Agni Parthene: Slavonic Lyrics (Transliterated!)
Αγνή Παρθένε (Agni Parthene; en: O Virgin Pure) is a stunningly beautiful hymn, composed by St Nektarios of Aegina in the 19th century during his tenure as director of the Rizarios Theological School of Athens. St Nektarios liked to compose hymns in honour of the Mother of God to nourish his personal prayer and that of his disciples. It is said that our Lady herself appeared before him, and requested that he record on paper a particular hymn the angelic choirs were about to sing. That hymn was 'Agni Parthene'.Expressive, beautiful and elegant, this hymn is perhaps the most accessible point of entry into Byzantine chant. One hearing is often enough to set this tune in the mind of its listener, especially with its oft-repeated refrain.
Although sung and performed in many languages, the Slavonic rendition by the Valaam monastery choir (complete with bells) in particular has fascinated and entranced many - both Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike - much more so than the other versions. I haven't quite been able to explain why, but I suspect the distinctive style of Valaam chant produces an air of tenderness and supplication unheard in other recordings.
For those who would like to follow the hymn as it is being chanted, I have found the lyrics and transliterated them for your uh, singing pleasure:
Агни Парфене (преподобный Нектарий Аэгинский)
Agni Parfene (prepodobniyy Nekatriy Aeginskiy)
Марие, Дево Чистая, Пресвятая Богородице,
Marie, Devo Chistaya, Presvyataya Bogoroditse
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Царице Мати Дево, Руно всех покрывающее,
Tsaritse Mati Devo, Runo vsekh pokriyvayushchee
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Превысшая Небесных Сил, Нетварное Сияние.
Previysshaya Nebesniykh Sil, Netvarnoe Siyanie.
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Ликов девичьих Радосте, и Ангелов Превысшая,
Likov devich'ikh Radoste, i Angelov Previysshaya,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Небес Честная Сило, и Свете паче все светов,
Nebes Chestnaya Silo, i Svete pache vse svetov,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Честнейшая Владычице всех Небесных Воинств,
Chestneyshaya Vladiychitse veskh Nebesniykh Voinstv,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Всех праотцев Надеждо, пророков Исполнение,
Vsekh praottsev Nadezhdo, prorokov Ispolnenie,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
В подвизех Ты - Помоще, Кивоте Бога Слова,
V podvizekh Tiy - Pomoshche, Kivote Boga Slova,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
И девам - Ликование, и матерем - Отрадо,
I devam - Likovanie, i materem - Otrado,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Целомудрия Наставнице, душ наших Очищение,
Tselomudpriya Nastavnitse, dush nashikh Ochishchenie,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Покрове ширший облака, и страждущих Пристанище,
Pokrove shirshiy oblaka, i strazhdushchikh Pristanishche,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Немощных Покров и Заступнице, Надеждо ненадежных,
Nemoshchniykh Pokrov i Zastupnitse, Nadezhdo nenadezhniykh,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Марие - Мати Христа - Истиннаго Бога,
Marie - Mati Khrista - Istinnago Boga,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Ааронов Жезле Прозябший, Сосуде тихой радости,
Aaronov zhezle prozyabshiy, Sosude tikhoy radosti,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Всех сирых и вдов Утешение, в бедах и скорбех - Помоще,
Vsekh siriykh i vdov Uteshenie, v belakh i skorbekh - Pomoshche,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Священная и Непорочная, Владычице Всепетая,
Svyashchennaya i Neporochnaya, Vladiychitse Vsepetaya,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Приклони ко мне милосердие Божественнаго Сына,
Prikloni ko mne miloserdie Bozhestvennago Siyna,
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
Ходайце спасения, припадая взываю Ти:
Khodaitse spaseniya, pripadaya vziyvayu Ti:
Радуйся Невесто Неневестная.
Raduysya Nevesto Nenevestnaya.
And if you haven't heard this beautiful hymn, you may listen to it by clicking this link.
Labels: Hymns, Music, Our Lady, The Orthodox Church
posted by Constantine at 1:25:00 am
30 Comments:
That's beautiful. Thank you for taking the time to post it.
hvala puno za post.
thank you so much for posting it, I was looking all over for the lyrics in russian.
spasiba
Thank you so much for the lyrics! I don't know any russian, so it makes it easier to sing and understand.
Pozdrowienia z Polski!
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I am Greek Orthodox. I know this wonderful hymn only in Greek, thanks to you i've had the chance to learn it in other languages..like russian and serbian.
Спасибо!
Dekuji! Čechy! Czechy!
Dakujem za všetkych Slovakov !!!!
Morava děkuje taktéž.
