–12th century

Translated by Alfred Perceval Graves (1917) · From A Celtic Psaltery (1917)

Religion

Three Kings came to the Babe's abode,
With faces that like bright moons glowed,
From out the learned Eastern world,
Where o'er wide plains slow streams are curled.

The three sought out the lovely Child,
On whom, white-blossomed Bethel smiled,
Three, o'er all knowledge granted sway,
Three Seers of the Vision they.

The Promise of the Great All-wise
Was present to their prescient eyes,
A Vision beckoning from afar,
The Christ Child cradled on a star;

A lofty star of lucent ray,
It swam before them through the day,
And when earth's hues were lost in night,
It still led on with loving light.

And still the lucky Royal Three
Went following it full readily;
And still across the firmament
An arch of blessed might it went.

So rushing radiant, round and soft,
Past every star that paced aloft,
Right joyously it stayed for them
At last o'er blessed Bethlehem.

O, then each Monarch of the Three
With worship fell upon his knee,
And gave, while God he loud extolled,
His frankincense and myrrh and gold.

They recognised the Babe's bright face
And Mary in her Virgin grace.
'Twas thus the Star's Epiphany
Showed Christ their King to the Kings three.

✦ ✦ ✦

From the Early Irish.

MLA

Anonymous (Old Irish). “The Kings Who Came to Christ.” Translated by Alfred Perceval Graves. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-irish/122/.

Chicago

Anonymous (Old Irish). “The Kings Who Came to Christ.” Translated by Alfred Perceval Graves. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-old-irish/122/.

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