Canon of the Martyr Severian, in Tone VIII—

Exapostilarion: Spec. Mel.: “Thou hast visited us…”—

Irmos: Establish us in thee, O Lord Who hast slain sin by the Tree, and plant the fear of Thee in the hearts of us who hymn Thee.

Kontakion of the feast, in Tone IV—

Ikos: Delivered by prayer from her former bonds of childlessness, Anna now calleth upon us to celebrate this wonder with her and to offer gifts to her who hath been born, making supplication before her with love, for once virgins ran quickly to her, ­dancing and crying aloud: Behold! the restoration of all hath arrived! Behold, Adam hath been set free! For Anna hath budded forth fruit: the only Mother who knew not man!

Sessional hymn of the feast, in Tone V: Spec. Mel.: “The Word Who is equally unoriginate…”—

At the aposticha, these stichera of the feast, in Tone VI: Spec. Mel.: “On the third day…”—

Theotokion: Escaping the reproach of barrenness, Anna gave birth to the Theotokos who hath all-gloriously abolished the reproach of Eve; and to her do we cry: There is none more immaculate than thee, O Mistress!

Having lived blamelessly for God, ye gave birth unto the salvation of all, O divinely wise parents of her who gave birth to our Creator and God.

Glory…, Now & ever…: another exapostilarion—

Irmos: Establishing me upon the rock of faith, Thou hast enlarged my mouth against mine enemies, for my spirit doth exult when I chant: There is none holy as our God, and none righteous save Thee, O Lord!

Kontakion of the saints, in Tone II: Spec. Mel.: “Seeking the highest…”—

Leap up now, O Prophet David, for, lo! from thy loins hath the Virgin been all-gloriously born, the divine Maiden Mary, for whose sake mortals have divinely found restoration from their fall.

Theotokion: Direct my life, O Theotokos, guiding me with the divine precepts of the Word Who became incarnate of thee; and lead me to the Light, O Virgin Mother, Mary Bride of God.

From a barren woman did the Lord, Who poureth forth life upon all, cause the Virgin to come forth, in whom He was pleased to make His abode, preserving her incorrupt even after giving birth.

Irmos: I have heard report of Thy dispensation, O Lord, and have glorified Thee Who alone lovest mankind.

Stichos: Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear.

Theotokion: Give thou the command, O Virgin Mother of God, that my mind, which is darkened by sin, may be illumined with thy radiance, destroying the darkness of ignorance and transgressions; for I know none other protector than thee.

Let us hymn Mary today as the Theotokos, the fruit of Anna, the intercessor and helper of all, who gave birth to the life-bearing Cluster.

Irmos: Thou didst come forth from the Virgin, neither a mediator nor an angel, but Thyself incarnate, O Lord, and hast saved me, the whole man; wherefore, I cry to thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Through grace hath the mire of mortality been removed, and Adam and Eve, our first parents, have been granted life; for the Theotokos, truly born of a barren woman, hath loosed the barrenness of the world.

Theotokion: Mystery followeth mystery! For she who before was barren hath given birth to grace: the mediatress of salvation who hath been revealed to us by the birth of virginity.

O God-pleasing Anna, who wast barren and bereft of children, and who besought the Creator with tears, thou wast vouchsafed to give birth to the only blessed one, crying aloud: There is none as holy as Thee, O Lord!

Irmos: Having destroyed the shadowy darkness of indistinct images and illumined the hearts of the faithful by the coming of the Truth through the divine Maiden, O Christ, guide us by Thy light.

Stichos: The rich among the people shall entreat thy countenance.

Theotokion: In that ye are greater than all parents, ye gave birth to her who hath dominion over all creatures, the all-pure Mary who gave birth to God, Who in His great compassion robed Himself in flesh and became like unto us.

The godly and divinely eloquent Joachim, having enriched his spouse with divine grace, was vouchsafed to beget the mediatress of men’s salvation, to whom we cry aloud: There is none more immaculate than thee, O Mistress!

Irmos: O Christ my Savior, enlightenment of those who lie in darkness and salvation of the despairing: rising early unto Thee, O King of the world, may I be enlightened by Thy radiance, for I know none other God than Thee.

With the angels do we radiantly celebrate thy most honored nativity, O pure Virgin Mother. O Theotokos, cease thou never to defend the ­Christians who hymn thee!

Theotokion: O all-immaculate Mistress, may thy two excellent and enlightened parents be for us the mediation of heavenly blessings through the splendors of Him Who for our sake became incarnate of thee.