AČIŪ LABAI! Ogromnoe sposibo iz Litvy
In Arabic:
1-Azraa o ya om el ellah , ya tahera naqia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
2-Sali ela ebneki el ellah , wa haneni alya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
3-La tohmelini fel hayat , an aghraq fel khatia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
4-Bal adrekini bel naja , wa tahanani alia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
5-Ya om rub el ka'enat , wa taghamat e samawya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
6-ya bahjata kol el-rohaban , wal anfos e tohria (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
7- Sayedata kol el alam , da'emat al batoolia (oz.ria) (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
8-Ya koliat al taqdees ,tahqeeq al batolia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
9-Ya arfaa men al amlak , wa men al basharia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
10- Tasbeeha kol a sherobim , wa medhatan (al) malakya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
11-Wa ya nasheed a seraphim , wal arwahal kolia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
12-Wa ro'asa al mala'eka , wal arwahal (ajnadal) olweya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
13-Anti el batoul al maleka , wal jazatol nad'ya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
14-Zahrat 'adam el fasad ,wa kheder el batoulya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
15-Anti el mena'o lel khalas , wa farahol basharya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
16- Al arfa'o men al sama' , al lame'a al bahya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
17-Efrahi ya nahral na'em , wa zahratal abdeia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
18-Yanbo'a adam el fana' ,wa oud al hayawia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
19-Ajso ladayki dare'an , ya haykal al qodsya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
20-Najeni ya azra'o men , shrouri al radya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
21-Saouta tadarou'i esma'i , men nafsi al shaqya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
22-Taqabli meni a nasheed , wal lahna zal shagya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
23- Oleho fe tadarou'i , faqbalini najia (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
24- Wahdeeni men ba'd el mamat , hayatan abe.diya (efrahi ya arousan la arousa laha)
Thank you for the russian text, and also for the arabic one.
God bless you all!
Why does everybody think this is in Russian language? True, the monks who sing the chant that can be found on youtube are Russian Orthodox from Valaam, but the language is known as Old Slavonic, used by all Slavonic (Slavic) churches, and is like ancestral language of all Slavic languages.
This text is that one version used by Valaam Monastery.
It is not, however, a translation from the original Greek text, but a version.
I am a Russian Orthodox and can read both Slavonic (which I personally read and sing in the services) and have some basic Greek knowledge enough to recognise the discrepancies, which can be found on the very first verse, which starts with "Марие" (O, Mary), what cannot be found in the Greek text until the second strophe. Needless to say this is not a misplacement at all!
The Valaam text is a completely different text, not a translation of the Hymn St Nectarios wrote down.
Just my two shillings.
Roman Ivanovic
Hey all,
Very beautiful. Thank you for the text. this text near the end seems different from the original text. Is it possible to get an English translation of the last part?
Magnifique ! La version chantée des moines de Valaam est sublime ! Il est assez facile de trouver la partition de l'hymne en anglais et en français sur le net, mais rien ne remplace le texte original en grec, ou la version en russe !
Mahalo nui loa for posting your phonetic transliteration of the Serbian. I have FB friends in Serbia to whom I feel very close, and knowing the words in their language, as well as in English, is a great blessing.
True, Church Slavonic is Old Bulgarian, the predecessor of modern Russian. The text is Church Slavonic but the font used is Russian, hence the Я character.
Thanks for the Slavonic translation!! I'm hooked to the Valaam version of Agni Parthene. I'm gonna suggest it to my church's choir. God bless you!
A huge Thank you for this doc ! Thanks to you, I can conduct this piece with a French choir next April and make my students discover this amazing music.
So, let me get it. That's not Russian, is it? An old language called Slavonic? Do they speak it in any country nowadays?
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It's Church Slavonic which is basically Old Bulgarian, the predesesor of modern Russian. It's very similar to modern Bulgarian.
Agree I was wondering the same thing. When I was young, the Byzantine Liturgy was totally Old Slavonic, & this is what the monks are singing, not Russian.
It's a beautiful song
Million thanks !
Thanks to you I will be able to sing this song that moved me a lot
Thanks for the cheat sheet! God bless
Beautiful hymn. PAPA KIARA gave us the arabic version. Here you can hear/see it as is sang in arabic: https://youtu.be/VNMGTeI6P0M
Thank you for reposting this @Constantine. I watch/listen to the Valaam (interior) version daily and it never fails to produce goosebumps leading to teary eyed repentant prayer. Oh, here's a working link to the original source you mentioned: http://www.orthodox.spbu.ru/c-k.htm
This is so beautiful! I thank you.
And for the Arabic transliteration too.
There is something very special & annointed with the Valaam rendition.
God bless all family in this world!
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