On the Presentation in the Temple

O.4 (K.6) Title: Manuscripts and editions: Pitra, A.S., I, 5. Krumbacher, Stud., 184-20I. Cammelli, R.M., 121-54. Tomadakis, II, 305-32. French edition, II, 172-225. Menaion, February 2, Prooimion I and Strophe I. The French edition, in its introduction to this hymn, points out (11, 163n2) that there are, in all, thirty manuscripts for this kontakion and that its popularity is attested also by the fact that it is the only kontakion for this feastat least, we suppose that it was written for the Epiphany, which in 542 was transferred to February 2. The Western or Italian family of manuscripts use ; the French edition relies chiefly on A, while Maas puts the emphasis on A and P, although he does include a larger number of manuscripts than usual in the critical apparatus. The third prooimion shows evidence of much revision. It must have been composed at the time of some danger to the city or to the rulers. This circumstance would certainly not give it any exact date. The word would point to the fact that Theodora was alive. Perhaps, then, it would be dated between A.D. 542 and 548, but such dating is very dubious. Tone: Acrostic: Refrain: Biblical source and place in the liturgy: Luke 2:21-38, tells of the presentation of the Christ child in the Temple, eight days after His birth, and of the elder, Simeon, who had prayed to see the Christ and then to be released from life. The festival of the Hypapante (late form of , or coming to meet) was celebrated in Jerusalem, according to Etheria;1 but at that time, since the East did not celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25, the festival occurred on February 14, or forty days after Epiphany. The settling upon February 2 for the celebration probably
1 Itinerarium Etheriae, Otto Prinz, ed. (Heidelberg, 1960), 36.

Kontakia of Romanos: Byzantine Melodist dates from A.D. 542.2 Analysis of content: The incident of Simeon and the Christ child becomes the vehicle for an emphasis on the two natures of Christ. The formula used against the Monophysites reflects in Strophe 16 the Justinian law after the Council of Chalcedon. Thou hast at the same time remained on high and come here below. Simeon uses the exact phrases from controversies: The perfect image of the incomprehensible nature [hypostasis] of the Father (Strophe 6), and One, visible and invisible, finite and infinite (Strophe 8). The paradox of the two natures is first expressed by the angels in the series of antitheses in Strophes 1 and 2. Then Mary advances with the child and ponders on the miracle by way of wondering what to call Him man or God and she wonders whether to give Him milk or worship Him. Simeon in three strophes expresses his joy and fear as he enunciates a series of epithets of adoration with the antithetical reminders that Christ is both finite and infinite and beyond natural laws. One strophe is directed to Mary, with the figure of Mary as the closed gate, opened, protected by Christ; then Simeon prophesies how all men are to be saved, in Strophes 10 and II, and this passage leads to the central statement of theology in Strophe 12, in which the heresies are answered by way of comments on the questions that will be raised by Christs death on the cross. Some [will] surmise that His body is divine ( ); others, that it is mere phantasy ( ); ... Simeon then foretells that Marys anxieties will be as a sword that will pierce her, and the poet devotes three strophes to Simeons prayer that he may now be released from the earth. Christ replies in one strophe, in which He states that He has fulfilled all the prophecies. The closing prayer in Strophe 18 asks that violence and oppression be kept from the faithful, and the last phrase reiterates that Christ became man without undergoing change3 ( ). Connection with homily: Before the day of Roman os there were very few sermons or poems fo.r this festival.4 There is, however, a letter of St. Basil to Bishop Optimus
2 Paul Maas, Chron., 9. Maas suggests that the date of the transfer may well have been the occasion of this poem. 3 The last strophe with the reference to violence is one that appears in different forms in different manuscripts. 4 That of Cyril of Alexandria, P.G., 77, 1039D-49C and one of Pseudo-Chrysostom, P.G., 50, 807-12, are mentioned in the French edition, II, 165nl, as having some relation to phrasing in the kontakion. The one attributed to Athanasius of Alexandria is clearly apocryphal; it is by George of Nicomedia in the ninth century.

