A Supplicatory Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos
Ode I, Irmos: In the deep of old the infinite Power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army. * But the Incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin. * Exceedingly glorious is the Lord, * for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With the Archangel Gabriel the Church offereth in hymnody an ever-flowering wreath of praise, which sprang forth through the Spirit unto thee, the Bride of God, О pure one, chanting “Rejoice!” and crowning thee with honour.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Having cultivated Christ God, the life-bearing vine, О all-hymned Mother of God, thou wast revealed to be the holy ground of the Father in a manner transcending understanding, watering the whole world with life-bearing drink, О pure one, full of the grace of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
О most pure one, thou hast given birth to the God of the whole world which is cruelly battered and engulfed by the waves of transgressions, the Lord of us all, Christ the Helmsman, Who faithfully pilots us to the haven of salvation.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
We all faithfully entreat thee, О Mary, Mother of God, thou refuge and city of salvation, and we fervently make supplication unto thee: Accept the entreaties of us thy servants, and release us all from the condemnation of transgressions.
Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, who didst slay sin upon the tree, * firmly establish us in Thee, * and in the hearts of us who hymn Thee * plant the fear of Thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The beguilement of Eve was the beginning of the estrangement between God and mortals; but the holy Theotokos hath led us back to God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The glorious Joachim begat thee, the treasury of Life, for the world, О all-hymned one, and he rejoiceth in thee, his goodly offspring, for thou didst come as the expectation of thy barren parents.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
From Anna hath joy blossomed forth for our race. Thou hast given birth to the King as a Virgin. And women, released from the curse by thee, rejoice in thy birthgiving.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The bush on Sinai prefigured Thy most glorious birthgiving, О Virgin; for, receiving the fire of the Godhead within thy womb, О pure one, thou wast not consumed.
Ode IV, Irmos: I have heard report O Lord, * of Thy glorious dispensation, * and I have glorified, Thine unapproachable power, * O Lover of mankind.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
In a godly manner Jacob foresaw thee as a ladder, О Virgin, upon whose summit God established Himself.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Through thee, О most pure one, was the descent of the angels revealed beforehand to signify the advent of the Word to us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Blessed is thy womb and thy breasts, О all-hymned Virgin; for, for their sake, we have all found Life.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
With Orthodox voices we mystically hymn thee, О Mother of God, for by thy supplications the Church is preserved.
Ode V, Irmos: O Christ my Saviour, the enlightenment of those lying in the darkness of sin. * I rise early to hymn Thee O King of Peace, * enlighten me with Thy radiance, * for I know no other God than Thee.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
We hymn thee, О Mary Theotokos, as one more honourable than the ark of the law, for thou, О all-hymned one, didst bear the Creator and God of all like the tablets of the law.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
We glorify thee as the throne of God the Word, sitting upon which, God hath revealed Himself as a man; and thou hast become more exalted than the cherubim.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Thou hast released the whole race of mankind from bitter bondage, О Virgin, and hast honoured the nature of women with the freedom of Christ in thy divine birthgiving.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou hast given birth to the Son, О Virgin, and women manifestly vanquish the enemy; wherefore, holding fast to virginity, they hasten to thee, О Maiden.
Ode VI, Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, * I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: * Raise me up from corruption, O God.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
With the angel we faithfully cry out to thee: Rejoice, О pure virgin, thou joy of the world! Grant us thy joy, and do away with our grief!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Unto us who with faith praise thee, the dwelling-place of joy which cannot be taken away, О Ever-virgin Mother, grant thy joy and do away with our grief.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
In thy divine glory thou hast been revealed to be a heaven more exalted than the heavens, О Bride of God; for making His abode within thee, our God hath appeared unto me.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Now doth the nature of women rejoice! Now doth grief cease to be and joy hath blossomed forth! For Mary hath given birth to joy: Christ, our God and Saviour.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Sessional hymn, Tone II: Looking upon the grievous slothfulness of my soul and the utter weakness of my heart, О Mother of God, heal me by thy supplications and grant me the portion of the saved, delivering me from darkness and torment, in that thou alone art my hope and consolation.
Ode VII, Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped on the plain of Dura, * Thy three children spurned the impious command, * and, cast into the midst of the flame, * they were bedewed, and sang: * O God of our fathers, Blessed art Thou!
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The fleece of Gideon prefigured the descent of the Word of God upon thee, О pure one, for thou didst accept conception like dew, О incorrupt Virgin. Wherefore, we all cry out to thee: Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, О pure one.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
New and awesome, full of faith and wondrous are thy mysteries, О Mary, Mother of Christ our God; for through thee have we all been reconciled with God the Master; and we chant now with the angels: Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, О pure one.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Of old Gideon manifestly foretold thy divine birthgiving, О pure one, setting forth a bowl full of water from the wringing out of the fleece; for God dwelt wholly within thee, О most pure one. Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In giving birth to the God and Saviour of all, О Mary, thou didst become the correction of the despairing, the restoration of sinners, the hope of the hopeless and the help of those who chant: Blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, О pure one.
Ode VIII, Irmos: God Who descended into the fiery furnace * with the Hebrew children, * and transformed the flame into dew, * do ye works hymn, * and supremely exalt as Lord throughout all ages.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thou hast been revealed to be a new garden of paradise, containing the tree of Life, not that of death, О most holy Theotokos; for like a garden thou didst seedlessly produce the Lord, through Whom we all partake of immortal life.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
The whole Church of Christ doth hymn thy birthgiving, О Theotokos, for all who flee to thee with love, sinners and poor folk alike, are saved; for Christ hath come to earth to save mankind.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Through thee, О Virgin Theotokos, thy first mother hath been freed from condemnation. And, lo! women now suffer for Christ, and female nature rejoiceth, as Thecla, the first martyred woman, doth exclaim.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
No one hath perished who in an Orthodox manner hath acquired the hope of faith in thee, О pure Virgin Mother of God; but he is cast aside who with jealousy refuses to venerate thy depicted image.
Ode IX, Irmos: Thee do we magnify, O blessed and all-pure Theotokos, * who through thy virginal womb ineffably brought forth * God incarnate, * the Luminary Who shone forth before the sun * and hath come to us in the flesh.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
О most holy Virgin, incline thine ear unto me who with faith hymn thy birthgiving with words of praise; and, accepting the hymnody of my lips like the widow’s gift, ask for the forgiveness of my sins.
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
Thy beauty shineth forth, emitting the radiance of purity, О pure one; and thy birthgiving shineth even more than these, for God, the Creator of the sun and all creation, hath been born from thee. Wherefore, we all magnify thee.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Divinely chanting in hymns with a voice of praise, О Theotokos, we beseech thee, the light of purity, the staff of virginity and Mother of God: establish us in virginity and preserve us in purity.
Now & ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In that thou hadst preserved thy body and soul undefiled for God, О pure one, Christ the King desired thy beauty and showed thee to be the Mother of His incarnation, accomplishing my salvation, О most glorious Mary.