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who also proclaim a wonder in mysteries; but many will come to you, and you may learn everything; for I myself ran more quickly as a messenger of tidings to come with joy of heart and to bring you joy and gladness. {THEOTOKOS} You have come at the right time, and grace shall be yours; you have come at the right time, although announcing the ruin rather of those lawless elders, who devise false and vain things. For how could a tomb, or the seal of a stone, or any phalanx of guards have confined the incomprehensible Word, whose body was changed into kinship with the Father, which was also seen before walking on the wet sea as on solid ground, bearing the self-rooted, self-created Master who bears all things with power? He who came forth without in any way loosing the virginal bolts, arose with divine strength; for he in no way broke the knot of virginity. I gave birth to him, and I know how I bore him. And how could the phalanx of guards have perceived the resurrection of him who escaped the notice of angels? how does he form a body from mortal blood? how did he appear as flesh, being the Word without flesh before? and how, while remaining wholly with the Father in heaven, and wholly with everyone, was he also in my womb? The priests raged in vain over these things out of envy. But we, dear friends, let us now run to the tomb, let us go as quickly as possible to the tomb again; let us investigate everything securely still and let us declare everything, as it is, to our friends; and they themselves, running together, will see indeed. {CHORUS} And indeed Peter with his friend John, running more quickly to the life-giving tomb and having investigated everything, told their friends, as Mary of Magdala said, being believed, having run first, having investigated everything and having announced the emptiness of the tomb. {THEOTOKOS} Yes, yes, she ran to the tomb before all, and I ran with her at once, and we saw the emptiness of the tomb before, and it seemed a removal of this most beloved corpse and a placement of the body somewhere in another place. But immediately we knew how the matter stood, and Mary, running to the disciples, said this; But Peter, rising up, ran to the tomb, and the virgin disciple ran with him at once, and they saw the things that Mary had told them. And we in turn ran to come after them. But nevertheless this Magdalene is nearby, and she herself may tell every vision and event. {MAGDALENE} What do you say, lady maiden, joy of our race? {THEOTOKOS} What things you have said you foresaw and foretold to the friends, I myself am reporting these things to the maidens. {MAGDALENE} It is so, lady, just as you say. For you know, you know that I went early to the tomb, and what things I said, you heard. It is not necessary for me to speak again, the things which, having run to the all-blessed tomb with you first, then with the two disciples, and