Hymn for the First Week :: مديح للأسبوع الأول

I praise you, O pure Virgin,
Mary the Theotokos.
Your Lord has chosen you,
That He may save our souls.

Gabriel came to you with good news,
Saying, “Hail to you, O Virgin,
O full of grace and joy,
The Lord is with you.”

The angelic messenger appeared,
And spoke to her, saying,
“Blessed are you among women,
And blessed is your Fruit.”

He appeared to Mary with joy,
And spoke with her,
“You will bear and bring Emmanuel,
The Savior of the whole world.”

The Spirit of God will come upon you,
My Lord’s power will cover you.
The holy Son of the Highest,
Jesus Christ, will be born of you.

The Lady of creation answered him,
“Without a man, how can I bear?
I have not known any man.”
The angel answered her:

“Your beloved Elizabeth,
Advanced in years and days,
Is with child in the sixth month;
Nothing is impossible with God.”

With faith, she bore in her womb;
The holy Lord dwelt in Mary.
She went quickly to her kinswoman,
And entered the house of Zacharias.

When Elizabeth heard
The voice of Mary the Virgin,
In her womb did leap
John the Forerunner.

Mary bore the Fire of Divinity;
She became the throne.
She carried the Lord of hosts,
Who is worshipped by all the hosts.

Our father Adam disobeyed,
Deceived by Satan the evil.
The serpent invaded his thoughts;
He obeyed the advice of the Devil.

When he followed the liar,
He was exiled from Paradise.
He disobeyed the Lord of lords;
Naked and exposed, he was cast out.

Adam was afraid and bemused;
His mind became confused.
God the Judge had compassion:
He was incarnate from the Virgin.

He saved Adam and his race
And broke the power of Satan.
He released His chosen saints;
To Paradise they returned.

He healed us with His gifts
Through Mary the Virgin.
He bestowed His great grace;
We became joyful after much distress.

David, your father, said of you
And explained in the psalm:
“The God of gods appeared from you,
The Savior of the whole world.”

You are the Mother of the Messiah;
You exceeded all ranks of angels.
Isaiah has spoken of you;
Amos prophesied about you.

John saw you as a woman,
Shining in precious clothes,
Walking above the clouds of heaven;
On her head were the sun and stars.

Moses saw you as a bush,
Its branches engulfed in flames.
The fire did not consume it;
The bush is the Mother of Jesus.

Ezekiel saw you as a gate
Toward the East, sealed shut.
The God of truth entered in
And exited, and it remained shut.

The curse and shame were removed
Through God the Logos.
You are of the offspring of the just
And the joy of the righteous.

You removed all sadness
And saved all who were captives,
Ended the delusion of Satan,
Who became humiliated and defeated.

You became a heaven and an example,
O holy one without blemish.
Hail to you, O joy of all generations,
O Mary, Mother of Jesus.

They likened her to a golden censer
Placed in the ark.
Every tongue praises her,
The pure Bride.

You became Solomon’s friend
And the joy of the just and righteous.
David named you Zion;
You became a dwelling for the Holy.

Hosea spoke about you
And prophesied about the Holy One:
“He comes down as rain on wool,
From a pure and unblemished one.”

The wise men followed the trail
Of the star they had seen.
They went to ask Herod;
He sought to kill many souls.

He desired to kill Jesus,
Who was born of the Virgin.
The Devil breathed in him
And blinded his heart.

Jesus appeared in Bethlehem,
In a manger, wrapped in cloths.
The shepherds worshiped Him
As they were told by the angel.

Exalted above the creations,
Exceeded the rank of creatures,
You are the heaven of heavens;
Moon and sun, they called you.

You are filled with aroma
That spread on the veil of the Holy.
You disgraced for us the Devil,
O Mary the Virgin.

Your Son overcame the Devil’s traps
And gave victory to the Christians.
The faithful people rejoiced
In returning to Paradise.

The martyrs were crowned;
They won joy and delight
Through bloodshed and beheadings,
And Mary, the daughter of Joachim.

The dome of Moses the prophet
He decorated with undecaying wood
And set up the Holy of Holies,
The pure tabernacle.

There was an ark and a lampstand,
Overlaid with gold and jewels.
All are symbols and signs
Of the beautiful Dove.

A vine planted with branches
And filled with olives—
This is you, O Mother of the Judge;
You are truly exalted.

You are a tablet of alabaster;
You puzzled the philosophers.
In your lap, you carried the Creator,
Whom the ranks and orders praise.

The King desired your purity,
As explained in the psalm:
“The Queen stood at Your right hand,
Dressed in golden garments.”

O Mary, how many words
The Fathers spoke about you.
You were likened to the ladder
That was seen by Jacob.

This was composed by the sinful
Abadeer the priest.
He sinned and did many evils,
As numerous as the hairs of his head.

He asks the Lady of creation,
Mary the Theotokos,
To ask forgiveness for him
Before my Lord Jesus Christ.

As for the priests from on high,
The twenty-four presbyters,
Their censers are of pure gold,
Raising incense before the Holy.

They praise Him unceasingly,
Saying, “Holy, holy, holy,”
With good and comforting incense
Before His throne.

O Mary, the pure Virgin,
You exceeded human nature.
O star shining in the morning,
Your light over all heads.

Hail to you, O Lady of virgins.
You are the offspring of the just.
Intercede for those who are here—
Clergy and all the leaders.