Stablish my fainting heart, O Lord, on thy commandments’ rock; for thou alone art holy and the Lord.
4. The prophet heard of thine approach, O Lord, and fear’d; for thou didst purpose of the Virgin to be born, and to appear ’mongst men; and he exclaim’d, I heard the report of thee, and feared: glory to thy power, O Lord.
5. Rising from the night betimes, O lover of mankind, I pray, Enlighten me, and lead me in thine ordinances, and teach me, Saviour, to perform thy will.
6. I cried with my whole heart to the merciful God, and he heard me from the lowest hades, and brought back my life from corruption.
7. We have sinned, we have transgressed, we have been unrighteous before thee, we have neither loved nor wrought that which thou hast commanded us; still, cast us not away at the last, O God of our fathers.
8. Him that heaven’s hosts glorify, and at whose presence quake the cherubim and seraphim, let every spirit and creature sing, bless, and set up for evermore.
9. From conception seedless unspeakable’s the birth, of Mother husbandless corruptless is the fruit; for God’s nativity hath nature form’d anew. Then we, all generations, right-believingly thee magnify as Mother who was divinely wed.
XVII. Thou who man-lovingly in depth of wisdom orderest all, and unto all dost grant that which of service is, O Maker sole; rest thou thy servants’ souls, O Lord, for they have plac’d their trust in thee,
Our Maker, and our Author, and our God.