I am all overwhelmed by the burden of Christ’s placeless deeds, and lamenting I call upon You, O Lover of Mankind: heal my soul’s incurable ulcers with Your Honest Blood, that I may sing to Your Divinity.
I am all bent over by the burden of obscene deeds and dejected, O Christ, but I exclaim, O Lover of Mankind: “With Your Precious Blood, heal the incurable wounds of my soul, so that I may sing [in hymns] of Your Divinity!”
Ὅλος κατεκάμφθην, τῷ βάρει τῶν ἀτόπων Χριστὲ πράξεων, καὶ σκυθρωπάζων κράζω σοι Φιλάνθρωπε. Τῆς ψυχῆς μου τοὺς ἀνιάτους, μώλωπας θεράπευσον, τῷ σῷ τιμίῳ Αἵματι, ἵνα ὑμνῶ σου τὴν Θεότητα.
* * *
Having eaten malice, and created carelessness in drinking, I remain uncorrected in everything;
Having made evil my food and negligence my drink, I remain incorrigible in everything and inappropriately rejoice in refusing food, for fasting should not be like this, said the Lord.
Βρῶμα τὴν κακίαν, καὶ πόμα τὴν ἀμέλειαν ποιούμενος, ὁ κατὰ πάντα μένων ἀδιόρθωτος, τῶν βρωμάτων τῇ ἀποχῇ, ἀκαίρως ἐπαγάλλομαι οὐ γὰρ τοιαύτην ἔφησε, νηστείαν ἔσεσθαι ὁ Κύριος.
* * *
Theotokos: The fierce destroyer of ancient renunciation, and the foremother of correction, the generation to God of the appropriation of wine, to the Creator of the bridge, We magnify Thee, the Mother of God.
Who destroyed the ancient strict sentence, * Corrected [our] Ancestress [Eve] and became the Cause of God's appropriation** of the [human] race, Bridge to the Creator, We glorify You, Mother of God.
* Translator in glory. I understood this word as “denial” (i.e. renunciation of God), but it is difficult to agree with it.
** As a result of which we became our own for God.
Θεοτοκίον.Τὴν τῆς ἀποτόμου, ἀρχαίας ἀναιρέτιν ἀποφάσεως, καὶ τῆς Προμήτορος τὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν, τὴν τοῦ γένους τῆς πρὸς Θεόν, αἰτίαν οἰκειώσεως, τὴν πρὸς τὸν Κτίστην γέφυραν, σὲ Θεοτόκε μεγαλύνομεν.
* * *
Another three-song of Triodi. Irmos: Natural to the flesh:
Another three-song of Triodion. Irmos: The one that is amazing...
Εἱρμὸς ἄλλος. Τὴν ὑπερφυῶς σαρκί.
* * *
You are a hesitating creature who will crumple on the tree; you have suffered carnally for the goodness of your generosity, so save us.
When You suffered the Crucifixion on the Tree, creation was shaken: You, being God, suffered in the flesh out of goodness and mercy in order to save us!
Ξυλῳ σταυρωθέντος σου, ἡ Κτίσις ἐδονεῖτο, Θεὸς ὑπάρχων, πέπονθας σαρκικῶς, διὰ σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμῶν, ἵνα σώσῃς ἡμᾶς.
* * *
Your Cross, Lord, has great power: for by forming this in ourselves, we reflect the strength of the demons.
The power of Your Cross is [so] great, Lord, that we, depicting Him in ourselves, immediately reflect the demonic power.
Τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου Κύριε, ἡ δύναμις μεγάλη· καὶ γὰρ τυποῦντες τοῦτον ἐν αὐτοῖς εὐθὺς δαιμόνων τὴν ἰσχύν, ἀποκρουόμεθα.
* * *
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Trinity: Trinitarian Unit, Unique Trinity, Lordship, Equal-Glorious Nature, Father, Son and Divine Soul, save us all.
Glory... Trinity. Three-Hypostatic Unity and One and Only Trinity, Equally Glorious, Dominant and Ruling Nature* - Father and Son and Holy Spirit - save us all!
* The literal expression - “The Lord's original (or Lord's) nature” - is very difficult to comprehend. We give our understanding.
Δόξα…Μονὰς τρισυπόστατε, τριὰς ἑνικωτάτη, κυριαρχία, φύσις ἰσοκλεής, Πάτερ Υἱὲ καὶ θεῖον Πνεῦμα, σῶσον πάντας ἡμᾶς.
* * *
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokos: Rejoice, purifier of the world, Mother of God, in whom all sinners flow, we always find reconciliation with God
And now... Theotokos. Rejoice, O propitiation for the world, Mother of God! We sinners all resort to You and always find reconciliation with God.
Καὶ νῦν… Θεοτοκίον. Χαίροις ἱλαστήριον, τοῦ Κόσμου Θεοτόκε, ἐν ᾧ προσφεύγοντες πάντες ἁμαρτωλοί, πρὸς Θεὸν καταλλαγὰς ἀεὶ εὑρίσκομεν.
* * *
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Strengthen me with Your Cross, Lord, with Divine power, offering you immaculate and pure times of fasting.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!