there weeping, standing by I investigated and ascertained clearly; and I saw two angels in white garments, sitting above and below in the tomb, one at the head, and the other at the feet; and seeing them flashing divinely I stood astounded with joy and fear; then in turn a voice through my ears, not one to be imagined, I received and turned in trembling; and immediately I behold Christ in a new sight; for I said that in form he was not at all mean to look upon, and I fall to the ground and was touching his feet. He sent me away and sent me to his friends; and hearing from him the things I longed to learn, that he is ascending to heaven and to the Father; but he has not yet ascended, as he said, for now, but remaining on earth, he goes before his friends to Galilee, as he told them, and awaits them; I told all these things to the disciples, the friends. They considered my words as nothing, but they themselves came running quickly to the tomb and saw the things you have heard; and it is not necessary to speak again, since you were also present a short while ago I heard and recounted, as you know perfectly well. For having heard the former things with the dear maidens, astounded with amazement to come with me with two other beloved Marys you ran to see what you had heard before, and you saw all things and your Son, as was right. But I hear that two other friends now, going away as to the country, saw him and learned all that they longed to learn, who are also running to tell the friends; and it is necessary for us to go there more quickly now; perhaps we may see the Master again. For behold, it is already the gloom of evening; let us run, therefore, let us run where I think the nocturnal gloom gathers the friends. {CHORUS} Behold, we have reached the house of Mary, where to be present

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που καὶ θαῦμα κηρύττουσιν ἐν μυστηρίοις· ἥξουσί σοι πολλοὶ δέ, καὶ τὸ πᾶν μάθῃς· θᾶττον γὰρ αὐτὸς ἄγγελος μηνυμάτων ἔδραμον ἐλθεῖν γηθοσύνῃ καρδίας καί σοι κομίσαι χάρμα καὶ θυμηδίαν. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Εἰς καιρὸν ἥκεις, καὶ χάρις σοι κείσεται· εἰς καιρὸν ἥκεις, καίπερ ἀγγέλλων ἄτην αὐτῶν γε μᾶλλον ἀνόμων πρεσβυτέρων, ψευδῆ τε καὶ μάταιά τ' ἐννοουμένων. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν εἶρξε τάφος, ἢ σφραγὶς λίθου, ἢ φυλάκων φάλαγξ τις ἀλήπτου Λόγου εἰς συγγένειαν Πατρὸς ἀμειφθὲν δέμας, ὃ καὶ πρὶν ὦπτο βαῖνον ὑγρὰν ὡς πέδον, τὸν αὐτόριζον, αὐτοπλάστην ∆εσπότην φέρον φέροντα τὸν φέροντα πᾶν κράτει; ὃς κλεῖθρα παρθένια μηδαμῶς λύσας ἐξῆλθεν, ἀνέτειλεν ἐνθέῳ σθένει· οὐ γὰρ κορείης ἅμμα διέλυσέ πως. Ἔτικτον αὐτόν, οἶδα δ' ὡς ἐγεινάμην. Ἡ φυλάκων φάλαγξ δὲ πῶς ἂν ᾔσθετο τὴν ἐξέγερσιν τοῦ λαθόντος ἀγγέλους; πῶς ἐκ βροτείων αἱμάτων πλάττει δέμας; πῶς σὰρξ πέφηνεν ὢν ἄσαρκος πρὶν Λόγος; πῶς καὶ μένων ὅλος δὲ Πατρὶ πρὸς πόλον, ὅλος τε παντί, πρός τ' ἐμὴν ἦν γαστέρα; Ταῦτ' ἐφρύαξαν ἱερεῖς μάτην φθόνῳ. Ἡμεῖς δέ, φίλαι, νῦν δράμωμεν πρὸς τάφον, στείχωμεν ὡς τάχιστα πρὸς τύμβον πάλιν· πάντ' ἐξακριβώσωμεν ἀσφαλῶς ἔτι καὶ πάντα δηλώσωμεν, ὡς ἔχει, φίλοις· αὐτοί τε συνδραμόντες ὄψονται μάλα. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Καὶ μὴν ὁ Πέτρος σὺν Ἰωάννῃ φίλῳ, θᾶττον δραμόντες πρὸς τάφον ζωηφόρον καὶ πάντ' ἀκριβώσαντες, εἶπον τοῖς φίλοις, ὡς Μαγδάλ' εἶπε Μαρία πιστουμένη, πρώτη δραμοῦσα, πάντ' ἀκριβωσαμένη καὶ τὴν κένωσιν μηνύσασα τοῦ τάφου. {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ναὶ ναὶ πρὸ πασῶν ἥδ' ἔδραμεν ἐς τάφον, ἐγώ τε ταύτῃ ξυνέδραμον αὐτίκα, καὶ τὴν κένωσιν εἴδομεν πρὶν τοῦ τάφου, ἄρσιν τ' ἔδοξε τήνδε νεκροῦ φιλτάτου καὶ πρὸς τόπον σώματος ἄλλον που θέσιν. Ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἔγνωμεν, ὡς τὸ πρᾶγμ' ἔχει, καὶ τοῦτο μύσταις Μαρία δραμοῦσ' ἔφη· Πέτρος δ' ἀναστὰς ἔδραμε πρὸς τὸν τάφον, ξυνέδραμ' αὐτίκα τε μύστης παρθένος, εἶδον θ' ἅτιν' εἴρηκε Μαρία σφίσιν. Αὖ δ' ἄμμες ἐλθεῖν κατόπιν γ' ἐδράμομεν. Ἐγγὺς δ' ὅμως πάρεστιν ἥδ' ἡ Μαγδάλα, φήσειέ τ' αὐτὴ πᾶν ὅραμα δρᾶμά τε. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Τί φῄς, κόρη δέσποινα, χάρμα τοῦ γένους; {ΘΕΟΤΟΚΟΣ} Ἅττα προϊδεῖν καὶ προειπεῖν τοῖς φίλοις εἴρηκας, αὐτὴ ταῦτ' ἀπαγγέλλω κόραις. {ΜΑΓ∆ΑΛΗΝΗ} Οὕτως ἔχει, δέσποινα, καθάπερ λέγεις. Οἶδας γὰρ οἶδας τῷ τάφῳ με πρωΐσαι, ὅσα τ' ἔφην, ἔκλυες. Οὐ χρή μ' αὖ λέγειν, ἅπερ δραμοῦσα πρὸς πανόλβιον τάφον σὺν σοὶ τὸ πρῶτον, εἶτα σὺν μύσταις δυοῖν, κἀκεῖ δακρυχέουσα, παρισταμένη ἀνιστόρησα κἀκριβωσάμην τρανῶς· λευχειμονοῦντάς τ' εἶδον ἀγγέλους δύο, ἄνω κάτω τε τοῦ τάφου καθημένους, τὸν μὲν κεφαλῇ, τόνδε δ' αὖ πρὸς τοὺς πόδας· καὶ τούσδ' ἀπαστράπτοντας ἰδοῦσ' ἐνθέως ἔστην καταπλαγεῖσα χαρᾷ καὶ φόβῳ· εἶτ' αὖ δι' ὤτων γῆρυν, οὐχ ἣν εἰκάσαι, ἐδεξάμην γε καὶ μετεστράφην τρόμῳ· αὐτίκα δ' ἀθρῶ Χριστὸν ἐν καινῇ θέᾳ· μορφῇ γὰρ οὔτι φαῦλον εἰσβαλεῖν ἔφην, πίτνω τε πρὸς γῆν καὶ ποδῶν ἐφηπτόμην. Ὅδ' ἀπέπεμπε καὶ φίλοις ἔπεμπέ με· καὶ τοῦδ' ἀκούσασ' ὧν ἐφιέμην μαθεῖν, ὡς πρὸς πόλον γ' ἄνεισι καὶ τὸν Πατέρα· οὔπω δ' ἀναβέβηκεν, ὡς ἔφη, τέως, ἐν γῇ μένων δὲ πρὸς Γαλιλαίαν φίλους, ὡς σφίσιν εἶπε, προφθάνειν καὶ προσμένειν· μύσταις ἅπαντα ταῦτα τοῖς φίλοις ἔφην. Οἵδ' οὐδὲν ἡγήσαντο τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους, ἀλλ' ἦλθον αὐτοὶ πρὸς τάφον ταχυδρόμοι εἶδόν θ' ἅπερ γ' ἔκλυες· οὐ χρή τ' αὖ λέγειν, ἅτε ξυνούσης καὶ σέθεν πρὸ βραχέος ἔκλυον ἱστόρησά τ' οἶδας παγκάλως. Τὰ πρὶν γὰρ ἀκούσασα σὺν φίλαις κόραις, θάμβει καταπλαγεῖσ' ἐμοὶ ξυνιέναι ξὺν δυσὶν ἄλλαις Μαρίαις φιλουμέναις ἔδραμες ἰδεῖν, ἅπερ ἔκλυες πάρος, εἶδές τε πάντα καὶ σὸν Υἱόν, ὡς ἔδει. Ἐγὼ δὲ κλύω καὶ φίλων ἄλλους δύο νῦν, ἀπιόντας ὡς πρὸς ἀγρόν, τόνδ' ἰδεῖν καὶ πάντα μαθεῖν ὧν μαθεῖν εἶχον πόθον, οἳ καὶ τρέχουσι τοῖς φίλοις εἰρηκέναι· κἀκεῖσ' ἐπελθεῖν θᾶττον ἡμᾶς νῦν δέον· ἴσως ἴδωμεν αὖτε καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἤδη καὶ κνέφας τῆς ἑσπέρας· δράμωμεν οὖν, δράμωμεν ᾗχι τοὺς φίλους τὸ νυκτερινὸν συνάγειν οἶμαι κνέφας. {ΧΟΡΟΣ} Ἰδοὺ κατειλήφαμεν οἶκον Μαρίας, ὅποι παρεῖναι