ᾨδὴ Ϛʹ
A Cry from the Depths
The soul acknowledges its sinfulness and turns to God with tears and repentance.
I cried out with all my heart to the merciful God, and He heard me from the depths of Hades and brought my life up from corruption. I offer, O Savior, the tears from my eyes and the deep sighs from my heart with purity; I have sinned against You, O God; have mercy on me.
Lessons from the Wilderness
The soul reflects on the failures of Israel in the desert as a mirror for its own spiritual waywardness.
You have exiled, O my soul, your Lord, just like Dathan and Abiram; but spare to cry out from the depths of your heart, so that the chasm of the earth may not cover you. My soul, you’ve wandered off like a young cow; you’ve become just like Ephraim. Like a deer caught in a snare, rescue your life by taking flight in both action and thought. The hand of Moses will be trusted, O soul; how can God cleanse and make white a life that has been leprous? And do not lose hope, even if you have been afflicted. Savior, the waves of my sins have suddenly overwhelmed me, just like those swallowed up in the Red Sea, covering me completely as they did the Egyptians and the despairing. Ungrateful soul, you held your intention as Israel did before; for you recklessly chose the divine manna, the insatiable craving of your passions. My soul, you preferred the rich meat, the pots, and the food of Egypt over the heavenly, just as the ungrateful people did in the wilderness. My soul, you preferred the wells to the thoughts of the Canaanites—those veins of rock from which the river of wisdom flows, pouring forth the fountains of theology. Just as Moses, your servant, struck the rock with his staff, so we draw the life-giving stream from your side, Savior, from which we all drink.
The Call to Spiritual Warfare
The soul is urged to emulate Joshua in conquering the passions and entering the promised land of grace.
Search, O soul, and spy out, like Jesus son of Nun, the land of inheritance, which is, and dwell in it with good order. Rise up and fight, like Jesus against Amalek, against the passions of the flesh, and always conquering the deceitful thoughts of the Gibeonites. Cross over, O soul, through the flowing nature of time, as the Ark did before, and be established in the promise of that land; God commands.
The Savior’s Rescue
The soul pleads for the Savior's intervention, recognizing Him as the harbor and the seeker of the lost.
Just as you saved Peter when he cried out, save me quickly, Savior; reach out your hand to rescue me from the depths of sin. I know you as a calm harbor, Lord, Lord Christ; but rescue me, hastening from the depths of sin and despair. I am, Savior, the one you lost long ago, a kingdom's coin; but light a lamp and seek out your Forerunner, Word, and find your image.
The Mystery of the Trinity and the Theotokos
The ode concludes with a confession of the Holy Trinity and an invocation of the Mother of God.
I am the Trinity, simple and indivisible, yet personally distinct; I exist as one in nature, united: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Your womb bore God for us, formed in our likeness; whom, as the Creator of all, you glorify, O Mother of God, that through your intercessions we may be justified.
Read the original Latin
Ἐβόησα ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ μου πρὸς τὸν οἰκτίρμονα Θεόν, καὶ ἐπήκουσέ μου ἐξ ᾍδου κατωτάτου, καὶ ἀνήγαγεν ἐκ φθορᾶς τὴν ζωήν μου.
Τὰ δάκρυα, Σωτήρ, τῶν ὀμμάτων μου καὶ τοὺς ἐκ βάθους στεναγμοὺς καθαρῶς προσφέρω, βοώσης τῆς καρδίας· Ὁ Θεὸς ἡμάρτηκά σοι, ἱλάσθητί μοι.
Ἐξένευσας, ψυχή, τοῦ Κυρίου σου, ὥσπερ Δαθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρών· ἀλλὰ φεῖσαι κράξον ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας, ἵνα μὴ τὸ χάσμα τῆς γῆς σε συγκαλύψῃ.
Ὡς δάμαλις, ψυχή, παροιστρήσασα, ἐξωμοιώθης τῷ Ἐφραίμ· ὡς δορκὰς ἐκ βρόχων, ἀνάσωσον τὸν βίον, πτερωθεῖσα πράξει καὶ νῷ καὶ θεωρίᾳ.
Ἡ χεὶρ ἡμᾶς Μωσέως πιστώσεται, ψυχή, πῶς δύναται Θεὸς λεπρωθέντα βίον λευκάναι καὶ καθάραι· καὶ μὴ ἀπογνῷς σεαυτὴν κἂν ἐλεπρώθης.
Τὰ κύματα, Σωτήρ, τῶν πταισμάτων μου, ὡς ἐν θαλάσσῃ Ἐρυθρᾷ ἐπαναστραφέντα ἐκάλυψέ με ἄφνω, ὡς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ποτὲ καὶ τοὺς τριστάτας.
Ἀγνώμονα, ψυχὴ τὴν προαίρεσιν ἔσχες ὡς πρὶν ὁ Ἰσραήλ· τοῦ γὰρ θείου μάννα προέκρινας ἀλόγως τὴν φιλήδονον τῶν παθῶν ἀδηφαγίαν.
Τὰ ὕεια κρέα καὶ τοὺς λέβητας καὶ τὴν Αἰγύπτιον τροφὴν τῆς ἐπουρανίου προέκρινας, ψυχή μου, ὡς ὁ πρὶν ἀγνώμων λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.
Τὰ φρέατα, ψυχή, προετίμησας τῶν Χαναναίων ἐννοιῶν τῆς φλεβὸς τῆς πέτρας· ἐξ ἧς ὁ τῆς σοφίας ποταμὸς προχέει κρουνοὺς θεολογίας.
Ὡς ἔπληξε Μωσῆς ὁ θεράπων σου ράβδῳ τὴν πέτραν, τυπικῶς τὴν ζωοποιόν σου Πλευρὰν προδιετύπου, ἐξ ἧς πάντες πόμα ζωῆς, Σωτήρ, ἀντλοῦμεν.
Ἐρεύνησον, ψυχή, κατασκόπευσον, ὡς Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ, τῆς κληροδοσίας τὴν γῆν, ὁποία ἐστί, καὶ κατοίκησον ἐν αὐτῇ δι᾿ εὐνομίας.
Ἀνάστηθι καὶ καταπολέμησον, ὡς Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ἀμαλήκ, τῆς σαρκὸς τὰ πάθη, καὶ τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας, τοὺς ἀπατηλοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀεὶ νικῶσα.
Διάβηθι, τοῦ χρόνου τὴν ρέουσαν φύσιν, ὡς πρὶν ἡ Κιβωτός, καὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης γενοῦ ἐν κατασχέσει τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ψυχή· Θεὸς κελεύει.
Ὡς ἔσωσας τὸν Πέτρον βοήσαντα, σῶσον προφθάσας με, Σωτήρ· τοῦ θηρός με ῥῦσαι ἐκτείνας σου τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ἀνάγαγε τοῦ βυθοῦ τῆς ἁμαρτίας.
Λιμένα σε γινώσκω γαλήνιον, Δέσποτα, Δέσποτα Χριστέ· ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν ἀδύτων βυθῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς ἀπογνώσεώς με προφθάσας ῥῦσαι.
Ἐγώ εἰμι, Σωτήρ, ἣν ἀπώλεσας πάλαι βασίλειον δραχμήν· ἀλλ᾿ ἀνάψας λύχνον τὸν Πρόδρομόν σου, Λόγε, ἀναζήτησον καὶ εὑρὲ τὴν σὴν εἰκόνα.
Τριάς εἰμι ἁπλῆ, ἀδιαίρετος, διαιρετὴ προσωπικῶς, καὶ Μονὰς ὑπάρχω τῇ φύσει ἡνωμένη, ὁ Πατήρ, φησίν, ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ θεῖον Πνεῦμα.
Ἡ μήτρα σου Θεὸν ἡμῖν ἔτεκε μεμορφωμένον καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς· ὃν ὡς Κτίστην πάντων δυσώπει, Θεοτόκε, ἵνα ταῖς πρεσβείαις ταῖς σαῖς δικαιωθῶμεν.
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