217

See my affliction, Christ, see my despondency, see also my poverty. See my weakness and pity me, O Word! Shine on me now as of old and illumine my soul; enlighten my eyes to see You, the light of the world, the joy, the gladness, the eternal life, the delight of the angels, You who are the kingdom of heaven and paradise, the crown of the righteous and judge and king. Why do You hide Your face? Why do You separate from me, my God, You who do not wish to be separated (383) ever from those who love You? Why do you flee me, why do you burn me, why do you cut and crush me? You know that I love You and from my soul I seek You. Reveal, as You said, and manifest Yourself to me. For I know You are true, I have known that You are truthful and love those who love You and converse as with friends not in shadow nor in appearance, nor as mind with another mind, but as the Word being from the beginning, hypostatic life, begotten of the Father and united to Him and conversing ineffably. Thus those whom You Yourself beget by Your Holy Spirit and show to be Your sons, or rather indeed Your brothers and sons of God, Your Father, with these You both converse and, seeing them, are seen by them in turn. Show, therefore, Your compassion, show Your love for mankind and Your mercy, O Savior, (384) Of which creatures then?

217

Ἴδε μου, Χριστέ, τήν θλῖψιν, ἴδε μου τήν ἀθυμίαν, ἴδε μου καί τήν πτωχείαν. Ἴδε τήν ἀσθένειάν μου καί οἰκτείρησόν με, Λόγε! Λάμψον μοι καί νῦν ὡς πάλαι καί καταύγασον ψυχήν μου˙ φώτισον τούς ὀφθαλμούς μου τοῦ ὁρᾶν σε, φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, τήν χαράν, τήν εὐφροσύνην, τήν ζωήν τήν αἰωνίαν, τήν τρυφήν τήν τῶν ἀγγέλων, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν τε καί παράδεισόν σε ὄντα, στέφανον τόν τῶν δικαίων καί κριτήν καί βασιλέα. Τί τό πρόσωπόν σου κρύπτεις; Τί χωρίζῃ μου, Θεέ μου, ὅς οὐ θέλεις χωρισθῆναι (383) πώποτε τῶν σέ φιλούντων; Τί με φεύγεις, τί με καίεις, τί με τέμνεις καί συντρίβεις; Οἶδας, ὅτι ἀγαπῶ σε καί ἀπό ψυχῆς ζητῶ σε. Ἀποκάλυψον, ὡς εἶπας, καί ἐμφάνισον σαυτόν μοι. Οἶδα γάρ ἀληθινόν σε, ἔγνωκα ὡς ἀφευδής εἶ καί φιλεῖς τούς σέ φιλοῦντας καί προσομιλεῖς ὡς φίλοις οὐ σκιᾷ οὐδέ ἐμφάσει, οὐδ᾿ ὡς νοῦς νοΐ ἑτέρῳ, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς λόγος ὤν ἀρχῆθεν, ἐνυπόστατος ζωή τε, ἐκ πατρός γεγεννημένος καί αὐτῷ συνηνωμένος καί συνόμιλος ἀφράστως. Οὕτως οὕς αὐτός γεννήσεις Πνεύματί σου τῷ Ἁγίῳ καί υἱούς σου ἀποδείξεις, μᾶλλον μέν οὖν ἀδελφούς σου καί Θεοῦ υἱούς, Πατρός σου, τούτοις καί συνομιλεῖς τε καί αὐτούς ὁρῶν ὁρᾶσαι ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων πάλιν. ∆εῖξον οὖν τήν εὐσπλαγχνίαν, δεῖξον τήν φιλανθρωπίαν καί τό ἔλεός σου, Σῶτερ, (384) Ποίων ἄρα τῶν κτισμάτων;