Hymns from the Greek Office Books

Hymns from the Greek Office Books / Together with Centos and Suggestions

PREFACE

The renderings contained in this volume are chosen from a quantity of material, much of which had to be set aside as, for various reasons, unsuitable. But, as can be understood, in process of reading, thoughts linked themselves to the memory, and echoes of music, much of it surpassingly sweet, lingered, and from those echoes and thoughts the Centos and Suggestions have been formed. The phrases containing the thoughts, and the echoes repeating the music, have been woven together to form the fabric which is shewn here.

This volume is presented because the author believes that the hymnody of the West must find much of its finest enrichment in the praise literature of the Church of the East. It would be presumptuous to think that these renderings and suggestions are at all a worthy expression of the noble and richly varied praise of the Eastern Church; but they constitute, together with those contained in two former volumes by the present author, perhaps one-half of all the pieces which have yet appeared in English verse.

All the renderings in this collection appear for the first time. If any one thinks he has reason to complain of their quality, let him try to do better. The field lies untilled for any one who will work it.

J. B.

Trinity Manse,

Portpatrick, September 15, 1904.

GREEK INDEX

ἐλεήσον ἡμᾶς, κύριε ἑλέησον ἡμᾶς,

ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου ὑμνήσω σε,

ῥευστοί πῶς γεγόναμεν, ἄφθαρτον εἰκόνα φορέσαντες,

πάντα ματαιότης τὰ ἀνθρώπινα,

ταχύς εἰς ἀντίληψιν, μόνος ὑπάρχων Χριστέ,

ἠ τὸν πρῶτον τῶν Ἀγγέλων,

νεύματι θουργικῳ κύριε πάντων,

ἐπεσκέψατο ἡμᾶς ἐξὔψους ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν,

τὴν ἄχραντον Εἰκόνα σου προσκυνοῦμεν ἀγαθὲ,

ὁ φωτίσας τή ἐλλάμψει τῆς σῆς παρουσίας Χριστὲ,

χαίροις ὁ ζωηφόρος Σταυρὸς,

σήμερον κρευμᾶται ἐπι ξύλου,

εσφραγισμένου τοῦ μνήματος,

ὁ κύριος ἀνελήφθη εἰς οὐρανοὺς,

εὐλογητὸς εἰ, Χριστέ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν,

τὸ ἀπ’ αἰῶνος ἀπόκρυφον,

ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματός σου,

χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη Θεοτόκε Παρθένε,

ναυτιῶν τῷ σὰλῳ τῶν βιωτικῶν μελημάτων,

ἁι μυροφόροι γυναῖκες, ὄρθρου βαθεός,

καὶ στραφεὶς ὁ κύριος ἐνέβλεψε τῷ Πετρῷ,

καὶ ἀνέῳξας ἡμῖν παραδείσου τὰς πύλας,

καὶ κλαύσωμεν, καὶ πράξωμεν,

πυρίπνοον δέξασθε πνεύματος δρόσον,

σαρκὶ ὑπνώσας ὡς θνητός,

πατὴρ οἰκτιρμῶν,

ὀ πλάστης μου κὺριος,

ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἀνατολὴ ἀνατολῶν,

ὑμνοῦμεν σου Χριστέ, τὸ σωτήριον παθος,

φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς,

ψυχή μου! ἀνάστα,

κλίνας οὐρανοὺς, κατέβη,

δεῦτε ἀγαλλιασωμέθα τῷ κυρίῳ,

τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας,

οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανόυς,

ὅ πλοῦτος και βάθος, σοφίας Θεοῦ!

