Hymns of the Greek Church / Translated with Introduction and Notes

INTRODUCTION

I. Thirty-eight years ago, Dr. John Mason Neale published his Hymns of the Eastern Church, and for the first time English readers were introduced to the priceless gems of Greek hymnody. At the close of his preface he throws out a challenge which, as far as the present writer is aware, has not yet been taken up. He says: ‘And while fully sensible of their imperfections, I may yet, by way of excuse rather than of boast, say, almost in Bishop Hall’s words—

“I first adventure: follow me who list,

And be the second Eastern Melodist.”’

It would be presumptuous to believe that the translations which follow are in any particular a worthy answer to that challenge; but the translator can honestly say that they are a very earnest attempt to acquaint English readers still further with the valuable praise literature which lies buried in the service-books of the Greek Church, and they constitute the first real attempt in that direction since Dr. Neale issued his collection in 1862.

II. The renderings contained in this volume are the product of many happy hours during the past five years. No method was adopted in the work. As the translator waded through the closely printed pages of the Greek offices, what appeared at first sight to be lines worthy of translation were taken up and examined, sometimes to be cast aside again because of some unremovable blemish, at other times to be moulded to the form which they now bear. Of the forty-seven pieces, thirty-five appear for the first time in English verse.

For the original, the translator has gone to the service-books, and for the most part has confined himself to the hymns which are to be found in the Triodion, containing the Lenten services; and in the Pentecostarion, in which are found the hymns for the services of Easter and Pentecost. A few specimens are also given from other offices, particularly that for Christmas.

Renderings from the work of the earlier Greek hymn-writers are added at the end of this volume; but, unlike the hymns of the Church service-books, these hymns originally are in the classical measures, and illustrate the work of the best Christian poets, who in some cases wrote extensively.

III. It is a very remarkable fact, and certainly not to our credit, that, with the exception of a very few who have made the study a specialty, our educated men show a most unaccountable ignorance of the most attractive and valuable material for praise and prayer contained in the Greek Church service-books. We have learning more than enough, and zeal enough for the pursuit of study in other departments, but this unworked field lies fallow, and no one thinks it worth his while to cultivate it. That the study will reward the student, although not in a material sense—for the meaningless prejudice of the great mass of our people for what is local and against the thought of the stranger, no matter how beautiful it may be, is still to be reckoned with—yet in the highest sense as conferring upon him a new delight, there can be no doubt; for, after the necessary expenditure of patient application, and the passing of the initiatory stages which in every department of study are somewhat trying, the attraction will begin, and the subject become positively fascinating. To any one having the lyrical gift and the necessary qualifications for the study of Greek, those service-books might prove a mine of treasure inexhaustible. In the seventeen quarto volumes which contain the Greek Church offices, there must be material of one kind or another for many thousands of hymns; yet, when hymnal compilers ask for hymns from the Greek for their collections, they are not to be had, save in the few renderings made by Dr. Neale. In the most recently compiled collection for church use—The Church Hymnary—only five pieces from the Greek find a place. What a humbling confession! They are the best available from the very small number of translations in our possession, which, perhaps, does not exceed one hundred and fifty pieces in all.

We have not treated the Latin Church after that fashion. There is not a hymn of real merit in the Latin which has not been translated, and in not a few cases oftener than once; with the result that the gems of Latin hymnody are the valued possession of the Church in all English-speaking lands.

IV. One does not proceed far before making some discoveries which may account, to a certain extent, for the neglect of Greek hymnody by men who are best qualified to pursue the study of it. The writers are not poets, in the true sense, and their language is not Greek as we have known it.

(1) None of the hymn-writers in the service-books or out of them is a poet of more than ordinary merit; although, when John of Damascus forgets his adversaries, and dispenses with his rhythmical peculiarities and gives forth the utterance of his deep emotional nature, he proves himself to be worthy of the title—the greatest of Greek Christian poets.

