On the Creation of the Moon

It is a lamp prepared for the dark night; so, as far as you can, never turn toward evil. When it completes a cycle of thirty days, the dark world is made bright by it. At first it appears thin and yellow, like the bent back of someone worn down by the grief of love. The moment an onlooker glimpses it from afar, it vanishes again just as quickly. The next night it shows itself for longer, and gives you more light. In two weeks it grows full and perfect; then it returns to what it was at the start. Each night it grows thinner, drawing nearer to the shining sun. This is how the just Lord fashioned it, and so it will remain, for as long as it endures.