Irmos: United in the unbearable fire, yet unharmed by its flame, the pious youths chanted a divine hymn in intercession: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
O people of Israel, beholding your glory, Emmanuel, the Babe born of the Virgin, now join ye chorus in the presence of the Ark of God, chanting: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Behold, cried Symeon, this One Who is both God and Babe shall be a sign of contradiction. O ye faithful, let us cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
God the Word, being Life itself and having become a Babe, shall be the downfall of the disobedient, but the restoration of them that chant with faith: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!
Be it known that of the following fourteen refrains, the first two are used before the irmos and its repetition; then each troparion of the canon receiveth four refrains, one for each time it is executed. When all fourteen refrains have been used with the irmos and troparia, both choirs come together and chant the first refrain before repeating the irmos as katavasia.
Refrains for Ode IX
O Virgin Theotokos, thou hope of Christians, preserve and save those who trust in thee.
O Virgin Theotokos, thou good help of the world, protect and preserve it from all want and grief.
O God-bearing Symeon, come thou and take up Christ, to Whom the pure Virgin Mary hath given birth.
With his arms the elder Symeon embraceth the Creator of the law and Master of all things.
“It is not the elder who holdeth Me, but rather I hold him; for he asketh Me to dismiss him.”
How dost thou hold the Ember, O mystic tongs? How dost thou feed Him Who sustaineth all?
O daughter of Phanuel, come and stand with us, and give thanks to Christ the Savior, the Son of God!
The chaste Anna proclaimeth awesome things, confessing Christ, the Creator of heaven and earth.
Unapproachable to angels and men is what was wrought within thee, O pure Virgin Mary.
The pure dove, the unblemished ewe-lamb, beareth the Lamb and Shepherd into the temple.
O Christ, Thou King of all, grant victory over all heresies to thy faithful hierarchs!
O Christ, Thou King of all, grant me fervent tears, that I may weep over my soul, which I have wickedly ruined!
Instead of Glory…:
Let us piously praise the thrice-radiant Godhead in three Hypostases.
Instead of Now & ever…:
O Virgin Mary, illumine my soul which hath been grievously darkened by the pleasures of life!
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.