(2) The Greek language lived long and died slowly, and the Christian hymn-writers wrote in its decadence. It was then an instrument that has lost its fineness, and keenness, and polish—worn out and ineffective,—not the language of the men whose thoughts still charm the world, and who by its deft use gained for themselves and for their work immortality. It has little of the subtilty of expression, the variety of cadence, or the intellectual possibility, of the Greek of Homer, Plato, and Aristophanes. It is a language, moreover, crippled by the introduction of ecclesiastical and theological terms and phrases, which stubbornly refuse to lend themselves to classical rhythm. Such a language cannot be expected to have attraction for men to whom the ancient poets are a delight.

(3) The hymns of the Greek Church are all in rhythmical prose—strangely Oriental in appearance—with the exception of those by John of Damascus, which are in iambics; and difficulties confront one on every page. What lines will reward the work of rendering? Prayer, Gospel, psalm, hymn, and exhortation follow each other, and are sometimes strangely interlaced. Where does one begin and another end? Then, there is meaningless repetition which must be passed over, and expressions demanding modification. The symbolism is extravagant, and sometimes a single hymn is crowded with figures the most grotesque. The Mariolatry is excessive, and the hagiolatry offensive. Sifting and pruning are needed before a cento can be formed which would commend itself to modern taste.

But when all that is said, there remains much that is both beautiful and attractive. Some of the hymns and fragments are most chaste,—beautiful and tender in their simple expression of Gospel truths, which are so attractive to all true hearts, no matter by what creed dominated.

(4) The remarkable simplicity characterising those hymns constitutes, strangely it may seem, no small difficulty for the translator. The mere rendering of them into English prose is a comparatively easy task, and can be of no value to any one but the specialist, but to take the unmeasured lines and cut them to form stanzas, and in the process sacrifice nothing of their spirit to the exigencies of rhyme and rhythm, is a task by no means easy. But such drawbacks and difficulties are not insurmountable; and with the growing interest in hymnology which characterises our time, it will be strange if, in the years to come, the Greek service-books are not made to yield their tribute to the praise of the Christian Church in the West.

V. One prime characteristic of Greek hymnody should be referred to. Unlike the English hymn, which is intensely subjective—in some cases unhealthily so—the Greek hymn is in most cases objective. God in the glory of His majesty, and clothed with His attributes, is held up to the worship and adoration of His people. Christ, in His Person and Work, is set before the mind in a most realistic manner. His birth and its accompaniments; His life; the words He spoke, and the work He did; His Passion, in all the agony of its detail; the denial of Peter; the remorse of Judas; the Crucifixion; the darkness, the terror, the opened graves; the penitent thief; the loud cry, the death—all are depicted in plain, unmistakable language. So we have in the hymns of the Greek service-books a pictorial representation of the history of Redemption, which by engaging the mind appeals ultimately to the heart and its emotions. Our self-regarding praise is perhaps inevitable, as being the product of the meditative spirit which has its birth, and lives in the land of the twilight; but the advantages of the objectiveness of Greek hymnody are so patent, that its cultivation might be fostered by our hymn-writers, with advantage to the devotional feeling of our people and to the worship of the Church.

VI. The hymns as they appear in the original are distinguished by a variety of terms, the meaning in certain cases being extremely vague, and in others to be derived from the subject of the hymn, or from its form, or the time, place, or manner in which it is sung. As we have no corresponding terms in our language, it is necessary to retain the original.

The following collection contains specimens of some of these. They are:—

The Canon (?a???). This is the most elaborate form into which the praise of the Greek Church is cast. A canon consists, nominally, of nine odes or hymns, but the second ode is always omitted on account of the denunciations of God against Israel which it contains. The canons of the Great Fast are made up of those rejected odes.

Hirmos (e????) is the first stanza of each ode. It may or may not have a connection with the stanzas following, but its function is to give them their rhythmical model.

Troparion (t??p?????). The Troparia are the stanzas which follow the Hirmos, and the term is doubtless derived from the verb t??p?, to turn. The Troparia turn to the strophes of the Hirmos, as to a model.

Contakion (???t?????) is a term of uncertain origin. Contakia occur after the sixth ode of a canon. They are short hymns, and the term may be derived from the Latin Canticum.

Stichera (st?????) designates a series of verses which are often taken from the Psalter.

Idiomelon (?d??e???). Unlike Troparia, which follow the model set by the Hirmos, Idiomela follow no model.