ἁι μυροφόροι γυναῖκες,

καί ὅ τι ἄν αἰτήσητε τοῦτο ποιήσω,

με νὺξ ἐδέξατο,

ζωτικῆς ἐξ ὕψους βιαίας φερομένης,

ἐξαγορευσω κατ’ ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ κυρίῳ,

ἠν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν,

ἅγιος ἀθάνατος, τὸ παράκλητον Πνεῦμα,

δίδου παραμυθίαν τοῖς δούλοις σου,

ὅτι ἐτέχθη ἐπὶ γῆς ὁ Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ,

ὁ δέ βιος, σκιά καὶ ἐνύπνιον,

εν τῷ φωτὶ Χριστὲ τοῦ προσώπου σου,

Hymns From The Greek Office Books

Troparia

ἐλεήσον ἡμᾶς, κύριε ἑλέησον ἡμᾶς Euchologion, p. 35IO destitute of all defence,We bow before Thee now;In mercy let Thy mercy come,For merciful art Thou.IIOur trusting souls in quiet reposeWould rest Thy love within; —O be not angry with us, Lord,Nor think upon our sin.IIIBut from Thy high abode look down,With tender love the while,And save us from our foes who wouldOur wayward hearts beguile.IVFor, verily Thou art our God,And we Thy people all; —Hear us, the creatures of Thy hand,When on Thy name we call.VTo God the Father, God the Son,All praise and glory be;And to the Spirit, Three in One,To all eternity.

Stichera Idiomela

ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου ὑμνήσω σε Pentecostarian, p. 186IWithin Thy courts my praise shall rise,O Saviour of the world, to Thee;And while I bow, will lift mine eyes,Unconquered Might, Thy face to see;At eve, at morn, at noon, alway,All blessing Lord, to Thee I’ll pay.IIHere in Thy courts, O Lord, we bow,And soul and body worship give;Hear us, Thy faithful servants now,Eternal God in Whom we live;And Thou the Unbeginning Son,And Holy Spirit Three in One.

Sticheron Idiomelon

(From the Order of the Burial of Priests)ῥευστοί πῶς γεγόναμεν, ἄφθαρτον εἰκόνα φορέσαντες Euchologion, p. 467IWhy do we fade?Who Thine own image bear,Who life immortal share, —Why do we fade?IIWhy did we err?And leave the food of life,To eat the bread of strife, —Why did we err?IIIWhy thus deceived?And robbed of life divine,That precious gift of Thine?Why thus deceived?

Idiomela of John The Monk

(From the Order of the Burial of Laymen)πάντα ματαιότης τὰ ἀνθρώπινα Euchologion, p. 413IAll human things decay,For all is vanity,The silver and the gold;The glory of the great,The wealth of high estate,None can for ever hold.IIDeath with his icy hand,Severs each earthly band,And bears us all away;Vain are our earthly dreams,Shadows our substance seems,And nothing lasts for aye.IIIImmortal Christ, we cry,O let our prayers come nighThy throne of heavenly grace;Rest him whose form we miss,Grant him in endless blissA lasting dwelling place.

Troparia

(From the Order of Holy Unction)ταχύς εἰς ἀντίληψιν, μόνος ὑπαρχων Χριστέ Euchologion, p. 266IThou, Lord, hast power to heal,And Thou wilt quickly aid,For Thou dost deeply feelThe stripes upon us laid: —Thou Who wast wounded by the rodUplifted in the hand of God.IISend speedy help, we pray,To him who ailing lies,That from his couch he mayWith thankful heart arise;Through Her, whose prayers availing findThine ear, O Lover of mankind.IIIOh, blinded are our eyes,And all are held in night;But like the blind who cries,We cry to Thee for light;In penitence, O Christ, we pray,Give us the radiant light of day.

Ode V. of Metrophanes

(From the Midnight Service for the Sabbath)ἠ τὸν πρῶτον τῶν Ἀγγέλων ἀμέσως διάκοσμον Parakletike, p. 4IThe radiance of the brightnessOf beauty shed by Thee,Descend on us who hymn Thy name,Sole ruling Trinity.IIVictorious nature hymns Thee,Thou orb of triple ray;For Thou hast hallowed it through graceAnd borne its sin away.IIIIn faith we laud the Father,The Spirit and the Son,One Nature, One Divinity,One God, yet Three in One.IVTo Thee our God be glory,O Holy Trinity,Both now, and while the ages runTo all eternity.

