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Carmen in magnum sabbatum

Sticheron chanted on Holy and Great Saturday; composed by the kyros Grand Logothete Akropolites. Plagal Second Tone. for the Veneration of the Epitaphios.

The sun hiding its own rays, and the veil of the temple torn by the death of the Savior, Joseph, having seen, approached Pilate and begged, saying: "Give me this stranger, who from infancy was a stranger in Egypt; Give me this stranger, whom his own people, hating him, scourge as a stranger; Give me this stranger, I am not surprised to see the death of the stranger; Give me this stranger, who was present to give hospitality to the poor and strangers. Give me this stranger, whom Judas deceitfully estranged from the world. Give me this stranger, whom his friend denies knowing, as a stranger. Give me this stranger, [that I might hide in a tomb,] for the stranger has nowhere to lay his head. Give me this stranger, whom his mother beseeches as though he were alive, crying: Though my bowels are torn and my heart is wounded, seeing you a breathless corpse, yet I take courage that you will be magnified by your resurrection." Having persuaded Pilate with these words, the noble man takes the body of the Savior, and having nobly wrapped it in a linen shroud with myrrh, he laid it in a tomb, granting to the faithful eternal life and great mercy.

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Carmen in magnum sabbatum

Στιχηρὸν ψαλλόμενον τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ μεγάλῳ σαββάτῳ· ποιηθὲν παρὰ τοῦ κυροῦ μεγάλου λογοθέτου τοῦ Ἀκροπολίτου. ἦχος πλάγιος β. εἰς τὸν

ἐπιτάφιον ἀσπασμῶν.

Τὸν ἥλιον κρύψαντα τὰς ἰδίας ἀκτῖνας, καὶ τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ διαρραγὲν τῷ τοῦ σωτῆρος θανάτῳ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ θεασάμενος, προσῆλθε τῷ Πιλάτῳ καὶ ἱκέτευε λέγων· "∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, τὸν ἐκ βρέφους ὡς ξένον Αἰγύπτῳ ξενωθέντα· ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, ὃν ὁμόφυλοι μισοῦντες μαστιγοῦσιν ὡς ξένον· ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, οὐ ξενίζομαι βλέπειν τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ξένου· ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, ὃς παρῆν εἰς ξενίζειν τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ξένους. ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, ὃν Ἰούδας δολίως ἀπεξένωσε κόσμου. ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, ὃν ὁ φίλος ἀρνεῖται μὴ εἰδέναι ὡς ξένον. ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, [ἵνα κρύψω ἐν τάφῳ,] ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει ὁ ξένος τὴν κεφαλὴν ὅπου κλίναι. ∆ός μοι τοῦτον τὸν ξένον, ὃν ἡ μήτηρ ὡς ζῶντα καθικετεύει βοῶσα· Εἰ καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα σπαράττομαι καὶ τὴν καρδίαν τιτρώσκομαι νεκρὸν ἄπνουν σε βλέπουσα, ἀλλὰ τῇ σῇ ἀναστάσει μεγαλυνθῆναι θαρρῶ." Τούτοις δυσωπήσας τὸν Πιλᾶτον τοῖς λόγοις, ὁ εὐσχήμων λαμβάνει τὸ σῶμα τοῦ σωτῆρος, καὶ εὐσχημόνως εἰλύσας ἐν σινδόνι καὶ μύροις κατέθετο μνημείῳ, τοῖς πιστοῖς παρεχόμενος ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.