On the Presentation of the Lord that contains striking parallels to Strophes 10 through 13, to which E. Bickersteth has called attention.5 Bickersteth notes that scholars have known that Romanos borrowed ideas and words from two sources: the hymns of Ephrem the Syrian and the dramatic sermons of Basil of Seleucia; on one occasion he took as model for four successive strophes the final paragraphs of an exegetical letter of Basil the Great. In Romanos Presentation kontakion, he has Simeon, when speaking to the Virgin, use direct speech and thereby reduces Basils version by about one half. Romanos omits Anna and the prophets; he adds speeches by the angels, the Virgin, and God. Also, Romanos places the Nunc dimittis after and not before Simeons prophecy. One interesting detail is his treatment of the idea of what happens to a sinner. Basil says that the believer who sins falls, dies, then rises and lives in righteousness. Romanos adds another idea in Strophe 11.6 Also, note that Basil speaks of the various heresies in phrases reminiscent of Romanos.7 Again worthy of comparison is the idea expressed in the thirteenth strophe of Romanos when Simeon tells the Virgin that after the doubts and contradictions that will occur to her at the time of the crucifixion, Christ will send healing to her heart.8 Paul Maas calls attention to parallels to be found in the homilies of Basil of Seleucia,9 and the French edition mentions similar passages in Cyril of Jerusalem, Cyril of Alexandria, and St. John Chrysostom.10 Quite clearly the
5 E. Bickersteth, A Source of Romanos Hypapante Contakion, Actes du VI Gongr. Intern. Etudes Byz. (Paris, 1950), 375-81. Basils 260th letter, Migne, P.G., 32, 953D. 6 Bickersteth, 377-78: Compare Romanos, Strophe II: Basil, 965A: --- ---- A recently published article calls attention to these images of engraving, which alternate with light-fire metaphors. Mrs. Eva Topping had also noted the abundance of the latter metaphors in Kontakion I. She is aware of the theological appeal of both of these poems, and she writes vividly of their power. Eva C. Topping, A Byzantine Song for Simeon, Traditio, XXIV (1968), 409-40. 7 Romanos, Strophe 12, 6-8: Basil, 965B: -- -- -- --. 8 Romanos, Strophe 13: Basil, 968A: --- --- 9 B.Z., XIX, 305. He refers to Basil, P.G., 85,425-51, where there are parallels with the speech of the Virgin. Also, B.Z., XV, 15; Maas calls attention to the fact that Justinian in 553 cited Cyril in the question of . 10 Fr. ed., II, notes on pages 167, 191, 197.

Kontakia of Romanos: Byzantine Melodist authors of both hymns and homilies were intent on references to the terminology of the controversies of the day, and it becomes almost impossible to say who, other than Justinian, was the originator of the special terminology.11 Style of Romanos: This kontakion is not to modern taste, since the emphasis is not on the drama of the situation but on answers to heretics. It is, therefore, difficult for us to realize that it was the most popular of all of the kontakia of Romanos, even more popular than the Mary-Magi Christmas kontakion.12 In spite of the theological emphasis, there is evidence of the happy turn of phrase typical of Romanos. The antitheses seem to flow, the figures of speech he loved are frequent: the fire of divinity, the seal of divinity, Christ held as a lamp, frequent references to light, the gate of chastity, the healing power of Christ. Marys wonder at what to call Christ and whether to give Him milk or to worship Him is another evidence of the personal focus that lends reality to the situation.13 Meter: The metrical scheme is given in the Oxford edition, 518, IV. It is noteworthy that it follows the scheme of Kontakia. 34 and 57. The French edition even comments that the kontakaria show about 35 prooimia that indicate the use of the meter of the first strophe ( ).

11 The edict of Justinian against heretics was pronounced in 532. 12 We would have to except the Akathistos, if it is also the work of Romanos. 13 Basil of Seleucia, P.G., 85, 448A, has a similar passage ending: ; ; (Maas, Kont., 305).

On the Presentation of the Lord

On the Presentation in the Temple

Prooimion1: Let the chorus of angels be amazed at the marvel, And let us mortals lift up our voices in a hymn, As we see the ineffable condescension of God; For the hands of an old man embrace The One at whom the powers of Heaven tremble. The only friend of man. Prooimion2: Thou who for us didst assume flesh from the Virgin, Thou who wast lifted up as an infant in the arms of an old man, Magnify the power of our faithful rulers;14 Strengthen them in Thy power, O Word, Make joyous their righteous kingdom, Thou, the only friend of man.15 Prooimion3: Thou who didst sanctify the Virgins womb by Thy birth, Thou who hast blest the hands of Simeon, as was fitting, Thou, who dost hasten to save us, O Christ, God, Bring peace to the state in the midst of wars, And strengthen the rulers whom Thou dost love, Thou, the only friend of man. Strophe 1: Angels Let us hasten to the mother of God, if we wish to see her Son presented to Simeon. The angels, beholding from on high, were amazed, saying: We behold now marvelous and remarkable things, incomprehensible, ineffable. He who is the Creator of Adam, is being baptized as a child. He who is not to be contained in space is held in the arms of the Elder.16

14 Ps. 84[85]:10: The horns of the righteous shall be exalted. Romanos frequently uses the phrase exalt your horn meaning increase your power. The horn throughout the O.T. was used metaphorically to signify honor, strength, power, because horns were considered important to animals both as weapons and ornamentation; they are even symbols of victory. 15 Most strophes need Thou or He to complete the sentence in English. The gender of the Greek makes the meaning clear. 16 Similar to Cyril of Jerusalem, P.G., 33,1196.

