Irmos: Herod seeketh to slay Him Who of old covered the tyrannical persecutor with the waves of the sea, and is now concealed in a manger; but we sing with the magi: Let us chant unto the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified!
Theotokion: The human race offereth thee laudation of the forefeast, O Bride of God; and they glorify the One Who loveth mankind Who was born of thee, as the Mediator and Cause of universal joy.
Canon of the forefeast, the acrostic whereof is the [Greek] alphabet, the composition of Joseph, in Tone VI—
Irmos: Come, ye people, let us chant a hymn to Christ God, Who divided the sea and guided the people whom He had led forth from the bondage of Egypt, for He hath been glorified.
Theotokion: O most pure one, from ages past nature hath recognized thee as the one who in manner transcending nature alone is Mother and Virgin; for thou gavest birth for men unto the Creator of all.
Judah shall not lack for a prince, for to him was a promise made, as hath been written before: Jesus Christ, the Expectation of the nations, hath come, and in His surpassing goodness is born in a cave.
Irmos: Herod seeketh to slay Him Who of old covered the tyrannical persecutor with the waves of the sea, and is now concealed in a manger; but we sing with the magi: Let us chant unto the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified!
Theotokion: O Mistress as thou gavest birth unto Life, give life unto me who have become dead through multifarious evils, and cause me to pass over to the life which is on high, that I may ever glorify thee as the one who giveth me life.
Be glad with great joy, O Bethlehem; for in thee is Christ the Lord born! Let the whole world leap up, receiving deliverance, and let all creation dance, keeping festival!
Irmos: Let us all chant a hymn of victory unto God, Who hath wrought marvellous wonders with His upraised arm and saved Israel, for He is glorious.
Desiring to save the human race, the All-good One made His abode in the womb of the Virgin who knew not wedlock; and, lo! He cometh to be born. Let us worship Him, for gloriously hath He been glorified!
Irmos: I will open my mouth, and with the Spirit will it be filled; and I shall utter discourse unto the Queen and Mother, and shall appear, keeping splendid festival; and, rejoicing, I will hymn her wonders.
Canon of the martyrs, the acrostic whereof is contained in the theotokia, the composition of George, in Tone II—
Today the all-radiant beams of the noetic Sun have shone forth, proclaiming to all His effulgence and advent in the flesh to all.
Today the passion-bearers have set before all a spiritual banquet of the forefeast, which mystically nourisheth us with the radiance of the new-born Christ.
Shining forth like radiant stars, the saints followed the noetic Sun of glory during their struggles, and, having now reached Him, they have been illumined.
United in soul, the martyrs cut down the hordes of the enemy, and have ineffably received crowns of victory from Christ Who was born in the cave.
Canon of the forefeast, the acrostic whereof is the [Greek] alphabet, the composition of Joseph, in Tone VI—
Judah shall not lack for a prince, for to him was a promise made, as hath been written before: Jesus Christ, the Expectation of the nations, hath come, and in His surpassing goodness is born in a cave.
Be glad with great joy, O Bethlehem; for in thee is Christ the Lord born! Let the whole world leap up, receiving deliverance, and let all creation dance, keeping festival!
Desiring to save the human race, the All-good One made His abode in the womb of the Virgin who knew not wedlock; and, lo! He cometh to be born. Let us worship Him, for gloriously hath He been glorified!
Canon of the venerable one, the acrostic whereof is “I, Constantine Cabasilas, archpastor of Bulgaria, do praise Nahum, the latter acquisition of God”, in Tone I—
O Nahum, who art full of the streams of the Holy Spirit, by thine entreaties show me to be a divine river, that I may proclaim thy works, praising thee with hymns.
Thou wast a follower of those who taught the Faith of Christ in the land of Bulgaria, O venerable one, sharing from thy youth in the labors and sufferings of Cyril and Methodius.
Thy life was angelic, thy way of life was truly beyond that of men, and thy struggle was of a truth like unto that of the martyrs, O venerable one; wherefore we hymn thee.
As a teacher of perfect doctrines, O Nahum, thou and thy fellow initiates of the mysteries went up to the summit of divine cedars, and covered the mountains of Mœsia.
Canon II of the venerable one, which is connected to the foregoing canon, and the acrostic whereof is a continuation of that of the former; in Tone IV—
O Christ Who of old dried up the deep for the people who were travelling on foot, dry up the abyss of my transgressions, and let fall a drop of understanding upon me, that with hymns I may praise Thy venerable one.
Desiring to behold the ineffable glory of God, O Nahum, thou didst endure tribulations, imprisonment and cruelties, and every earthly disgrace, and didst struggle for the sake of Christ’s name.
Solitary in spirit, yet burning with zeal for the Faith, thou didst bear the yoke of the grace of Christ and didst clear men’s souls of the scrubwood of the demons and didst plant therein the seed of divine understanding.
O blessed one, thou didst consider the whole world to be as dung; thou didst love Christ, and by withdrawing from men thou didst draw nigh unto Him Who draweth nigh unto all for the sake of their faith.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.