HYMNS
FROM THE
GREEK OFFICE BOOKS

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,] 38 [ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματός σου,] 39 [χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη Θεοτόκε Παρθένε,] 41 [ναυτιῶν τῷ σὰλῳ τῶν βιωτικῶν μελημάτων,] 42 [ἁι μυροφόροι γυναῖκες, ὄρθρου βαθεός,] 45 [καὶ στραφεὶς ὁ κύριος ἐνέβλεψε τῷ Πετρῷ,] 47 [καὶ ἀνέῳξας ἡμῖν παραδείσου τὰς πύλας,] 49 [καὶ κλαύσωμεν, καὶ πράξωμεν,] 50 [πυρίπνοον δέξασθε πνεύματος δρόσον,] 51 [σαρκὶ ὑπνώσας ὡς θνητός,] 53 [πατὴρ οἰκτιρμῶν,] 55 [ὀ πλάστης μου κὺριος,] 57 [ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἀνατολὴ ἀνατολῶν,] 59 [ὑμνοῦμεν σου Χριστέ, τὸ σωτήριον παθος,] 61 [φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς,] 63 [ψυχή μου! ἀνάστα,] 65 [κλίνας οὐρανοὺς, κατέβη,] 67 [δεῦτε ἀγαλλιασωμέθα τῷ κυρίῳ,] 69 [τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας,] 71 [οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανόυς,] 73 [ὅ πλοῦτος και βάθος, σοφίας Θεοῦ!] 75 [ἁι μυροφόροι γυναῖκες,] 77 [καί ὅ τι ἄν αἰτήσητε τοῦτο ποιήσω,] 79 [με νὺξ ἐδέξατο,] 81 [ζωτικῆς ἐξ ὕψους βιαίας φερομένης,] 83 [ἐξαγορευσω κατ’ ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ κυρίῳ,] 85 [ἠν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν,] 87 [ἅγιος ἀθάνατος, τὸ παράκλητον Πνεῦμα,] 89 [δίδου παραμυθίαν τοῖς δούλοις σου,] 91 [ὅτι ἐτέχθη ἐπὶ γῆς ὁ Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ,] 93 [ὁ δέ βιος, σκιά καὶ ἐνύπνιον,] 95 [εν τῷ φωτὶ Χριστὲ τοῦ προσώπου σου,] 97

Hymns 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 One.

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 great,

Who in His high estate

A glorious crown adorns.

III

Derided, see Him wear

A robe of purple dye,