Second Sunday of Annunciation

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Here are the texts of the Ḥudrā for the Second Sunday of Annunciation (Subarā). An additional feature that I did not include in last week's translations is the first words of the model melody (rēš qālā) to which each hymn is set. This will be included after the title of the kind of hymn it is. Since this refers to a Syriac text and music, I simply transliterate the Syriac. Melodies or tones are called by well-known examples, often being the first instance that melody is used in the liturgical year. For example the first hymn of vespers below. It is a Hymn of Bāsāliqē set to "Rāzā Rabbā," which, as this is the first time this melody appears in the Ḥudrā, is the very hymn below. Some of these hymns are not set to a particular melody and often that is because they are the refrain of a chunk of psalmody that has its own customary tune. Those will lack these model melodies. Model melodies are in double quotes, and if it is the model itself, I'll preface it with rēš qālā, meaning the chief of the tone/melody.

Of Vespers

Bāsāliqē. Rēš qālā "Rāzā Rabbā"

The Great Mystery that was hidden for ages and from generations was revealed to us at the end of the worlds. For the Only-begotten who was in the bosom of his begetter came and put on the likeness of a slave in his grace, speaking to us and revealing the revelation of the full faith of the Trinity.

Qalṯā

Peace to thee, Mary, thou of the race of Eve who bore death, for the fruit from thee un-bindeth the shackles of death. + Peace to thee, Mary the flesh-bound bodily palace for the King boundeth up his beauty in thy body. 

Of Midnight Office

Mawṯḇā: "Rāzā Rabbā"

God counseled and promised Abraham of old: By thy Son will all sinful nations be blessed for in their sins they were dead and in error lost forlorn but thy Son did gather them and heal their disease, just as the prophet foresaw before the ages. He took on their disease and bore their wounds. Thus we cry out saying: Glory to thee, the Son of the Lord of All

All creation rejoiceth in the greeting, Peace, that the spirit gaveth thee and it maketh glad in the word of the virgin: a wonderous conception and a birth that rejoiceth all creation, for in it the heavenly and the earthly concord tranquility and all together hope and await that they be heirs of the Kingdom.

In the proclamation of the conception of our Savior, those of spirit and those of body gladden for they behold that salvation and true life is proclaimed and so they thunder praise to the Lord that in his grace so desired to bow down in his compassion and dwell in the virgin. And so of her did he fashion a man and unite him to his hidden will, And so we all cry out with the watchers: Blessed is thy annunciation, Mother, Virgin, and Holy Woman.

"Mān ḥakim"

The good master did counsel and promise Abraham, his righteous slave of old, that in him and in his Son would all nations be blessed, and in fullness he completed the promise in the splendid birth of his beloved. In it were revealed in mercy to our race how we might confess and glorify the good master who in his many mercies shepherded us with his father.

The great mystery that saveth the worlds was hidden of the Father of old and it was reveled, disclosed to the watcher Gabriel who carried the divine will to the Virgin Mary. He came and gave her the spiritual, a peace edict written there upon. Peace to thee, Blessed of Women, Full of Hope, for the Lord of the Watchers and of men of thy womb is born.

The Lord's Gospel was proclaimed and the nations that were dying lived for they heard the voice in Nazareth from Gabriel preaching that the King of Kings cometh and dwelleth in thee, woman, wherefore listen. + And of her, he fashioned man and dwelleth therein and graceth thee as he maketh peace upon creation, quickening the dead and saving them as he maketh them enter into the Holy of Holies for he is God who establisheth his sons. + Angels are glad; men exalt in the the richness of his praise and in true life, and all cry out in one voice, Glory to Thee the Son of the Lord of All.

