Difference between revisions of "Hymn of Kassiani"

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(Hymn of Kassiani text)
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== Hymn of Kassiani text ==
 
== Hymn of Kassiani text ==
 
<blockquote>
 
<blockquote>
O Lord God, the woman who had fallen into many sins
+
O Lord God, the woman who had fallen into many sins,
 
having perceived Thy divinity
 
having perceived Thy divinity
received the rank of ointment-bearer
+
received the rank of ointment-bearer,
 
offering Thee spices before Thy burial
 
offering Thee spices before Thy burial
 
wailing and crying:
 
wailing and crying:
Woe is me, for the love of adultery and sin
+
"Woe is me, for the love of adultery and sin
 
hath given me a dark and lightless night;
 
hath given me a dark and lightless night;
 
accept the fountains of my tears
 
accept the fountains of my tears
O Thou Who drawest the waters the waters of the sea by the clouds
+
O Thou Who drawest the waters of the sea by the clouds
 
incline Thou to the sigh of my heart
 
incline Thou to the sigh of my heart
 
O Thou Who didst bend the heavens
 
O Thou Who didst bend the heavens
 
by Thine inapprehensible condescension;
 
by Thine inapprehensible condescension;
 
I will kiss Thy pure feet
 
I will kiss Thy pure feet
and I will wipe them with my tresses
+
and I will wipe them with my tresses.
 
I will kiss Thy feet Whose tread
 
I will kiss Thy feet Whose tread
 
when it fell on the ears of Eve in Paradise
 
when it fell on the ears of Eve in Paradise
dismayed her so that she did hide herself because of fear;
+
dismayed her so that she did hide herself because of fear.
who then shall examine the multitude of my sin
+
Who then shall examine the multitude of my sin
 
and the depth of Thy judgment?
 
and the depth of Thy judgment?
 
Wherefore, O my Saviour
 
Wherefore, O my Saviour
 
and the Deliverer of my soul
 
and the Deliverer of my soul
 
turn not away from Thy handmaiden
 
turn not away from Thy handmaiden
O Thou of boundless mercy.
+
O Thou of boundless mercy".
 
</blockquote>
 
</blockquote>
  

Revision as of 22:36, March 26, 2013

The Hymn of Kassiani, also known as the Hymn of the Fallen Woman, is a Penitential Hymn that is based on the Gospel reading for Holy Wednesday morning (Matthew 26:6-16), which speaks of a sinful woman who anoints Jesus' feet with costly ointment (distinguished from a similar incident with a different woman, St. Mary Magdalene). This hymn is chanted only once a year and considered a musical high-point of the Holy Week, at the Matins and Presanctified Liturgy of Holy Wednesday, in the Plagal Fourth Tone.

History

One story, related by Saint Theodora in The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church holds that Abbess Kassiani spent the afternoon in the garden composing this hymn. As she finished writing that verse which says, "I shall kiss Thine immaculate feet, and wipe them again with the tresses of my head," she was informed that Emperor Theophilos had arrived at the convent. She did not wish to see him, and in her haste to conceal herself, left behind the scroll and pen. Theophilos, having entered the garden, found her half-completed poem, and added the phrase, "those feet at whose sound Eve hid herself for fear when she heard Thee walking in Paradise in the afternoon." After he departed, Kassiani came out from hiding. When she took up her composition, she beheld the phrase written in his handwriting. She retained it and went on to complete the poem.

Hymn of Kassiani text

O Lord God, the woman who had fallen into many sins, having perceived Thy divinity received the rank of ointment-bearer, offering Thee spices before Thy burial wailing and crying: "Woe is me, for the love of adultery and sin hath given me a dark and lightless night; accept the fountains of my tears O Thou Who drawest the waters of the sea by the clouds incline Thou to the sigh of my heart O Thou Who didst bend the heavens by Thine inapprehensible condescension; I will kiss Thy pure feet and I will wipe them with my tresses. I will kiss Thy feet Whose tread when it fell on the ears of Eve in Paradise dismayed her so that she did hide herself because of fear. Who then shall examine the multitude of my sin and the depth of Thy judgment? Wherefore, O my Saviour and the Deliverer of my soul turn not away from Thy handmaiden O Thou of boundless mercy".

See also