Saint John the Baptist

THE last and greatest Herald of Heaven's King,

Girt with rough skins, hies to the deserts wild,
Among that savage brood the woods forth bring,
Which he than man more harmless found and mild.
His food was locusts, and what young doth spring
With honey that from virgin hives distill'd;
Parch'd body, hollow eyes, some uncouth thing
Made him appear, long since from earth exiled.
There burst he forth: 'All ye, whose hopes rely
On God, with me amidst these deserts mourn;
Repent, repent, and from old errors turn!'
—Who listen'd to his voice, obey'd his cry?
        Only the echoes, which he made relent,
        Rung from their marble caves 'Repent! Repent!'

-- William Drummond (1585-1649), Scots poet and second Laird of Hawthornden

On St. John the Baptist

To God, eternal Father, sing,
All churches: Let your praises ring,
Because he sent St. John to tell
His twofold Word that tramples hell.

He ordered moral evil purged;
With terror of the law he urged
That all repent of pride, in fear—
The Judge would soon be drawing near.

But those cut down by terror’s knife
He called to certain hope of life,
And with his finger marked the Lamb
Of God, who only can undamn.

These things, with adamantine heart,
He taught; the herald played his part,
Proclaiming that the King would come
As dawn foretells the rising sun.

The Pharisees could not grind down
The hero’s spirit. He was found
To be Elijah, come again
To castigate their two-faced sin.

You, highest Father, we implore
To raise our weary hearts once more,
So that we truly can believe
St. John’s divine testimony.

-- Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560), German Lutheran theologian, educator, and poet,  tr. by E. J. Hutchinson. Image by Hieroymous Bosch.

The original Latin is here:

De S. Iohanne Baptista, Iambicum Dimetrum.

Aeterno gratias patri
Omnes canant Ecclesiae,
Quod nuncium verbi sui
Iohannem nobis miserit.

Hic mores exui malos
Iussit, metuque Iudicis
Mox adfuturi terruit
Superbas mentes omnium.

Rursusque perculsos metu,
In spem vitae certam vocat,
Et monstrat agnum digito
Qui placat unicus Deum.

Haec ille firmo pectore
Docet, et Christum praedicat
Venire, ceu Solem novum,
Prodire aurora nunciat.

Nec Pharisaei spiritum
Fregerunt ingentem viri,
Helias alter hic fuit,
Hypocritas tunc arguit.

Te summe rogamus pater,
Ut corda nostra suscites,
Ut vere possint credere
Iohannis testimonio.