Hymns from the Greek Office Books

 
I hope in Thy pure house above
To serve before Thy throne.
 

ὀ πλάστης μου κὺριος

I

 
Formed in Thine image bright,
With glory on my head,
I lived within Thy light,
And on Thy bounty fed.
 

II

 
But ah! that evil day!
The tempter’s silvery tone
Lured me from God away,
To seek for bliss alone.
 

III

 
Dark came the night of sin,
I mourned my woeful plight,
For all was dark within,
And all around was night.
 

IV

 
Shorn of Thy beauty fair,
Gift at my wondrous birth,
Hope fled before despair,
Gone was the joy of earth.
 

V

 
Yea, though the prayer be vain,
Now will I lift mine eyes,
Call me, God, back again,
Back to Thy paradise.
 

VI

 
Came there a voice to me,
Yea, ’twas Thy voice, my God,
Bidding me come to Thee,
Up to Thy pure abode.
 

VII

 
Trusting Thy mercy great,
Up from my woes I’ll rise,
Seeking the golden gate
Opening to paradise.
 

ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἀνατολὴ ἀνατολῶν

I

 
Come, with the load of sorrow thou art bearing,
Lay it on Him who every burden bears;
Let not thy soul in trouble sink despairing,
He who hath sorrowed, every sorrow shares.
 

II

 
Look for the morn when night is dark and weary,
Morning shall come when hours of night are spent;
Clouds hide the sun, and make the noontide dreary,
Gladness shall cheer you when the clouds are rent.
 

III

 
Look for His smile who gilds the hills at morning,
Surely it comes as comes the morning sun;
Beauty shall grace thy life with bright adorning,
Even as the sunlight, till thy day is done.
 

IV

 
Then, when the morn that makes the hilltops golden
Round the Jerusalem thy spirit gains
Breaks on thy view, shall come the gladness olden
Shared by the dwellers in those blest domains.
 

ὑμνοῦμεν σου Χριστέ, τὸ σωτήριον παθος

I

 
We hymn Thy triumph on the Cross,
Thy victory o’er the grave,
O Christ, immortal Son of God,
Who cam’st Thy folk to save.
 

II

 
For, dying on the Cross, the sting
Of death was torn away, —
O, by Thy victory over death
Give life to us, we pray.
 

III

 
The gates of hades tottering fell,
The prisoners saw the light,
And forth emerging, left behind
A hideous, starless night.
 

IV

 
O make us worthy, Christ, to sing
The wonders of Thy power;
And give us purity of heart
To serve Thee every hour.
 

V

 
All praise and glory, Christ our God,
To Thee be ever given;
One with the Father, One with us
On earth, and now in heaven.
 

φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς

I

 
O Light of light! when other lights are fading,
Then in my soul with heavenly brightness shine;
“Let there be light!” the night and fear upbraiding,
Speak Thou the word and send the Light Divine.
 

II

 
O Joy of joy! when other joys are sighing,
Sing to my soul and bid its sadness flee;
And when the songs my bitter tears are drying,
Come with Thy gladness, and rejoice with me.
 

III

 
O Love of love! when other loves are dying,
And hearts grow cold, and eyes that lured me frown;
Come to my heart, Thou Love, all hate defying,
Full of all pity to our world come down.
 

IV

 
O Bliss of bliss! when earth and all its treasures
Shrink from my grasp, and leave me poor and sad;
May I with Christ fill up my empty measures,
And in His presence reap the hopes I had.
 

ψυχή μου! ἀνάστα

I

 
Hence, slumber, from mine eyes,
See, from the eastern skies
The light is shed;
The night has passed away,
Now ’tis the morn of day,
Darkness has fled.
 

II

 
My soul from slumber free,
Let me Thy brightness see,
O Light of light!
May darkness from my heart,
And every cloud depart,
And fears of night.
 

III

 
Now let my hands employ
The passing hours, and joy
Shall find my soul;
Thy will, O God, be done,
Thy path of duty run,
My heart control.
 

IV

 
And when the sunlight dies,
And in the western skies
The day is spent;
Then on Thy loving breast,
O Jesu, let me rest
In calm content.
 

κλίνας οὐρανοὺς, κατέβη

I

 
The Lord came down from heaven,
And dwelt with us below;
And in His life was given
To taste our bitterest woe;
Our flesh He wore,
Its ills He bore,
Who came to us from heaven.
 

