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ON PASCHA DAY |
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On Pascha day, a skylark played
And on the airy pathways rode.
To azure heights he was conveyed;
He sang a Resurrection ode.
That pristine song was then repeated
By fields and hills – the woods did sing.
“Awake, O earth!” they thus entreated,
“Awake and greet your risen King!”
Awake, O mountain, stream, and dale,
And praise Him with the Seraph bands,
For death He’s made of no avail! –
Rejoice, you verdant timberlands!
O silver lily, columbine,
And violet, blossom out with awe
And waft your fragrances divine
To Him Who’s made of love a Law!
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GLORY TO CHRIST ARISEN
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O laud the Lord from the heavens
And sing with joy never-ending:
His miracles fill the earth
With inexpressible splendor.
O laud Him, ye bodiless powers
And hosts of immortal angels:
From mournful sepulchers’ darkness
Shines forth the Light of the ages.
O laud the Lord from the heavens,
Ye hills, and cliffs, and mountains!
Hosanna! The fear of dying
Is gone, and our gazes are lightened.
O laud the Lord, seas’ horizons
And vast and limitless ocean!
May silent fall all earth’s sorrow
And desperate lamentation!
O laud the Lord from the heavens,
And glorify Him, o ye mortals!
Our Lord Christ is risen! He’s risen
And trampled death for all ages!
K. R.
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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CHRIST IS RISEN!
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The night still waited for the gift of grace -
A night of mysteries and earthly woes.
A host of stars sailed through the boundless space,
Filling the quiet with their sparkling glow.
Still silent were the celestial lyres’ strains,
And yet an unseen hand had touched their strings,
And down the starry path into the world of pain
An angel came - tidings of joy to bring
And to erase the brand of evil counsel’s shame.
From the tomb’s entrance he removed the stone.
His countenance shone brightly like the sacred flame.
His eyes were bolts of lightning in a storm.
Then “Christ is risen!” heard the world for the first time,
That sound ineffable of the heavenly choir,
And on the earth the bells of night began to chime.
Since that night “Christ is risen!” sings the world entire…
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- V. Utrenev
Translated by Kosara Gavrilovic |
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HE IS RISEN!
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Daybreak came, the sunrise flamed,
The desert’s lifeless visage reddened;
The jackal slept, the bird awoke.
They came to look – the tomb was bare!
The myrrh-bearing women quickly fled
To spread the great miraculous news:
That He was gone and should be sought!
He said: “I will arise!” and did!
They ran off speechless and bewildered
That there’s no death, that time will come
When their own tombs will be as bare,
Illumined by the heavens’ fire!
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- K.K. Sluchevsky (1837 – 1904)
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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CHRIST IS RISEN!
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Everywhere the bells are ringing,
From all churches crowds are streaming,
Daybreak peeps out of the skies…
Christ is risen! Christ is risen!
In the fields the snow has melted,
Rivers burst out of their bounds,
All the woods are freshly greening…
Christ is risen! Christ is risen!
Now the earth is all awaking,
And the fields are richly preening,
Full of wonders, spring is coming…
Christ is risen! Christ is risen!
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- A. Maykov-
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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CHRIST IS RISEN!
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When of salvation there is seemingly no hope
And you are overpowered by a wicked demon,
Say to yourself these words of joy and cheer:
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Christ is risen!
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Do not say “everything is lost”
And “miracles no longer can be seen” -
The Lord has plucked from death its sting:
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Christ is risen!
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When all around you darkest tempests rage
And rays of hope have disappeared,
Do not despair and bow your head:
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Christ is risen!
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The soul is filled with radiant light,
The heart yearns upward into heaven
When angels joyously proclaim:
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Christ is risen!
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- A. Korovay-Metelitsky.
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| APRIL |
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Christ is risen!
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Under the sun the larks are circling
And singing Christ is risen!
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In the bushes the robins are perching
And warbling Christ is risen!
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At the windows the swallows are flitting
And trilling Christ is risen!
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The merry hearts of youths and maidens
Are singing Christ is risen!
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And in response
From under ground
The dear departed
Without a sound
Proclaim: Yea,
Truly He is risen!
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| Translated by Natalia Sheniloff |
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| PASCHAL NIGHT |
Springtime skies
Are deep and mellow.
Through the fence
Peep blooms of yellow.
As soon as bright stars
Light up the heaven, –
I’m out in the field
With thoughts of the Saviour.
From church to village,
Across the stream,
The bells their message
Afar will ring.
The winged flight
Of angels I’ll hear,
The Risen One’s steps –
He’s near, He’s near…
My orphaned soul
His light will embrace.
I’ll worship, O Lord,
Thy unseen trace.
