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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 January 2025
God of all goodness, sweet Christ,
you are the emperor of all kings,
and verily king over all princes,
you prince over all lords
and lord over all rulers:
from your divine power
has sprung from the beginning
your entire creation,
the heavenly hierarchies,
the three that split themselves
into three again, each separately,
and divide themselves into nine choirs.
Within these your divinity has created
angels manifold
with distinctions many,
who sing perpetually
the praises of your perfect majesty.
In your omnipotence also move
heaven and earth and everything
to which your holy divinity
granted its life, its nature and its shape.
The wonders are so manifold
that you have performed wondrously;
yet over all wonders you have
singled out one in particular
that equals your divinity itself:
With divine power you said,
after you had created all things,
as Holy Scripture tells me:
“machen einen menschen wir,
ein bilde nâch uns gestalt.”
dâ bî prüeve ich, daz einvalt
nicht ist gewesen dîn gotheit
in ie wesender êwikeit.
daz wort uns wol bewêret hât
dîn êwige trînitât,
wan du sprêche selb zu dir:
“machen einen menschen wir!”
Daz wort geschach, der mensche wart.
menschlîch natûre und menschen art
enpfienc die crêatûre.
nâch gotlîcher figûre
was gebildet ir gestalt.
adel und wîsheit manicvalt
dîn geist dem menschen în gôz;
du tête in an gewalt sô grôz,
daz er nâch dir, als ich las,
des paradîses vürste was.
swie schoene du machtest sîn gestalt
und im wîsheit manicvalt
gêbe, dar zu rîchez adel,
iedoch tet er einen tadel,
daz er zerbrach dîn gebot.
dû barmherziger got
erbarmetest erbermiclich
über dîn crêatûre dich:
dîn einborn sun von himel quam,
die selben form er an sich nam,
die gefigûret was
nâch dîner gotheit, als ich las,
und mischte dîne gotheit
zu menschlîcher bloedikeit.
Got und mensche, hêrre Christ,
du wârer got mîn schepfer bist,
sô hât dîn menschlîcher tôt
mich von êwiger nôt
“Let us make man
in our image.”
That is how I know that your godhead
has never been singular
in essence, ever.
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