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Rejoice. {THEOTOKOS} Hail, noble Son of the Noble One, King and universal Lord, who destroyed the final enemy, death. Lord, immortal Lord, you are a great God, grant us to touch your feet in fear; for now we fall, kissing the ground, struck by joy and by fear. {CHRIST} Do not be afraid, nor let there be fear in you. Go and tell my brothers quickly to come to Galilee, and there they will somehow see me, as I told them. {THEOTOKOS} O unspeakable brightness of the sun's ray, how graciously the dawn has now risen; O unutterable splendor of the gleam of its rays, O universal joy, O delight, O glad pleasure, O great gladness, how could one say, how could one declare in words the exultation of my heart now? But let us go, as the Lord said. {MAGDALENE} Look, near, mistress, your beloved women and all the others raised in Galilee are running to the tomb to anoint the body, still ignorant of his resurrection. Therefore, let us go with them again to the tomb; for there is no surfeit in seeing wonders. For the longing heart, desiring to know all things, being greedy for wonders is captivated, and longs to gaze often upon them. But oh! Who is this handsome youth, who, robed in white, sits at the right of the tomb? Awe seizes me as I behold the lightning of his appearance. {YOUTH} Do not be alarmed, nor let there be fear in you. The Nazarene, I know, Jesus, O women, you seek; but he is no longer remaining in the tomb, but he has risen, and the place remains empty. Go, therefore, tell the disciples and Peter that he will quickly be seen by them in Galilee. {MAGDALENE} I, trembling and overcome with fear, will go now to Peter and the other friends, bearing good tidings again; for he who appeared has said to tell Peter also. {CHORUS} But we, women, struck with awe, and driven out of our minds by this new sight, let us flee as quickly as possible from the tomb in trembling, bearing in silence all we have seen and heard, and let us utter nothing to anyone; remembering the deceits of the slanderer and fearing the strangling of his snares, his manner like a tomb fit for the dead, who played out the mystery amidst enemies. Let us flee, let us go forth from thoughts below, and to an enemy let us say nothing of what we have learned, but only to our friend disciples; for it is no evil to anyone; but something common towards the all-truth of good tidings. and no falsehood; for falsehood is not dear to us, who have rightly fled the mindset of the dead-minded and have gone out in a most beautiful ecstasy through fear, by which everyone piously turns away from wickedness. It is not right for those who go out, as I said, from the tombs to tell such a thing to anyone, nor to carry still a memorial of the dead-like manner of him who is living, held by fear and great trembling at the words of him who looks upon the trembling one. Thus let us flee from the tomb, women, so as to say nothing to anyone in a strange manner. For