Favorite Eastern hymns

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The “best-kept secret” of the East is hymnography: thousands of ancient hymns passed down in our liturgical cycles. What ones do you like? Post the lyrics or music:

(from the Holy Thursday Bridegroom Matins)
“We see a strange and fearful mystery accomplished today:
He Whom none may touch is seized.
He Who looses Adam from the curse is bound.
He Who tries the hearts of men is unjustly brought to trial.
He Who closed the abyss is shut in prison.
He before Whom the Hosts of Heaven stand with trembling stands before Pilate.
The Creator is struck by the hand of His creature.
The Judge of the living and the dead is condemned upon the tree
The Conqueror of Hell is enclosed in a tomb.
Thou Who hast endured all these things in Thy tender love,
hast saved all mankind from the curse.
O long-suffering Lord, glory to Thee!”

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(From Vespers Service on the Fifth Sunday of Pascha)
Jesus met the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well.
He wraps the earth in clouds, yet He asks for water from her.
Oh wonder! He Who rides on the Cherubim speaks with an adulterous woman.
He Who suspended the earth on the waters asks for a drink.
He Who causes the lakes and springs to overflow is weary with thirst.
Truly He desires to set the woman free from the enemy’s snares.
He drowns her sins in the waters of life,
for He alone is the compassionate Lover of mankind.
 
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Rejoice O Bethany Koinonikon for Lazarus Saturday:

Rejoice, rejoice, O Bethany!
On this day God came to thee,
And in Him the dead are made alive,
As it is right for He is the Life.

When Martha went to receive Him,
Grieving loudly with bitter tears,
She poured out the sorrow of her heart to Him
With great sadness, wailing her lament.

She at once cried out unto Him:
“My most compassionate Lord, my Lord,
At the great loss of my brother Lazarus
My heart is broken, help me.”

Jesus said to her, “Cease your weeping,
Cease your grieving and sad lament;
For your brother, My most beloved friend, Lazarus,
Very soon will live again.”

Then He, the faithful Redeemer,
Made His way unto the tomb,
Where he cried unto him who was buried four days,
Calling him forth, saying “Lazarus, arise.”

Come with haste, ye two sisters,
And behold a wondrous thing,
For your brother from the tomb has returned to life.
To the beloved Redeemer now give thanks.

To Thee, O Lord of creation,
We kneel down in reverence profound,
For all we who are dead in sin,
In Thee, O Jesus, are made alive.

Of course the Trisagion Hymn:

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Both now and for ever and from all Ages to all Ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

ZP
 
While this hymn is commonly sung in Latin Rite parishes, it is of Eastern origin (Liturgy of St. James):

 
I think that’s sung on Great and Holy Saturday instead of the Cherubicon.
 
O Day of Resurrection!
Let us beam with festive joy!
O Pasch, O Pasch of the Lord,
For from death to life, from earth to Heaven
Christ our God has led us
Who sing the hymn of victory!

Resurrection Matins, Ode 1, Katavasia

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from before His Face.

Paschal Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life.

As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire.

Paschal Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life.

So let the wicked perish from before the presence of God but let the righteous be glad!

Paschal Troparion: Christ is risen from the dead, conquering death by death, and to those in the tombs bestowing life.

Resurrection Matins

During Bright Week, this also replaces the Third Antiphon and part of Panakhyda.
Personally, I love almost everything in Byzantine hymnography.
 
ReaderT said:
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hypakoje

The women with Mary, before the dawn
found the stone rolled away from the tomb
and they heard the angel say
“Why do you seek among the dead, as a man,
the One who abides in everlasting light?”
Behold the linen clothes in the tomb.
Go quickly and proclaim to the world
that, having conquered Death, the Lord is risen;
for He is the Son of God, and the Savior of the human race.
 
Agni Parthene (because you are worthy) - dedicated to Virgin Mary
 
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The Evening Prayer from the Liturgy to f the Presanctified Gifts.

THE EVENING PRAYER (Special Tone)​

Let my prayer ascend to You like incense, and the lifting up of my hands like an evening sacri fice.

o Lord, I have cried to You, now hear me; listen to my voice when I call to You.

o Lord, set a guard before my mouth, and set a seal on the door of my lips.

Let not my heart be inclined to evi l, nor make excuse for the sins I commit. (From Psalm 141:1-4)
 
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These are all great choices! All the Pascha music reminded me of:

Today, Hell cries out groaning:
“I should not have accepted the Man born of Mary.
He came and destroyed my power.
He shattered the gates of brass.
As God, He raised the souls that I had held captive.”
Glory to Thy Cross and Resurrection, O Lord!

Today, Hell cries out groaning:
“My dominion has been shattered.
I received a dead Man as one of the dead,
But against Him I could not prevail.
From eternity I had ruled the dead,
But behold, He raises all.
Because of Him do I perish.”
Glory to Thy Cross and Resurrection, O Lord!

Today, Hell cries out groaning:
“My power has been trampled upon.
The Shepherd is crucified and Adam is raised.
I have been deprived of those whom I ruled.
Those whom I swallowed in my strength I have given up.
He Who was crucified has emptied the tomb.
The power of death has been vanquished.”
Glory to Thy Cross and Resurrection, O Lord!
 
DeniseNY said:
Let my prayer ascend to You like incense, and the lifting up of my hands like an evening sacri fice.
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This is one my absolute favorites.

That, and the line where where Judas is called a traitor three times in the course of four words! 😱😲
 
That’s Psalm 140. The Byzantine Tradition uses the Septuagint version of the OT. If you look at most liturgical books it will say “Psalm 140” or “Stichera at Psalm 140”.
 
The Megalynarion during Divine Liturgy is Axios Estin (It is truly right/meet). Is the one you posted for Vespers or Matins?
 
1-2 years ago I got sick before Holy Week & didn’t get better until about the second or third Sunday of Pascha. I missed all of Holy Week, Pascha & Bright Week. 😦
 
Margaret_Ann said:
❤️ Resurrection Matins
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Agreed.
But this one form Great Friday is deeply moving.

Come, let us bless Joseph of eternal memory,
Who came by night to Pilate
And begged for the Life of all:
'Give me this Stranger
Who has no place to lay His head.
Give me this Stranger
Whom an evil disciple delivered up to death.
Give me this Stranger
Whom His Mother saw hanging upon the Cross,
And with a Mother’s sorrow, she cried out weeping:
‘Woe is me, O my Child!
Light of my eyes, and Beloved of my bosom,
For what Simeon foretold in the Temple now has come to pass.
A sword has pierced my heart!
But change my grief to joy by Your Resurrection.’ ’
We worship Your Passion, O Christ!
We worship Your Passion, O Christ!
We worship Your Passion, O Christ,
Show us also Your glorious Resurrection!
 
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The 15th Antiphon for Matins of Holy Friday has always captured my attention, especially as sung by Archbishop Job of blessed memory:

 
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