Kitabı oku: «Hymns of the Greek Church», sayfa 3

ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ σήμερον προφητικῶς εὐφραινέσθωσαν
(Στιχηρὰ Ἰδιόμελα)

I

 
In the bliss of old predicted,
Heaven and earth to-day rejoice;
Men and angels, one in spirit,
Shout aloud in gleeful voice;
For, to those in darkness drear,
God in human flesh is near.
 

II

 
Cave and manger show the mystery;
Shepherds tell the wondrous tale;
Bearing gifts to lay before Him
From the East the Magi hail;
Taught by angel words to sing,
We unworthy praises bring.
 

III

 
Glory be to God eternal!
Peace on earth its reign begin!
For the one Desire of nations
Comes to save us from our sin;
Freedom He will now bestow
From the bondage of the foe.
 

Δόξα ἐν ϓψίστοις θεῷ

By St. John of Damascus, 780 A.D

I

 
Bethlehem rejoices,
Hark the voices clear,
Singing in the starlight
Nearer and more near.
Unto God be glory,
Peace to men be given,
This His will who dwelleth
In the heights of heaven.
 

II

 
Heaven can not contain Him,
Nor the bounds of earth,
Yet, O Glorious Mystery!
Virgin gives Him birth.
Unto God be glory,
Peace to men be given,
This His will who dwelleth
In the heights of heaven.
 

III

 
Now the light ariseth
In the darkened skies,
Now the proud are humbled
And the lowly rise.
Unto God be glory,
Peace to men be given,
This His will who dwelleth
In the heights of heaven.
 

Σήμερον ὁ Ἅδης στένων βοᾷ
(στιχηρὰ ἰδιόμελα of the Holy and Great Sabbath)

I

 
To-day the groans of Hades rise, —
‘Ah, better far for me
The Son of Man had never died
Upon the cursèd tree!
For by His power the fettered souls
I held in darkest night,
Are carried through the sundered gates
Into the realm of light.’
Let glory now the Cross adorn,
Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!
 

II

 
To-day the groans of Hades rise, —
‘My might is overthrown;
I took One dead, from ’mong the dead,
And claimed Him for mine own;
But He hath crushed my ancient power;
And those I held in thrall
Have thrown aside the chains they wore,
And He hath rescued all.’
Let glory now the Cross adorn,
Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!
 

III

 
To-day the groans of Hades rise, —
‘My power is gone from me;
The Shepherd died upon the Cross,
And Adam’s sons are free;
The bars are taken from the tomb,
Death can no more appal;
For He who gave Himself to death,
By death hath rescued all.’
Let glory now the Cross adorn,
Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!
 

καὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν
(κοντάκιον)

I

 
No longer now at Eden’s gate
The fiery weapon gleams,
But from the Cross that leads to life
A light alluring streams.
 

II

 
And now the power of Death is gone,
His sting is torn away;
Grim Hades can no longer claim
His silent victory.
 

III

 
For Thou, O Saviour, didst descend
Where darkness brooding lies,
And bad’st the souls in bondage held
Return to Paradise.
 

ὁ μονογενής Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ

(From the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom)

I

 
Thou one Begotten Son,
Eternal Word adored,
Immortal while the ages run,
And our Almighty Lord;
 

II

 
To bring Salvation nigh,
To vanquish death and sin,
Thou didst in cruel anguish die,
And life for mortals win.
 

III

 
Save us, O Christ our God,
Save by Thy Cross, we pray;
Thou who didst bear the Father’s rod,
And death by dying slay.
 

IV

 
Thou art the Eternal Son,
One in the glorious Three;
Co-equal praise while ages run
Shall ever rise to thee.
 

Κύριε, ἀναβαίνοντός σου ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ
(Δόξα Ἦχος πλ. δ1)

I

 
When on the cruel Cross
The Lord was lifted high,
Affrighted earth in terror quailed
To see its Maker die.
 