Strengthen me with the power of Your Divine Cross, Lord, so that I bring pure and immaculate Fasting to You!
Δόξα σοι, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, δόξα σοι.
Τοῦ Σταυροῦ σου Κύριε, τῇ θείᾳ δυναστείᾳ ἐνίσχυσόν με, ἄμωμον καὶ ἁγνόν, τὸν καιρόν σοι τῆς νηστείας, προσενέγκασθαι.
* * *
Irmos: Pure and Most Pure Mother and Virgin, with songs of songs of all faiths, we magnify piously as the Mother of God.
Irmos. Mother and Virgin, Pure and Immaculate, like the Mother of God, we exalt all the faithful in song with song.
Ὁ Εἱρμός. Τὴν ἁγνὴν καὶ ἄχραντον, Μητέρα καὶ Παρθένον, ᾠδαῖς ᾀσμάτων, ἅπαντες οἱ πιστοί, ὡς Θεοτόκον μεγαλύνομεν.
* * *
The verse is self-vocal, voice five:
The poem contains a self-vocal stichera, tone 5.
Αἰτήσεις· ψάλλομεν τὸ παρὸν Ἰδιόμελον. Ἦχος πλ. α´.
* * *
Let us joyfully accept the Lenten testament: even if the forefather had preserved this, the fall of Eden would not have been accepted. Red was in a vision, and good in food, killing me the fruit. May we not be delighted by the eyelids, nor may our throat be delighted by the revered food, but upon acceptance by the dishonored. We run from intemperance, and when we are filled with passion we will not submit. Let us be marked by the Blood, for which we are led to death by will, and the destroyer will not touch us, and we will celebrate the most sacred Passover of Christ, for the salvation of our souls.
Let us accept the command to fast with great joy! If the Progenitor had observed fasting, we would not have been expelled from paradise*: the fruit that killed me looked ripe and beautiful to eat. Let not the eyes be deceived, let not the larynx delight in food, which is valuable to us [in the beginning], but after eating is despised**, and let us avoid intemperance, so that after satiety we do not submit to passions! May we be sealed by the Blood of Him Who was voluntarily led to death for us, and may the Destroyer never touch us. May we taste the Holy Easter of Christ for the salvation of our souls!
* Literally: Forefather... from Eden
** It is quite possible that the author’s thought is: “once eaten, it becomes an object of disgust,” given what the food ultimately turns into.
Τὸ τῆς Νηστείας διάγγελμα, περιχαρῶς ὑποδεξώμεθα· εἰ γὰρ ταύτην ὁ Προπάτωρ διεφυλάξατο, τὴν τῆς Ἐδὲμ ἔκπτωσιν οὐκ ἂν ὑπέστημεν, ὡραῖος ἦν εἰς ὅρασιν, καὶ καλὸς εἰς βρῶσιν, ὁ ἐμὲ θανατώσας καρπός, μὴ συναρπασθῶμεν τοῖς βλεφάροις, μηδὲ ????? μετάληψιν ἀτιμαζομένοις, φύγωμεν τὴν ἀκρασίαν, καὶ τοῖς μετὰ κόρον πάθεσιν, μὴ ὑποβληθῶμεν· ἐνσημανθῶμεν τῷ αἵματι, τοῦ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀχθέντος εἰς θάνατον ἑκουσίως, καὶ οὐ μὴ θίγῃ ἡμῶν ὁ ὀλοθρευτής, καὶ φάγοιμεν Πάσχα, Χριστοῦ τὸ ἱερώτατον, εἰς σωτηρίαν τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν. (Δίς)
* * *
Verse: In the morning we were filled with Thy mercy, O Lord, and we rejoiced and rejoiced, all our days we rejoiced, for the days in this day you humbled us, in the summer in this day we saw evil. And look upon Thy servants, and Thy works, and instruct their sons.
Lenten testament...
Verse: Early in the morning we were filled with Your mercy, O Lord, and we rejoiced and were glad. All our days we have rejoiced: for the days in which You humbled us, for the years in which we saw evil. And look upon Thy servants and Thy works, and show the way to their sons. (Ps. 89:14–16)
And we repeat the same stichera. The command to fast...
Στίχ. Ἐνεπλήσθημεν τὸ πρωΐ τοῦ ἐλέους σου, Κύριε, καὶ ἠγαλλιασάμεθα, καὶ εὐφράνθημεν, ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις ἡμῶν. ὐφρανθείημεν ἀνθ´ὧν ἡμερῶν ἐταπείνωσας ἡμᾶς, ἐτῶν, ὧν εἴδομεν κακά· καὶ ἴδε ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους σου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ ὁδήγησον τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν.
Τὸ τῆς Νηστείας διάγγελμα…
* * *
Verse: And bring the lordship of the Lord our God upon us, and restore the work of our hands upon us, and restore the work of our hands.
Martyred: What shall we call you, saints? Are they cherubim? for Christ rested upon you. Are they seraphim? as you continually glorify Him. Are they angels? For you will turn away from the body. Are you strong? You work miracles. Many are your names and great gifts: pray that our souls may be saved.
Verse: And may the light of the Lord our God be upon us, and may the works of our hands be corrected among us, and may the work of our hands be corrected. (Ps. 89:17)