there is no substance of evil; whence I learn that evil is nothing, and to it, it is not right to say anything mystical; for who utters a mystery to an enemy? But the opposite seems hostile to the good, as night to day and darkness again to light, as falsehood is opposed to true speech. But let us go more quickly to the ministers of the mysteries, declaring the joyful good news to our friends. But oh! Whom do I see coming here in the night? {ANGEL} Mistress, mother of the Child, such as I have never yet heard another woman has borne. {THEOTOKOS} Who are you that is of like mind? In the night the rays are dim, and I do not recognize you clearly. {ANGEL} Ever well-disposed to you and to your slain Child, for the sake of the wonders and of your good mind. {THEOTOKOS} What new thing do you announce? What? Speak quickly. {ANGEL} Mistress, rejoice; this I say to you first; all-joyful one, rejoice; for no mortal knows how to utter a more beautiful prelude than this; but no less do I bring you prudent words; for such a message I have come bringing to you. {THEOTOKOS} Do you announce anew the Son who appeared from Hades? {ANGEL} You have understood, and you have relieved me of twice as many words; he has come and is present, as the report holds, and having escaped Hades he journeys on earth. For I have come to announce such things. {THEOTOKOS} We indeed know this; but from where do you know? Come, tell me, how do you say it? How do you speak? And how do you know? and what

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Χαίρετε. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Χαῖρ', ἐσθλὸς ἐσθλοῦ Παῖ, Βασιλεῦ παντάναξ, ἔσχατον ἐχθρὸν συγκατασκάψας πότμον. Ἄναξ, Ἄναξ ἄφθιτε, σὺ Θεὸς μέγας, ποδῶν δὲ σῶν ἄμμιν δὸς ἅψασθαι φόβῳ· τοὺς γὰρ ἐπ' οὖδας νῦν κυνοῦσαι πίτνομεν, καταπλαγεῖσαι τῇ χαρᾷ καὶ τῷ φόβῳ. {ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ} Μὴ δὴ φοβεῖσθε, μηδ' ὑμῖν ἔστω φόβος. Ἄπιτε δ' ἀγγείλατ' ἀδελφοῖς μου τάχει ἐς Γαλιλαίαν ἀφικέσθαι, καί μέ πως ἐκεῖσε κατίδωσιν, ὡς ἔφην σφίσιν. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ὦ φαιδρότης ἄρρητος ἡλίου βολῆς, ὡς ἀνέτειλε χαρίεσσα νῦν ἕως· ὦ λαμπρότης ἄφατος αὐγῆς ἀκτίνων, ὦ χάρμα παγκόσμιον, ὦ θυμηδία, ὦ τέρψις εὐφρόσυνος, ὦ γῆθος μέγα, πῶς ἄν τις εἴπῃ, πῶς ἀπαγγείλῃ λόγῳ ἐμῆς ἀγαλλίαμα τανῦν καρδίας; Ἀλλ' ἀπίωμεν, ὡς ὁ ∆εσπότης ἔφη. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Ἐγγὺς ἰδού, δέσποινα, φίλαι σοι κόραι ἄλλαι τε πᾶσαι Γαλιλαίας θρεμμάτων πρὸς τὸν τάφον τρέχουσι μυρίσαι νέκυν, τὴν ἐξέγερσιν ἀγνοοῦσαι τοῦδ' ἔτι. Οὐκοῦν σὺν αὐταῖς βῶμεν αὖθις ἐς τάφον· οὐ γὰρ κόρος τίς ἐστι θαυμαστὰ βλέπειν. Ἡ γὰρ ποθοῦσα καρδία πάντ' εἰδέναι ἐν τοῖς ἀγητοῖς λίχνος οὖσ' ἁλίσκεται ἀθρεῖν τε ταῦτα συχνάκις λιχνεύεται. Ἀλλ' ὤ· τίς ἐστιν εὐπρεπὴς νεανίας, ὃς λευκοχίτων δεξιοῖς ἵζει τάφου; θάμβος μ' ἔχει βλέπουσαν ἀστραπὴν θέας. {ΝΕΑΝΙΣΚΟΣ} Μὴ δὴ θροεῖσθε, μηδ' ὑμῖν ἔστω φόβος. Τὸν Ναζαρηνόν, οἶδ', Ἰησοῦν, ὦ κόραι, ζητεῖθ'· ὁ δ' οὐκέτ' ἐστὶν ἐν τάφῳ μένων, ἀλλ' ἐξανέστη, καὶ κενὸς τόπος μένει. Ἄπιτε γοῦν, εἴπατε μύσταις καὶ Πέτρῳ ἐς Γαλιλαίαν σφίσιν ὀφθῆναι τάχει. