4. Joseph was dumfounded at Mary,
seeing her pregnancy of which he knew nothing.
he began to chide and reproach her,
saying, Listen, girl;
5. JOSEPH: Reveal to me the secret of
what has
happened to you;
it is greatly shocking, what you speak of:
who has led you astray, virgin,
and snatched away your wealth, chaste girl?
6. MARY: I will reveal to you how it
happened,
says Mary, So listen, Joseph.
A man of fire came down to me,
he gave me a greeting – and this took place.
7. JOSEPH: That I should believe this
is hard:
It is not good, so do not repeat it.
if you are willing, speak to me
about what too place: who led you astray?
8. MARY: How to tell you any more I do
not know,
for I have told you how it actually happened:
the chief of the watchers came down and announced
it to me;
I became pregnant without being aware of it.
9. JOSEPH: These words are
inappropriate,
Mary, for a virgin; keep silent,
for falsehood will not stand up.
Speak the truth, if you are willing.
10. MARY: I repeat the same very
words--
I have no others to say.
I remain sealed, as the seals of my virginity,
which have not been loosed, will testify.
11. JOSEPH: You ought not to
contradict,
but confess that you have been seduced.
now you have fallen into two wrongs:
after getting pregnant, you are telling lies. (Mary and Joseph, 4-11, c. 5th
century, in Mary and Joseph, and Other Dialogue Poems on Mary [trans.
Sebastian P. Brock; Texts from Christian Late Antiquity 8; Piscataway, N.J.
Gorgias Press, 2011], 32, 34)
