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near, dawn; this star is near, and sweetest sleep charms the seat of the eye; for sweetest, sweetest sleep, entering into the eyelids, has gone to frozen hearts. {CHORUS} I, caring for a frozen heart, turn a sleepless eye through all the darkness. {MAGDALENE} Let us go with speed, O dear maiden, with the vehement care of a bitten heart. Let us go then most quickly near the tomb; these women, having cast off sleep from their eyes, will come as quickly as possible with a quiet step. {THEOTOKOS} Yes, yes, let us go with speed; and may it be good fortune. I trust in all things that the advancing ray of the sun brings a day of freedom. Let us go then, let us go; and those behind, now having quietly received the sound in their ears, I think, not less than the swiftness of a dove, may they run with the eager running of their feet; for again I send forth a slender voice, a clear command, to run together to the tomb. And look, they are upright; a marvel to see of good order. Alas, alas; Child, behold the desired day, the third, now the third day's light, a hope to your friends. May it not pass by, for it is better for me to die. O Child, O dearest, O divine head, when or where shall I, the all-suffering one, see you? O Child, if only you would come to me with the speed of light; may you come, leaving the hiding-place of the dead and the gates of darkness, where Hades is established without light, but now has seen the greatest light in your descent. Come, come, appear, preceding the brightness of the dawn. All things hold you as an Olympian God, a God. {MAGDALENE} Ah, ah; I see these beds deserted of their guards. What then could it be? Has an ambush gone somewhere? {THEOTOKOS} Perhaps to set some device against us. For the crowd is bold, and now that it prevails, it is bold. {MAGDALENE} What then, sister, shall we do? For we did not find as we had hoped, but have been thwarted of our hopes. {THEOTOKOS} Be persuaded, let us go again; and may we be fortunate to find the dead one himself with armed hearts; for he saves himself whoever cheerfully commits to God; and now indeed we must walk. But for us, who will roll away the stone? {MAGDALENE} Ototototoi; Lord, Lord imperishable, what is this turmoil? How has the stone been seen rolled away all at once? And the tomb of the Master is seen empty. Therefore I will go away and tell the dear disciples of the removal of the corpse, and I will return again with speed; may I find you here again with the women, maiden. {THEOTOKOS} Well, well, you have returned most quickly now, dear friend; but I, still looking at the lifted stone, astounded, have shuddered, how it was seen so suddenly rolled away from the door before the tomb. Ah, ah; silence, silence. Who then is this one of bright-fiery form, who now sits above the stone, all-comely, graceful in a white garment? For he shines like soft new snow. And behold the guards also, as if dead, below. {ANGEL} But you, do not be alarmed, nor let there be