It’s been a while; this one took me a while to complete. But here is the sixth poem in Georg Fabricius’s hymn cycle. Here is a link the fifth poem, where you can also find links to Hymns 1-4. The meter and rhyme-scheme is the same as in the others.
CHRISTUS A IUDA DISCIpulo proditus, et a reliquis fuga desertus.
Psal. XXXVIII. Amici mei et proximi mei e regione plagae meae steterunt.
HORA UNDECIMA.
Multo venit satellite
Iudas, magistrum prodere;
Pacis scelestus improbae
Fallacis offert oscula.
Armate Petre quid fero
Mucrone saevus irruis?
His sponte, pro te, proque me
Christus ligatur vinculis.
En sternit uno militum
Verbo globos furentium:
Obducit et recentia
Auris resectae uulnera.
Fugam capessunt turbidi
Illuc et huc Apostoli.
Ouem trahunt immania
Raptam luporum guttura.
Tu Christe frange subdola
Hypocritarum pectora:
Hostes apertos numine
Tuo potenter contere.
Pios ab armis impiis
Tuere, sumptave excute.
Nec territi dent hostibus
Tergum fugae prementibus.
In English:
Christ Betrayed by His Disciple Judas, and Abandoned by the Rest, Who Fled
Psalm 38: “My friends and my neighbors stood away from the region of my affliction.”
At the eleventh hour.
Thronged by his massive retinue
To cross his master, Judas comes.
Pretending peace, he gives his kiss.
His face is hot; his lips are numb.
O Peter, armed with savage blade,
Why strike the servant cruelly?
Without coercion, Christ the Lord
Is bound in chains for you, for me.
With solitary word He stuns
The mass of soldiers mad for blood.
He recreates the wounded ear—
An echo of man formed from mud.
In turmoil His apostles run
This way and that in zeal to hide.
The wolves’ dread jaws drag off the Lamb,
The Christ, who would be crucified.
O Jesus, break the Judas hearts
Of hypocrites, who plot and scheme,
And, baring Your almighty arm,
Grind down Your open enemies.
But guard the godly from attack,
Or, when attacked, come, set them free.
Though grim and frightful foes pursue,
Let them not turn their backs and flee.