Rēš Qālā: "Sḇarṯēh dmāran"

A new gospel was proclaimed of the spiritual in Nazareth and all the peoples gained hope, and all the world rejoiced and raiseth up praise and thanksgiving to the good master who of his love compelleth them. + He sent his Son to our salvation and descended and dwelled in a virgin and he proclaimed the saving gospel in the proclamation of his conception in which all wondereth. He undid death and the curse that killed them in Eden, due to us having sinned. He counseled true life and good hope to all creation, settings at peace man and angel, and setting them to rejoice in his birth. + We confess, glorify, worship, and exalt the Father without beginning and the Son, of his bosom, and the eternal Spirit that completed the mysteries of our salvation.

The gospel of tranquility was proclaimed of Gabriel to Mary that the power and wisdom of the highest overshadow thee, listen Oh woman. He drawth upon thee his image, which of old was marred and in thee he doth dwell: exalt and make glad! + And he raiseth up the forefather of our race who heeded the deceitful counselor. He made new all creation and brokered tranquility and salvation for all that he may raise them up to the land upon the heights, where but God only doth create the craftsman's work. + The spiritual maketh glad and the bodily rejoiceth in the heavenly tidings. True life: they sing with their voices to the Son who raiseth up our nature.

To Nazareth a city of Galilee was Gabriel sent as he bore an edict of salvation to the entire race of mortals for the master of the heights and the depths desired to be revealed in the nature of man. + Jesus who was of our race made his proclamation a wonder unto all. He brought to fullness and completion in his existence [qnomā] the economy/dispensation of our salvation for he be the head and master on heights and depths in equal portion. + In him was the boundless creation renewed, and all mouths doth cry out and raise up praise to the Lord who willed to be made low by his grace to our salvation.

Glory

To Nazareth City was sent Gabriel the chief angel that he preach to the ears of the virgin a proclamation of tranquility that reneweth all. He, thus, came and gave her a spiritual edit of tranquility and he sealeth her therewith. + Peace to thee, Mary, he said, for of thee dawneth the Lord of all, and wonder and amazement gripped her for she disquieted with alarm at the word, and the watcher responded and told her: the power of the father shall come upon thee. + Thou shalt bear by the power of the Spirit, the Son of the Most High and he shall be the head, lord, and judge and in him all created things shall be new as they sing to him their praise.

Qanonā

When thou wast proclaimed of the watcher Gabriel, O Christ our Savior, the world was made bright, Bethlehem was set rejoicing, and Nazareth lept for joy and with these the church too raiseth up glory to they Lordship. + In the great day of thy annunciation, Christ our Savior, those of heaven and those of earth together rejoiceth and raise up glory in their voices to thy Lordship. + The great mystery that was hidden from ages, worlds, and generations in the last of time was revealed and dawned forth from the house of David and he told and revealed his three natures without beginning.

Maḏrāšā

Refrain: Praise to thee the beautiful son of virginity.

+This is the month in which all joy is filled, the freedom of the slaves, the pride of the free, the crowning of the doors of bodily pleasure [the senses of pleasure are crowned]. Even those who bear purple put off their raiment as before kings. + This is the month in which all triumphs are carried forth as the Spirit freeeth the enslaved body, life is born to the dying mortals, divinity casteth itself down in love upon humanity. + In this month slaves lay themselves down in luxury upon beds while the free bedeth upon rough rugs. And kings upon carpets lieth as the Lord of all lieth upon a manger for the sake of all.

Lelyā. Rēš qālā: "Alāhā braḥmē"

By the mercies given to me by thee, thou, God, didst descend to us, who but soil are, as a lover of man. Thou knowest the plea before the pleading, and the deed before the doing. Moments and seasons dost thou change, yet thou dost not deprive us who are but of earth of the good things of thine gift. For thou lookest and thou seest, Lord, the sinners, yet thou art indeed neglectful in thy goodness of our faults, for thou art God and in thy mercies thou didst descent to us who are but of soil, as thou art a Lover of man, Glory to Thee!

Tāwdi

One of the watchers did carry the sign given by the hidden one, and he was dazzled thereby before the spiritual and the bodily.+ One of spirit was the envoy of the proclaimed conception, and of the day in which he was born, did descend the many and sing his glory. 

