Paschal troparion

The Paschal troparion or Christos anesti (Greek: Χριστὸς ἀνέστη) is the characteristic hymn for the celebration of Pascha (Easter) in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.

Like most troparia it is a brief stanza often used as a refrain between the verses of a Psalm, but is also used on its own. Its authorship is unknown. It is nominally sung in Tone Five, but often is sung in special melodies not connected with the Octoechos. It is often chanted thrice (three times in succession).

Usage

The troparion is first sung during the Paschal Vigil at the end of the procession around the church which takes place at the beginning of Matins. When all are gathered before the church's closed front door, the clergy and faithful take turns chanting the troparion, and then it is used as a refrain to a selection of verses from Psalms 67 and 117 (this is the Septuagint numbering; the KJV numbering is 68 and 118):

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face (Ps. 68:1)
As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire (Ps. 68:2a)
So the sinners will perish before the face of God; but let the righteous be glad (Ps. 68:2b)
This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps. 118:24)

In the remainder of the Vigil it is sung after each ode of the canon, at the end of the Paschal stichera at the Aposticha, thrice at the dismissal of Matins, and at the beginning and end of the Paschal Hours. It is chanted again with the same selection of Psalm verses at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, at the Little Entrance, during and following Communion, and at the dismissal of the Liturgy. It is then chanted again with the refrains at the beginning of Vespers, and at the dismissal of Vespers. This same pattern persists throughout Bright Week.

After Thomas Sunday (the Sunday after Pascha), it is either sung or read thrice at the beginning of most services and private prayers in place of the usual invocation of the Holy Spirit, "O Heavenly King", and at the dismissals, during the 39-day paschal afterfeast; that is, up to and including the day before the Ascension of the Lord.

Text and translations

The troparion was originally composed in Koine Greek, but it is usually sung either in the local liturgical language, or in the vernacular where it is not the same. In recent years, the custom has developed of chanting the Paschal troparion in a number of different languages.

The troparion in the original Greek:

Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν,

θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας,

καὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι,

ζωὴν χαρισάμενος!

Transliteration:

Christós anésti ek nekrón,

thanáto thánaton patísas,

ké tís en tís mnímasi,

zoín charisámenos!

A typical translation in English runs:

Christ is risen from the dead,

Trampling down death by death,

And upon those in the tombs

Bestowing life!

Or, from the Byzantine, Ruthenian Rite

Christ is risen from the dead,

By death He conquered death,

And to those in the graves

He granted life!

In Old Slavonic:

Hristós voskrése iz mértvych,

Smértiju smert' popráv,

I súščym vo grobéh,

živót darováv!

During the Paschal Vigil and the Vespers the following afternoon is not uncommon for the troparion to be performed in as many languages as the choir can manage.

Indonesian

Kristus t'lah bangkit dari mati

Dengan matinya t'lah menginjak-injak maut

Dan pada mereka yang di kuburan hidup dianugerahkan !

Bulgarian

Христос възкръсна от мъртвите, като със смърт смъртта потъпка

и на тия, които са в гробовете, дарува живот.

Church Slavonic

Earlier version (currently only used by the Old Believers)

Хрїстосъ воскресе изъ мертвыхъ,

Смертїю на смерть настѹпи,

И грѡбным животъ дарова!

Transliteration:

Khristos voskrese iz mertvykh

Smertiyu na smert nastupi

I grobnym zhivot darova!

Later version from the reforms of Patriarch Nikon, currently in general use

Хрїстосъ воскресе изъ мертвыхъ,

Смертїю смерть поправъ,

И сѹщымъ во гробѣхъ

животъ даровавъ!

This language is not well-supported on many systems, so it may not appear as intended here.

Transliteration:

Khristos voskrese iz mertvykh,

Smertiyu smert poprav,

E sushchim vo grobekh

Zhivot darovav!

Arabic

Transliteration:

Al-Masīh qām min baīni'l-amwāt

Wa wati’ al-mawt bi'l-mawt

Wa wahab al-hayāt

Lil-ladhīna fī'l-qubūr!

German

Christus ist auferstanden von den Toten

hat den Tod durch den Tod zertreten

und denen in den Gräbern das Leben geschenkt!

Dutch

Christus is opgestaan uit de doden,

door Zijn dood vertreedt Hij de dood

en schenkt het Leven

aan hen in het graf!

Romanian

Hristos a înviat din morţi,

Cu moartea pre moarte călcând,

Şi celor din morminte

Viaţă dăruindu-le!

Latin

Christus resurrexit a mortuis,

Morte mortem calcavit,

Et entibus in sepulchris

Vitam donavit.

Polish

Chrystus powstał z martwych,

śmiercią podeptał śmierć

i będącym w grobach

życie dał!

Transliteration:

Khristoos povstaoo z martvykh,

Smercioo podeptaoo smierts,

E bendontsim v grobah

Zhitse daoo!

Slovak

Kristus slávne vstal z mŕtvych,

smrťou smrť premohol

a tým, čo sú v hroboch

život daroval!

Czech

Kristus se zrodil z mrtvých,

smrtí smrt překonal

a jsoucím ve hrobích,

život daroval!

Ukrainian

Христос воскрес із мертвих,

смертю смерть подолав,

і тим, що в гробах,

життя дарував!

Transliteration:

Khrystos voskres iz mertvykh,

Smertiu smert podolav,

I tym shcho v hrobakh

Zhyttia daruvav!

Serbian

Христос васкрсе из мртвих,

смрћу смрт уништи.

и онима који су у гробовима.

живот дарова!

Transliteration:

Hrystos vaskrse iz mrtvihh,

Smertyu smrt unishti,

I onoma koyi su u grobovima,

Zhivot darova!

Korean

그리스도께서 부활하셨네

죽음으로 죽음을 멸하시고

무덤에 있는 자들에게

생명을 베푸셨나이다!

Transliteration:

Geuriseudo-keso buhal ha-shyeott-nae

jugeum-euro jugeum-eul myeol-hashigo

mudeom-ae itt-neun jadeul-aegae

saeng-myeong-eul bae-pu-shyeott-na-ida!

Chinese

基督已經從死裡復活，

他的死勝過死亡，

把生命賜給已埋葬在墓中的人。

Transliteration:

jidu yijing cong sili fuhuo,

ta de si shengguo siwang,

ba shengming cigei yi maizang zai muzhong de ren.

Japanese

ハリストス死より復活し、

死を以て死を滅ぼし、

墓に在る者に

生命を賜へり。

Transliteration:

Harisutosu shi yori fukkatsu shi,

shi wo motte shi wo horoboshi,

haka ni aru mono ni

inochi wo tamaeri.

Filipino

Si Kristo ay nabuhay mula sa mga patay,

Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kamatayan, nilupig niya ang kamatayan,

At mga nasa himlayan

Ay binigyan niya ng buhay!

Spanish

Cristo ha resucitado de los muertos,

pisoteando la muerte por la muerte,

y a los que están en los sepulcros

dando la vida.

or,

Cristo ha resucitado de los muertos,

por la muerte, la muerte hollando;

y a los que están en las tumbas

la vida dando.

Georgian

ქრისტე აღსდგა მკვდრეთით,

სიკვდილითა სიკვდილისა დამთრგუნველი

და საფლავების შინათა

ცხოვრების მიმნიჭებელი!

Transliteration:

Kriste aghsdga mkvdretit,

sikvdilita sikvdilisa damtrgunveli,

da saplavebis shinata

tskhovrebis mimnichebeli.

Finnish

Kristus nousi kuolleista,

kuolemalla kuoleman voitti

ja haudoissa oleville elämän antoi.

Hungarian

Feltámadt Krisztus halottaiból,

legyőzte halállal a halált,

és a sírban lévőknek életet ajándékozott!

Belarusian (Cyrillic orthography)

Хрыстос уваскрос зь мёртвых,

Сьмерцю сьмерць зваяваў

І тым, што ў магілах

Жыцьцё дараваў!^[1]

Belarusian (Latin orthography)

Chrystos uvaskros ź miortvych,

Śmierciu śmierć zvajavaŭ

I tym, što ŭ mahiłach

Zyćcio daravaŭ

Transliteration:

Khrystos uvaskros z' myortvykh,

S'myertsyu s'myerts' zvayavaw

I tym, shto w mahilakh

Zhyts'tsyo daravaw

Italian

Cristo è risorto dai morti,

Con la morte ha vinto la morte,

E a quelli nelle tombe

Ha donato la vita!

References

External links

• Paschal troparion in Greek sung by monks from Valaam Monastery
• Paschal troparion in Church Slavonic sung by monks of Kievsko-Pecherska Lavra in Ukraine
• Paschal troparion in Polish sung by the choir of the orthodox chapel in Warsaw (Poland)
• Paschal troparion in Greek sung by nuns from St. Mary and Martha's Monastery at Święta Góra Grabarka in Poland
• Paschal Troparion