Pre-Feast Nativity Hymnography

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Tokahfang

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Unless there are some closet Orthodox Christians around here, I imagine most of you haven't been exposed to the rich hymnography we are singing during this prefestal time. I don't have the canon texts in electronic format, but here is a taste from some of our vespers hymns. Each day has its own, so I'll post them up as we approach the Nativity of Christ.
 
Dec 21

The never-setting Sun presses forward to rise,
enlightening all things under heaven.
Let us hasten with clean hands and pure deeds to meet Him;
let us prepare to be borne on high with Him in spirit!
Let us beseech Him in His compassion,
that, as He comes in His good pleasure to His own strange birth,
He may lead us, who have become strangers to the path of life in Eden,
into Bethlehem where He comes to be born!

The Word of God, upborne on the shoulders of the Cherubim,
goes to dwell in a womb without blemish.
The passionless One is bound fast to the flesh;
He comes on earth as a man, born of the tribe of Judah.
A cave becomes the palace of the King of all;
the throne of fire is replaced by a manger,
where the Virgin Mary lays Him as a babe,
for He comes to restore the first-created man,
as He is well-pleased so to do.

O Word of God without beginning,
the Virgin lays Thee in a manger of dumb beasts.
Thou choosest to begin Thy life in the flesh
in a manner beyond understanding.
Thou hast come to loose me from the fetters of evil
with which the envious serpent bound me.
O Lover of mankind, Thou art wrapped in swaddling clothes,
tearing to pieces the bonds of my countless sins.
Therefore I joyfully praise and worship thy holy birth,
for Thou camest to set me free.

The memory of the Ancestors has been manifested to the ends of the world,
truly filling it with light
and making known the dawning of grace.
For Christ shone forth from afar, brighter than the sun,
the leading rank of stars shining with Him;
and the divine-human birth was revealed to take place in Bethlehem.
Therefore with faith let us all gather at this birth,
rejoicing in chorus and singing the pre-festal praise!

Adorned with the glory of divine communion, Adam rejoices today,
as he is the foundation and support of the wise Ancestors.
With him Abel leaps with joy, and Enoch makes glad;
Seth dances, and Noah with him;
the all-praiseworthy Patriarch Abraham sings;
Melchizedek beholds from afar the birth that is without a father.
Therefore, as we celebrate the divine memory of the Forefathers of Christ,
we pray for the salvation of our souls.

O cave, make ready, for the Ewe Lamb comes, bearing Christ in her womb!
O manger, receive Him Who by a word has released the dwellers of earth
from lawlessness!
Ye shepherds, abiding in the fields, bear witness to the fearful wonder,
And ye magi from Persia, offer to the King gold, myrrh, and frankincense,
for the Lord has appeared from a Virgin Mother!
And she, bending over Him as a handmaiden,
worshipped Him as He lay in her arms, saying to Him:
“How wast Thou sown as seed in me?
How hast Thou grown within me,
O my Deliverer and my God?”

The prophecy
of all the prophets is fulfilled:
Christ is being born
in the city of Bethlehem
from a pure handmaiden of God.

O honorable Bethlehem,
the divine city,
glory of the human race,
our joy and our praise,
receive now thy Creator!

The Word of the Father,
by whom all things were created,
is beheld today
as one Person in two natures
without division or change.

Enlightened by the rays of divine utterance,
the Prophets, distinguished in name, are called blessed forever.
With the words of the Spirit, they proclaimed to all the birth of Christ God,
which in words is inexpressible.
And having lawfully completed their end, they live the life that is most wondrous.

Make ready, O Bethlehem, for Eden is opened!
Prepare, Ephratha, for Adam and Eve are renewed!
Salvation enters the world and the curse is destroyed;
make ready, O hearts of righteous men!
Instead of myrrh, bring hymns as an offering of wisdom;
receive salvation and immortality of your souls and bodies!
Behold, the Master lying in the manger
urges us to complete our spiritual songs.
Let us cry out to Him unceasingly,
O Lord, glory to Thee!

The time of our salvation draws near.
Prepare, O cave!
The Virgin draws near to bear the Christ.
Rejoice, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
for our Lord has come from thee!
All ye lands, know the coming of Christ
Who comes as the Lover of mankind
to save mankind whom He has made!
 
“Beholding the condescension of God,
all the earth is glad;
the Magi bring Me gifts;
the sky proclaims it from on high with a star;
the Angels render glory;
the shepherds watch and are amazed;
the manger holds me like a fiery throne.
Seeing these things, O Mother, rejoice!”

“O my Son without beginning,
ineffable Offspring of the all-unoriginate Father,
clothed in the likeness of my matter,
Thou hast come, the Light of revelation to the nations.
For Thou camest to make humanity rich,
that has become poor through poverty in which Thou art clothed.
I praise Thy loving-kindness, O Lord.”

