_And after this_, Alleluia, _in tone viii_.
_Verse._ Blessed is he whom thou hast chosen....
_Verse._ And his remembrance is to generation and generation.
_Trisagion._ _And after_ Our Father.... For thine is the kingdom.
_Then_, Thou who man-lovingly in depth of wisdom....
_Glory._
Our Maker, and our Author, and our God.
_Both now._
We have thee as a fortress and a haven....
_Then psalm l._
_And after this the requiem canon over a departed babe is begun._
_Ode i. Tone viii._
Crossing the sea as on dry land....
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
O Word of God, who in the flesh didst poor become, and, without change,
wast pleas’d a babe to be; we pray thee place in Abraham’s bosom the babe
thou hast receiv’d.
Thou wast beheld a babe who ere all ages art, and, as the blessed one,
thy kingdom promis’d hast to babes: O number thou therein the present
babe.
_Glory._
The undefiled babe, O Saviour Christ, whom thou received hast ere
earthly pleasures’ trial, vouchsafe eternal blessedness, as lover of
mankind.
_Both now._
Thou who unspeakably didst bear him who the Father’s Wisdom is and Word;
heal thou my soul’s sore wound, and my heart’s pain appease.
_Ode iii. Irmos._
O Lord, creator of the vault of heaven and builder of the church; thou
me hast stablish’d in thy love, thou ending of desire, the faithful’s
confirmation, sole lover of mankind.
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
O thou most perfect Word, who didst appear a perfect babe, thou hast
removed to thyself a babe imperfect in its growth, whom do thou rest with
all the just who have been welcome unto thee, sole lover of mankind.
Him taken hence, not tasting of the pleasures of the world, of
supermundane blessings make participant we pray, O thou Compassionate
One, even the uncorrupted babe, whom thou hast chang’d by thy divine
command.
_Glory._
Of heavenly dwellings, and of shining lot, and of the sacred choir of
Saints, O Lord, make the pure babe participant, even him, whom, Saviour,
as thou wast well-pleas’d, thou hast remov’d.
_Both now._
Bereft of all, to thy sole shelter, most pure Queen, I fly, O aid thou
me; for I unto much sinful riches cleave, but with a poverty of virtues
am altogether fill’d.
_Then the irmos. And after the irmos the priest saith this ectenia._
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
_Choir._ Lord, have mercy.
Furthermore let us pray for the repose of the happy babe, _name_, and
that to him may be vouchsafed, according to thine undeceiving promise,
thy heavenly kingdom.
_Choir._ Lord, have mercy, _thrice_.
That the Lord our God may place his soul where all the just repose.
_Choir._ Lord, have mercy, _thrice_.
The mercy of God, the kingdom of heaven, and repose among the Saints, for
him and for ourselves let us ask of Christ, our immortal King and God.
_Choir._ Vouchsafe, O Lord.
_Priest._ Let us pray to the Lord.
_Choir._ Lord, have mercy.
_Priest._
O Lord Jesus Christ our God, who hast promised to bestow the kingdom
of heaven upon them that are born again of water and of the spirit and
in a blameless life are translated onto thee, and hast said, Suffer
the children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven; we
humbly beseech thee to grant, according to thine undeceiving promise,
the inheritance of thy kingdom unto thy servant, the blameless babe,
_name_, now removed from us; and count us worthy to continue and end
an unblamable and christian life, and to be stablished in heavenly
abiding-places with all thy Saints.
_And he exclaimeth,_
For thou art the resurrection, the life, and the repose of all thy
servants, and of thy servant, the babe, _name_, now removed from us, O
Christ our God, and to thee we ascribe glory, with thine unbeginning
Father, and with thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now
and ever, and to ages of ages.
_Choir._ Amen.
_Then troparion._
Verily everything is vain, and life a shadow is, a dream; for vainly
every earth-born one disquieteth himself, as saith the scripture. When
we have gain’d the world, then dwell we in the grave, where kings and
beggars, elders and babes together are. Therefore, Christ God, as lover
of mankind, rest the departed babe.
_Ode iv. Irmos._