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Ἐγὼ τρέμουσα καὶ φόβῳ κρατουμένη πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον νῦν εἶμι καὶ λοιποὺς φίλους, εὐάγγελον φέρουσα βάξιν καὶ πάλιν· ὁ γὰρ φανεὶς εἴρηκεν εἰπεῖν καὶ Πέτρῳ. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἄμμες δὲ θάμβει καταπλαγεῖσαι, κόραι, ἔκστασιν ἐκστᾶσαί τε τῇ καινῇ θέᾳ, φεύγωμεν ὡς τάχιστα μνημείου τρόμῳ, σιγῇ φέρουσαι πᾶν ὅραμ' ἄκουσμά τε, καὶ μηδὲν ἐκφέρωμεν ὡς πρὸς μηδένα· μνήμαν ἔχουσαι τῶν λογοπράτου δόλων φοβούμεναί τε τῶν βρόχων τὴν ἀγχόνην νεκροπρεπὲς ὡς μνῆμα τόν γ' αὐτοῦ τρόπον, τὸ μυστικὸν παίξαντος ἐχθρῶν ἐς μέσον. Φύγωμεν, ἐξέλθωμεν ἐννοιῶν κάτω, καὶ δυσμενεῖ μὲν μηδὲν ἐξ ἐγνωσμένων εἴποιμεν ἄμμες, πλὴν φίλοις μύσταις μόνοις· κακὸν γὰρ οὐδὲν οὐδενί· ξυνὸν δέ τι πρὸς πανάληθες ἀγαθῶν ἀγγελμάτων. καὶ ψεῦδος οὐδέν· ψεῦδος ἄμμιν δ' οὐ φίλον, νεκροφρόνων φρόνημα φυγούσαις καλῶς καὶ παγκάλην ἔκστασιν ἐκστάσαις φόβῳ, ᾧ πᾶς κακίας ἐκκλίνει θεοφρόνως. Τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν οὐδενὶ φράζειν θέμις ταῖς ἐξιούσαις, ὡς ἔφην, τῶν μνημάτων, μηδ' ἐμφερούσαις μνημόσυνον εἰσέτι νεκροπρεποῦς τρόπου γε τοῦ ζῶντος πέρι, ἰσχημέναις φόβῳ τε καὶ πολλῷ τρόμῳ ἐπιβλέποντος πρὸς τρέμοντ' αὐτοῦ λόγους. Οὕτως φύγοιμεν ἀπὸ μνημείου, κόραι, ὡς μηδὲν εἰπεῖν μηδενὶ ξενοτρόπως. Κακοῦ γὰρ ὑπόστασις οὐκ ἔνεστί τις· ὅθεν τὸ κακὸν οὐδὲν εἶναι μανθάνω, καὶ τῷδε μηδὲν μυστικὸν θέμις λέγειν· πρὸς δυσμενῆ γὰρ μυστικὸν τίς ἐκφέρει; ∆οκεῖ δὲ καλῷ δυσμενὲς τοὐναντίον, ὡς ἡμέρᾳ νὺξ καὶ σκότος πάλιν φάει, ὡς ἀντίκειται ψεῦδος ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ. Ἀλλ' ἀπίωμεν θᾶττον ἐς μυστηπόλους, εὐαγγέλιον χάρμα δηλοῦσαι φίλοις. Ἀλλ' ὤ· τίν' ἀθρῶ νυκτὸς ἥκοντ' ἐνθάδε; {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} ∆έσποινα, μῆτερ Παιδός, οἷον οὐδέπω ἄλλην γυναῖκ' ἔκλυον ἐκτεκεῖν ἐγώ. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Τίς εἶ ποτε σὺ συμφρονῶν; κατ' εὐφρόνην ἀμβλῶπες αὐγαί, κοὔ σε γινώσκω τορῶς. {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} Εὔνους ἀεί σοι καὶ σφαγέντι σου Τέκνῳ, τῶν θαυμασίων κἀγαθῆς φρενὸς χάριν. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Νέον τί δ' ἀγγέλλεις; τί; τάχιστα φράσον. {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} ∆έσποινα, χαῖρε· τοῦτό σοι πρῶτον λέγω· πάγχαρτε, χαῖρε· τοῦδε γὰρ προοίμιον κάλλιον οὐδεὶς οἶδε προσφωνεῖν βροτῶν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἧσσον σοὶ φέρω κεδνοὺς λόγους· οἵαν γὰρ ἀγγελίαν ἥκω σοι φέρων. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Υἱὸν φανέντ' ἄϊδος ἀγγελεῖς νέον; {ΑΓΓΕΛΟΣ} Ἔγνως, λόγου δὲ δὶς τόσου μ' ἐκούφισας· ἤλυθε καὶ πάρεστιν, ὡς αἱρεῖ φάτις, κἀν γῇ τὸν ᾅδην ἐκφυγὼν πορεύεται. Τοιαῦτ' ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀγγελεῖν ἐλήλυθα. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ἄμμες μὲν ἴδμεν τοῦτο· σὺ δ' οἶδας πόθεν; ἄγ' εἰπέ, πῶς φῄς; πῶς λέγεις; οἶδας δὲ πῶς; τί τ'