service files synaxarion_2001.md
Anastasis liturgical translations — translated by Ephrem Lash
This page contains the short Synaxarion for the feasts from 9 April to 15 April, since many churches celebrate Matins, when the Greek tradition is to read the Synaxarion entries from the Menaion, each day during the Great and Holy Week. I have yet to complete my version of the Synaxarion of the Triodion. During Holy Week the Russian Triodion gives the full Synaxarion for each day.
For Raphael and Nicolas
The translations are free, in order to reproduce the Iambic Trimeters and Epic Hexameters of the original. The transcriptions of the Greek words, included to draw attention to the many paronomasias of the original, are practical, rather than consistent and scientific. The stressed syllable in unfamiliar proper names are marked with an acute accent.
For the unnamed others
On the 9th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Efpsýchios of Caesarea.
Then Déme’s by the executioner .
Against Efpsýchios the sword came there,
For Aristarchos
Where Christ to Caesarea’s parts had come.
For Trophimos
And on the ninth of the month Efpsýchios’ throat met the sword’s blade.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Venerable Archimandrite Vadímos and his seven disciples.
Vadímos was with seven disciples slain,
But they reached heaven, where God has his throne.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs who died in captivity in Persia.
In Persia, land of worshippers of fire,
A band of worshippers of Christ was slain.
On the same day, Commemoration of the newly revealed and wonderworking monk martyrs, Raphael and Nicolas, and of the holy virgin martyr, Irene, and their companions, who were martyred in the sacred Monastery of Karyes, which is near Thermi on the island of Lesvos, in 1463, and miraculously revealed to us in 1959.
As a great light to us they were revealed,
Nicólaos and Raphael, once concealed.
Irene with her parents fought the fight,
To us made known by wonders marvellous.
In Karyes of old you fought the fight,
Glory on high, O Martyrs, you attained.
On the same day, the Holy Avdiesús died by the sword.
Being by chance a captive, Avdiesús,
Giving his life as ransom, was set free.
At their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us.
On the 10th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Terence, Africanus, Maximus, Pompey, and thirty six others; also of those with the blessed Zeno, Alexander and Theodore.
For Terence what rewards for martyrdom?
Those that eye, ear or heart have not conceived.
Let us behold the champions that were slain:
Ten multiplied by four, and others too.
And on the tenth of the month was Terence’s throat slashed right open.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Prophetess Olda.
Foreseeing spirit Olda yielded up,
A Prophetess with God’s own Spirit filled.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs, the Presbyter James and the Deacon Aza.
Of James who died a martyr’s death I write,
And of the crown received as death’s reward.
Christ’s Levite Aza with his head cut off,
Christ’s enemy Leviathan now shames.
The Holy New Martyr Demos was martyred in Smyrna in 1363 and died by the sword.
Demos, not fearing executioners ,
New athlete with the athletes’ ranks is joined.
On the same day of the same month, Commemoration of our father among the Saints, Gregory V, the new Hieromartyr, archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, who was martyred by hanging in 1821.
Though, Patriarch, ‘twas by the rope you died,
In God’s own Eden you now live for aye.
As a good shepherd of the flock of Christ,
Father, on its behalf you gladly died.
At the intercessions of your Saints, Christ God, have mercy on us.
On the 11th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamon.
Martyr Antípas, with a bull you fought,
That to burn you, but not to gore, was able.
Thrown in an ox made of bronze, the eleventh you perished, Antípas.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Venerable Trýphaina of Kyzikos.
Trýphaina, parted from her flesh of clay,
Thought of this clay of hers as rare delights .
On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Father Pharmouthios.
From things of earth Pharmouthios went forth.
The month? Pharmouthi, that is April time.
At the intercessions of your Saints, Christ God, have mercy on us.
On the 12th of the same month, Commemoration of our Venerable Father Basil, Bishop of Parios, the Confessor.
Thrice-blessed Basil, meet your end with joy,
For you have reached where all joy is fulfilled.
And on the twelfth as a corpse you went down to the grave, blessed Basil.
On the same day, in the year 942, the precious Girdle of our most holy Lady the Mother of God was brought from the Bishopric of Zela to the queen of cities under the Porphyrogenneti, Constantine and Romanos. Later in the holy casket of the Chalkoprateii on the 31st of August.
On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Mother Anthousa, daughter of the Emperor Constantine V.
Sweet-smelling fruit sprung from a foul-stenched root,
Holy Anthousa fades from earth and life.
On the same day, Commemoration of Deme and Protion.
Protion’s head was severed first of all,
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Artémon.
His head new severed , then Artémon found
Crowns that were fitting to a head cut off .
On the same day, Commemoration of the three Holy Martyrs, Menas, David and John.
Three of God’s servants, who the passions slew,
Manslayers slay with arrows shot from bows.
The Venerable Akakios the Young, who led the ascetic life in the skete of Kapsokalyvia on the Holy Mountain, died in peace in 1730.
Though you were young, Akakios, in years,
Yet you surpassed the struggles of the old.
At their holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy on us.
On the 13th of the same month, Commemoration of our Father among the Saints, Martin, Pope of Rome, the Confessor.
Martin, O Saviour, ate your flesh joy,
And then with joy his own flesh he cast off.
And on the thirteenth day of the month died Martin, the far-famed.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs, Maximos, Quintilian and Dadas.
Who then are these who lie with heads cut off?
Maximos, Dadas and Quintilian.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Eleftherios the Persian.
To error Eleftherios was no slave,
But free he stood before the sword’s bright blade.
On the same day, Commemoration of the holy Martyr Theodosios.
To offer gifts to gods he would not yield,
So Theodosios was brought—gift for the sword.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Zóïlos.
Fixed to a tree, Zóïlos, by a dart,
Cause of corruption by a tree you wound.
Through their holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy on us.
On the 14th day of the same month, On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Apostles of the Seventy, Arístarchos, Poudes and Tróphimos.
Arístarchos I honour, great in valour ,
Nobly valiant even to the sword.
Where then , O Poudes, did you go when slain?
Where then , if not to glory without end?
Heaven’s delight Tróphimos keenly craved;
Was led as nourishment for sharpened sword.
While on the fourteenth day three disciples of Christ once departed.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Ardalíon the Actor.
Now a true actor rather than of old,
He acts the Martyr’s part and loves the fire.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Thomaïs.
You took Thomaïs from this present age,
Father, as Scripture says, of th’age to come.
On the same day, the contest of the Holy New Martyr, Demetrios the Peloponnesian, from Ligoudiste of Triphylia, who died by the sword in Tripolis in 1803.
Like a gazelle Demetrios once sped
In Tripolis to win a martyr’s prize.
At the intercessions of your Saints, O God, have mercy on us.
On the 15th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Kresces of Myra in Lykia.
Marvel to see great Kresces mid the fire,
Thinking the flame a meadow of delight.
And on the fifteenth day died Kresces by the fire’s fury.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Vasílissa and Anastasia.
They slay two ewe lambs of the Lamb of God,
Anastasía and Vasílissa.
On the same day, Commemoration of our Father in among the Saints Leonídas, Bishop of Athens.
Darkness took hold of Athens all at once
When Leonídas, Athens’ sun, had set.
On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Theodore the Presbyter and Pavsolypios.
The sword a gift that makes end of grief
For Pavsolýpios and Theodore.
At their holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy on us.
Translated by Ephrem Lash. Edition lash.en.anastasis.