Hymns of the Greek Church

Κύριε, ὁ τὸν Λῃστὴν
(Ἀντίφωνον ΙΔ’ Ἦχος πλ. δ1)

I

 
When Thou wert crucified by men,
O Christ, for Thy companion then
Thou didst accept the base and vile,
Whose hand was stained with blood the while;
O, number us with him, we pray!
Thou who art good and kind alway.
 

II

ὁ αὐτός

 
Few were his words, but Thou didst hear;
His faith was great, and Thou wert near;
And first of men, with glad surprise,
He entered opened Paradise.
Be Thou for evermore adored!
The needy’s prayer was not abhorred.
 

τὰς ἑσπερινὰς ἡμῶν εὐχάς
(στιχηρὰ Ἀναστάσιμα)

I

 
Our evening prayers attend,
O Thou that holy art;
In mercy full forgiveness send
To every contrite heart;
For Thou hast risen to set us free,
And all mankind rejoice in Thee.
 

II

 
Encompass Zion round,
Ye people, tell His fame;
Let Resurrection joy abound,
And glory to His name;
He is our Lord, who from the grave
Arose our sinning souls to save.
 

III

 
With resurrection lays
Ye people, come, adore,
And worship Him with grateful praise
Who lives for evermore;
He is our God, who from the grave
Arose our sinning souls to save.
 

IV

 
Lord, by Thy Passion Thou
Sav’st men from passions base,
And by Thy Resurrection, now
Dost from corruption raise.
Glory to Thee we humbly bring,
O Christ, who art our Heavenly King.
 

φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης

By Athenogenes, 296 A.D

I

 
Light serene of holy glory
From the Immortal Father poured,
Holy Thou, O Blessed Jesus,
Holy, Blessed, Christ the Lord.
 

II

 
Now we see the sun descending,
Now declines the evening light,
And in hymns we praise the Father,
Son and Spirit, God of Might.
 

III

 
Worthy of unending praises,
Christ the Son of God art Thou;
For Thy gift of life eternal,
See the world adores Thee now.
 

ἀνάστασιν Χριστοῦ θεασάμενοι

I

 
We have heard the wondrous story
Of the Resurrection morn;
We have seen its matchless glory,
Christ the risen Lord adorn.
Let us worship and adore Him,
Let us now fall down before Him.
 

II

 
Men with erring sinners found Thee,
Found the only sinless One;
And upon a Cross they bound Thee,
For the good that Thou hadst done;
Come, upon the Cross adore Him,
Let us now fall down before Him.
 

III

 
We have heard the wondrous story
Of the Resurrection day, —
Christ our God, to Him be glory,
For He casts death’s bands away.
Let us worship and adore Him,
Come and let us fall before Him.
 

IV

 
Come, ye faithful, come with gladness,
To your God thanksgiving pay;
For the Cross was shorn of sadness
On the Resurrection day.
Let us worship and adore Him,
Come and let us bow before Him.
 

εἰ καὶ ἐν τάφῳ κατῆλθες ἀθάνατε
(κοντάκιον, Ἦχος πλ. δ1)

By St. John of Damascus, 780 A.D

I

 
When, O King Immortal,
Thou didst seek the gloom,
Tasting death in meekness,
Resting in the tomb —
On that dark and woful day,
Hades owned Thy kingly sway.
 

II

 
Victor! now we hail Thee,
Hail Thee Christ our God;
Thou hast burst the barrier
Of Thy dark abode;
On that glad and glorious day,
Hades owned Thy kingly sway.
 

III

 
They who bore the spices
In the early hour,
Heard the salutation
Of the Lord of power,
And His followers, sore and sad,
Found the peace that made them glad.
 

IV

 
Hail the King Immortal!
Death by death is slain,
And the weak and fallen
Rise to life again;
On this glad and glorious day
Hades owns the Victor’s sway.
 

Ἰδοὺ ὁ Νυμφιὸς ἔρχεται ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς νυκτός
(τροπάρια)

I

 
Behold the Bridegroom cometh
At the hour of midnight drear,
And blest be he who watcheth
When his Master shall appear,
But woe betide the careless one
Asleep when He is near!
 

