Гимн 31. О бывшем св. Отцу видении Божественного света, и как Божественный свет не объемлется тьмой в тех, кто, изумляясь величию откровений, помнит и человеческую немощь 266 и осуждает себя самого 267 .

How will I describe, Master, the vision of Your face? How can I tell you about the indescribable contemplation of (Your) beauty? How can the sounds of speech accommodate Him Whom the world cannot accommodate? How could anyone express Your love for mankind 268? Sitting in the light of the lamp shining on me, Illuminating the darkness of the night and darkness, I thought I was in the light, listening to the reading, By examining what the sayings are and observing (their) combinations. So when I was doing this, You suddenly appeared above a much larger sun And it shone from heaven (even) to my heart. Still, everything else began to seem like thick darkness to me. The bright pillar in the middle, cutting through all the air, Passed from heaven even to me, pathetic. I immediately forgot about the light of the lamp, I forgot from my memory that I was inside the house, And I sat in the mental air of darkness, I even completely forgot about the body itself. I told you and now I say from the depths of my heart: Have mercy on me, Lord, have mercy on me, one To the Savior, who never served You, But angering You from a young age. I have experienced every physical and mental vice And he committed obscene and immeasurable sins, Worst of all people, worse than all the dumb, Surpassing all reptiles and beasts. So it is necessary that You show Your mercy on me, The one who has sinned most insanely. For they do not demand, as You Yourself, Christ, said, Sound medicines, but those that hurt (Matthew 9:12). Therefore, as for someone who is very sick and careless, Pour upon me, the Word, such great Thy mercy. But, oh the trick of light! O movements of fire! Oh circles of flame, in me unfortunate Produced by You and Your glory. By glory I mean and call Your Spirit Holy, congenial and equal in honor (to You), the Word, Homogeneous, one-glorified and one consubstantial To Your Father and to You, Christ, God of all. Worshiping You, I thank You for granting me Although somewhat to know the power of Your Divinity. Thank you that you are the one who sits in darkness He revealed himself to me, shone forth and deigned to see me This light of Your face is unbearable for everyone. I was, as I know, sitting in darkness, But even among her, to me, covered in darkness, You appeared, the Light, and enlightened me with all your light (Your light), And I became light in (during) the night, appearing (to him) in the midst of darkness. Neither darkness enveloped all Your light, nor did the light drive away visible darkness, But they (were) together unfused and completely separate, Far from each other, as it should be - by no means dissolved. However, in the same [place] they fill, as I think, all [space]. Thus I am in the light, being in the midst of darkness, And vice versa, I am in darkness among the light: Here - in the midst of light, here - in the midst of darkness. And who, I ask, will give me in the darkness and among (the darkness) to find light, The perception of which it does not accommodate? for how can the darkness contain There is light inside, not escaping, but remaining among Light by darkness? O terrible miracle, visible In two ways, with double eyes, physical and mental. Listen now, I tell you, about the terrible (deeds) of the twofold God 269, Former and for me, twofold, as a person. He (the Son of God) took on my flesh and gave me the Spirit, And I became God by Divine grace, A son by adoption, but a son of God. O (high) dignity! oh glory! As a person, I am sad and consider myself unhappy; And thinking about my weakness, I sigh, Being completely unworthy of life, as well as I know. I trusted in His grace and meditated I rejoice in the kindness that He has bestowed upon me, seeing (it). So, on the one hand, as a person, I do not know how to contemplate anything Divine, Being completely separated from the invisible; On the other hand, I see that through sonship I became God, And I am a partaker (of that) which is inviolable. As a man, I have nothing sublime and Divine, And as one who has now been pardoned by the goodness of God, I have Christ 270 – the Benefactor of all. Therefore, I fall again (to You), Lord, praying (for that), So that I do not lose my hope in You, And abiding [with You], and honor, glory and kingdom. But how now You have vouchsafed me, the Savior, to see You, So even after death let me see You, I don’t say how much (to see), but mercifully and graciously [look then], Most gracious, with Your merciful eye, as now You look at me, Filling me with Your joy and Divine sweetness. To her, my Creator and Creator, cover me with Your hand, And don’t leave me, and don’t remember to be malicious, Do not judge (in condemnation), Master, my great ingratitude. But make me worthy even to death in Your light It is not slothful to walk in the way of Your commandments, And into it - into the light of Your hands, O All-Merciful One, Surrender your spirit, delivering me, the Word, from enemies, Darkness, fire and eternal torment. To her, great in generosity and ineffable in mercy, Vouchsafe to deliver my soul into Your hands, Just as now I am in Your hand, Savior. So, let not sin hinder my path, May he not tear me away, may he not separate me from Your hand. But let the terrible prince, the strangler, be put to shame, Seeing me in Your hand, Master, Just as now he does not dare to approach me, Seeing me covered by Your grace. Do not condemn me, Christ, to hell and do not reject me, Do not bring my soul into the depths of death, Since I dare to call Your name, Unclean, vile and completely defiled. May the earth not open up and, in the Word, not swallow me up as a criminal, Completely unworthy of either living or using speech. May the fire not fall upon me and devour me suddenly, So I won’t even be able to say: Lord, have mercy. O great in mercy and by nature Lover of Humanity! For what do I preach at all [at the trial], being (all) sin? And could I at least say something [in my own defense], convicted (already), From his mother's womb he sinned immeasurably against You. And to this day remaining insensitive to Your long-suffering, Darkly brought down into the depths of hell And drawn from there by Your Divine goodness, Members and flesh of your soul and body Desecrated like no one else living in the world, A frantic and shameless pleasure-lover, Evil and crafty from spiritual depravity And have you not kept a single commandment of yours, O Christ? What will I say in my defense, what will I answer You, With what soul will I bear Your reproofs, O my God, When will You expose my iniquities and atrocities? O immortal King! don't show them to everyone For I tremble, thinking of the deeds of my youth. To speak (about them) would be terrible and shameful, Because if You wanted to reveal them to everyone, My shame would be worse than any torment. For who, seeing my voluptuousness and debauchery, Who, seeing my unclean embraces and shameful deeds, With which I still defile myself, taking them in my mind, He will not be horrified, he will not tremble all over And he will not call, immediately turning away his eyes And saying: Death to this all-bad thing! Commanded, Vladyka, to bind this unfortunate man hand and foot. And soon plunge into the dark fire, So that we, Your faithful servants, do not look at him. (For) truly it is worthy, Master, truly righteous. (So) they will all say, and You Yourself will do (this), And I, the dissolute and the prodigal, will be thrown into the fire. But You, who came to save fornicators and harlots, Do not disgrace me, Christ, on the day of judgment, When 271 You have set Your sheep at Your right hand, And I and the goats will cut Myself. But (Your) most pure light, the light of Your face May he cover my deeds and the nakedness of my soul, And let him clothe me in bright (clothing), so that I may boldly He was shamelessly numbered among the sheep And with them I glorified You forever and ever. Amen. In P. r. here καὶ, and not ἤ, as in printed Greek. text. In P. r. 25 word; in l. There is no such anthem. In P. r. reads πῶς τις, not ηᾶς τις. i.e. Christ, the God-man. Τὸν Κύριον added to P. r. You might be interested in: