Katavasiae for the Nativity of our Lord

Tone I



Ode I: Christ is born, give ye glory! / Christ cometh from heaven, meet
ye Him! / Christ is on earth, be ye exalted! / O all the earth, sing ye
unto the Lord, / and chant with gladness, ye people, // for He hath been
glorified!

Ode III: To Christ God, / the Son Who was begotten of the Father /
without corruption before time began, / and in latter times without seed
/ became incarnate of the Virgin, / let us cry aloud: / O Lord Who
liftest up our horn, // holy art Thou!



Ode IV: A rod from the root of Jesse / and blossom thereof, O Christ, /
Thou didst spring forth from the Virgin; / from the mountain
over-shadowed and densely wooded hast Thou come, / incarnate of her who
knew not man, / O Thou praised and immaterial God. // Glory to Thy
power, O Lord!



Ode V: As God of peace and Father of compassion, / Thou didst send Thine
Angel of Great Counsel, / Who granteth us peace. / Therefore, guided to
the light of knowledge divine, / and waking at dawn out of the night, //
we glorify Thee, Who lovest mankind.



Ode VI: The sea monster thrust forth, like a babe from the womb, / Jonah
whom it had swallowed; / and the Word, Who dwelt within the Virgin and
took flesh of her, / issued forth, preserving her incorrupt. / He kept
her who gave Him birth unharmed, // for He Himself is not subject to
corruption.



Ode VII: The children raised together in piety, / disdaining the ungodly
command, / feared not the threat of fire, / but, standing in the midst
of the flame, they chanted: / O God or our fathers, // blessed art Thou!



We praise, we bless, we worship the Lord, // hymning and supremely
exalting Him unto all ages!



Ode VIII: The dew-bearing furnace showed forth the image of a
super-natural wonder; / for it burned not the youths whom it had
received, / just as the fire of the Godhead burned not the Virgin, /
whose womb it had entered. / Wherefore, chanting, let us sing: / Let all
creation bless the Lord // and exalt Him supremely for all ages!



Ode IX: A strange and most glorious mystery do I behold: / the cave is
heaven; / the Virgin, the throne of the cherubim; / the manger, the
place wherein lay Christ God, Whom naught can contain, // Whom praising,
we magnify.