II

 
Then had the yawning caves
Devoured the murderous band,
Had not the Crucified in love
Stretched forth His saving hand.
 

III

 
Thou gav’st Thyself to die,
Dark Hades to explore,
To bring to souls in prison bound
New life for evermore.
 

IV

 
O Lover of mankind,
To Thee all glory be,
For Thou didst give not death, but life,
When hanging on the tree.
 

Διὰ Λαζάρου τὴν ἔγερσιν Κύριε
(Ἀντίφωνον Γ’ Ἦχος Β’)

 
When Lazarus rose at Christ’s command,
And God was glorified of men,
The children cried Hosanna then,
But Judas would not understand.
 

Ἦχος ὁ αὐτός

 
When seated with Thy chosen band
Thou didst to Thy disciples say
That one, O Christ, would Thee betray,
But Judas would not understand.
 

ὁ αὐτός

 
The sop revealed the traitor’s hand,
In answer to the question made;
They saw by whom Thou wert betrayed,
But Judas would not understand.
 

ὁ αὐτός

 
The Jews, O Christ, Thy life demand,
’Twas purchased for a price like this —
For silver pieces and a kiss,
But Judas would not understand.
 

ὁ αὐτός

 
Thou, with Thine own unstainèd hand,
Didst wash the feet, and humbly teach
That such a task becometh each,
But Judas would not understand.
 

ὁ αὐτός

 
‘Watch thou and pray,’ was Thy command,
Lest, thoughtless, the disciples fall
Beneath the tempter’s bitter thrall;
But Judas would not understand.
 

σήμερον γρηγορεῖ ὁ Ἰούδας
(Ἀντίφωνον Ἦχος βαρύς)

I

 
The wily Judas watches near
The Master’s path to-day,
That he may into wicked hands
The Eternal Lord betray,
Who in the desert lone and dread
Supplied the multitudes with bread.
 

II

 
To-day the wicked one denies
His Teacher and his Friend —
Once a disciple, he betrays
His Master in the end.
For silver, see the Lord is sold,
Who manna gave in days of old.
 

III

ὁ αὐτός

 
To-day the Jews on Calvary
A cruel Cross have raised,
And nailed upon that Cross, their Lord
Have wickedly abased,
Who made a pathway through the sea
And led them from captivity.
 

IV

 
To-day the spear is lifted high
And thrust into His side,
Who for His people raised His hand
And wounded Egypt’s pride;
They give Him vinegar and gall,
Who showered down manna on them all.
 

Ὁ ἀναβαλλόμενος φῶς ὡς ἱμάτιον
(Ἀντίφωνον Ι’ Ἦχος πλ· β’)

I

 
O Thou who cloth’st Thyself complete
With light as with a garment fair,
Thou bor’st the cruel, vulgar stare,
Unrobed before the judgment-seat.
 

II

 
Thou gav’st the hand its subtle power,
But with the hand, O Lord of grace,
Upon Thy pallid, careworn face,
They smote Thee in that evil hour.
 

III

 
They nailed the Lord of Glory high,
And while He hung in awful pain,
The temple veil was rent in twain,
The sun refused to see Him die.
 

Ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν ὧν ἐποίησας, Χριστέ
(Ἀντίφωνον ΙΑ’ Ἦχος πλ. β’)

 
For all the good performed by Thee,
O Christ, the Hebrews deemed it meet
To bear Thee from the judgment-seat
And nail Thee to the cruel tree;
They gave Thee vinegar and gall —
But render justice to them all.
 

ὁ αὐτός

 
’Twas not enough they should betray
And nail Thee to the Cross to die;
They wagged their heads and passed Thee by,
And mocked Thee on that woful day;
In vain they strove against Thee, Lord —
Give Thou to them their due reward.
 

ὁ αὐτός

 
The quaking earth inspires no dread, —
The temple veil asunder fell,
The rocks were rent – still they rebel,
E’en when the graves gave up their dead;
But vain they strove against Thee, Lord —
Give Thou to them their due reward.