_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
We wail not for the babes, but rather for ourselves do we lament, we, who
have always sinn’d, that we may be delivered from gehenna.
Thou, Master, hast depriv’d the babe of the delights of earth: do thou,
as righteous judge, vouchsafe him heavenly blessings.
_Glory._
He hath declared thee a citizen of paradise, O truly happy babe, he who
hath taken thee from earth and ranged thee among the choirs of Saints.
_Both now. Theotokion._
All we that are illuminated, O all-pure, own thee God-bearing, thou, O
Ever-virgin; for thou the Sun of righteousness hast borne.
_Ode v. Irmos._
Why hast thou rejected me....
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
By thy just dooming, ere he waxed perfectly in growth, thou hast, as new
grown herb, cut down the babe whom thou hast taken, Lord; but, leading
him, O Word, to hill divine of everlasting blessings, plant him there.
As a young branch the sword of death hath come and cut thee off, thou
who of worldly sweets no trial hast sustain’d, thou happy one! but, lo,
to thee the gates of heaven Christ open’d hath, counting thee with th’
elect, as being loving-kind.
_Glory._
Concerning me, lament ye not; for I in nowise have begun for weeping to
be meet; but rather weep ye alway for yourselves, ye who have sinn’d, O
kinsfolk and O friends, the dead babe cries, so that of torment ye have
no essay.
_Both now._
I am despairing of myself when on the number of my deeds I muse; but when
in mind I bear thee, Mother of God, who above mind didst bear the Lord, I
am refresh’d with hope; for we have thee a sole defence.
_Ode vi. Irmos._
I will pour forth a prayer before the Lord, and to him will I tell my
grief; for my soul is full of evils, and my life draweth nigh unto hades,
and I pray as Jonas, O God, raise me out of corruption.
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
Thou was laid in a manger as a babe, and wast plac’d in an elder’s arms,
who generatest babes in the womb; and ere this one attain’d perfect
growth, thou hast bidden him to thee. Then we with thanksgiving extol
thee.
Thou didst say to the apostles, O Word, Let the children come unto me;
for my kingdom is for them that are such in wiseness. Then count the babe
remov’d to thee of thy light worthy.
_Glory._
Thou of earth’s blessings hast depriv’d thy babe, that thou of heaven’s
might’st make him sharer, who hath not overstepp’d thy bid divine. O Good
One, we extol thy judgments’ depth unmeasur’d.
_Both now. Theotokion._
We have thee, Maiden, as a sheltering wall, for souls a full salvation,
and in afflictions ample room; and in thy light we aye rejoice, and in
this save us now, O Queen, from passions and from dangers.
_Then the irmos. And after the irmos the priest saith the previously
written ectenia and the prayer. Page 139._
_Then the condakion, tone viii._
Rest with the Saints, O Christ, thy servant’s soul, where is no pain nor
grief, nor sighing, but life that endeth not.
_Icos._
Thyself alone immortal art, who madest and didst fashion man; for out of
earth we mortals fashion’d were, and unto that same earth shall go, as
thou who madest me hast given command, and sayest unto me, Earth thou
art, and unto earth shalt thou return. And thither all we mortals go,
making the funeral wail, even the song, the Alleluia.
_And these following icosi._
More sympathetic than a mother there is none, and than a father more
compassionate none; for vexed are their inward parts when they the babes
accompany hence: great is the sting which for the children’s sake their
hearts receive, and still the more when these sweet-spoken are, and they
their words remember with the song, the Alleluia.
For oft beside the grave they smite their breasts, and say, O thou my son
and sweetest child! hearest thou not thy mother what she saith? lo, ’tis
the womb that thee hath borne: why dost thou speak not as thou wert wont
to speak to us? But so thou silent art, even to say with us the Alleluia.
O God, O God, who callest me, be now the comfort of my house, for great
the wailing is befalling them; for they all have regard to me, even they
who have me as a sole-begotten one. But thou who wast of Virgin Mother
born, refresh the bowels of my mother, and bedew my father’s heart, even
with this, the Alleluia.
_Then the condakion, tone viii._
Rest with the Saints....
_Ode vii. Irmos._
The hebrew children in the furnace.
