The Latin hymn for Vespers
Hostis, Herodes impie, Why, impious Herod, vainly fear
Christum venire quid times? that Christ the Savior cometh here?
Non eripit mortalia, He takes no earthly realms away
qui regna dat caelestia. Who gives the crown that lasts for aye
Ibant Magi, quam viderant, To greet His birth the Wise Men went,
stellam sequentes praeviam: led by the star before them sent;
Lumen requirunt lumine: called on by light, towards Light they pressed,
Deum fatentur munere. and by their gifts their God confessed.
Lavacra puri gurgitis In holy Jordan’s purest wave
caelestis Agnus attigit: the heavenly Lamb vouchsafed to lave;
peccata, quae non detulit, That He, to whom was sin unknown,
nos abluendo sustulit. might cleanse His people from their own.
Novum genus potentiae: New miracle of power divine!
aquae rubescunt hydriae, The water reddens into wine:
vinumque iussa fundere, He spake the word: and poured the wave
mutavit unda originem. in other streams than nature gave.
Jesu, tibi sit gloria, All glory, Lord, to Thee we pay
qui apparuisti gentibus, for Thine Epiphany today;
cum Patre, et almo Spiritu, all glory as is ever meet,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen. to Father and to Paraclete. Amen.
(Translation by J.M. Neale. Note that the first line of the hymn is slightly different from the revised version of Pope Urban VIII found in the Roman Breviary, which begins “Crudelis Herodes, Regem.”)
The Troparion and Kontakion of the Byzantine Rite
Тропарь : глас 1 Во Иордане крещающуся Тебе, Господи, Тройческое явися поклонение: Родителев бо глас свидетельствоваше Тебе, возлюбленнаго Тя Сына именуя, и Дух в виде голубине извествоваше словесе утверждение. Явлейся Христе Боже и мир просвещей, слава Тебе.
Troparion : Tone 1 When Thou, O Lord, were baptized in the Jordan, the worship of the Trinity was made manifest: for the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee, and called Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit, in the form of a dove, confirmed the truthfulness of His word. O Christ, our God, Who hast revealed Thyself and enlightened the world, glory to You!
Ἀπολυτίκιον· Ἦχος α´ Ἐν Ἰορδάνῃ βαπτιζομένου Σου, Κύριε, ἡ τῆς Τριάδος ἐφανερώθη προσκύνησις· τοῦ γάρ γεννήτορος ἡ φωνὴ προσεμαρτύρει Σοι, ἀγαπητόν Σε Υἱὸν ὀνομάζουσα· καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς ἐβεβαίου τοῦ λόγου τὸ ἀσφαλές. Ὁ ἐπιφανεὶς Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, καὶ τὸν κόσμον φωτίσας, δόξα Σοι.
Кондак : глас 4 Явился еси днесь вселенней, и свет Твой, Господи, знаменася на нас, в разуме поющих Тя: пришел еси и явился еси, Свет Неприступный.
Kontakion : Tone 4 Today Thou hast shown forth to the world, O Lord, and the light of Thy countenance hath been marked on us, as we sing Thy praises in knowledge (of Thee). Thou hast come and revealed Thyself, o unapproachable Light.
Κοντάκιον· Ἦχος δ´ Ἐπεφάνης σήμερον τῇ οἰκουμένῃ, καὶ τὸ Φῶς Σου, Κύριε, ἐσημειώθη ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν ἐπιγνώσει ὑμνοῦντάς Σε. Ἦλθες, ἐφάνης, τὸ Φῶς τὸ ἀπρόσιτον.
