Lenten time, by Your power, Christ, having sanctified, saved all the networks of the enemy who worship You.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!
You have sanctified the time of Lent with Your power, O Christ; save all of us who worship You from the snares of the Enemy!
Δόξα σοι, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, δόξα σοι.
Τῆς νηστείας τὸν καιρόν, τῇ δυνάμει σου Χριστέ, καθαγιάσας, σῶσον πάντας ἡμᾶς, τῶν παγίδων τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας σε.
* * *
Irmos: My mind, which was not fruitful, is fruitful, God show me, Doer of good, Planter of good things, by Your compassion.
Irmos: Reveal my barren mind to those who bear the fruits of virtues according to Your kindness, O Farmer, grower of beauty, and Gardener of goodness!
Ὁ Εἱρμός. “Στειρωθέντα μου τὸν νοῦν, καρποφόρον ἀρετῶν, ἀνάδειξόν με, γεωργὲ τῶν καλῶν, φυτουργὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τῇ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ σου.”
* * *
Song 4.
Irmos: I heard Thy word, and I was afraid, knowing Thy works, and I was terrified of the Lord.
Song 4
Irmos: I heard what You said and was afraid, I saw Your deeds and was shocked, Lord.
ᾨδὴ δˊ
Ὁ Εἱρμός. “Εισακήκοα τὴν ἀκοήν σου καὶ ἐφοβήθην, κατενόησα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ἐξέστην Κύριε.”
* * *
Abraham, through virtue and love of hospitableness, received the Trinity, who came angelically.
Abraham, for [his] virtue and hospitality, received the Trinity, who came into the world in angelic form.
Ὁ Ἀβραὰμ δι᾿ ἀρετῆς καὶ φιλοξενίας, τὴν Τριάδα ὑπεδέξατο, ἀγγελικῶς ἐνδημήσασαν.
* * *
The inconspicuous wealth of abstinence is a gift: and he who is enriched thereby will be enriched in the Divine.
The gift of continence is inexhaustible wealth, and the one who receives this wealth will acquire the wealth of the Divine.
ἄσυλος τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἐστί, τὸ δῶρον, καὶ ὁ τούτῳ πλουτιζόμενος, καταπλουτήσει Θεότητα.
* * *
Glory: Come, let us cry together with the word, crying out by faith: God, cleanse us for our many sins.
Glory... Come, saying these words, let us begin to cry, crying out in faith: God, be merciful to us, who have sinned a lot!
*literally: together with the word
→ ἱλάσθητι, τοῖς πολλὰ πλημμελήσασι.
* * *
Theotokos: Immaculate, blessed, pure Virgin Mother, Thy Son and our God, pray for peace.
Theotokos: O Immaculate and Blessed Mother, Pure Virgin, pray for the peace of Thy Son and our God!
Θεοτοκίον. Μήτηρ ἄχραντε εὐλογημένη, ἁγνὴ Παρθένε, τὸν Υἱόν σου καὶ Θεὸν ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ κόσμου ἱκέτευε.
* * *
Song 5.
Irmos: The shining light, and the enlightening morning, and the revealing day: glory to Thee, glory to Thee, Jesus, the Son of God.
Song 5
Irmos: O He who brought forth light, who filled the morning with it and revealed the day, glory to Thee, Jesus, Son of God, glory to Thee!
ᾨδὴ εˊ
Ὁ Εἱρμός. "Ὁ ἀνατείλας τὸ φῶς, καὶ φωτίσας τὸν ὄρθρον, καὶ δείξας τὴν ἡμέραν, δόξα σοι, Ἰησοῦ Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ.”
* * *
Having fasted of old, Moses in Mount Sinai, the seer of God appeared: and Elijah rode in a chariot of fire.
Moses once, after fasting on Mount Sinai, became a seer of God, and Elijah was carried up in fire in a chariot.
Νηστεύσας πάλαι Μωσῆς, ἐν Σιναίῳ τῷ ὄρει, Θεόπτης ἀνεδείχθη καὶ Ἠλίας ἔμπυρος, ἁρματηλάτης ἀνεφέρετο.
* * *
Sometimes the wise Isaiah eats his coal with a tick when I touch his lips.
Thanks to fasting, the wise Isaiah tasted coal from the tongs when [Seraphim] touched his lips.
Διὰ νηστείας ποτέ, ὁ σοφὸς Ἡσαΐας τοῦ ἄνθρακος ἐκείνου, τῇ λαβίδι γεύεται, ὅτε χειλέων αὐτοῦ καθήψατο.
* * *
Glory: Having first fasted, Daniel and the three youths together, having crushed the jaws of lions, trodden down the burning flame.
Glory... Daniel, who had fasted before, and three Young Men with him, crushing the millstones of the lion's jaws, trampled on the kindled flame.
→ μύλας τῶν λεόντων θλάσαντες, καιομένης φλογὸς κατεπάτησαν.
* * *
Theotokos: Pure Mother of God, who bore God incorruptibly through Thy womb, preserve Thy flock and keep it unharmed.
Theotokos: Pure Mother of God, who bore God in her womb without corruption, protect Your flock and preserve it unharmed!