Kontakia of Romanos: Byzantine Melodist He who exists in the infinite arms of His Father, Of His own will is limited in His flesh and not in His divinity, The only friend of man. Strophe 2: When they pronounced these words, invisibly they adored the Lord, And they called men happy Because the One borne on the wings of the Cherubim lived among them, Because He appeared accessible to men on earth, But inaccessible to the angels. He who fashions children in the wombs of their mothers17 Became, without change, the child of the Virgin, and remained inseparable From the Father and Holy Spirit, coeternal with them, The only friend of man. While the angels sang hymns to the lover of men, Mary advanced, Holding Him in her arms; And she pondered on how she became mother and remained a virgin, For she realized that the birth was supernatural; she was awed and she trembled. Meditating on these things, she said to herself: How shall I fmd a name for Thee, my son? For if I call Thee the man I see Thou art, yet Thou art more than man. Thou hast kept my virginity unsullied, Thou, the only friend of man. Shall I call Thee perfect man? But I know that Thy conception was divine, For no mortal man Was ever conceived without intercourse and seed as Thou, O blameless One. And if I call Thee God, Iam amazed at seeing Thee in every respect like me, For Thou hast no traits which differ from those of man, Yet Thou wast conceived and born without sin.

Strophe 3:

Mary

Strophe 4: Mary

17 Isa. 44:24

On the Presentation of the Lord Shall I give Thee milk, or worship Thee, for Thy deeds18 Proclaim Thee God beyond time, even after Thou didst become man? Thou, the only friend of man. Strophe 5: Thus the Lord was brought in and carried along with the burnt offerings In the temple, as was written. The blessed Simeon received Him from the arms of His mother. Joy and fear constrained the righteous man, for with the eyes of the spirit He saw the ranks of archangels and of angels Standing erect with reverence and glorifying Christ; And praying earnestly to himself, he cried: Guard Me, and do not let the fIre of Thy divinity harm me, Thou, the only friend of man. Miserable a short time ago, I am now made strong, since I have seen Thy salvation, O Lord, Thou art the perfect image Of the incomprehensible nature of the Father, the inaccessible luminary, The unchangeable seal of divinity, the radiance of glory19 Which in truth illumines the spirits of men,20 Thou, existing before time and Creator of the universe. For Thou art the light shining from afar, inviolate, infinite, And incomprehensible, although Thou hast become man, Thou, the only friend of man. O Thou, good, and lover of man, Thou who hast of old received the offerings of Abel And of other righteous men,21 To whom, all-holy One wilt Thou present the sacrifices and burnt offerings? Since I know that there is no greater one, O Lord, not to be

Simeon

Strophe 6: Simeon

Strophe 7: Simeon

18 19 20 21

See note 13 of the introduction to this poem. Wisdom of Sol. 7:26; Heb. 1:3. Again, parallels are found in St. Cyril of Jerusalem, P.G., 33, 1196B. This corresponds to the old liturgical formula: , ---- , . See Fr. ed., II, 183n1.

Kontakia of Romanos: Byzantine Melodist apprehended with mere reason, For Thy Father in no way surpasses Thee in substance, Thou art cosubstantial and coeternal. But in order that Thou mayst reveal that Thou art in truth what Thou hast become, As protector of Thy own law, Thou hast presented the sacrifice, Thou, the only friend of man. Strophe 8: Simeon Thou art great and glorious, Thou whom the Almighty miraculously produced, O all-holy child of Mary; For I call Thee one, visible and invisible, fmite and infmite. I believe and know Thee to be the eternal Son of God in accordance with nature; Yet I confess Thee, as son of the Virgin, to be beyond natural law; Therefore indeed it is with daring that I hold Thee as a lamp, For every man who holds up the light among men is illumined and not consumed. And so, shine down on me, O inextinguishable lamp, Thou, the only friend of man. Hearing these things, the immaculate virgin stood amazed. The old man addressed her: All the prophets heralded thy son whom thou hast produced without seed; Also, a prophet has announced these events and proclaimed the miracle:22 That thou, Mother of God, art the closed gate, For through thee the Lord has entered and come forth, And the gate of thy chastity was not opened nor disturbed; He traveled through it and kept it intact. He, the only friend of man.