Of Mattins

Ṣaprā. "Nāwde wensgoḏ"

Our soul with our body's members doth receive in mercy the light that is from the light.

Bareḵw

Blessed is the king who in his love willed, and so he dwelled in the body of our humanity and in it brought the high and the low to peace. Praise be to him who sendeth him, cry ye out. + The chief of the angels descended and to the virgin Mary did proclaim the birth of Christ who was coming to dawn salvation unto creation. + The chief angel Gabriel revealed the conception of Emmanuel who doth crown our nature in glory as he doth speak Peace to Mary.

Of the Divine Liturgy

Qanke̱. "Byaḏ šlāmā"

In the month of December when the Earth doth not fruit, in that month the LORD desired to present the fruit of the virgin, who is the cause of all blessings and the good hope of all creation. For He is the true light, Christ, the Lord of All, worshiped with his Father and Holy Spirit. 

O wakeful one, who came forth for our salvation and keepeth vigil for our sake, make thou our prayer and our pleading an satisfaction of thy will and as thou wast well pleased with the odor of Aaron's censer, that noble priest in the tabernacle, let, O my Lord, our prayer so be pleasing to thee, at all times and let peace and mercies reign upon creation.

Rāzē. Rēš qālā: "Netṭayaḇ bdeḥəlṯā"

Come, let us in pious reverence and in love draw nigh to the wonderous gift of the mysteries of Christ and let us ready ourselves by such works that in them we be herded to the judge of all and that he pardon us when he cometh to judge the tribes of the world. 

Bēym

Refrain: Exalt ye nations before our Savior for in his bread ye did make merry before him

Confess ye nations the grace that cometh and did pardon your debts and ye becamest partakers of his mysteries, which of the spirit were made holy.

First Sunday of Annunciation

MS from Chaldean Archdiocese of
Kirkuk, dated 1723 (MS ACK 00026)

Here is my translation of the hymnody for the First Sunday of Annunciation, a period that
comes four Sundays before Nativity (Dec 25). I have skipped rubrics as well as those psalm verses that introduce most East Syriac hymnody. The translation is rather wooden, but I freely violate the original syntax for the sake of a semi-English result.

My hope is to prepare a translation of the hymnographic meat of the East Syriac Liturgical Cycle (Ḥudrā) on this blog. This translation is a draft and it purposefully avoids psalms, common qalē, and anything that is not part of that which is proper to a certain day of the liturgical year. Basically, I'm just doing the stuff that changes from day to day.

The Church of the East liturgical year begins with the Sunday nearest to December 1, which is then the Sunday of God the Word, or the First Sunday of Annunciation. God the Word is the first phrase in the Bāsāliqe̱ of that Sunday. Liturgical texts often refer to Sundays by this method, and the Bāsāliqe̱ is similar to a Byzantine Apolytikon. Its name suggest a Byzantine heritage: the royal (Bāsāliqe̱) hymn.

The First Sunday of Annunciation focuses on the Annunciation and Conception of St John the Baptist. The Second Sunday focuses on the Annunciation of Christ, and the Third Sunday on the Birth of the Baptist. The Forth Sunday of Annunciation, with the reading from Matthew 1.18-end, serves as a pre-feast for the coming Dominical Feast of the Nativity. Except for that fourth Sunday, all of the readings are from Luke. Typical for the East Syriac tradition, Sundays within the solar-lunar calendar composed of liturgical seasons are preferred for these events. There is no separate Feast of the Annunciation/Conception of St John the Baptist or of Christ, nor of the Nativity of the Baptist. Rather, the period of Annunciation is a four week preparation, which includes fasting from the beginning of December until Nativity. Our liturgical books begin with this the first Sunday of Annunciation.

