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a stream dripped from there, a dreadful sight; and all were afraid to touch. But the one who pierced him, amazed, cried out somehow: “Truly this dead man present is the Son of God.” And the suffering mother, standing by the scaffolding, falls groaning and indeed presses against the wood; and she wailed at once and embraced his feet and with her hands she drew from the two-fold stream, and kissing them, she speaks thus. “O divine head, you yourself, even in death, clearly care for mortals, and you pour out purification for the human race; but no one even thinks to place you in a tomb.” But when she ceased from her laments and wails, desiring the unstained body to rise up, she clung like ivy to shoots of laurel. But after a time, released from her wails, she said: “Why do I wander in grief? I must trust in the words and deeds of my Child, all that he showed as a testimony, that for him all he wills is possible; and he himself gives a way through things despaired of.” She said these things, and at once you appeared to me. {JOSEPH} You have spoken wonders, and the deed shows it. But you (for it is not the time for the mistress to know these things) be quiet and silence your speech and lead her away from here as quickly as possible; and do not approach near those who are contemplating, nor draw near, but guard yourselves somewhere from their savage temper, the nature of a hateful mind. {THEOTOKOS} O gloriously triumphant ones, hail, O two friends, Nicodemus with the noble Joseph, you have come at the right time, and well have you done. For the misfortune of friends that befalls them badly touches also the hearts of faithful friends. Hurry now, hurry, take him down; for I see that you both have come now for this purpose; go up, go up faster, that you might bring down the body to me, so that I might kiss the master's arms and his whole body, kissing the flesh which I myself nourished. {JOSEPH} Go out, go away, lest one of the murderers do you harm, nor will he endure to see you. But we will go up, as you see, and bring down the body with our own hands, with speed. Yes, friend Nicodemus, you first with speed step on the firm rungs of the ladder, to un-nail from the two-grooved beam the body of the lion, whom the people rejoiced to have hunted. But you, go out as quickly as possible, even while lamenting; for these things are fixed, and you do not have the strength to overturn them, even if you should groan or weep. {THEOTOKOS} Wretched am I, unhappy, if I do not see my Child, even though dead, until the tomb receives him; but I must flee the people, so that I do not suffer anything. For without my Child, what love have I for life? Allow me to weep for my dead Child and to bury him, to touch his feet and kiss his limbs. Come, O my wretched hand, take hold of the dead one. {JOSEPH} Do not, do not bring your hand near, nor touch the dead one, do not, since I shall bury him with these two