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such as not to leave the good ancestral land; she hates the world, nor is she gladdened by seeing it. For to this point of pain has she now come, so that a desire came over me to earth and sky to tell, having come here, the harms of nature. For not yet does the wretched one cease her wailing, giving birth yet not giving birth, fleeing childbirth in turn. Wretched one, for I speak of myself, speaking of you who gives birth yet does not give birth, as is beyond reason. For I knew a birth without birth, for what shall I say? having escaped pains and corruption now and long ago. I know no pleasure nor reproachful word from any man, any more than the dipping of bronze; for no one destroyed the bond of my virginity. And how did I bear a child? O great wonder; but now, how shall I bear to see him outraged? Having escaped pains, how is my heart in pain? How I cried out long ago with joy, when the good messenger came announcing the birth, telling of an escape from enemies for the race of mortals and bringing me great, joyful gladness? But by his words I did not seem easily swayed, having been persuaded by the one bringing the divine word, not that it indicated I would bear a sacrificial victim, but one who would be king of earth and all the heavens. Nevertheless I sacrificed and by woman's custom sent forth a cry from the midst of my soul, shouting, acclaiming the message, and bringing a fragrant, sacrifice-consuming flame, such as the prophets say to sacrifice, a fiery zeal, a contrite spirit, and an unrestrainable love, exceedingly fervent, which we know is an acclaimed sacrifice. And how does a sharp dart now twist my inwards? and I was eager to run by night, and to see what mistreatment my Child might suffer; but these women persuaded me to await the light of day.

{CHORUS} Mistress, now gird your body with speed. Men are running visibly towards the city.

{THEOTOKOS} What is it? Is it announced that some secret ambush of enemies stands by night?

{CHORUS} A nightly crowd streams together in a tumult, and I see a great army throughout the darkness carrying torches and many swords. {THEOTOKOS} And look, someone now walks towards us in haste of foot, perhaps having some new thing to report. {CHORUS} Let me see what he will say and what message he will announce. Lady, lady, most holy virgin; ai ai ai ai; Great among mortals and not without name are you called pure, by as many as dwell on the plain of this earth, seeing the bright light of the sun; but now wretched is she who was once blessed. {THEOTOKOS} What is it? Does someone want to kill me? {CHORUS} No, but your Child is dying at the hands of avengers. {THEOTOKOS} Alas, what are you saying? How you have destroyed me, woman. {CHORUS} Consider then your Son as no longer existing. {THEOTOKOS} O you who have said dreadful things, will you not close your mouth and stop uttering every unseemly word? For how can you say that he who always is, is no more? Be of good omen, and if you must say something, say what is proper, and do not dishonor God. For from a golden lineage he was born to me; and it is a strange thing for the blood of God to be shed by men; for the immortal one to die has no reason. I bore him, and I know how I gave birth. {CHORUS} O wretched one, you do not know to what evils you have come and you stir up and force open these words. When dawn appears, you will see your Son's fate, as the blood-stained ones are judging him all night. And yet I see here one of the Child's followers walking, his spirit agitated, directing his course toward us in haste; and he shows that being present he will announce something new. {THEOTOKOS} What new thing, I wonder, does he wish to signify? {CHORUS} Let me see what this man, panting, wants to say. {MESSENGER} Ottototoi; Most beautiful, lady, most holy Mary, ai ai ai ai; we are lost, not by some enemy's speed. {THEOTOKOS} What sound do you murmur? What word do you cry out? Come, say, what new report frightens you now? {CHORUS} Did you hear, oh, did you perceive, oh, have you heard who it was who betrayed your Child to the blood-stained ones? {THEOTOKOS} By whom do you announce this other new evil? who is it? Surely not one of those hoped to be friends? {CHORUS} The silver-receiver, the perverse disciple, he says, the silver-keeper, rather the silver-gnawer. {THEOTOKOS} Alas, what another evil upon evil this is, if we have been undone by those who seem to be friends. Has the wretch indeed dared an undareable deed? but what