II

 
O soul of mine, bestir thee
Lest thou sink in slumber quite,
And the Bridegroom find thee sleeping
When He cometh in His might.
Awake, awake to praises,
For He cometh in the night.
 

III

 
That fearful day approacheth,
Then live, O soul, aright,
And watch the hour, and trim thy lamp
And keep it burning bright,
Lest the voice be heard, ‘He cometh!’
In the middle of the night.
 

IV

 
Beware when slumber binds thee,
Lest the Bridegroom pass thee by,
And thou knock without in darkness,
And for grief and anguish cry;
Take thy lamp, with oil, and trim it,
For the hour is drawing nigh.
 

ἔργῳ, ὡς πάλαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐπηγγείλω
(τροπάρια)

By St. Cosmas, died 760 A.D

I

 
O Jesus, Lover of our race,
How rich the promise of Thy grace
To Thy disciples made, —
A holy Paraclete to send,
To succour, comfort, and befriend
With His inspiring aid.
 

II

 
On earth the light is shining clear,
The Holy Comforter is here,
To all the faithful given;
And now, what prophets long foretold,
In all His fulness we behold
The Spirit sent from heaven.
 

ταχεῖαν καὶ σταθηρὰν δίδου παραμυθίαν τοῖς δούλοις σου

I

 
O Jesus, to Thy servants give
The consolation they require;
And when the cloud of trouble falls,
With heavenly hope their souls inspire.
Be ever near us, Christ, to bless
And help us in Thy faithfulness.
 

II

 
As Thou wert with Thy saints of old,
Be with us, ever present, Lord;
Unite us to Thyself, we pray,
As Thou hast promised by Thy word;
Then we shall glorify and laud
The Holy Spirit sent by God.
 

δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν αὐτῷ
(κοντάκιον)

I

 
It is a comely thing
To glorify and praise
Our God, the Everlasting Word,
And Lord of endless days.
 

II

 
The trembling cherubim
Before Him fold their wings,
And all the heavenly hosts adore
The mighty King of kings.
 

III

 
We would our offering give, —
O Christ, to Thee we pray,
For Thou didst break the bands of death
When dawned the glorious day.
 

IV

 
To Thee, Thou Three in One,
Ascend our songs divine;
One power, one kingdom without end,
And one dominion Thine.
 

V

 
O Christ, the source of light,
With light my soul inspire;
Come, make my heart the bright abode
Of Thy celestial fire.
 

Δεῦτε λαοὶ, τὴν τρισυπόστατον θεότητα προσκυνήσωμεν

By the Emperor Leo VI., died 911 A.D

I

 
Come ye people, come adore Him,
God in Holy Trinity;
God the Father, Son, and Spirit,
Ever Blessed Unity.
 

II

 
Thine the glory, God Almighty,
To the Son and Spirit given,
Ere upon the world’s creation
Dawned the new-born light of heaven.
 

III

 
Holy, holy, we adore Thee,
One in power, in nature one;
God the Father, God the Spirit,
God the Co-Eternal Son.
 

IV

 
By the Son the wide creation
Rose where chaos held its sway;
By the Spirit, God Almighty
Swept eternal night away.
 

V

 
Son, the Father’s love revealing,
Son, through whom the Spirit came,
Blessed Godhead! endless glory
Be to Thine exalted name.
 

ὅταν ἔλθῃς ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ γῆς
(κοντάκιον Ἦχος α′)

I

 
When Thou shalt come, O Lord,
Wrapt in Thy glory bright,
Then shall the earth in terror quake,
The sun withhold his light.
 

II

 
When Thou shalt come, O Lord,
Then to Thy judgment-bar,
Even as a mighty stream, shall flow
The sons of men from far.
 

III

 
When Thou shalt come, O Lord,
Then shall the books be spread,
And from their secrets Thou shalt judge
The living and the dead.
 

IV

 
When Thou shalt come, O Lord,
Then save me by Thy power,
Let not the flames of wrath o’ertake
Thy servant in that hour.
 

V

 
When Thou shalt come, O Lord,
In mercy let me stand —
No guilt upon my conscience laid —
Approved, at Thy right hand.