hands, bringing in Nicodemus as a co-worker, bearing a most lavish pouring of myrrh, so that none of his enemies may insult him, snatching his garments and carrying his body out of the tomb. For as is fitting for one who does not share his lineage, I too honor the dead one as a friend. But how we should tend to or what we should do to give the body as a favor to your mind, consider; but following my counsels, bear it in silence; for everything will be most seemly. Nor will you see anything cruel done to your dead Child; for I am not ashamed to be a Jew; but this much I will never be able, to be persuaded that your Child was not good, not even if the whole race of mortals says it and someone were to fill the mountain forests with writings, since I know that he was good. Nevertheless, stretch out, queen, your hands with the maidens, and receive your beloved dead Child, and weep, as you wish, and touch his limbs. {THEOTOKOS} You have spoken a most beautiful word, and among benefactors and friends you will henceforth be even more, as a glorious victor whose fame of victory is great. Therefore, most dear elder Joseph, take, embrace the Child and draw him near. Take him, take him now and set the body right, straighten his head, placing an arm under his neck on the right, and lift up his side. {THEOLOGIAN} Stretch out, queen, your hands, and you other maidens, receive the dead one, who gives life to the dead, and I too, as much as I am able, will receive him. {THEOTOKOS} Come, O my wretched hand, receive the dead one. Alas, alas, what do I see? What do I now carry in my two hands? Who is this, whom I hold dead in my hands? And how shall I, unhappy, reverently place him against my breast? In what way shall I lament? But may you yourself grant me to address you as dead and to kiss your every limb, my Child. Farewell,

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ἐστάλαξε κρουνὸς αὐτόθεν, φρικτὸν θέαμα· πᾶσι δ' ἦν φόβος θιγεῖν. Αὐτὸς δ' ὁ νύξας ἐκπλαγεὶς κέκραγέ πως· «Ὄντως ὁ παρὼν νεκρός ἐστι Παῖς Θεοῦ.» Τλήμων τε μήτηρ ἐμπαρεστῶσ' ἰκρίῳ, πίπτει στένουσα καί γε προσπιλνᾷ ξύλῳ· ᾤμωξε δ' εὐθὺς καὶ περιπτύσσει πόδας καὶ χερσὶν ἠρύσατο δικρούνου ῥοῆς, κυνοῦσά τ' αὐδᾷ τοιάδ'. «Ὦ θεῖον κάρα, βροτῶν μὲν αὐτὸς καὶ θανὼν κήδῃ σαφῶς, κενοῖς τε καθάρσιον ἀνθρώπων γένους· σὲ δ' οὐδὲ φροντίζει τις ἐνθεῖναι τάφῳ.» Ἐπεὶ δὲ θρήνων καὶ γόων ἐπαύσατο, χρῄζουσ' ἄχραντον ἐξαναστῆναι δέμας, προσείχεθ' ὥστε κισσὸς ἔρνεσιν δάφνης. Χρόνῳ δ' ἀπαλλαγεῖσα τῶν γόων, ἔφη· «Τί ταῦτ' ἀλύω; πειστέον Παιδὸς λόγοις ἔργοις θ' ὅσ' ὑπέδειξεν εἰς μαρτυρίαν, ὡς ἔστιν αὐτῷ πᾶν θελητὸν δυνατόν· καὶ τῶν ἀέλπτων τὸν πόρον αὐτὸς διδοῖ.» Ταῦτ' εἶπε, καὶ παραυτίχ' ὡράθης σύ μοι. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Θαυμάστ' ἔφησας, καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα δεικνύει. Ἀτὰρ σύ γ' (οὐ γὰρ καιρὸς εἰδέναι τάδε δέσποιναν) ἡσύχαζε καὶ σίγα λόγον καὶ θᾶττον ὡς μάλιστα τῶνδ' ἔρημ' ἄγε· καὶ μὴ πελάζητ' ἐγγὺς ἐνθυμουμένοις, μηδὲ προσέλθητ', ἀλλὰ φυλάσσεσθέ που ἄγριον ἦθος, στυγερᾶς φύσιν φρενός. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ὦ καλλίνικοι, χαίρετ', ὦ φίλοι δύο, ὁ Νικόδημος σὺν Ἰωσήπῳ δίῳ, εἰς καιρὸν ἥκατ', εὖγε δ' εὖ πεπράχατε. Πιστοῖς φίλοις γὰρ συμφορὰ τὰ τῶν φίλων πίπτοντα κακῶς καὶ φρενῶν ἀνθάπτεται. Σπεύσατε νῦν, σπεύσατε, καταγάγετε· πρὸς τοῦτο γὰρ ἥκοντας ἄμφω νῦν βλέπω· ἄνιτ' ἄνιτε θᾶσσον, ὡς ἄν μοι νέκυν καταγάγητε, δεσποτείας ὠλένας ὅπως κατασπάσαιμι καὶ σύμπαν μέλος, κυνοῦσα σάρκας, ἅσπερ ἐξεθρεψάμην. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Ἔξιθ', ἄπιθι μή σέ τις μιαιφόνων κακῶς δράσειεν, οὐδ' ὁρᾶν ἀνέξεται. Ἡμεῖς δ' ἄνιμεν, ὡς ὁρᾷς, καὶ τὸν νέκυν καταγάγωμεν χερσὶν ἰδίαις τάχει. Ναί, φίλε Νικόδημε, σὺ πρῶτος τάχει ἔμβαινε πηκτὰς κλίμακος πρὸς ἐμβάσεις, ἐκπασσαλεύσων διγλύφου δοκοῦ δέμας λέοντος, ὃν γέγηθε θηράσας λαός. Σὺ δ' ἔξιθ' ὡς τάχιστα, καὶ θρηνοῦσά περ· ὡς ταῦτ' ἄραρε, κοὐκ ἔχεις ἰσχὺν ὅπως ταῦτ' ἀνατρέψῃς, κἂν στένῃς κἂν δακρύῃς. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} ∆ειλαί' ἐγώ, δύστηνος, εἰ Παῖδ' οὐχ ὁρῶ κἂν τεθνεῶτα, μέχρι καὶ τύμβος λάβῃ· φύγω δὲ δῆμον, ἵνα μή τι καὶ πάθω. Παιδὸς γὰρ ἄνευ τίς ἔρως μοι τοῦ βίου; Κλαῦσαι νεκρόν μοι Παῖδα καὶ θάψαι πάρες, ψαῦσαι ποδῶν τε καὶ κατασπάσαι μέλη. Ἄγ', ὦ τάλαινα χεὶρ ἐμή, νεκροῦ λαβοῦ. {ΙΩΣΗΦ} Μὴ μὴ προσοίσῃς χεῖρα, μηδ' ἅψῃ νεκροῦ, μὴ δῆτ' ἐπεί μιν ταῖνδ' ἐγὼ θάψω χεροῖν, τὸν Νικόδημον εἰσφέρων συνεργάτην, μύρων χύσιν φέροντα δαψιλεστάτην, ὡς μή τις αὐτὸν δυσμενῶν καθυβρίσῃ, πέπλους ἀνασπῶν σῶμά τ' ἐκφέρων τάφου. Ὡς γὰρ προσήκει μὴ γένους κοινωνίαν ἔχοντι, κἀγὼ τὸν νέκυν τιμῶ φίλον. Πῶς δ' οὖν κομίζειν ἢ τί χρὴ δεδρακότας τὸν νεκρὸν ἡμᾶς σῇ χαρίζεσθαι φρενί, φρόντιζ'· ἐμοῖς δὲ χρωμένη βουλεύμασι, σιγῇ φέρ'· ἔσται γὰρ τὸ πᾶν πανευπρεπές. Οὐδ' ὠμὸν εἰς σὸν Παῖδα τεθνεῶτ' ἴδῃς· εἶναι γὰρ Ἰουδαῖος οὐκ ἀναίνομαι· ἀτὰρ τοσοῦτον οὐ δυνήσομαί ποτε τὸν σὸν πιθέσθαι Παῖδ' ὅπως οὐκ ἐσθλὸς ἦν, οὐδ' εἰ τὸ σύμπαν τῶν βροτῶν λέγει γένος καὶ τὴν ὀρεινὴν γραμμάτων πλήσειέ τις ὕλην, ἐπεί μιν ἐσθλὸν ὄντ' ἐπίσταμαι. Ἔκτειν' ὅμως, ἄνασσα, χεῖρας σὺν κόραις, δέξαι τε νεκρὸν Παῖδα σὸν πεφιλμένον, καὶ κλαῦσον, ὡς βούλοιο, καὶ ψαῦσαι μελῶν. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Κάλλιστον εἶπας μῦθον, ἐν δ' εὐεργέταις τὸ λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ φίλοις ἔσῃ πλέον, ὡς καλλίνικος ᾗ κλέος νίκης μέγα. Οὐκοῦν, γεραιὲ φίλτατ' Ἰωσήφ, λάβε, ἐναγκάλισαι Παῖδα καὶ προσέλκυσαι. Λαβοῦ λαβοῦ νῦν καὶ κατόρθωσον δέμας, ὄρθου κεφαλήν, πῆχυν ἐνθεὶς αὐχένι ἐνδέξια, πλευρὰν δὲ τοῦδ' ἀείρατε. {ΘΕΟΛΟΓΟΣ} Ἔκτειν', ἄνασσα, χεῖρας, αἵ τ' ἄλλαι κόραι, δέχνυσθε νεκρόν, ὃς νεκροῖς ζωὴν διδοῖ, κἀγὼ δ', ὅσον δύναμις, ὑποδέξομαι. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ἄγ', ὦ τάλαινα χεὶρ ἐμή, νεκρὸν λάβε. Φεῦ φεῦ, τί λεύσσω; ταῖν χεροῖν τί νῦν φέρω; τίς ἐστιν οὗτος, ὃν νέκυν χεροῖν ἔχω; πῶς καί νιν ἡ δύστηνος εὐλαβουμένη πρὸς στέρνα θῶμαι; τίνα θρηνήσω τρόπον; αὐτὸς δὲ δοίης καὶ προσειπεῖν σ' ὡς νέκυν καὶ πᾶν κατασπάσαι με σὸν μέλος, Τέκνον. Χαῖρ',