The titles are names of the hymns that follow, so Bāsāliqe̱ refers to the Hymn of Bāsāliqe̱, etc. Translations into English are clunky, so I just provide the Syriac using the Library of Congress Syriac Romanization Chart. Bāsāliqe̱ means 'the royal ones.' Qalṯā is just a feminine diminutive of qālā, a melody or tune (lit. 'voice'), but here it refers to a bit of hymnody that opens antiphonal psalm chanting, which comes only during Midnight Office of a day on which the Divine Liturgy will be served. Mawṯḇā simply means a session, literally a period of sitting, which is exactly what we do as we chant a series of hymns particular to each day of the year. Maḏrāšā is an excerpted bit of the well known genera that St Ephrem excelled in; usually it is excerpted from the opening of a larger Maḏrāšā, often of St Ephrem, but sometimes from others. Lelyā literally means 'night', as in the hymn of the midnight office, which only is provided for feasts and Sundays. 

I refer the following classes of liturgical commemoration: Feasts of the Lord, Splendid Feasts, Feast of a Saint, Sunday and ordinary day. There are seven feasts of the Lord: Nativity, Theophany, Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost, Transfiguration, and the Exaltation of the Cross. Palm Sunday is called a 'Splendid' or 'Great' Feast. 

The Syriac refers to a saint's feast as duḵrānā, or memorial, but this is not in the sense of praying for their repose, rather we pray for their intercession so it translates to the existing English understanding of a Feast, as in the Feast of Saint Anthony, or of St Stephen. So I will refer to the 'Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary,' or the 'Feast of Mar Aḇā the Great,' although the Syriac technically reads 'the memorial/commemoration,' and I will reserve the term commemoration/memorial for the context of praying for the soul of a departed person as in a funeral or fortieth day commemoration/memorial. 

These translations are made quickly, so please let me know through comments of any errors or typographical errors. To God belongs the Glory and to the translator the errors.

First Sunday of Annunciation (Subārā) 

Bāsāliqe̱

God the Word from the Father did not take the likeness of a servant from angels but from the seed of Abraham, and in our humanity he did come in his grace that he save our race from error.

Qalṯā

How can a barren woman bare, said Zachariah answering the angel*  for I am old and my wife barren; how can such a deed be believed? + The barren woman in earnest met the Mother of Light before her conception and said thy child is glorious among all born. +

*[ʿirā, henceforth translated 'watcher,' but is a synonym for an angel, as in books of Daniel and Enoch)]

Mawṯḇā

The Lord of All was well pleased to renew the corrupted image from the virgin who birthed Christ, she the glorious dwelling of the Holy Spirit. An edict sealed in its existence without beginning was sent from on high and it was sealed in peace and tranquility upon the earthly and heavenly that together were freed from error. I am Gabriel who before the awesome greatness arise to serve. The Father did send me that I proclaim the tidings in which rejoiceth all the world. Thou shalt conceive wonder in wonder for the power of the Spirit doth form him in the members of thy body that he be a dwelling to his hiddenness, and in him be reconciled those above with those below and together confess him saying: Savior of all, Glory to Thee

Gabriel the head of the angelic powers was sent to the Holy Virgin, blessed amongst women, and as he was awed, nevertheless did he dare to proclaim to her and say + Peace to three woman filled of grace. Peace to thee mother of the Savior of creation. Peace to thee who bearest he who of the cherubim and seraphim is exalted. Peace to thee whose son is worshiped of the magi and of the shepherds. + Peace to thee who was found worthy to be feasted as the temple  of God the Word. Peace to thee who was the vessel of all prophecy fulfilled. Peace to thee who bearest without union, as saith Isaiah. + Peace to him, the cherub who is greater than the sun. Peace to thee the harbor that received the dew from above. Peace to them, the lives that were generated of Eve. Peace to thee for from thee is born the king, Christ, Hallelujah.

The chief angel Gabriel proclaimed in great awe and trembling the glorious birth of Jesus our Savior to the virgin; he spoke to her and said: + Peace to thee woman filled with wonder. Peace to thee who givest birth unto man and savior. Peace to thee from from thee ariseth the liberator of all. Peace to thee for of thee is born hope and life. + Peace to thee that thou was accounted worthy to be the dwelling of the temple of God the Word. Peace to thee, thou who wast ministress of the two covenants. Peace to thee virgin birth-giver as Isaiah prophesied. + Peace to him the splendor that shineth more brilliant than all lights. Peace to thee, palace chosen by the King and his residence. Peace to them who unto us giveth glad tidings from thy womb. Peace to thee for from thee is risen he in whom all creation rejoiceth. Hallelujah.