“Rejoice, O Mother,
beholding Me as a Babe and resting in thine arms;
for I have come to take away all the pain of Adam,
that he suffered because of the evil counsel of the serpent.
Tasting of the tree he found himself removed from the sweetness of Paradise,
and subject to corruption.”

Adorn thyself, O Bethlehem!
Sing praises, O city of Zion and rejoice, O wilderness!
For the star shall come to Bethlehem, and announce the birth of Christ;
the cave shall receive Him Whom nothing can contain;
and the manger is ready to accept Life everlasting.
Let us sing to Him and cry aloud:
Save our souls, O Jesus our God,
Who hast become incarnate for our sake!

Christ is born on earth
to crush the power of evil,
to enlighten those in darkness,
and to free the captives.
Let us go forth to meet Him.

The families of nations
offer glory and praise.
The Magi come with gifts;
the shepherds watch in the fields,
joyfully preparing the way.

O Hills and mountains,
ye plains and valleys,
rivers and all creation,
magnify your Lord,
Who comes to be born for your sake.

Rejoice, O Isaiah, and receive the Word of God;
prophesy to the Maiden Mary,
that she is the bush that burned with fire yet was not consumed
by the nature of the Divinity.
Adorn thyself well, O Bethlehem!
Open wide thy gates, O Eden!
Ye Magi, come and see Salvation wrapped and laid in a manger!
The star of the life-giving Lord Who saves our race has shone upon the roof of the cave.
 
Dec 23

With uprightness of mind let us lift up our voice in song,
celebrating the Forefeast of Christ’s Nativity.
For He Who is equal in honor with the Father and the Spirit,
has through compassion clothed Himself in our substance,
and is about to be born in the city of Bethlehem.
Shepherds with the Angels sing the praise of His ineffable birth.

Let us sound the cymbals;
Let us cry out with joy in songs!
The revelation of Christ is now made manifest.
The preaching of the Prophets has received its fulfillment,
for the One they said would appear in the flesh to mortal men,
is being brought to the cave and laid as a babe in the manger
and wrapped in swaddling clothes like a little child.

Prepare thyself, O Bethlehem!
Be opened, O Eden!
The most holy one comes to give birth.
Let the heavens be glad!
Let all mortals leap for joy!
He Who is our rich Life comes to the manger and the cave
in the magnitude of His mercy,
assuming the poverty of Adam without change or confusion.

Christ, Who is the infinite wisdom of God,
has wondrously built a house for Himself from the Virgin,
and He comes to be born in a cave and manger of dumb beasts
in a manner beyond all understanding.

Thou didst appear to the Prophets, O Christ,
as much as they could see Thee, the Creator;
now in the latter days becoming a mortal,
Thou hast appeared to all mankind in the city of Bethlehem.

The star reveals Christ the Sun of glory to Astrologers
in the city of Bethlehem;
the Angels bring good tidings to the shepherds.
Let us who are godly-minded run together with them.

The time of our salvation draws near.
Make ready, O cave!
The Virgin draws near to bear the Christ.
Be glad and rejoice, O Bethlehem, land of Judah,
for our Lord has come from thee!
Hearken, O mountains and hills, ye lands around Judea,
for Christ, the Lover of man, is coming to save those whom
He created!
 
Beautiful words. Thank you. I'm Catholic, not Orthodox, but I appreciate the richness and beauty of these deeply meaningful passages. Blessed Christmas to you, and may the nearness of Christ fill your heart with peace and grace.
 
Dec 24

Excerpts from the Royal Hours

Mary was of David’s seed,
so she went with Joseph to register in Bethlehem.
She bore in her womb the Fruit not sown by man.
The time for the birth was at hand.
Since there was no room at the inn,
the cave became a beautiful palace for the Queen.
Christ is born, raising up the image that fell of old.

What shall we call thee, O full of grace;
Heaven, for from thou shone forth the Sun of Righteousness;
Paradise, for thou hast budded forth the flower of immortality;
Virgin, for thou hast remained undefiled;
Pure Mother, for thou hast held in thine arms the Son, Who is God of all?
Beseech Him to save our souls!

Make ready, O Bethlehem!
Let the manger be prepared!
Let the cave show its welcome!
The Truth comes, and the shadow flees.
God is born of a Virgin and is revealed to men.
He is clothed in our flesh and makes it divine.
Therefore Adam is renewed and cries out with Eve:
“Thy favor has appeared on earth, O Lord,
for the salvation of the human race.”

Now the prophecy approaches its fulfillment,
for it had mystically proclaimed:
“Thou, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
art by no means the least among Judah’s rulers.
Prepare thy cave!
From thee the Ruler of the nations comes to me in the flesh:
Christ our God, born of a young Virgin.
He will feed His flock, the new Israel.”
Let us all give Him glory!

He is our God;
there is no other to compare with Him.
Born of a Virgin, He comes to live with men.
The only-begotten Son appears as a mortal man.
He rests in a lowly manger.
The Lord of Glory is wrapped in swaddling clothes.
A star leads the Wise men to worship Him,
and with them we sing:
O Holy Trinity, save our souls!