We hymn the most honored couple from whom the Virgin hath shone forth upon us, who is more exalted than all creatures, in that she gave birth to God, to Whom we cry aloud: There is none more holy than Thee, O Lord!

Irmos: From the belly of the sea monster, Jonah cried out: Lead me up from the abyss of hell, I pray, that with a spirit of truth and in a voice of praise I may sacrifice to Thee, as to my Deliverer!

Glory…, Now & ever…, in Tone II—

In thy holy nativity, O all-pure one, Joachim and Anna are freed from the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from mortal corruption. And, delivered from the affliction of sin, thy people celebrate it, crying out to thee: A barren woman giveth birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our Life!

Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I call upon the unfathomable abyss of Thy loving-kindness: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Today the most immaculate and pure one hath issued forth from the barren woman! Today all things rejoice in her nativity! The bonds of Adam have been broken, and Eve hath been freed from the curse! All those in heaven are glad, and peace is given to men! And we, glorifying her, cry aloud: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!

Ikos: The supplication of Joachim over his childlessness, together with the sighing of Anna over her barrenness, were right acceptable to God: they entered the ears of the Lord and brought forth life-bearing fruit for the world. For the one made supplication on the mountain, and the other bore her reproach in the garden; and with joy the barren woman giveth birth to the Theotokos, the nourisher of our Life!

Irmos: The fiery bush on the mount and the dew-bearing furnace of Chaldæa manifestly prefigured thee, O Bride of God; for in thy material womb thou didst receive the divine and immaterial Fire without being consumed. Wherefore, to Him Who was born of thee do we chant: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Joachim and Anna rejoice, for they found grace with God as is meet and gave birth to a God-pleasing fruit, the temple, the pure Virgin Mother of God, who alone is blessed, and prayeth unceasingly that our souls be saved.

Irmos: The command of the iniquitous tyrant, opposed to God, raised up a lofty flame; but Christ, Who is blessed and all-glorious, spread a spiritual dew upon the pious youths.

We hymn Thee, O Lord, Who hast given unto all, as a haven of salvation, her who gave birth to Thee.

Irmos: Thou didst once prefigure Thy Mother in the furnace of the children, O Lord; for her image drew from the fire those who entered it, without being consumed. We hymn and exalt her supremely for all ages, who through Thee hath been made manifest today to the ends of the earth.

Christ hath revealed thee, O Bride of God, to all who with faith hymn thy mystery as their boast and might.

Irmos: God, Who descended into the fiery furnace for the Hebrew children and transformed the flame into dew, hymn ye as Lord, O ye works, and exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Delivered from transgressions by thy supplications, O Mistress who knewest not wedlock, we all bless thee with a good understanding.

Irmos: Thee do we magnify, O blessed and most pure Theotokos, who through thy virginal womb ineffably didst make God incarnate, the Luminary Who shone forth before the sun and hath come to us in the flesh.

Rejoicing, the divinely wise and God-pleasing Joachim receiveth from the barren one the virginal Virgin for whose sake the barrenness of the world hath been abolished through birthgiving.

Irmos: God the Lord, the Son of the unoriginate Father, hath revealed Himself to us incarnate of the Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Wherefore, we magnify the all-hymned Theotokos.

Joachim most rich, the ancestor of God, now setteth before us a spiritual banquet, for he hath begotten the Mother of God, the all-incorrupt Maiden.

Grace setteth before us her who would become the Mother of God, who hath saved men from mortality and corruption and received the ineffably incarnate eternal Word.

A couple hath sprung forth from the root of Jesse, from whom hath sprung forth the staff bearing the Flower which perfumeth me, the whole man, with the myrrh of divinity.

O ye people, let us hymn the cause of the Cause of all, Who became like unto us. For the prophets, counted worthy to behold her image, rejoiced, bringing forth the fruit of manifest salvation through her.

The budding forth of the dry rod of the priest showed forth the destiny of Israel; and now the most glorious offspring of the barren woman most gloriously shineth forth the splendor of those who gave rise to her.

Anna and the God-pleasing Joachim, the chaste couple, shining forth a ray of purity which hath adorned barren human nature with the divine radiance of virginity, have given birth unto her for us.

The most lauded Anna and Joachim, the two honored chaste ones, the divinely wise couple, have given birth to the divinely adorned throne of the Virgin, who hath been exalted above all by the hand of God.

The divine God-seers Joachim and Anna, who lived in a divinely wise manner, have been manifestly vouchsafed to give birth to the luminous portal who revealed the Orient from on high, for the guidance of the lost.

