Glory.
Why mourn ye me, a babe, that hence is gone? lying he cries invisibly: for I am wont not to be mourn’d; for destin’d is the joy of all the just for babes: to them that works perform not there meetness is for tears. But those the song upraise to Christ, O priests, extol him, and, O people, set him up for aye.
Both now. Theotokion.
To mine assistance, O God-bearing one, arise, attend unto my prayer, and me deliver from the dreadful doom, the grave essay, the darkness, and the fire, the gnashing of the teeth, the contumely of demons, and from every need, thou hope of them that have no hope, thou, the despairing’s life.
Ode ix. Irmos.
Be thou in dread concerning this, O heaven, and let earth’s limits be amaz’d: for God hath shewn himself in flesh to men, and wider than the heavens thy womb becomes. Therefore the principals of Angels and of men thee magnify, God-bearing one.
Refrain. Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
Christ, who unchang’d becam’st a babe, and willingly didst bear the cross, and the maternal pain didst see of her that gave thee birth; assuage the grief and bitter pain of faithful parents of a babe deceas’d, that we thy might may glorify.
Master, thou King of all, who from on high didst send and take the happy babe as a pure bird to heavenly nest, thou hast from diverse snares preserv’d his soul, and join’d it with the righteous souls thy kingdom’s sweets that taste.
Glory.