---

Arthur Symons - Mary in Bethlehem: A Nativity
Work rating: Low

MARY. 				THE THREE SHEPHERDS. 
JOSEPH. 			THE THREE KINGS. 

The Scene represents the Stable in `Bethlehem. MARY has awakened, and is bending over the manger when the Child lies asleep on the ground. 


MARY 
Is it the morning? I am cold. 
Look out and tell me if the moon 
Has led the Stars into their fold; 
Then shut the door and make it fast. 
			[JOSEPH rises, goes to the door, and looks out.] 

JOSEPH 
The night is blue, with stars of gold; 
The middle watch of night is past; 
See now, it will be morning soon! 
Yet there is time enough for sleep. 
			[He shuts the door, and stands near the manger. ]

MARY 
The child is sleeping, I have slept, 
And in my dreams I think I wept; 
I will not sleep again and weep.

JOSEPH 
Tell me the dream. 

MARY 
I seemed to see 
A mighty city, as it were 
The city of Jerusalem; 
And all the folk ran to and fro, 
Shouting, and in the midst of them 
Three woeful figures, and the three 
Bore each a cross he could not bear; 
And as I looked I seemed to know 
The face of one of them, and then 
Such bitter tears began to flow 
That I awakened, and in fear 
Felt for my child, and he was here. 
And I was comforted again. 

JOSEPH 
O Mary, have no fear at all; 
God is our Father, and shall keep 
Our feet, whether we wake or sleep. 
Lie down again, and lay your head 
Here, where the careful ox has fed 
That stands in sleep beside his stall. 
			[He lies down again and sleeps.] 

MARY 
Behold the handmaid of the Lord! 
It was an angel, and I said 
The words I feared to understand. 
What was It when upon my bed 
Suddenly the mild glory poured. 
And in the glory was a voice 
Bidding my soul greatly rejoice, 
Because the Lord God was at hand? 
O child of mine, marvellously 
Born of the shadow of God, can this 
Be for no great design of His 
Who sits upon the flaming sun 
And sets His feet upon the sea? 
If I but knew what He decreed, 
Before this body of mine was made 
To be the mother of His Son, 
Then were I satisfied indeed; 
But now the angels come no more, 
I wait and dream and am afraid. 
			[There is a knocking at the door, and JOSEPH awakens.] 

JOSEPH 
There is a knocking at the door, 
			[He opens the door; the THREE SHEPHERDS come in .]

FIRST SHEPHERD 
Sir, if a newborn child be here 
That in a manger lies, 
We pray you that you let us near 
To see him with our eyes. 

JOSEPH 
Good shepherds, it is early morn;! 
But come; his mother wakes; come in; 
There was no housing in the inn; 
Beside a manger he was born, 
And there in swaddling clothes he lies. 

SECOND SHEPHERD 
O brother shepherds, we have found 
The Saviour as they said; 
Let us kneel down upon the ground 
And pray about his bed. 
			[The SHEPHERDS kneel.] 

MARY 
Shepherds, good shepherds, tell me why 
You come about the break of day, 
And kneel before my child, and pray 
As if the stable where we lie 
Were holy, or the Lord were nigh. 
			[The SHEPHERDS rise.] 

THIRD SHEPHERD 
We shepherds watched our flocks by night, 
And lo, an angel made 
A glory of exceeding light, 
And we were sore afraid. 
Then said the angel: Shepherds all, 
Fear not; I bring from heaven 
Good tidings of great joy, which shall 
Be to all people given. 
For unto you is born this day 
A Saviour, and His name 
Is Christ the Lord: go ye your way 
With haste to Bethlehem. 
There, wrapped in swaddling clothes He lies, 
A manger for His sleep. 
There was a singing in the skies, 
And we forgot our sheep. 

MARY 
O shepherds, kneel if ye will kneel; 
I know not what these tidings be, 
But my heart kneels, even as ye. 
Then go your way, and may the peace 
Of God be on us all. 
			[The SHEPHERDS one after another bow before the Child, and go out.] 
I feel 
The wonder growing in my side. 

JOSEPH 
Mary, what tidings, then, are these, 
That have but come to shepherd folk, 
Poor men that know not anything? 
Think you it was God`s angel spoke? 
Shall these find God out, if He hide 
His will from Herod, who is King? 

MARY 
That which God wills He wills; if He 
Have need of such a messenger, 
Then would He send to us a King. 
			[There is a knocking at the door and the THREE KINGS come in.] 

GASPAR 
Gate of light, window of the sky, 
And mother of the dawn, I bring 
A tribute of Arabian myrrh 
Out of the fragrant East, where I 
Talk with the stars, and am a King. 
			[He gives myrrh] 

MELCHIOR 
Garden of spices, lily of fire, 
Flame of sweet smoke, I am a King, 
And for your heavenly child I bring 
The East`s whole odours that enfold 
The earth for a burnt offering. 
			[He gives frankincense.]

BALTHASAR. 
I am a King, and African; 
I bring, out of the dark earth, gold, 
Which is the light of my desire. 
Our gold and myrrh and frankincense 
Take, Mother of the King of Man. 
[			He gives gold.] 

JOSEPH 
My lords, we are but humble men. 

MARY 
O Kings, I am your handmaiden. 
Have ye met shepherds going hence 
Into the valley to their fold? 

GASPAR 
The angel shepherd of a star 
While we in paths of heaven trod 
Called to us in the East afar 
And led our feet to Bethlehem: 
The shepherd of the flock of God.
 
MARY 
Have the stars speech, that they can bring 
Your feet to this poor manger-bed? 

MELCHIOR 
The stars are wise: we talk with them; 
A star spoke out of heaven, and said: 
"Follow, and I will bring you where 
A King, who is the King of Kings, 
Has built His throne"; His throne we see. 

MARY 
Where is this throne? and where is He? 

BALTHASAR 
This is the King of Kings, He lies 
Within a lowly manger-bed, 
Whose name was written in the skies; 
Bow down before the King of Kings, 
For we have seen the face of Him 
Before whose face the burning eyes 
Of the flame-hearted stars grow dim, 
Veiling with unastonished wings 
Their faces from the face of Him 
Whose name was written in the skies. 
			[The THREE KINGS kneel before the Child, and go out.]

JOSEPH 
Mary, the child shall be a king. 
			[He goes aside.] 

MARY 
Blessed among all women, yea, 
I have been chosen for this thing. 
Now I have waited long enough, 
I do not hope nor am afraid, 
I do not look upon the way, 
I have been chosen by God`s love. 
Now is this body, that was made 
Of sinful and of mortal clay, 
In the warm love of God arrayed, 
And I am His, and He is mine; 
And now I know that I have known 
God, all of God, and God alone, 
And that the Son of God must be 
As God is, human yet divine, 
God in the Godhead, man in me. 
O, when I hold my little child 
Against: my heart and stoop to see 
If He has waked from sleep and smiled, 
I carry an immortal load; 
My child, no less my child to me 
Because I know my child is God,
Source
The script ran 0.002 seconds.