HYMNS
FROM THE
GREEK OFFICE BOOKS
TOGETHER WITH
CENTOS AND SUGGESTIONS
RENDERED BY THE
Rev. JOHN BROWNLIE
AUTHOR OF
“The Hymns and Hymn-Writers of the Church Hymnary”;
“Hymns from East and West”; “Hymns of the Greek Church”;
“Hymns of the Holy Eastern Church”; &c.
PAISLEY: ALEXANDER GARDNER
Publisher by Appointment to the late Queen Victoria
MCMIV
LONDON:
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & CO., LMD.
PRINTED BY ALEXANDER GARDNER, PAISLEY.
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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
PAGE ἐλεήσον ἡμᾶς, κύριε ἑλέησον ἡμᾶς, 13 ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου ὑμνήσω σε, 15 ῥευστοί πῶς γεγόναμεν, ἄφθαρτον εἰκόνα φορέσαντες, 16 πάντα ματαιότης τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, 17 ταχύς εἰς ἀντίληψιν, μόνος ὑπάρχων Χριστέ, 19 ἠ τὸν πρῶτον τῶν Ἀγγέλων, 21 νεύματι θουργικῳ κύριε πάντων, 23 ἐπεσκέψατο ἡμᾶς ἐξὔψους ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, 25 τὴν ἄχραντον Εἰκόνα σου προσκυνοῦμεν ἀγαθὲ, 26 ὁ φωτίσας τή ἐλλάμψει τῆς σῆς παρουσίας Χριστὲ, 27 χαίροις ὁ ζωηφόρος Σταυρὸς, 29 σήμερον κρευμᾶται ἐπι ξύλου, 31 εσφραγισμένου τοῦ μνήματος, 33 ὁ κύριος ἀνελήφθη εἰς οὐρανοὺς, 34 εὐλογητὸς εἰ, Χριστέ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, 36 τὸ ἀπ’ αἰῶνος ἀπόκρυφον, 38Hymns From The Greek Office Books
Troparia
ἐλεήσον ἡμᾶς, κύριε ἑλέησον ἡμᾶς
Euchologion, p. 35
I
O destitute of all defence,
We bow before Thee now;
In mercy let Thy mercy come,
For merciful art Thou.
II
Our trusting souls in quiet repose
Would rest Thy love within;—
O be not angry with us, Lord,
Nor think upon our sin.
III
But from Thy high abode look down,
With tender love the while,
And save us from our foes who would
Our wayward hearts beguile.
IV
For, verily Thou art our God,
And we Thy people all;—
Hear us, the creatures of Thy hand,
When on Thy name we call.
V
To 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. 186
I
Within 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.
II
Here 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. 467
I
Why do we fade?
Who Thine own image bear,
Who life immortal share,—
Why do we fade?
II
Why did we err?
And leave the food of life,
To eat the bread of strife,—
Why did we err?
III
Why 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. 413
I
All 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.
II
Death 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.
III
Immortal Christ, we cry,
O let our prayers come nigh
Thy throne of heavenly grace;
Rest him whose form we miss,
Grant him in endless bliss
A lasting dwelling place.
Troparia
(From the Order of Holy Unction)
ταχύς εἰς ἀντίληψιν, μόνος ὑπαρχων Χριστέ
Euchologion, p. 266
I
Thou, Lord, hast power to heal,
And Thou wilt quickly aid,
For Thou dost deeply feel
The stripes upon us laid:—
Thou Who wast wounded by the rod
Uplifted in the hand of God.
II
Send speedy help, we pray,
To him who ailing lies,
That from his couch he may
With thankful heart arise;
Through Her, whose prayers availing find
Thine ear, O Lover of mankind.
III
Oh, 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. 4
I
The radiance of the brightness
Of beauty shed by Thee,
Descend on us who hymn Thy name,
Sole ruling Trinity.
II
Victorious nature hymns Thee,
Thou orb of triple ray;
For Thou hast hallowed it through grace
And borne its sin away.
III
In faith we laud the Father,
The Spirit and the Son,
One Nature, One Divinity,
One God, yet Three in
IV
To Thee our God be glory,
O Holy Trinity,
Both now, and while the ages run
To all eternity.
Ode VIII of Metrophanes
(From the Midnight Service for the Sabbath)
νεύματι θουργικῳ κύριε πάντων
Parakletike, p. 4
I
Thy mighty word commanding,
The heavens were settled high,
And earth to Thee responding
Was spread beneath the sky.
II
O God of power, Thy servants
Would seek Thy power divine,
That they their hearts to love Thee
May evermore incline.
III
And gazing on the glory
That shines in triple ray,
Our souls shall feast with gladness
On Thy sweet light alway.
IV
And of Thy glory shining,
And of Thy ruling light,
From age to age Thy servants
Shall hymn both day and night.
V
To 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. 25
I
The early dawn awakes,
The morn triumphant breaks,
See, see! the brightening sky,
The Saviour from on high
Is with us here.
II
And we who sat in night,
Rejoicing see the Light;
The shadows now are past,
The Dayspring come at last
And day is near.
III
For we have found the Truth;
The Son of Virgin youth,
The Saviour hath been born
This glorious festal morn,
And joys appear.
Troparia of The Sixth Hour
τὴν ἄχραντον Εἰκόνα σου προσκυνοῦμεν ἀγαθὲ
Horologion, p. 94
I
Before Thy Cross we take our place,
With all our load of guilt,
And plead forgiveness of Thy grace
Because Thy blood was spilt.
II
For Thou, to free us from our foes,
Didst bear that cruel Cross,
And by its agony and woes
Bring gain for all our loss.
