Paschal troparion
Encyclopedia
The Paschal troparion or Christos anesti (Greek: Χριστὸς ἀνέστη) is the characteristic hymn
for the celebration of Pascha
(Easter) in the Eastern Orthodox Church
and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite
.
Like most troparia
it is a brief stanza often used as a refrain between the verses of a Psalm
, but is also used on its own. Its authorship is unknown. It is nominally sung in Tone
Five, but often is sung in special melodies not connected with the Octoechos
. It is often chanted thrice (three times in succession).
at the end of the procession
around the church which takes place at the beginning of Matins
. When all are gathered before the church's closed front door, the clergy and faithful take turns chanting the troparion, and then it is used as a refrain
to a selection of verses from Psalms 67 and 117 (this is the Septuagint numbering; the KJV numbering is 68 and 118):
In the remainder of the Vigil
it is sung after each ode
of the canon
, at the end of the Paschal stichera at the Aposticha
, thrice at the dismissal
of Matins, and at the beginning and end of the Paschal Hours
. It is chanted again with the same selection of Psalm verses at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy
, at the Little Entrance
, during and following Communion
, and at the dismissal of the Liturgy. It is then chanted again with the refrains at the beginning of Vespers
, and at the dismissal of Vespers. This same pattern persists throughout Bright Week
.
After Thomas Sunday (the Sunday after Pascha), it is either sung or read thrice at the beginning of most services and private prayers in place of the usual invocation of the Holy Spirit
, "O Heavenly King", and at the dismissals, during the 39-day paschal afterfeast
; that is, up to and including the day before the Ascension of the Lord.
, but it is usually sung either in the local liturgical language, or in the vernacular
where it is not the same. In recent years, the custom has developed of chanting the Paschal troparion in a number of different languages. A typical translation in English
runs:
Or, from the Byzantine, Ruthenian Rite
In Old Slavonic:
This translates the Greek
:
During the Paschal Vigil and the Vespers
the following afternoon is not uncommon for the troparion to be performed in as many languages as the choir can manage.
Bulgarian
Church Slavonic
Arabic
و وطئ الموت بالموت
و وهب الحياة
للذين في القبور
}}
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
for the celebration of Pascha
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
(Easter) in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
.
Like most troparia
Troparion
A troparion in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a short hymn of one stanza, or one of a series of stanzas. The word probably derives from a diminutive of the Greek tropos...
it is a brief stanza often used as a refrain between the verses of a Psalm
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
, but is also used on its own. Its authorship is unknown. It is nominally sung in Tone
Echos
Echos is the name in Byzantine music theory for a mode within the eight mode system , each of them ruling several melody types, and it is used in the melodic and rhythmic composition of Byzantine chant , differentiated according to the chant genre and according to the performance style...
Five, but often is sung in special melodies not connected with the Octoechos
Octoechos (liturgy)
The Octoechos —literally, the book "of the Eight Tones"—contains an eight-week cycle, providing texts to be chanted for every day at Vespers, Matins, the Divine Liturgy, Compline and the Midnight Office...
. It is often chanted thrice (three times in succession).
Usage
The troparion is first sung during the Paschal VigilEaster Vigil
The Easter Vigil, also called the Paschal Vigil or the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this service that people are baptized and that adult catechumens are received into...
at the end of the procession
Crucession
A Crucession, or Cross Procession , is a procession that takes place in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions. The name derives from the fact that the procession is headed by a cross....
around the church which takes place at the beginning of Matins
Matins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
. When all are gathered before the church's closed front door, the clergy and faithful take turns chanting the troparion, and then it is used as a refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
to a selection of verses from Psalms 67 and 117 (this is the Septuagint numbering; the KJV numbering is 68 and 118):
Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face (Ps. 68:1)
As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire (Ps. 68:2a)
So the sinners will perish before the face of God; but let the righteous be glad (Ps. 68:2b)
This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:24)
In the remainder of the Vigil
All-Night Vigil
The All-Night Vigil , Opus 37, is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff,written and premiered in 1915. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical...
it is sung after each ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
of the canon
Canon (hymnography)
A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticles. Most of these are found in the Old Testament, but the final ode is taken from the Magnificat and...
, at the end of the Paschal stichera at the Aposticha
Aposticha
The Aposticha are a set of hymns accompanied by psalm verses that are chanted towards the end of Vespers and Matins in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite....