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οἷον πατρῴαν μὴ λιπεῖν ἐσθλὸν χθόνα· στυγεῖ δὲ κόσμον, οὐδ' ὁρῶσ' εὐφραίνεται. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ νῦν ἐκβέβηκ' ἀλγηδόνος, ὥσθ' ἵμερός μ' ὑπῆλθε γῇ τε καὶ πόλῳ λέξαι μολοῦσαν δεῦρο φύσεως βλάβας. Οὔπω γὰρ ἡ τάλαινα παύεται γόων, τίκτουσα μὴ τίκτουσα, φεύγουσ' αὖ τόκους. ∆ύστην', ἐμαυτὴν γὰρ λέγω, λέγουσα σὲ τίκτουσαν οὐ τίκτουσαν, ὡς ὑπὲρ λόγον. Τόκον γὰρ ἔγνων ἄτοκον, τί γὰρ φράσω; πόνους φυγοῦσα καὶ φθορὰν νῦν καὶ πάλαι. Οὐκ οἶδα τέρψιν οὐδ' ἐπίψογον φάτιν τινὸς πρὸς ἀνδρὸς μᾶλλον ἢ χαλκοῦ βαφάς· οὐ γὰρ κορείης ἅμμα διέφθειρέ τις. Καὶ παῖδα πῶς ἔτικτον; ὢ θάμβος μέγα· ὑβρισμένον δὲ τανῦν πῶς οἴσω βλέπειν; Πόνους φυγοῦσα, πῶς ὀδυνῶμαι κέαρ; Ἀνηλάλαξα πῶς πάλαι χαρᾶς ὕπο, ὅτ' ἦλθεν εὐάγγελος ἀγγελῶν τόκον, φράζων ἄλυξιν δυσμενῶν βροτῶν γένει καὶ γηθόσυνον χάρμα μοι φέρων μέγα; Λόγοις δὲ τοῦδ' εὔπλαγκτος οὐκ ἐφαινόμην, πεισθεῖσα τῷ φέροντι θέσκελον φάτιν, οὐχὶ σφάγιον μηνύουσάν μ' ἐκτεκεῖν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄνακτα γῆς τε καὶ παντὸς πόλου. Ὅμως δ' ἔθυον καὶ γυναικείῳ νόμῳ ψυχῆς τ' ἔπεμπον ἀλαλαγμὸν ἐκ μέσης, λάσκουσ' ἀνευφημοῦσα τὴν ἀγγελίαν, θυηφάγον φέρουσά τ' εὐώδη φλόγα, οἵαν θύειν φράζουσιν οἱ θεοπρόποι, ζῆλον ἔμπυρον, πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον, ἔρωτά τ' ἀκάθεκτον, ἔνθερμον λίαν, ἃ θυσίαν οἴδαμεν εὐφημουμένην. Καὶ πῶς στροβεῖ μου σπλάγχνα νῦν δριμὺ βέλος; κἀγὼ μὲν ἦν πρόθυμος ἔννυχος δραμεῖν, ἰδεῖν τε Παιδὸς ἣν κακωσύνην πάθοι· αὗται δ' ἔπεισάν μ' ἡμέρας μίμνειν φάος.

{ΧΟΡΟΣ} ∆έσποινα, νῦν πύκαζε σὸν δέμας τάχει. Ἄνδρες τρέχουσιν ἐμφανεῖς πρὸς τὴν πόλιν.

{ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Τί δ' ἐστί; μῶν τις δυσμενῶν ἀγγέλλεται λόχος κρυφαῖος ἑστάναι κατ' εὐφρόνην;

{ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἔννυχος ὄχλος ἐν θορύβῳ συρρέει, στρατὸν πολύν τε πᾶσαν ἀν' ὄρφναν βλέπω λαμπτῆρας εἰσφέροντα καὶ πολλὰ ξίφη. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Καὶ μὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς νῦν τις ἐν σπουδῇ ποδὸς στείχει, νέον τι πρᾶγμ' ἔχων ἴσως φράσαι. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἴδω τι λέξει καὶ τίν' ἀγγελεῖ λόγον. Πότνια, πότνα, σεμνοτάτα παρθένε· αἲ αἲ αἲ αἴ· Πολλὴ μὲν ἐν βροτοῖσι κοὐκ ἀνώνυμος ἁγνὴ κέκλησαι, τῆσδε γῆς ὅσοι πέδον ναίουσι, λαμπρὸν φῶς ὁρῶντες ἡλίου· τανῦν δὲ τάλαιν' ἡ πάλαι μακαρία. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Τί δ' ἐστίν; ἤ πω τίς μ' ἀποκτεῖναι θέλει; {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Οὔκ, ἀλλὰ Παῖς θνῄσκει σὸς ὑπ' ἀλαστόρων. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Οἴμοι, τί λέξεις; ὥς μ' ἀπώλεσας, γύναι. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ὡς οὐκέτ' ὄντος Υἱέος φρόντιζε δή. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ὦ δεινὰ λέξασ', οὐχὶ συγκλείσεις στόμα καὶ πᾶν μεθήσεις ἀπρεπὲς ῥῆμ' ἐκφέρειν; Τὸν ὄντ' ἀεὶ γὰρ μηκέτ' εἶναι πῶς λέγεις; Εὔφημος ἴσθι, κἄν τί σοι χρεία λέγειν, λέγ' ὡς προσήκει, μηδ' ἀτιμάσῃς Θεόν. Γονᾶς γὰρ ἀπὸ χρυσέας ἔβλαστέ μοι· καινὸν δὲ πίτνειν αἷμ' ὑπ' ἀνέρων Θεοῦ· θανεῖν τὸν ἀθάνατον οὐκ ἔχει λόγον. Ἔτικτον αὐτόν, οἶδα δ' ὡς ἐγεινάμην. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ὦ τλῆμον, οὐκ οἶσθ' οἷ κακῶν ἐλήλυθας καὶ τούσδε κινεῖς κἀναμοχλεύεις λόγους. Ἠοῦς φανείσης, Υἱέος γ' ὄψει μόρον, ὡς πάννυχον κρίνουσιν οἱ μιαιφόνοι. Καίτοι δέδορκ' ἐνθάδε τῶν Παιδὸς τινὰ στείχοντ' ὀπαδῶν, πνεῦμά τ' ἠρεθισμένον, σπουδῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τόνδ' ἰθύνοντα δρόμον· δείκνυσι δ' ὥς τι καινὸν ἀγγείλῃ παρών. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Τί δήποτ' ἆρα σημάναι νέον θέλει; {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἴδω τί λέξαι πνευστιῶν οὗτος θέλει. {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} Ὀττοτοτοί· Καλλίστα, πότνα, σεμνοτάτα Μαρία, αἲ αἲ αἲ αἴ· ἀπωλόμεσθ' οὐ δυσμενῶν τάχ' ὑπό του. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Τίνα θροεῖς αὐδάν; τίνα βοᾷς λόγον; Ἄγ' εἰπέ, τίς φοβεῖ σε φήμ' αὖθις νέα; {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἔκλυες ὤ, ἄϊες ὤ, ἤκουσας ὃς ὃς Παῖδα σὸν προὔδωκε τοῖς μιαιφόνοις; {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Πρὸς τοῦ τόδ' ἄλλο καινὸν ἀγγελεῖς κακόν; τίς ἐστι; μῶν τις τῶν φιλεῖν ἠλπισμένων; {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἀργυροδέκτης, δύστροπος μύστης, λέγει, ἀργυροφύλαξ, ἀργυροτρώκτης πλέον. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Οἴμοι, τόδ' οἷον ἄλλο πρὸς κακῷ κακόν, εἰ τοῖς φιλεῖν δοκοῦσι κατειργάσμεθα. Ἦ που τετόλμηκ' ἔργον ἄτολμον τάλας; τί δ'