The Almighty hath with His hand now cut from the stone of the barren woman the divinely inscribed tablet of the new law, whereon the divine Word first formed the remission of the sins of the old law.

The divinely wise parents of the Mother of God cried out to the Lord in grief over their barrenness; and they gave birth to her, our common boast and salvation for generations of generations.

The divinely wise parents of the Mother of God received a gift worthy of heaven from God, for she is a chariot more highly exalted than the cherubim, the Mother of the Word and Creator.

Anna, the barren woman of old, having received fertile seed, was vouchsafed to give birth to a Maiden of divine radiance who hath dominion over all creatures.

The barren woman, hath now given birth by God’s will to the Virgin Who would with submission give birth untainted by carnal will, as God Himself manifestly desired.

Illumined by the Spirit, Isaiah beheld the offspring of Joachim and Anna as a new scroll, whereon the incarnate Word was written.

Anna now rejoiceth, having broken the bond of barrenness; and she nurtureth the all-pure one, calling upon all to hymn the One Who through her womb hath given unto men the only Mother who knew not man.

Once, the transmitter of the law was prevented from understanding thy great mystery in material manifestations, O all-pure one, though instructed through images not to think earthly thoughts. Wherefore, marvelling at the wonder, he said: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

In godly manner the divine choir called thee beforehand the mountain and portal of heaven and the noetic ladder; for from thee was the Stone cut without the aid of man’s hands, and thou art the door through which passed the Lord of wonders, the God of our fathers.

O holy couple who put forth from the root of the divinely wise David a most sacred staff, unto the world ye have given birth to the pure Virgin, the flower most sacred to us, who put forth Christ without seed.

The godly Anna, bearing the most radiant lamp of the Theotokos like a lustrous lampstand, hath illumined the whole world with divine light and the radiant effulgence of virginity.

O glorious grandparents of Almighty God, Who in His ineffable mercy became incarnate of your divinely wise daughter, O ye who art most rich, ask remission of offenses for me who now flee unto you.

Now the foreordained tabernacle of our reconciliation to God, who is to give birth to the Word Who hath manifested Himself to us in the coarseness of our flesh, beginneth her existence. Him do we, who have been brought into existence by Him out of nonexistence, hymn and exalt supremely for all ages.

The reversal of Anna’s barrenness hath loosed the world’s lack of good things, and hath plainly shown forth a miracle: Christ, Who hath come to mortal men. Him do we, who have been brought into existence by Him out of nonexistence, hymn and exalt supremely for all ages.

The honored Joachim and the chaste Anna, overflowing with riches, gave birth to the Virgin Queen, who is adorned with divine glory, and whom all creation doth hymn as the Theotokos.

By you, the friends of God, hath a staff of power been sent to us: the most immaculate Bride, through whom we prevail over the godless foe, trampling upon their devices.

Through you, O most sacred twain, hath a weapon been given us by the will of God, whereby we, the faithful, are now ever splendidly adorned: the pure Virgin Mother Who gave birth to God.

With fertility the power of God opened a barren womb, and the portal of virginity cometh forth in splendor, through whom the Word hath come to mortals, Who became incarnate at the ineffable words of the archangel.

He Who poured forth water from the stone for the rebellious people, through the womb of a barren woman giveth to us, the right submissive nations, the fruit of gladness: thee, O all-pure Mother of God, whom we magnify as is meet.

Thee, O Theotokos, do we magnify, who hast removed the ancient and precipitous condemnation: the restoration of our first mother, the cause of the reconciliation of our race to God, the bridge to the Creator.

O honored parents of the all-pure Virgin, most sacred ones who through virtue are united in wisdom and in soul, pray ye, that those who ardently celebrate your all-praised and glorious memory may be saved.

Ye have destroyed the field of death, O glorious ones who radiantly gave birth to the Mother of Life who hath broken its assault and mediated the hope of immortal life for the sake of faith.

Entering into conjunction with Anna, like the sun with the luminous moon, Joachim gave rise to a ray of virginity, through whom the Ray of the divine Essence hath shone forth upon us, united to the flesh hypostatically.

Having lived in chastity and piety, O blessed ones, ye have now been counted worthy of ineffable sweetness, having received the divine revelation of Him Who through you appeared to the world. Him do ye entreat, that our souls be saved.

She who hath abolished the curse of Eve is now born of Anna and Joachim, barren and elderly. With the angels let us praise her in hymns as is meet, O ye faithful.

Like sun from sun and moon from moon, the most immaculate Maiden was born of Anna and Joachim, and in her radiance she hath illumined the ends of the world. Hymning her as is meet, we call her blessed, celebrating their honored memory.