The Chief of watchers descended and proclaimed to the virgin, born of mortals, a proclamation in which rejoiceth all the world and in the peace with which he did greet, all fear did leave her. + And to her he gave the edict sent from the Father that peace be fulfilled and tranquility reign upon those on Earth as for their sake, he was sent from the heights to be the messenger and envoy of heavenly tidings. + And he shall proclaim the birth of him who is the savior of the worlds, born of the power of the Spirit, of the virgin without union and in the joy of his nativity doth a new world proclaim. + That in that world rule unity and the fulness of love as sorrow, death, and corruption are undone and in all God be with his creation, to Him we raise up praise, saying: Hallelujah.

Gabriel of Light flew and did descend from the fiery ranks, he who is vested in a flame of fire, he rended the heights and came down to the depths carrying in his peace an edict + The envoy from the fiery ranks came and stood between the Father and creation, and he saw her, the virgin comely and adorned in chastity and he pressed three seals upon the door of the temple + And in the peace with which the Holy Spirit greeted did he move upon her sanctuary, a sealed and signed palace, within which the prince dwelleth. The seal of her virginity doth testify that her conception and birth-giving is all wonderful + For he who was formed is the forming will of all babes, and he is the power to create from something as well as from nothing. Blessed are thou Mary for the new sun shineth forth from thee that the power of his light did account thee worthy of the sun in the firmament: Hallelujah.

What mind, what word, what hearing is capable of the boundless sea of mercies, Lord, who is eternal in his existence, and before the worlds as God was born outside of time, Word from the Father, in the end of time, he did perfectly put on a body and soul from the mother that did bear him, and he did not break the seals of virginity. For this, she is called the Christ's birth-giver. And thus, he did not change as he willed to be revealed in our humanity--Oh depth of the richness and wisdom of God--that her, that virginal eve--her womb was enkindled and did well. Eve that in pain bringeth forth children became in her the fountain that giveth forth life that Emanuel without seed was conceived and born of her, and that our mortal race be from corruption released and freed. To Him we all glorify and say, beyond comprehension the Lord of All, Glory to thee.

LORD, our Lord, hidden in his existence with the Father, the wakeful chief angel revealed his hiddenness through the virgin. The watcher of light, who wearest the light, carried the epistle filled with life and good hope to mortals, Mary saw the watcher wearing flames and she feared him, spoke to him and said to him: + I have not known a man, how does thou assure me of this? The envoy replied to the daughter of mortals: Unto thee the Lord of All doth come and with thee dost he fulfill his will and of thee hast he conceived a man in whom will dwell all the fulness of God bodily. At that spiritual Word did the Holy Spirit move upon sanctuary of the blessed one, the King made his dwelling in the palace of her flesh; the spiritual envoy saw, wondered, and became silent as he opened his wings of spirit and flew as an luminous one and flying to the wakeful ones and revealed to them that the hidden will beginneth of the virgin + Christ who saved the race of mankind from slavery to the Deceiver, to Him be glory. 

Qānonā

Of ages ago did the Lord promise Abram and David of the birth of the Christ who was prepared to shine forth of Mary + The heavenly and the earthly raise up glory to the creator who in his mercy did descend to our race and put on our nature. + The embassy from the Lord that the wakeful [angel] did carry to the virgin, in it all blessings are gathered unto our nature, and to Satan, all sorrows.

