On this day, let them rejoice!
Much of the traditional Syriac Maronite Christmas music comes from the 4th century Syriac Father St. Ephrem, whose Hymns on the Nativity are incomparable. ܫܘܒܚܐ ܠܗܘ ܩܠܐ (Glory to the Word), a staple at even the least Syriac-inclined parishes in the days leading up to Christmas, is a verbatim excerpt from Hymn 3.
This “petition” (ܒܥܘܬܐ) is another excerpt attributed to St. Ephrem, which was traditionally sung at the end of Evening Prayer for the Sunday Before Christmas, about how Christ’s birth is what has always been promised:
Today, let the whole choir of prophets rejoice and be glad for their revelations have been explained by Your birth, O Lord of All! Today, let David rejoice and pluck the chords of his lyre, let him sing praise with his melodies for Your birth, which has been revealed!
Today, let the Son of Amos, prophet of the Spirit, [Isaiah] come and sing praise and, with him, renowned Micah, and all the choir of prophets. Today, let light shine upon the graves of the prophets, and may they wake to glorify Your birth on their harps.
Today, the watchers sang praise in the cave of Bethlehem, and dusty men worshipped Your birth which saved creation. Today, let us sing praise for Your birth, O Son of God, by which You saved us from error and the subjugation of sin.
On this holy feast, let the choir of prophets be glad, for on it their words were fulfilled and all became deeds. On this holy feast, let the prophet Isaiah be glad for, “Behold, a virgin, Mary, gave birth to Emmanuel, God!”
On this holy feast, let David, Son of Jesse, rejoice for he called to the peoples through [his writing], “This one is born there.” On this holy feast, “the Shepherd has gone out from Ephrathah to shepherd our souls by His staff” as Micah prophesied.
On this holy feast, let Zechariah be glad and sing praise for, “Behold a man whose name is Dawn!” as he proclaimed in his prophesy. On this holy feast, let the prophets wake from their graves and glorify the One Who fulfilled their revelations!
