Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “With the disciples…”—
Irmos: May the hands of the profane in nowise touch the Theotokos, the animate ark of God; but let the lips of the faithful, unceasingly chanting the cry of the angel, joyfully cry out: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!
Then the irmos of the triodion (as katavasia), and the refrain and irmos of the feast, both choirs together.
Conceiving God in manner past understanding, O Mistress, thou didst elude the custom of nature; for in giving birth thou didst escape corrupt maternal nature, transcending it. Wherefore, thou hearest as is meet: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
Then, First Hour (with kathisma), with troparion and kontakion of the feast; and at the end, three full prostrations, and the prayer: “O Christ, Thou true Light…”, and the dismissal.
Glory…, Now & ever…: Another exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “Hearken, ye women…”—
If it be Saturday or Sunday, the Great Doxology, litanies and dismissal. But if it be a weekday, we chant at the aposticha the idiomelon of the day from the Triodion, twice, and the sticheron of the martyrs; then, Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone VIII—
No earthly tongue can explain how thou pourest forth milk, O pure Virgin; for thou showest forth a thing strange to nature and dost transcend the rule of lawful birthgiving. Wherefore, thou hearest as is meet: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
Mystically wast thou spoken of in the sacred Scriptures, O Mother of the Most High; for Jacob of old, seeing thee in figure as a ladder, said: “This is the ladder of God!” Wherefore, thou hearest as is meet: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
The bush and the fire showed forth a wondrous miracle to Moses, who was manifest in sanctity; and seeking the end thereof in the passage of time, he said: “I perceive it in the pure Maiden!” Unto her, as the Theotokos, let it be said: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
Daniel called thee the mystical mountain, and Isaiah called thee the birth-giver of God. Gideon saw thee as a fleece, David called thee a sanctuary, and another called thee a door. But Gabriel crieth out to thee: Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! The Lord is with thee!
The supreme commander of the angelic hosts was sent by God Almighty to the pure Virgin, to announce a strange and ineffable wonder; for God, Who watcheth over the whole human race, as man became a babe through her without seed. O ye people, tell forth the glad tidings of the restoration of the world! Twice
The mystery of God which was from before time is made known today: In His loving-kindness God the Word becometh the Son of the Virgin Mary, and Gabriel proclaimeth the joy of the annunciation. And with him we cry out to her: Rejoice, O Mother of the Lord!
On the Praises, 4 stichera, in Tone I: Spec. Mel.: “Joy of the ranks of heaven…”—
Flying down to Nazareth from the vaults of heaven, Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary, crying to her: “Rejoice! Thou shalt conceive a Son Who is older than Adam, the Creator of the ages and the Deliverer of those who cry to thee: ‘Rejoice, O pure one!’”
The Word Who with the Father is equally eternal and wholly without beginning, without separating Himself from those on high, hath now come to those below in His extreme loving-kindness, taking pity on us for our stumbling; and, accepting the poverty of Adam, He hath assumed a form alien to Himself.
Bearing glad tidings from heaven to the Virgin, Gabriel cried aloud: “Rejoice! Thou shalt conceive in thy womb Him Who will be contained by thee, though He can be contained by nought; and in giving birth thou shalt show forth Him Who shone forth from the Father before the day-star!”
The transcendent Word hath made His abode within thee in the flesh at the counsel of the Father, O Virgin Theotokos; becoming like us, He hath restored the race which fell through the ancient curse. Wherefore, with the angel we all cry out to thee with faith: Rejoice, O Mother of Christ!”
Glory…, Now & ever…, the composition of Theophanes, in Tone II—
Today the mystery is revealed which was hidden from before time began, and the Son of God becometh the Son of the man, that, taking upon Him that which is baser, He might grant me that which is higher. Of old Adam was deceived, and though he desired to become a god, he could not; yet God becometh man that He might make Adam a god. Let creation be glad, let nature dance! For the archangel standeth with fear before the Virgin and offereth her “Rejoice!”, an antidote to grief. O our God Who hast become man in the loving-kindness of Thy mercy, glory be to Thee!
Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice! For He Who with the Father is equally everlasting, equally without beginning and equally enthroned, taking unto Himself His loving mercy toward mankind, hath appointed for Himself an abasement, by the good pleasure and counsel of the Father, and hath made His abode within the Virgin’s womb, which was wholly purified by the Spirit. O the wonder! God is among men, the Infinite One is contained in a womb, the Timeless One hath entered into time! And what is more glorious: His conception is seedless, His abasement is ineffable. O how great is this mystery! For God doth empty Himself and becometh incarnate, taking form when the angel spake of His conception to the pure one, saying: “Rejoice, O joyous one, the Lord is with thee, Who hath great mercy!”
Then, “It is good to give praise unto the Lord…” Trisagion through Our Father… Troparion of the feast, litanies, and three final full prostrations, without the dismissal of matins. Then the holy oil is given to the brethren, and the stichera idiomela are chanted.
At the third hour of the day [i.e., about 9 o’clock A.M.], we go forth with the cross in a procession around the church, and on returning we enter the refectory, where the Third and Sixth Hours are read, with kathismata, but without prostrations, during which the troparion and kontakion of the feast are read. We do not ring the bells for the Hours. During the Sixth Hour we chant the troparion of the prophecy from the Triodion, and the rest in order. We also add the Ninth Hour, with its kathisma. Then, the Beatitudes are read quickly, not chanted, and with no prostrations at the end. “Remember us, O Lord…”; “The angelic choir…”; Glory…, “The choir of holy angels…”; Now & ever…: “Absolve, remit…” After “Our Father…”, the kontakion of the feast. Lord, have mercy! (40 times). Glory…, Now & ever… More honorable than the cherubim… 3 full prostrations, and the prayer: “O most holy Trinity…” Dismissal. And we chant vespers, without a kathisma and without prostrations.
Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.