Before Thy birth, O Lord,
the hosts of Angels already perceived the mystery.
They were struck with wonder and trembled,
for Thou, Who didst adorn the heavens with stars,
art now well-pleased to be born as a babe.
Thou holdest the ends of the earth in Thy hands;
but now Thou art laid in a manger of dumb beasts.
Yet all these things fulfilled Thy saving plan,
by which Thy compassion was revealed to us.
O Christ of great mercy, glory to Thee!

Come, O God-inspired faithful,
arise and behold the descent of God from on high!
He manifests Himself to us in Bethlehem.
Let us cleanse our minds and offer Him a life of virtue instead of myrrh.
Let us prepare with faith to celebrate His nativity,
storing up spiritual treasure and crying out:
Glory in the highest to God in Trinity!
His good pleasure is now revealed to men.
In His love for mankind He sets Adam free from the ancestral curse.

Hearken, O heaven! Give ear, O earth!
Let the foundations of the earth be shaken!
Let trembling seize the regions beneath the earth,
for our God and Creator has clothed Himself in created flesh;
He fashioned all creation, yet reveals Himself in the womb of her that He formed.
O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How incomprehensible are His judgments,
and how unsearchable His ways!

Come, O Christ-bearing people,
let us behold wonders that will amaze every mind!
As we worship in faith, let us sing praises!
Today a Maiden great with child goes up to Bethlehem.
There she will give birth to the Lord.
Choirs of Angels go before her.
Joseph, her husband, cried out when he saw these things:
“What is this strange mystery in thee, O Virgin?
How wilt thou bear a child,
O calf, who hast never borne the yoke of man!”

When Joseph went up to Bethlehem,
his heart was filled with sadness.
But thou didst cry out to Him, O Virgin:
“Why art thou so troubled?
Why art thou in misery seeing me with child?
Dost thou not understand at all?
I bear a fearful mystery.
Cast thy fears away, and learn a strange wonder:
God, in His mercy, descends from heaven to earth.
Within my womb He has taken flesh.
When He is pleased to be born, thou shalt see Him.
Thou shalt rejoice, and worship Him, thy Creator.
The Angels ceaselessly praise Him in song,
glorifying Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit.”

Today He Who holds the whole creation in His hand is born of a Virgin.
He Whose essence none can touch is bound in swaddling-clothes as a mortal man.
God, Who in the beginning fashioned the heavens, lies in a manger.
He who rained manna on His people in the wilderness is fed on milk from His mother’s breast.
The Bridegroom of the Church summons the wise men;
the Son of the Virgin accepts their gifts.
We worship Thy birth, O Christ.
We worship Thy birth, O Christ.
We worship Thy birth, O Christ.
Show us also Thy Holy Theophany!

Vespers

“Thou, my Son, art the all-perfect God,
yet Thou acceptest the form of Adam.
In my hands I hold Thee, yet Thou holdest all creation!
How shall I wrap Thee in swaddling clothes?
How shall I nourish Thee, O Food of life?
How shall I wonder at Thine ineffable poverty?
How shall I name Thee, since I am Thy servant?”
Thy Mother cried: “I can only bless and praise Thee in song,
for Thou grantest the world great mercy.”

The Virgin Mother beheld the pre-eternal God,
the Infant who was born of her flesh.
She held Him tenderly, overfilled with joy.
She cried: “How can I see Thee, yet not understand the mystery?
Though the cave is small and lowly,
it is able to find room for Thee, O my God.
Born of me, yet preserving my virginity,
Thou grantest the world great mercy.”

The pure Handmaid became afraid
when she saw the Wise Men come.
She asked them: “Whom are you seeking?
I see that you have come from afar.
You resemble Persians in wisdom and appearance.
You have made a strange and wonderful journey.
Now come and worship God, Who journeyed from on high
to come and take His abode in me,
and Who grants the world great mercy!”

The Kings of the East have come
to see Thee, the King, being born.
They have brought Thee gifts from afar
and are standing outside the doors bearing frankincense, gold, and myrrh.
“Command them to enter and see
the Infant Whom I hold in my arms,
Who is older than Adam!”

The Virgin said to the Wise Men:
“Come and enter with haste!
Behold the invisible God, visible now as a man!”
They entered with zeal and worshipped Him,
thus fulfilling the divine prophecy.

“I support Thee in my arms as a babe;
yet Thou supportest all creation.
How can I provide for Thee,
for Thou providest for the whole world?
I glorify Thy bondless condescension
by which Thou art saving the perishing world."

Triumph, O Zion!
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, city of Christ our God!
Receive the Creator contained within a cave and a manger!
Open the gates to me;
I will enter to see a child wrapped in swaddling clothes,
Who upholds the creation in the palm of His hand,
Whose praises the Angels sing with unceasing voice:
the Lord and Giver of life Who saves the human race.
 
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