Stichera Idiomela are a collection of irregular verses.

Antiphon (??t?f????) is, as is well known, a hymn sung alternately by the choir, which is divided for that purpose into two parts.

Other terms are found over hymns in the Greek service-books, but there is no need to refer to them here, as no specimens of the particular hymns find a place in this collection.

JOHN BROWNLIE.

Portpatrick, N.B.
May 10th, 1900.

t?? pat??a? d???? s??

(???t?????)

I

Far from Thy heavenly care,

Lord, I have gone astray;

And all the wealth Thou gav’st to me,

Have cast away.

II

Now from a broken heart,

In penitence sincere,

I lift my prayer to Thee, O Lord,

In mercy hear.

III

And in Thy blest abode

Give me a servant’s place,

That I, a son, may learn to own

A Father’s grace.

as??e? ??????e, pa?????te

I

O King enthroned on high,

Thou Comforter Divine,

Blest Spirit of all Truth, be nigh

And make us Thine.

II

Yea, Thou art everywhere,

All places far or near;

O listen to our humble prayer,

Be with us here!

III

Thou art the source of life,

Thou art our treasure-store;

Give us Thy peace, and end our strife

For evermore.

IV

Descend, O Heavenly Dove

Abide with us alway;

And in the fulness of Thy love

Cleanse us, we pray.

t?? ???a?t?? e????a s?? p??s?????e?

I

To Thy blest Cross, O Christ, we come,

And falling down adore Thee,

And humbly make confession full

Of all our sins before Thee.

II

For Thou Thyself art very God,

And freely cam’st to save us;

And in our flesh the fetters broke

With which our sins enslave us.

III

Therefore we own with grateful hearts

The joy the Saviour brought us,

Who came to earth, and in our sins

With love and pity sought us.

?e?te ??a???as?e?a t? ?????

(St????? ?d??e?a)

I

O come let us adore

The Lord of all the earth,

And in our songs of praise recount

The mystery of His birth.

II

The middle wall is razed,

An entrance now is free;

For cherubim with sword of flame

No longer guard the tree.

III

O Paradise restored!

Now I shall enter in,

And taste the bliss from which I fell

Through Adam’s mortal sin,—

IV

For Christ, the Father’s Son,

Who God’s true image bore,

Of Virgin born, in low estate

Our human nature wore.

V

True God! True Man! to Thee

Our earnest prayers ascend;

O, of Thy loving-kindness hear,

Who art the Sinners’ Friend.

???st?? ?e???ta?

By St. Cosmas, 760 A.D.

? ?????

I

Christ is born, go forth to meet Him,

Christ by all the heaven adored;

Singing songs of welcome, greet Him,

For the earth receives her Lord.

All ye nations shout and sing;

For He comes, your glorious King.

t??p?????

II

Once His heavenly image bearing,

Man has sunk to depths of sin;

Now defiled, debased, despairing,

Clad in rags and foul within;

But our God, who beauty gave,

Lifts the soul He comes to save.

III

From the height of heaven beholding,

Pity filled the heart of grace,

And our Lord, His love unfolding,

Made the earth His dwelling-place;

And a virgin mother gave

God Incarnate, man to save.

IV

Wisdom, Might, and Word Eternal,

Glory of the Father, Thou!

Hid from man and powers supernal,

Lo, He wears our nature now!

To the Lord your worship bring,

Praise Him, your victorious King.

t? s?? p??se?????e?, ???st?

By St. Anatolius, died 458 A.D.

I

What shall we bring to Thee?

What shall our offering be

On this Thy natal morn?

For Thou, O Christ, hast come to earth—

A virgin mother gave Thee birth—

For our redemption born.

II

The whole creation broad

Gives praise and thanks to God,

Who gave His only Son;

And list! the bright angelic throng

Their homage yield in sweetest song

For peace on earth begun.

III

The heavens their glory shed,

The star shines o’er His head,

The promised Christ and King;

And wise men from the lands afar,

Led by the brightness of the star,

Their treasured offerings bring.

IV

What shall we give Thee now?

Lowly the shepherds bow,

Have we no gift to bring?