Θεοτοκίον. Θεογεννῆτορ Ἁγνή, Θεὸν ἐν γαστρί σου, βαστάσασα ἀφθόρως, φυλάττε τὴν ποίμνην σου, καὶ διατήρησον ἄτρωτον.
* * *
Song 6.
Irmos: Just as you, O Christ God, delivered the prophet Jonah from the whale: bring me up from the depths of sins, and save me alone, O Lover of Mankind.
Song 6
Irmos: Just as You saved the prophet Jonah from the beast of the sea, O Christ God, so lift me up from the abyss of sins and save me, O Only Man-loving One!
ᾨδὴ ςˊ
Ὁ Εἱρμός. Ὡς Ἰωνᾶν τὸν προφήτην, ἐλυτρώσω τοῦ κήτους, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, κἀμὲ τοῦ βυθοῦ πταισμάτων, ἀνάγαγε καὶ σῶσόν με, μόνε φιλάνθρωπε.
* * *
Jonah in the whale was saved by honest fasting from time to time: let us fast from the heart, and let us escape from the hell of corruption.
Once upon a time, Jonah, who found himself in a sea animal, was saved by a sacred fast. Let us fast from the heart and avoid the coming death in Gehenna!
Τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ἐν τῷ κήτει, ἡ σεμνὴ διασώζει νηστεία ποτέ. Νηστεύσωμεν οὖν ἐκ καρδίας, καὶ φύγωμεν ἐκείνην, τὴν ἐν γεέννῃ φθοράν.
* * *
The Ninevites again turned the wrath of God into warm repentance and love: therefore, now we are kindly jealous of everything.
The Ninevites also stopped God’s wrath with fervent repentance and desire [for forgiveness]. We will all want to imitate them!
Οἱ Νινευῖται δὲ πάλιν, τὴν ὀργὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μετεποίησαν, θερμῇ μετανοίᾳ καὶ πόθῳ· αὐτοὺς νῦν ἐκ πόθου, πάντες ζηλώσωμεν.
* * *
Glory: This fast calls us to repentance: let us pray with love, and let us understand that there is the gift of abstinence.
Glory... The upcoming Lent calls us to repentance; Let us hasten with desire [to him], and let us know what a gift [brings] abstinence!
→ προσδράμωμεν, οὖν ἐκ πόθου, καὶ γνῶμεν, τί τὸ δῶρον τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἐστίν.
* * *
Theotokos: Unspeakably, who gave birth to the Savior of the world, Christ our God, do not cease praying to Him, to save the whole race of those who praise Thee.
Theotokos: Inexplicably, You who gave birth to the Savior of the world, Christ our God, do not cease to persistently pray to Him for the salvation of the entire [Christian] race that glorifies You!
Θεοτοκίον. Ἡ ἀφράστως τεκοῦσα, τὸν Σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου, Χριστὸν τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, αὐτὸν δυσωποῦσα μὴ παύσῃ, τὸ γένος ἅπαν σῶσαι τῶν ἀνυμνούντων σε.
* * *
Song 7.
Irmos: Our Father God, do not put us to shame, but grant us to cry out to You with boldness: Blessed are you, God our Father.
Song 7
Irmos: God of our fathers, do not disgrace us, but let us cry out to You with boldness: “Blessed are You, God of our fathers!”
ᾨδὴ ζˊ
Ὁ Εἱρμός. “Ὁ τῶν Πατέρων Θεός, μὴ καταισχύνῃς ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ δώρησαι ἡμῖν, ἐν παρρησίᾳ βοᾷν σοι· Εὐλογητὸς εἶ ὁ Θεὸς.”
* * *
We too will be like Daniel, lions who sometimes stand tamed in the roaring den.
Let us also become like that Daniel [who] thanks to fasting once pacified the furious lions in the den!
*literally: gnashing teeth
Γενώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὡς ὁ Δανιὴλ ἐκεῖνος, ὁ τοὺς λέοντας ποτέ, διὰ νηστείας ἐν λάκκῳ, ἐξημερώσας βρύχοντας.
* * *
Let the three young men be jealous with fear, so that we may escape the fire of Gehenna, like these caves of Babylon.
With the fear [of God], let us imitate the three young men in order to avoid the fire of Gehenna, as they did the Babylonian furnace!
Τοὺς νεανίας τοὺς τρεῖς, ζηλώσωμεν ἐν φόβῳ, ἵνα φύγωμεν, καὶ τὸ πῦρ τῆς γεέννης, ὡς οὔτοι τὴν Βαβυλῶνος κάμινον.
* * *
Glory: Let us also fast with a pure heart, and purify our body, and dedicate our entire spirit to God.
Glory... Let us also fast in purity of heart, and cleanse our body, and devote our entire spirit to God!
Δόξα ... σῶμα, καὶ ὅλον ὅλως τὸ πνεῦμα, Θεῷ καθιερώσωμεν.
* * *
Theotokos: Pure Virgin Mother, from Thee incarnate, the Eternal Word, we pray without ceasing, that our souls may be saved.
Theotokos: O Pure Virgin and Mother, do not cease to diligently pray from You to the Incarnate Eternal Word for the salvation of our souls!
Θεοτοκίον. τὸν ἐκ σοῦ σαρκωθέντα, προαιώνιον Λόγον, ἐκδυσωποῦσα μὴ παύσῃ, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.
* * *
Song 8.