Ode VIII of Metrophanes

(From the Midnight Service for the Sabbath)νεύματι θουργικῳ κύριε πάντων Parakletike, p. 4IThy mighty word commanding,The heavens were settled high,And earth to Thee respondingWas spread beneath the sky.IIO God of power, Thy servantsWould seek Thy power divine,That they their hearts to love TheeMay evermore incline.IIIAnd gazing on the gloryThat shines in triple ray,Our souls shall feast with gladnessOn Thy sweet light alway.IVAnd of Thy glory shining,And of Thy ruling light,From age to age Thy servantsShall hymn both day and night.VTo Thee be lasting praises,Immortal Three in One, —Thou Father, Son, and Spirit, —Now, and while ages run.

Exapostilarion Automelon

ἐπεσκέψατο ἡμᾶς ἐξὔψους ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν Maenon, Dec. 25IThe early dawn awakes,The morn triumphant breaks,See, see! the brightening sky,The Saviour from on highIs with us here.IIAnd we who sat in night,Rejoicing see the Light;The shadows now are past,The Dayspring come at lastAnd day is near.IIIFor we have found the Truth;The Son of Virgin youth,The Saviour hath been bornThis glorious festal morn,And joys appear.

Troparia of The Sixth Hour

τὴν ἄχραντον Εἰκόνα σου προσκυνοῦμεν ἀγαθὲ Horologion, p. 94IBefore Thy Cross we take our place,With all our load of guilt,And plead forgiveness of Thy graceBecause Thy blood was spilt.IIFor Thou, to free us from our foes,Didst bear that cruel Cross,And by its agony and woesBring gain for all our loss.IIITherefore we raise with one accordOur songs right thankfully,For joy and peace, O Christ our Lord,We owe in full to Thee.

Ode V

(From the Canon of the Resurrection)ὁ φωτίσας τή ἐλλάμψει τῆς σῆς παρουσίας Χριστὲ Parakletike, p. 8IO Christ, Who art the peerless Light,Come with Thy presence ever bright,And from the Father’s throne aboveDescend to hearts that own Thy love.IIThy Cross no shame to mortals brings;The world with joy its glory sings;And men, O Christ, before Thee bow —All hail! Thy Resurrection now.IIIAh Thou, our Lord, the Shepherd good,Upon that Cross poured forth Thy blood,And with Thy last expiring breathDidst save Thy flock from endless death.IVAnd death of all his power is shorn,And men to joy and peace are born,For from their sins’ oppressive swayForgiveness bears their souls away.VGlory to Thee, O God, we bring,And to the Son, our Heavenly King,And to the Holy Ghost always,Now, and throughout the endless days.

Stichera

(From the Office of the Cross on Quadragesima Sunday)χαίροις ὁ ζωηφόρος Σταυρὸς Triodion, p. 215IAll hail, life-bearing Cross,The trophy of the good,Thy bloom is fragrance on our way,Thy fruit our heavenly food.IIEntrance to paradise,Strength of all faithful souls;The Church’s fortress when the foeHis banner grim unrolls.IIIBy thee the curse is gone,And death no terror brings;We cast his power beneath our feet,And rise to heavenly things.IVO shield of our defence,And foe of all our foes;The glory of the saints of God,Their crown for all their woes.VWho follow Christ the Lord,Their beauty find in thee;Their harbour of salvation thou,Now and eternally.

Antiphon

σήμερον κρευμᾶται ἐπι ξύλου ὁ ἐν ὕδασι τήν γῆν κρευμάσας Triodion, p. 401ICome, mortals, come behold!He hangs upon the tree,Who made the rolling seaThe new formed earth uphold.IISee! He is crowned with thorns,The King of angels great,Who in His high estateA glorious crown adorns.IIIDerided, see Him wearA robe of purple dye,Who robes the noon-day skyWith clouds that float on air.IVThe Bridegroom of the Bride,The Son of Virgin born —With nails His hands are torn,With cruel spear His side.

Apolutikion

(Of the Holy Apostle Thomas)εσφραγισμένου τοῦ μνήματος Pentecostarion

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