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- Alexander Roslavlev (1883 – 1920)
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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| PASCHAL MORNING |
Christ is risen! With the dawn
The long night’s shadow fades away,
And once again above the earth
A new life’s lit by a new day.
Still darkly stand the forest groves,
Still in their damp and shady depth
The lakes like crystal mirrors lie,
Inhaling night’s refreshing breath.
Still in the valleys’ bluish haze
The fogs are drifting… But behold:
The mountain glaciers glow already
With early dawn’s soft radiant lights!
For now they’re shining in the heights
That are beyond all human reach,
Where earthly voices silence keep
And beauty’s pure and incorrupt.
But with each hour, as dawn draws near,
Descending from the rose-tipped peaks,
They will light up and spread their fire
Into the depth of woods and dells.
And they will dazzle with their beauty,
Proclaiming from the heights the reason –
That now has come the day of promise,
That Christ – our God – is truly risen!
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- Ivan Bunin
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff |
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Õ. Â.
Two letters only, but they shine
In our hearts as dawn eternal,
And to the earth they bring good tidings
Of life perpetual and diurnal.
They flow in bubbling brooks of spring,
In steppes and mountains, in the plains,
In deepest chasms and elevations,
And to the Sun of joy they summon.
They cannot be erased, extinguished,
Nor drowned in waters of oblivion.
They cannot die, nor yet decay,
They have the power to live forever.
They greet us like the midnight stars
And like the light of dawn unfading,
A covenant without an end,
And peace for ages unto ages.
– V. Utrenev
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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AS OF YORE
On the day of Christ’s great Resurrection
Behold, how over the earth the sun does rise,
Just as though once more from ancient darkness
Shines the Light of that unsetting day.
With rainbow-colored, diamond, and sapphire fires,
And blooming roses glows the festive sky,
As though all hues and colors of the world
Now brightly celebrate this rising Day.
Though in iniquity lies our modern world,
And Satan reigns over his human slaves,
Yet mankind glorifies Christ as of yore
And sings of Him in heaven and on earth.
– V. Utrenev
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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HE IS RISEN!
The day has come, the dawn’s aflame,
The drowsy steppe is glowing red;
The jackal’s sleeping, the bird awoke…
They came to look – the tomb was bare!
The myrrhbearing women then ran off
To tell the miracle of miracles:
That He was gone, should not be sought,
He said: “I will arise!” – and did!
They run in silence… unbelieving…
That death’s no more, that time will come –
Their tombs will also become bare,
Alit with a celestial fire!
– K. Sluchevskiy
– Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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CHRIST IS RISEN!
Christ is risen! He, King of worlds,
The sovereign of mighty kings,
With all humility and solemn love,
His holy blood in great redemption
Has shed for our sinful world.
Christ is risen! He gave mankind
The pledge of holy all-forgiveness,
He granted mercy to the fallen,
And bade for our sacred convictions
We suffer just as He had suffered.
Christ is risen! He proclaimed
That all the people on earth are brethren,
With love He did renew the world,
Forgave His enemies from the cross,
And opened His embrace to us.
Christ is risen! Christ is risen!
May these triumphant joyous sounds,
Like angels’ singing in the heavens,
Disperse all sorrow, malice, torment!
Let us all join brotherly hands,
Let us embrace all! Christ is risen!
- K. Rocher
- Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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THE MYRRHBEARERS AT THE TOMB
Zion sleeps and malice dozes,
The King of kings sleeps in His tomb,
The rock is sealed at the tomb's entrance,
And guards are standing at the door.
The silent night enfolds the garden,
The fearsome guards are not asleep:
Their keen hearing does not slumber,
The distance they alertly watch.
The night is past. To Messiah's tomb,
And bearing aromatic myrrhs,
The saddened Marys now do come –
Anxiety is in their faces,
A great concern does trouble them:
Who with a mighty hand now
Will heave away the heavy stone
From the cave's entrance and the tomb?
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And as they both gaze in amazement,
They see the stone has been removed,
And at the entrance to the tomb
The fearsome guards lie as though dead.
While in the tomb, now full of light,
There's someone wondrous and unearthly,
Attired in vestments of pure white,
And sitting quietly on the stone.
The glow of the celestial visage
Is brighter than the shine of lightning!
The myrrhbearing women stand afeared,
Their hearts atremble with great awe!
“Why are ye, timid ones, distressed?”
The holy messenger inquired,
“Return to your respective homes
With news of peace and of salvation.
I have been sent down by the Heavens
To bring glad tidings now to you:
There are no Living with the dead here,
The tomb is empty, Christ is risen!”
The myrrhbearing women hasten away,
And with great rapture and delight
Their lips will preach to astounded Zion
The wondrous Resurrection of Christ.
M. Yelenov
Translated by Natalia Sheniloff
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