Strophe 9: Simeon

Strophe 10: Now, all-holy, blameless one, I shall prophesy and explain Simeon to thee everything About the downfall and the resurrection Thy son has in store for Him: the life, redemption, and resurrection of all; 22 Ezek. 44:2.
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On the Presentation of the Lord The Lord has not come that some might fall and others be resurrected, Nor does the All-merciful One rejoice in the fall of man,23 Nor has He become manifest under the pretext of causing to fall those who are upright, But rather He zealously draws near those who have fallen to raise them up again, Redeeming from death His own creature, He, the only friend of man. Strophe 11: The manner of the fall and resurrection has been established Simeon for the upright In the light of grace. The upright fall in sin, and lie as though dead;24 But they are raised up through righteousness and faith and-are saved through grace; Passions of the flesh are destroyed and subside; The soul is aflame with virtues leading to the divine. For whenever fornication fmally subsides, chastity is established; He then checks what is worse, and restores what is better, He, the only friend of man. Strophe 12: Inspired by Christ, I prophesy to thee that from this source will come Simeon The sign to be disputed: The cross will be the sign which the lawless will erect for Christ. Some will proclaim Him God crucified; but others will call Him man, The opinions of pious and impious thus set in opposition. Some surmise that His body is divine; Others, that it is mere phantasy; still others say that He assumed from thee body without soul. While others say, with soul. He, the only friend of man.25 Strophe 13: This mystery offers such contradiction that in thy mind
23 See introduction to this kontakion for the theology of this strophe as compared with the letter of Basil of Cesarea, P.G., 32, 964C-6SA. See also Ezek. 18.32 24 Rom. 6.10-11. 25 Maas discusses the way in which the theology of Romanos adheres in the entire kontakion to edicts of Justinian. See Chron.,B.Z. 15 (1906), 1-44. Also see note 10 for similarities.

Kontakia of Romanos: Byzantine Melodist Simeon There will be uncertainty; For, O blameless one, whenever thou dost see thy son nailed to the cross, And art mindful of the words which the angel spake and of the divine conception, And of the ineffable miracles, at once thou wilt doubt;26 The anxiety of thy suffering will be a sword for thee; But after this He will send quick healing for thy heart, And unshaken peace to His disciples, He, the only friend of man.

Strophe 14: When he had spoken these words to the blameless one, the righteous old man Spoke to the Infant: Simeon Now let Thy servant depart in peace for I have seen Thee, O Lord. Let me depart to life everlasting, O Life incomparable, Since Thou hast promised me this before Thou didst come into the world, Observe carefully the limit in time of Thy word, O Word.27 Dismiss me, O Holy One, into the presence of Abraham and the patriarchs, Release me soon from the perishable world, Thou, the only friend of man. Strophe 15: Miserable and wretched are the present circumstances, since Simeon they are transitory And always have an end. For this reason Thou hast separated all the righteous from the world here; Lord, Thou hast made provision that Enoch and Elias should not taste death,28
26 The editor of the Fr. ed., II, 191n2, calls attention to the fact that Origen, in his seventeenth homily on St. Luke, mentions Marys doubts. The concept also occurs in St. John Chrysostoms homily on Ps. 13 and the Pseudo-Chrys. homily, P.G., 50, 811. 27 Pseudo Matt. 16 (Tischendorf, ed.) Simeon was 112 years old (Annorum centum duodecim). Luke 2:2529 does not state that Simeon was old but merely that he was waiting for the consolation of Israel and that he had been promised not to see death before he had seen the Lords Christ. 28 Gen. 5:24; Heb 11:5; Ecclus. 44:16.

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On the Presentation of the Lord Thou hast seen fit that they be mysteriously translated from here In order that they may be in regions shining with light and free from tears. And now, O Creator, separate me from the transient world, receive my spirit, And number me among Thy holy ones Thou, the only friend of man. Strophe 16: Since Thou hast become life and resurrection for all men Simeon through Thy goodness, Release me from this life. Thou who art immortal, send me away from this life, which is mortal: Give my body over to mortal death, as with all Thy friends, But grant me, Merciful One, life spiritual and eternal. Since I have seen Thee in the flesh, and have been deemed worthy to hold Thee, I behold Thy glory along with Thy Father and the Holy Spirit, For Thou hast at the same time, remained on high, and come here below, Thou, the only friend of man. Strophe 17: The King of Heavenly Powers received the prayer of the righteous man, And unseen by others addressed him: Christ Now, O my friend, I release you from the temporal world for an eternal home. To Moses and the other prophets I send you. Tell them That, as they foretold in their prophecies, lo, I have come, And have been born of a virgin as they announced. I have been seen by men in the world and have dwelt among them as they foretold.29 Soon, I shall appear, redeeming all of you I, the only friend of man. Strophe 18: O Thou, all-holy, long-suffering, source oflife and restoration, Source of goodness,
29 Bar. 3:38.

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Kontakia of Romanos: Byzantine Melodist Look down from Heaven and behold all those who trust Thee. Redeem our life, Lord, from all violence and oppression And guide all men in the faith of truth Through the intercessions of the holy Virgin, Mother of God. Save Thy world and protect all those in the world, Thou, who, without undergoing change, became man for us, Thou, the only friend of man.

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