Orthodox Study
Isaac Lambertsen

Ode I

Menaion — translated by Isaac Lambertsen

Rights-risk acceptedServed

¶1

Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.

¶2

Grant me grace and the glory of divine knowledge, O Christ, that by the prayers of the venerable Cyriacus I may fittingly hymn him, for Thou art the ineffable Treasury of wise teachings.

¶3

Theotokion: O thou who art full of grace, first among all thou art full of all spiritual gifts, receiving them from the all-holy Trinity and distributing them among the faithful; and through them the most lauded Aquilina and the all-wondrous Argyra struggled even to the shedding of their blood.

¶4

O threefold Unity, three-Sunned Unity: Enlighten my darkened mind and illumine mine impure tongue, that in writing I may worthily hymn by name Thy sacred new ­martyrs.

¶5

Irmos: O ye people, let us send up a hymn unto our wondrous God, Who freed Israel from bondage, singing and crying out a hymn of victory unto Thee Who alone art Master.

¶6

O blessed Cyriacus, compassionately accepting me who now offer thee a hymn, entreat Christ, that I may partake of divine radiance and illumination and may verily receive salvation.

¶7

Theotokion: With hymns, O ye faithful, let us praise the all-pure Mary, the grace-endowed Mother of God, the divine shelter, the calm haven, the salvation of all the faithful.

¶8

Forming a spiritual choir, O ye faithful, with hymns let us honor the glorious passion-bearers, the beacons of the Church, who illumine the hearts of those who with faith and love keep their memory.

¶9

Firmly established by the power of the Master, and following in His footsteps, O father, thou didst vanquish the princes of darkness and didst attain unto the resting place on high, O most blessed Cyriacus.

¶10

Let us render timely praise to the glorious Angelus, and to Athanasius of Attallius, the priest of the Almighty; and let us also hymn his compatriot Athanasius, with Anastasius the Bulgarian.

¶11

Having subjected all the wisdom of thy flesh to the life-bearing Spirit, on earth thou didst show forth skill in combat like unto that of the bodiless ones. Wherefore, with them thou dost now hold chorus in the courts of heaven, O God-bearer.

¶12

Let Athanasius, the right lauded adornment of Nicæa, Acacius, the ornament of Athos, Alexander and Athanasius, scions of Thessalonica, Anastasius, the glorious boast of Nauplius, and Akhmet Kalpha, be honored today.

¶13

With the streams of your blood, O athletes, ye drowned the invisible enemies, by the victorious right hand of Christ Who drowned the ancient tyrant in the roiling waters.

¶14

In years in which the fire of love for Christ was extinguished, ye appeared, O valiant passion-bearers, like the protomartyrs Stephen and Thecla. Wherefore, pray ye that a new fire be instilled in hearts which have waxed cold.

¶15

Illumined with the light of the three-Sunned Godhead together with the choirs of the ancient martyrs, O new martyrs, by your intercession send down enlightenment upon those who hymn you.

Translated by Isaac Lambertsen. Edition menaion.en.lambertsen.

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