II

 
He climbed the rugged steep
To where the Cross was raised;
And while His followers weep,
And angels are amazed,
He groaned and sighed,
And, wounded, died —
Who climbed the rugged steep.
 

III

 
He gave His life for me —
’Twas for my sin He died, —
O, that all eyes might see
The Saviour crucified;
And give Him love
Who dwells above,
And gave His life for me.
 

Δεῦτε ἀγαλλιασωμέθα τῷ κυρίῳ, τὸ παρὸν μυστήριον ἐκδιηγούμενοι

I

 
Come, let us sing with joyful mirth
The mystery of Immanuel’s birth,
Who, Virgin born, is here;
The middle wall no longer stands,
No flaming sword in Cherub’s hands
Inspires the soul with fear.
 

II

 
See, clear the pathway open lies
That upward leads to Paradise,
Where stands the Tree of Life;
And freely may I enter in,
Whence I was driven by mortal sin,
And worsted in the strife.
 

III

 
For He, the Father’s only Son,
A glorious work hath now begun,
Descending from above
In servant’s form, though yet the Son,
Unchanging while the ages run,
To win us by His love.
 

IV

 
Come, now, let hearts united be
To laud His praises joyfully,
The God-Man born to-day.
And let Thy mercy reach us now
For pitiful and kind art Thou,
O Virgin born, we pray.
 

τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας

I

 
O Christ, to Thy disciples then,
When eyes were sad, and hearts were sore,
Thy lips the cheering promise made,
To comfort them for evermore.
 

II

 
And now what law and prophets spake
To waiting hearts in days of old,
Has been fulfilled: the Spirit seeks
The human heart, as long foretold.
 

III

 
O Christ, to us the promise speak,
And send Thy Spirit in our need,
That He may bless our longing hearts,
And ever in Thy precepts lead.
 

IV

 
And light the darkness of our night,
Till clear the path before us lies;
And comfort us in sore distress,
And wipe the sorrow from our eyes.
 

V

 
And songs of praise to Thee we’ll give,
O God the Father, Christ the Son,
And Holy Spirit, while we live,
And in the ages yet to run.
 

οὐκ ἀφήσω ὑμᾶς ὀρφανόυς

I

 
May Thy bright Spirit, as of old,
The love of Christ the Son unfold,
And as He hangs upon the Cross,
Reveal to men their sin and loss.
 

II

 
O Holy Spirit, one with God,
From God sent down to our abode
With us abide in joy and woe,
And share our sojourn here below.
 

III

 
And give us comfort in our pain,
Be in our loss our surest gain;
The Christ reveal in all His love,
And fit us for our home above.
 

IV

 
That we may serve the Christ our Lord,
Teach us to know His blessed Word;
Our wills renew; our hearts allure,
In love and service to endure.
 

V

 
Thine be the glory, God the Lord;
Glory to Thee, Incarnate Word;
To Thee, blest Spirit, praises be,
From age to age eternally.
 

ὅ πλοῦτος και βάθος, σοφίας Θεοῦ!

I

 
Now Christ the God to earth hath come,
And made our dwelling place His home;
And in our flesh the God-Man gives
The life by which His people lives.
 

II

 
Bound to the Cross He bleeding dies,
That man from sin forgiven may rise;
And by the grace of God set free,
Live in His service endlessly.
 

III

 
They who in Adam sinning fell,
With Christ ascend with God to dwell;
And through the pain the Saviour bore,
Are freed from pain for evermore.
 

IV

 
And where the Christ ’mong myriads bright
Sits on His throne of peerless light,
There dwell the saints who by His grace
Share on the throne the victor’s place.
 

V

 
Glory to Thee, our Father, God,
Who dwell’st in heaven, Thy high abode;
Glory to Thee, O Christ the Son,
And Holy Ghost, blest Three in One.
 

ἁι μυροφόροι γυναῖκες

I

 
Morn of beauty, joyous morn,
Hails the Resurrection Day,
All our fears are borne away,
Hope into our world is born.
 

II

 
See, the stone is rolled away;
Empty stands the silent tomb,
Death is dead, and gone the gloom
Where the risen Saviour lay.
 

III

 
Women bear the spices, sad,
In the early morning grey,
But they wiped their tears away,
For the angel made them glad.
 

IV

 
Tell the tidings far abroad,