III
Therefore we raise with one accord
Our 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. 8
I
O Christ, Who art the peerless Light,
Come with Thy presence ever bright,
And from the Father’s throne above
Descend to hearts that own Thy love.
II
Thy 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.
III
Ah Thou, our Lord, the Shepherd good,
Upon that Cross poured forth Thy blood,
And with Thy last expiring breath
Didst save Thy flock from endless death.
IV
And death of all his power is shorn,
And men to joy and peace are born,
For from their sins’ oppressive sway
Forgiveness bears their souls away.
V
Glory 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. 215
I
All hail, life-bearing Cross,
The trophy of the good,
Thy bloom is fragrance on our way,
Thy fruit our heavenly food.
II
Entrance to paradise,
Strength of all faithful souls;
The Church’s fortress when the foe
His banner grim unrolls.
III
By thee the curse is gone,
And death no terror brings;
We cast his power beneath our feet,
And rise to heavenly things.
IV
O shield of our defence,
And foe of all our foes;
The glory of the saints of God,
Their crown for all their woes.
V
Who 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. 401
I
Come, mortals, come behold!
He hangs upon the tree,
Who made the rolling sea
The new formed earth uphold.
II
See! He is crowned with thorns,
The King of angels
Who in His high estate
A glorious crown adorns.
III
Derided, see Him wear
A robe of purple dye,
Who robes the noon-day sky
With clouds that float on air.
IV
The 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, p. 23
I
O Christ the God, Who art our life,
Thou from the sealèd tomb didst rise,
And where Thy sad disciples mourned,
Appeared to them with glad surprise.
II
Because Thy mercy, Lord, is great,
And all Thy word to them is true,
Come with its power even as of old,
And every sinful soul renew.
III
All glory to the Father be,
And to the Saviour, Christ the Son;
All glory to the Holy Ghost,
Now, and while endless ages run.
Stichera of The Ascension
ὁ κύριος ἀνελήφθη εἰς οὐρανοὺς, ἱνα πέμψῃ τὸν Παρὰκλητον τῷ κόσμῳ
Pentecostarion, p. 148
I
The Lord ascended into heaven
That He might from above
Send down the promised Paraclete
On mission of His love.
II
And there the Father for His Son
Had decked a glorious throne;
And clouds, His chariots, bore Him up,
That He might claim His own.
III
O strangest wonder e’er beheld,
Since ages hoar began,
The angels saw the highest place
Given to a Son of Man.
IV
“O all ye angels praise the Lord,”
The Holy Spirit commands,
“Lift up your gates, ye princes high,
Ye nations, clap your hands.”
V
To God the Father throned on high,
And to the Son be praise,
And to the Spirit—Three in One,
From age to age, always.
Apolutikion of Pentecost
εὐλογητὸς εἰ, Χριστέ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν
Pentecostarion, p. 188
I
Blessed art Thou, O Christ, our God,
Who to Thy followers gav’st
The wisdom they have shed abroad
By which the world Thou sav’st.
II
Thou gav’st to them the Holy Ghost
As Thou hadst promise given,
When came the day of Pentecost,
As breath of God from heaven.
III
And now by them, Thy faithful few,
The world Thou gatherest in,—
As by the net those fishers drew,—
From all the woes of sin.
IV
To Thee, O Father, glory be,
To Thee, O Christ, the Son,
And to the Spirit, One in Three,
While endless ages run.
Theotokion
τὸ ἀπ’ αἰῶνος ἀπόκρυφον
Triodion, p. 469
I
O Mystery, hidden from the world
Through all the ages past—
Even to the angel hosts unknown—
Is manifest at last;
And thou, Theotokos, hast given
Incarnate God, from highest heaven.
II
God in His fulness wears our flesh,
And from our sin and loss
Redeemed us by His pain and death
Upon the awful Cross.
Save us, through Him who cast away
The bands of death, we humbly pray.
Ode VI. of Cosmas The Monk.
Troparia
ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματός σου
Pentecostarion, p. 190
I
Even as thou said’st, O Christ,
The Holy Spirit came,
And now our hearts possess
The knowledge of Thy name.
II
For Thou hast richly poured
Thy Spirit on our race,
To teach the Father’s will,
And magnify Thy grace.
III
Forth from the Father, Thou
Cam’st to our human needs,
And from that Source of Life
The Holy Ghost proceeds.
IV
All glory to our God,
And to the Christ, His Son,
And to the Holy Ghost,
Eternal Three in One.
Theotokion
χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη Θεοτόκε Παρθένε
Μην Σεπτεμβριος, p. 4
I
Hail, full of grace, Virgin Theotokos,
Harbour of all who on the billows toss;
Refuge of those who helpless seek Thy grace,
Hopeless and sin-stained of our fallen race.
II
From thee the Lord Incarnate came to free
Those who are held in bands of misery.
Hail! Virgin Mother, for alone thou art
Blessèd for ever, by each human heart.
III
Say to the Christ that strife of sin should cease,
That to this world should come the bliss of peace.
Hail! full of
Now and for ever through the endless days.
Hirmos
(Ode VI. from the poem of Cosmas the Monk)
ναυτιῶν τῷ σὰλῳ τῶν βιωτικῶν μελημάτων
Pentecostarion, p. 190
I
Tossed on the sea of life,
And sick and sore distressed,
I lift my cry to Thee, O Lord,
Who giv’st the troubled rest.
II
There, where the waters yawn,
And cruel monsters grin,
My comrades sink to depths below,
All in a sea of sin.
III
My earnest cry I raise,
Hear Thou the prayer I make,
And from the dark abyss of death
My soul in mercy take.