This is how the poem begins: When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed, And the great star early drooped in the western sky in the night, I mourned, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.

VOA: special.2009.04.12

If you lived during the time of Matthew himself, all of this stuff would seem fairly familiar to you, the idea that kings would come from far off and see a star, and that meant that the birth of someone great had been born.

如果你生活在马太的时代，你会觉得这些非常熟悉，比如国王沿着星星指引从远方而来，那说明有伟大的人物出生了。

耶鲁公开课 - 新约课程节选

His first great discovery was made when he recognized a Cepheid variable star.

VOA: special.2009.04.29

The poem describes Lincoln as a great spirit and a fallen star.

VOA: special.2009.04.12