Our worship, lo, we yield to Thee,

All that we are, and hope to be—

This is our offering.

? ???a??? ?a? ? ?? s?e??? p??f?t???? e?f?a???s??sa?

(St????? ?d??e?a)

I

In the bliss of old predicted,

Heaven and earth to-day rejoice;

Men and angels, one in spirit,

Shout aloud in gleeful voice;

For, to those in darkness drear,

God in human flesh is near.

II

Cave and manger show the mystery;

Shepherds tell the wondrous tale;

Bearing gifts to lay before Him

From the East the Magi hail;

Taught by angel words to sing,

We unworthy praises bring.

III

Glory be to God eternal!

Peace on earth its reign begin!

For the one Desire of nations

Comes to save us from our sin;

Freedom He will now bestow

From the bondage of the foe.

???a ?? ???st??? ?e?

By St. John of Damascus, 780 A.D.

I

Bethlehem rejoices,

Hark the voices clear,

Singing in the starlight

Nearer and more near.

Unto God be glory,

Peace to men be given,

This His will who dwelleth

In the heights of heaven.

II

Heaven can not contain Him,

Nor the bounds of earth,

Yet, O Glorious Mystery!

Virgin gives Him birth.

Unto God be glory,

Peace to men be given,

This His will who dwelleth

In the heights of heaven.

III

Now the light ariseth

In the darkened skies,

Now the proud are humbled

And the lowly rise.

Unto God be glory,

Peace to men be given,

This His will who dwelleth

In the heights of heaven.

S?e??? ? ?d?? st???? ??

(st????? ?d??e?a of the Holy and Great Sabbath)

I

To-day the groans of Hades rise,—

‘Ah, better far for me

The Son of Man had never died

Upon the cursÈd tree!

For by His power the fettered souls

I held in darkest night,

Are carried through the sundered gates

Into the realm of light.’

Let glory now the Cross adorn,

Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!

II

To-day the groans of Hades rise,—

‘My might is overthrown;

I took One dead, from ’mong the dead,

And claimed Him for mine own;

But He hath crushed my ancient power;

And those I held in thrall

Have thrown aside the chains they wore,

And He hath rescued all.’

Let glory now the Cross adorn,

Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!

III

To-day the groans of Hades rise,—

‘My power is gone from me;

The Shepherd died upon the Cross,

And Adam’s sons are free;

The bars are taken from the tomb,

Death can no more appal;

For He who gave Himself to death,

By death hath rescued all.’

Let glory now the Cross adorn,

Hail, hail the Resurrection morn!

?a? t?? f??????? ??fa?a?

(???t?????)

I

No longer now at Eden’s gate

The fiery weapon gleams,

But from the Cross that leads to life

A light alluring streams.

II

And now the power of Death is gone,

His sting is torn away;

Grim Hades can no longer claim

His silent victory.

III

For Thou, O Saviour, didst descend

Where darkness brooding lies,

And bad’st the souls in bondage held

Return to Paradise.

? ????e??? ???? ?a? ????? t?? ?e??

(From the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom)

I

Thou one Begotten Son,

Eternal Word adored,

Immortal while the ages run,

And our Almighty Lord;

II

To bring Salvation nigh,

To vanquish death and sin,

Thou didst in cruel anguish die,

And life for mortals win.

III

Save us, O Christ our God,

Save by Thy Cross, we pray;

Thou who didst bear the Father’s rod,

And death by dying slay.

IV

Thou art the Eternal Son,

One in the glorious Three;

Co-equal praise while ages run

Shall ever rise to thee.

????e, ??aa????t?? s?? ?? t? sta???

(???a ???? p?. d¹)

I

When on the cruel Cross

The Lord was lifted high,

Affrighted earth in terror quailed

To see its Maker die.

II

Then had the yawning caves

Devoured the murderous band,

Had not the Crucified in love

Stretched forth His saving hand.

III

Thou gav’st Thyself to die,

Dark Hades to explore,

To bring to souls in prison bound

New life for evermore.

IV

O Lover of mankind,

To Thee all glory be,

For Thou didst give not death, but life,

When hanging on the tree.

??? ?a????? t?? ??e?s?? ????e