Otto Goldschmidt: A tender shoot



A tender shoot hath started up from a root of grace, as ancient seers imparted, from Jesse’s holy race, it blooms without blight, blooms in the cold bleak winter turning darkness into light. This shoot Isaiah taught us from Jesse’s root should spring, the Virgin Mary brought us the branch of which we sing, our God of endless might, gave her this child to save us thus turning darkness into light. (Anon 16th century, tr. William Bartholomew (1793–1867)