Tešboḥṯā (Said until Theophany/Denḥā)

Blessed is the compassionate who in his grace did pour out our lives in his prophecy + With the eye of the Spirit did Isaiah see the wonderous birth of virginity + That without union Mary bore Emmanuel, the Son of God + Of her the Holy Spirit fashioned the united body, as it was written. + That it be a dwelling and worshiped temple to the effulgence of the Father in one sonship. + From the beginning of the wonderous conception, one honor was joined to him. + That all who are his be filled of him to universal salvation as doth please him. + On this the day of his annunciation (or birth, after Dec 25) do the wakeful [angels] sing hallelujah in praise upon the highest heights. + Also those upon earth pay worship in their offerings in a unity of honor. + One is Christ, the Son of God, worshiped by all in two natures. + For his divinity is born of the Father without beginning and above all time + And his humanity is born of Mary at the end of time in a united body. + His divinity is not from the nature of his mother and his humanity is not from the nature of the Father. + Both natures abide in their [respective] existence [qnomayhon]. + In one person of one sonship. + And just as there is divinity in three existences, one essence. + Thus there is in the sonship of the Son in two natures, one person. + Thus the Church of truth did learn to confess in the Son that is Christ. + We worship O Lord, they divinity and thy humanity without division. (repeat thrice). + One is the power, one the Lordship, one is the will in one Glory,+ To the Father, and the Son, and Holy Spirit: unto the age of ages. Amen and Amen.

Maḏrāšā

Refrain: Angels and youth sing praise before him who was born of a virgin, for by him was our race saved. 

The super-essential being condescended in his love to raise up the humble to the name of his greatness and he did raise up the low to the divine station and unto them he opened the coffers of his wisdom: that they be enriched with his treasure, and that his wealth be spread and they be gladdened without sorrow and rule without danger. + In his will did he descend to Earth that the earthlings be raised up and he sent the angel, a forerunner of his love, the wakeful to the sleeping that he would preach to them in his name the proclamation of a truce, Peace sealed by his name and given to them, that in his name they turn from the wandering path taught them by the evil one though disobedience of the commandment. + The Super-essential entrusted the name of his greatness to a heavenly power who in turn did bear it without passion and fly to Earth to seed it in the hearing of the rib of Adam: Peace to thee, daughter of Eve the feeble: by thee is opened the door of life to the dying mortals that may be emancipated from slavery to death.

Lelyā

What mind can understand the sea of thy mercy, God? Oh depth of riches and understanding of eternal thoughts that were with God before time and so he desired in his love and his Word did he send us from the holy virgin, a garment of flesh to put on and go out into the world. And from the angels she so learned: Peace to thee, Full of Grace for from thee is born man and savior of the Worlds. Beyond comprehension, Lord of All, Glory to Thee!

Lord do not leave us and be not far from us who worship thee for in thee we take refuge. Lead us upon the path of life that we may all sing to thee: Praise to the LORD God.

Dṯāwdi ṭāḇā

The envoy of peace was sent that he proclaim the conception upon Earth and from the door through which death entered, life entered and death passed away.

Ṣaprā

Confess and worship the King without beginning who in his light created us as light.

Bareḵw

From heaven an angel [wakeful] was sent to Mary and in reverence he descended and greeted her with a Peace! filled with all good graces, and hope and life to mortals. 

Blessed is he who sent the spirit to Mary that he proclaimed and she conceived; for he [the conceived one] giveth life and salvation to the soily nature of Adam.

Qankē

The Angel [Wakeful] Gabriel said to Zachariah that he shall have a son and John shall he be called that he tread the patch before the Son of the King that cometh glory for the salvation of all creation. 

The cross bringeth all graces unto us for in it our mortal race was free. Mightily fortify us by the cross, O Lord, so that by it the evil one and his craft be vanquished.

Rāze̱

Christ's body and precious blood are upon the holy altar, so let us all draw nigh unto them, atremble and reverent and joining the angels joyfully exalt him: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God.

Bēym

Refrain: Thou, the Son who gavest us his body and blood, give us life in thy kingdom. 

This is the day that is the first day for it is the first-fruit of all days, so let us, in this day, come and receive the body and blood of he who is the first-fruit of divinity.