, thrice at the dismissal
Dismissal (liturgy)
The Dismissal is the final blessing said by a Christian priest or minister at the end of a religious service. In liturgical churches the dismissal will often take the form of ritualized words and gestures, such as raising the minister's hands over the congregation, or blessing with the sign of the...
of Matins, and at the beginning and end of the Paschal Hours
Paschal Hours
The Paschal Hours are the form in which the Little Hours are chanted on Pascha and throughout Bright Week in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.Specifically, the Paschal Hours replace:...
. It is chanted again with the same selection of Psalm verses at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
, at the Little Entrance
Entrance (Liturgical)
In Eastern Orthodoxy, an entrance is a procession during which the clergy enter into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors. The origin of these entrances goes back to the early church, when the liturgical books and sacred vessels were kept in special storage rooms for safe keeping and the procession...
, during and following Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
, and at the dismissal of the Liturgy. It is then chanted again with the refrains at the beginning of Vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
, and at the dismissal of Vespers. This same pattern persists throughout Bright Week
Bright Week
Bright Week or Renewal Week is the name used by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches of the Byzantine Rite for the period of seven days beginning on Pascha and continuing up to the following Sunday, which is known as Thomas Sunday...
.
After Thomas Sunday (the Sunday after Pascha), it is either sung or read thrice at the beginning of most services and private prayers in place of the usual invocation of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, "O Heavenly King", and at the dismissals, during the 39-day paschal afterfeast
Afterfeast
An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches ....
; that is, up to and including the day before the Ascension of the Lord.
Text and translations
The troparion was originally composed in Koine GreekKoine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
, but it is usually sung either in the local liturgical language, or in the vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
where it is not the same. In recent years, the custom has developed of chanting the Paschal troparion in a number of different languages. A typical translation in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
runs:
- Christ is risen from the dead,
- Trampling down death by death,
- And upon those in the tombs
- Bestowing life!
Or, from the Byzantine, Ruthenian Rite
- Christ is risen from the dead,
- By death He conquered death,
- And to those in the graves
- He granted life!
In Old Slavonic:
- Christós voskrése iz mértvych,
- Smértiju smert' popráv,
- I súščym vo hrobích,
- živót darováv!
This translates the Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
:
- Transliteration:
- Christós anésti ek nekrón,
- thanáto thánaton patísas,
- ké tís en tís mnímasi,
- zoín charisámenos!
During the Paschal Vigil and the Vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
the following afternoon is not uncommon for the troparion to be performed in as many languages as the choir can manage.
Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
- Христос възкръсна от мъртвите, като със смърт смъртта потъпка
- и на тия, които са в гробовете, дарува живот.
Church Slavonic
- Earlier version (currently only used by the Old BelieversOld BelieversIn the context of Russian Orthodox church history, the Old Believers separated after 1666 from the official Russian Orthodox Church as a protest against church reforms introduced by Patriarch Nikon between 1652–66...
) - Transliteration:
- Khristos voskrese iz mertvykh
- Smertiyu na smert nastupi
- I grobnym zhivot darova!
- Later version from the reforms of Patriarch NikonPatriarch NikonNikon , born Nikita Minin , was the seventh patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church...
, currently in general use -
- This language is not well-supported on many systems, so it may not appear as intended here.
- Transliteration:
- Khristos voskrese iz mertvykh,
- Smertiyu smert poprav,
- E sushchim vo grobekh
- Zhivot darovav!
Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
و وطئ الموت بالموت
و وهب الحياة
للذين في القبور
}}
- Transliteration:
- Al-Masīh qām min baīni'l-amwāt
- Wa wati’ al-mawt bi'l-mawt
- Wa wahab al-hayāt
- Lil-ladhīna fī'l-qubūr!
German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
- Christus is opgestaan uit de doden,
- door Zijn dood vertreedt Hij de dood
- en schenkt het Leven
- aan hen in het graf!
Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
Latin
Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
- Chrystus powstał z martwych,
- śmiercią podeptał śmierć
- i będącym w grobach
- życie dał!
- Transliteration:
- Khristoos povstaoo z martvykh,
- Smercioo podeptaoo smierts,
- E bendontsim v grobah
- Zhitse daoo!
Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
- Kristus slávne vstal z mŕtvych,
- smrťou smrť premohol
- a tým, čo sú v hroboch
- život daroval!
Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
- Kristus se zrodil z mrtvých,
- smrtí smrt překonal
- a jsoucím ve hrobích,
- život daroval!
Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
- Христос воскрес із мертвих,
- смертю смерть подолав,
- і тим, що в гробах,
- життя дарував!
- Transliteration:
- Khrystos voskres iz mertvykh,
- Smertiu smert podolav,
- I tym shcho v hrobakh
- Zhyttia daruvav!
Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
- Христос васкрсе из мртвих,
- смрћу смрт уништи.
- и онима који су у гробовима.
- живот дарова!
- Transliteration:
- Hrystos vaskrse iz mrtvihh,
- Smertyu smrt unishti,
- I onoma koyi su u grobovima,
- Zhivot darova!
Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
- 그리스도께서 부활하셨네
- 죽음으로 죽음을 멸하시고
- 무덤에 있는 자들에게
- 생명을 베푸셨나이다!
- Transliteration:
- Geuriseudo-keso buhal ha-shyeott-nae
- jugeum-euro jugeum-eul myeol-hashigo
- mudeom-ae itt-neun jadeul-aegae
- saeng-myeong-eul bae-pu-shyeott-na-ida!
Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
- 基督已經從死裡復活，
- 他的死勝過死亡，
- 把生命賜給已埋葬在墓中的人。
- Transliteration:
- jidu yijing cong sili fuhuo,
- ta de si shengguo siwang,
- ba shengming cigei yi maizang zai muzhong de ren.
Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
- ハリストス死より復活し、
- 死を以て死を滅ぼし、
- 墓に在る者に
- 生命を賜へり。
- Transliteration:
- Harisutosu shi yori fukkatsu shi,
- shi wo motte shi wo horoboshi,
- haka ni aru mono ni
- inochi wo tamaeri.
Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
- Si Kristo ay nabuhay mula sa mga patay,
- Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kamatayan, nilupig niya ang kamatayan,
- At mga nasa himlayan
- Ay binigyan niya ng buhay!
Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
- Cristo ha resucitado de los muertos,
- pisoteando la muerte por la muerte,
- y a los que están en los sepulcros
- dando la vida.
or,
- Cristo ha resucitado de los muertos,
- por la muerte, la muerte hollando;
- y a los que están en las tumbas
- la vida dando.
Georgian
Georgian language
Georgian is the native language of the Georgians and the official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus.Georgian is the primary language of about 4 million people in Georgia itself, and of another 500,000 abroad...
- ქრისტე აღსდგა მკვდრეთით,
- სიკვდილითა სიკვდილისა დამთრგუნველი
- და საფლავების შინათა
- ცხოვრების მიმნიჭებელი!
- Transliteration:
- Kriste aghsdga mkvdretit,
- sikvdilita sikvdilisa damtrgunveli,
- da saplavebis shinata
- tskhovrebis mimnichebeli.
Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
- Kristus nousi kuolleista,
- kuolemalla kuoleman voitti
- ja haudoissa oleville elämän antoi.
Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
- Feltámadt Krisztus halottaiból,
- legyőzte halállal a halált,
- és a sírban lévőknek életet ajándékozott!
Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
(Cyrillic orthography)
Belarusian
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
(Latin orthography)
-
- Chrystos uvaskros ź miortvych,
- Śmierciu śmierć zvajavaŭ
- I tym, što ŭ mahiłach
- Zyćcio daravaŭ
- Transliteration:
- Khrystos uvaskros z' myortvykh,
- S'myertsyu s'myerts' zvayavaw
- I tym, shto w mahilakh
- Zhyts'tsyo daravaw
External links
- [ftp://predanie.ru/music/Hor_bratii_Valaamskogo_monastyrja/O_divnyj_ostrov_Valaam/Tropar_Pashi_Grecheski.mp3 Paschal troparion in Greek sung by monks from Valaam Monastery]
- [ftp://predanie.ru/music/Hristos_Voskrese_Obed_hor_K-pech_Lavry_KDAiS/14_Hristos_Voskrese_(garm._A.Bessarabova).mp3 Paschal troparion in Church Slavonic sung by monks of Kievsko-Pecherska Lavra in Ukraine]
- Paschal troparion in Polish sung by the choir of the orthodox chapel in Warsaw (Poland)
- Paschal troparion in Greek sung by nuns from St. Mary and Martha's Monastery at Święta Góra Grabarka in Poland
- Paschal Troparion