| W. Garrett Horder, comp. The Poets’ Bible: New Testament. 1895. | | | | For the Nativitie of Our Lord | | William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585–1649) |
| | | O THAN, the fairest day, thrice fairer night, | |
| Night to best days, in which a sun doth rise, | |
| Of which the golden eye, which clears the skies, | |
| Is but a sparkling ray, a shadow light; | |
| And blessed ye, in silly pastor’s sight, | 5 |
| Mild creatures, in whose warm crib now lies | |
| That heaven-sent youngling, holy-maid-born wight, | |
| Midst, end, beginning of our prophecies: | |
| Blest cottage, that hath flowers in winter spread; | |
| Though wither’d, blessed grass, that hath the grace | 10 |
| To deck and be a carpet to the place. | |
| Thus singing to the sound of oaten reed, | |
| Before the Babe the shepherds bow’d their knees, | |
| And springs ran nectar, honey dropped from trees. | | | | |
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