Thursday, December 3, 2020

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.

4 comments:

  1. I missed the start of this a couple weeks ago. Making up for it now.

    So the Church of the East commemorates the Annunciation in December, and there is no additional commemoration in March like in more westerly Churches?

    Are there any resources for the CotE's calendar and primary feasts I'd love to look into this. Do we know when the CotE's calendar reached it's current form?

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    1. Right. 25 March is just a Lenten day. Since we have 25 Dec as Nativity, this has struck me as strange. Maybe it points to Nativity as the origin of 25 March, which is 9 months earlier, as well as circumcision 8 days later. The Church of the East calendar has Theophany 12 days after Nativity. However, the Holy Innocents, Circumcision, and Presentation in the Temple are all Sunday commemorations. They are not liturgically feasts, though they obviously commemorate these events in the context of the Nativity. Mar Aprem Mooken, Metropolitan of Thrissur and India has an book on the calendar. https://archive.org/details/nestorianlection0000mara_h5c6

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  2. Ooh, this is catnip.

    Well, Mar Aprem does note the Annunciation on Adar 25. (Page 91), so there is a notion of it at the spring equinox, even if there is not a major feast.

    But even better, he goes into the details of Paschal calculation. A whole lot of comparison to Passover calculation, which is interesting, but otherwise seems to follow the nicene formula. Will have to look at this more.

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