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
Write in the book of them that saved be, as lover of mankind
compassionate, thy babe, that he rejoicing may exclaim to thy might’s
glory, Thou art bless’d.
By, O thou Word, thy countenance’s light, illuminate thy babe, who now
to thee in faith, at an untimely age, is gone, and sings to thee, Thou
blessed art, O Lord, O God.
_Glory._
Affliction’s cause thy going hence now seemeth unto them that thee have
lov’d, but unto thee procuracy in truth of gladness and of joy; for thou,
O babe, inheritest eternal life.
_Both now. Theotokion._
Behold my grief, O Virgin, which th’ abundance of mine ills doth bring on
me, and ere my going hence give me refreshment by thy mother prayers to
make God merciful to me.
_Ode viii. Irmos._
The furnace seven times more....
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
In Abraham’s bosom, in tabernacles of repose, where is their joy who ever
festal keep, in places of refreshment where living water is, may Christ
thee place, yea, he who for our sake became a child, even ours who unto
him cry ceaselessly, O priests, extol him, and, O people, set him up for
aye.
A constant cause of grief to us, yea, and for tears, thine ever thought
on parting is in truth become; for ere the tasting in this life of things
that give delight thou hast left earth, yea, and thy parents’ breasts.
But Abraham’s bosom hath received thee, as babe, and unparticipant of
every stain.
_Glory._
Why mourn ye me, a babe, that hence is gone? lying he cries invisibly:
for I am wont not to be mourn’d; for destin’d is the joy of all the just
for babes: to them that works perform not there meetness is for tears.
But those the song upraise to Christ, O priests, extol him, and, O
people, set him up for aye.
_Both now. Theotokion._
To mine assistance, O God-bearing one, arise, attend unto my prayer, and
me deliver from the dreadful doom, the grave essay, the darkness, and the
fire, the gnashing of the teeth, the contumely of demons, and from every
need, thou hope of them that have no hope, thou, the despairing’s life.
_Ode ix. Irmos._
Be thou in dread concerning this, O heaven, and let earth’s limits be
amaz’d: for God hath shewn himself in flesh to men, and wider than the
heavens thy womb becomes. Therefore the principals of Angels and of men
thee magnify, God-bearing one.
_Refrain._ Rest thou the babe, O Lord.
Christ, who unchang’d becam’st a babe, and willingly didst bear the
cross, and the maternal pain didst see of her that gave thee birth;
assuage the grief and bitter pain of faithful parents of a babe deceas’d,
that we thy might may glorify.
Master, thou King of all, who from on high didst send and take the happy
babe as a pure bird to heavenly nest, thou hast from diverse snares
preserv’d his soul, and join’d it with the righteous souls thy kingdom’s
sweets that taste.
_Glory._
To babes that nothing have perform’d, O Word of God, thou hast vouchsaf’d
a heavenly dwelling-place; for so thou art well-pleas’d, O blessed one,
with these to count up thy creation; and, taking now the babe to thee, do
thou thyself alleviate the parents’ pain, as all-compassionate and lover
of mankind.
_Both now. Theotokion._
The heart’s eyes turn I ever unto thee, who hast maternal prayer with him
who birth receiv’d from thee; for I entreat thee, O All-pure, Quell thou
the passions of my soul, rouse me betimes to penitence, O maid, and with
thy light enlighten me.
_Then the little ectenia._
_And the exapostilarion._
Now am I at rest, and much forgiveness have receiv’d; for I have passed
from corruption, and am translated unto life: glory to thee, O Lord.
_And the people the same._
_Verse._ Man is as grass, his day is as a flower of the field.
_Verse._ For his spirit goeth forth through him, and he shall not be.
_Verse._ And the mercy of the Lord shall endure to ages.
_And to each verse the exapostilarion._
_Then, Glory. Both now._
Now have I chosen the maiden Mother of God; for Christ, redeemer of all,
was born of her: glory to thee, O Lord.
_And straightway the priest exclaimeth,_
For holy art thou, O our God, and thou restest on the Saints, and to thee
we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,
now and ever, and to ages of ages.
_Choir._ Amen. _And they sing_, Holy God....
_Prokimenon, tone vi._
Blessed is the way in which thou goest to-day, O soul....
_Verse._ Return, O my soul, unto thy rest.
_The epistle to the Corinthians, section clxii._