fear; for he who is sought is no longer in the tomb, the Lord Jesus who was crucified this year; he is no longer in the tomb remaining a corpse, but having been raised he runs to Galilee; as he said, he wishes now to be seen by the disciples. And going, behold the empty place. Go then, go and tell these things to them clearly; for I have said all things, and tell all things to all, together with Peter, that Hades is gone, Christ is risen from the tomb, and the stone of the tomb has been mightily driven away; and the guards of Hades, overcome with fear, opened the gates, and the dead leap toward the earth of light, calling upon God their savior; for him all bonds were broken automatically. {THEOTOKOS} O this beautifully shining splendor of the sun; the end of cares has arrived, as was hoped. The enemy has fallen, Christ is risen from the tomb. With dawn present, what could be sweeter? What could be more joyous for me? Where then, having cast down Hades, do you go, Child? Where, where, and when might I see you, Child? Come, come and appear to your mother with speed. {MAGDALENE} You will see him sooner than most, I think. But let us go away, as the white-robed one said, to announce the joy to all the dear disciples. First I will go to Peter and the virgin, bearing the good news to our friends; for the one who appeared said to tell Peter also. I will go then to tell of the emptying of the tomb and the sight of the one who appeared and his words; and they nevertheless ran to see the tomb, and I think they saw everything well. But O! whom do I see? The Master in a new sight? I do not know for sure; but it is possible to guess; for by his form he is not some common person to encounter. {CHRIST}

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πέλας, ἀώς· ὅδ' ἀστὴρ ἔγγιος, θέλγει δ' ἕδραν ὄμματος ἅδιστός γ' ὕπνος· ἅδιστος ἅδιστος γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βλεφάροις ἐνδὺς ἔβα παχνουμέναις ταῖς καρδίαις. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἐγὼ μέλουσα καρδίᾳ παχνουμένῃ, ἄγρυπνον ὄμμα πᾶσαν ἀν' ὄρφναν στρέφω. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Ἄμμες τάχει στείχωμεν, ὦ φίλα κόρα, σφοδρᾷ μελήσει καρδίας δεδηγμένης. Στείχωμεν οὖν τάχιστα τοῦ τύμβου πέλας· αἵδ' ἀποβαλοῦσαι τὸν ὕπνον ὀμμάτων, ἥξουσιν ὡς τάχιον ἡσύχῳ βάσει. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ναὶ ναὶ τάχει στείχωμεν· εὖ δ' εἴη τυχεῖν. Πέποιθα πᾶσιν ἡμέραν ἐλευθέραν ἀκτῖνα τὴν στείχουσαν ἡλίου φέρειν. Ἄπιμεν οὖν, ἄπιμεν· αἱ δὲ κατόπιν νῦν ὠσὶν ἠχὴν ἠρέμα δεδεγμέναι, οἶμαι, πελείας ὠκύτητ' οὐχ ἥσσονες ποδῶν δράμωσι συντόνοις δρομήμασι· αὖθις γὰρ ἀφίημι ῥαδινὴν ὄπα, σαφῆ κελευσμόν, συντρέχειν πρὸς τὸν τάφον. Ὀρθαὶ δ' ἰδού γε· θαῦμ' ἰδεῖν εὐκοσμίας. Αἲ αἴ· Τέκνον, ποθεινὸν ἦμαρ ἰδοὺ τὸ τρίτον, τριταῖον ἤδη φέγγος, ἐλπὶς σοῖς φίλοις. Μὴ δὴ παρέλθοι, καὶ θανεῖν με ξυμφέρει. Ὦ Τέκνον, ὦ φίλτατον, ὦ θεῖον κάρα, πότ' ἄρ' ἐγώ σ' ἢ ποῦ σ' ἡ παντλήμων ἴδω; Ὦ Τέκνον, εἴθε τάχος ἔλθοις μοι φάους· ἔλθοις νεκρῶν κευθμῶνα καὶ σκότου πύλας λιπών, ἵν' ᾅδης χωρὶς ᾤκισται φάους, νῦν δ' εἶδε φῶς μέγιστον ἐν σῇ καθόδῳ. Ἔλθ' ἐλθέ, φάνηθι, προλαβὼν ἠοῦς σέλας. Θεὸν Θεόν σ' ὀλύμπιον τὰ πάντ' ἔχει. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Ἂ ἄ· Εὐνὰς ἐρήμους τάσδε φυλάκων ὁρῶ. Τί δῆτ' ἂν εἴη; μῶν λόχος βέβηκέ πῃ; {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ἴσως ἐφ' ἡμῖν μηχανὴν στήσων τινά. Θρασὺς γὰρ ὄχλος, νῦν δ' ἐπεὶ κρατεῖ θρασύς. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Τί δῆτ', ἀδελφή, δρῶμεν; οὐ γὰρ εὕρομεν ὡς ἠλπίσαμεν, ἐλπίδων δ' ἡμάρτομεν. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Πείθου, πάλιν στείχωμεν· εὖ δ' εἴη τυχεῖν τὸν νεκρὸν αὐτὸν καρδίαις ὡπλισμέναις· σῴζει γὰρ αὑτὸν ὅστις εὐφρόνως Θεῷ ἀνατίθησι· καί γε νῦν βαδιστέον. Ἄμμιν δὲ λίθον τίς ἄρ' ἀποκυλίσει; {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Ὀττοτοτοτοί· Ἄναξ Ἄναξ ἄφθιτε, τίς ὅδ' ὁ κλόνος; Πῶς δ' ἐκκυλισθεὶς ἀθρόως ὦπται λίθος; κενὸς δ' ὁρᾶται καὶ τάφος τοῦ ∆εσπότου. Οὐκοῦν ἄπειμι καὶ φίλοις μύσταις ἐρῶ ἄρσιν νέκυος, αὖ δ' ὑποστρέψω τάχει· εὕροιμι δ' ὧδε σὺν γυναιξί σ' αὖ, κόρη. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Εὖγ' εὖγ' ἐπανῆκες τάχιστα νῦν, φίλη· ἐγὼ δὲ λίθον ἠρμένον βλέπουσ' ἔτι θαμβουμένη πέφρικα, πῶς ὧδ' ἀθρόον ὤφθη κυλισθεὶς τῆς θύρας πρὸ τοῦ τάφου. Ἂ ἄ· σίγα, σίγα. Ὁ λαμπροπυρσόμορφος οὗτος τίς δ' ἄρα, ὃς καθύπερθεν ἕζεται νῦν τοῦ λίθου, πανευπρεπής, ἐσθῆτι λευκῇ χαρίεις; στίλβει γὰρ ὥσπερ ἁπαλὴ χιὼν νέα. Ἰδοὺ δὲ καὶ φύλακες, ὡς νεκροί, κάτω. {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} Ὕμμες δὲ μὴ θροεῖσθε, μηδ' ἔστω φόβος· ζητούμενος γὰρ οὐκέτ' ἐστὶν ἐν τάφῳ, Ἄναξ Ἰησοῦς τῆτες ἐσταυρωμένος· ὅδ' οὐκέτ' ἐστὶν ἐν τάφῳ νεκρὸς μένων, ἀλλ' ἐξεγερθεὶς εἰς Γαλιλαίαν τρέχει· ὡς εἶπε, μύσταις ὀπτάνεσθαι νῦν θέλει. Κενὸν δ' ἰοῦσαι τὸν τόπον κατίδετε. Ἄπιτε γοῦν, ἄπιτε καὶ ταῦτα σφίσιν εἴπατε τρανῶς· πάντα γὰρ ἔγωγ' ἔφην, καὶ πάντα πᾶσιν εἴπατε ξὺν τῷ Πέτρῳ, ὡς φροῦδος ᾅδης, Χριστὸς ἀνέστη τάφου, τάφου δὲ λίθος εὐσθενῶς ἀπηλάθη· φρουροί τ' ἄϊδος θύρετρ' ἀνεῖσαν φόβῳ λελυμένοι, νεκροὶ δὲ πρὸς φάους χθόνα σκιρτῶσι, σῶκον ἐκκαλούμενοι Θεόν· τῷ γ' αὐτόματα δεσμὰ πάντ' ἀπερράγη. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ὦ καλλιφεγγὲς ἡλίου σέλας τόδε· πέφθακεν, ὡς ἤλπιστο, τέρμα φροντίδων. Πέπτωκεν ἐχθρός, Χριστὸς ἀνέστη τάφου. Ἠοῦς παρούσης τίς ποτ' ἄρ' ἡδυτέρα; τί δ' ἂν ἐμοὶ γένοιτο χαριέστερον; Πῇ γοῦν τὸν ᾅδην καββαλὼν βαίνεις, Τέκνον; πῇ πῇ δ' ἐγώ σε καὶ πότ' ἂν ἴδω, Τέκνον; Ἔλθ' ἐλθὲ καὶ φάνηθι μητρὶ σῇ τάχει. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Ὄψει γε θᾶττον, ὡς ἐγᾦμαι, πλειόνων. Ἀλλ' ἀπίωμεν, ὡς ὁ λευχείμων ἔφη, μύσταις φίλοις ἅπασι χάρμα μηνύσαι. Πρῶτον δ' ἄπειμι πρὸς Πέτρον καὶ παρθένον, εὐάγγελον φέρουσα βάξιν τοῖς φίλοις· ὁ γὰρ φανεὶς εἴρηκεν εἰπεῖν καὶ Πέτρῳ. Ἄπειμι γοῦν κένωσιν εἰπεῖν τοῦ τάφου καὶ τὴν ὅρασιν τοῦ φανέντος καὶ λόγους· οὗτοι δ' ὅμως ἔδραμον ἰδεῖν τὸν τάφον, οἶμαι δὲ πάντα σφᾶς θεωρῆσαι καλῶς. Ἀλλ' ὤ· τίν' ἀθρῶ; ∆εσπότην καινῇ θέᾳ; οὐκ οἶδ' ἀκριβῶς· εἰκάσαι γε μὴν πάρα· μορφῇ γὰρ οὔτι φαῦλον εἰσβαλεῖν τινά. {ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ}