Wake, My Soul! In Careless Slumber

For Advent, Second Advent

KONTAKION-AUTOMELON

ψυχή μου ! ψυχή μου ! άνάστα
τί καθεύδείς ;

Horologion, p. 369

Translator: John Brownlie

Source: John Brownlie, Hymns of the Holy Eastern Church (Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 1902), p. 369

Meter: 8.7.8.7

I

Wake, my soul! In careless slumber,
Wherefore wilt Thou longer lie?
Wake! for lo, the end approacheth,
And the Judgment draweth nigh.

II

Christ our Lord is ever present,
Sober therefore wait His call,
That the loving kindness spare thee
Of the Lord who filleth all.

Note from Rev. Brownlie:

    A rendering of this Kontakion will be found in Mr. Moorsom's volume, page 11.

Editor's Note:

    I believe that Rev. Brownlie is here referring to Rev. Robert Maude Moorsom, of Winchester, who published his Renderings of Church Hymns (London: C. J. Clay and Sons, 1901) containing, among others, twenty translations from the Service Books of the Eastern Church (music by G.W. Griffith and W. S. De Winton).

Moorsom's Translation (also citing Horologion, p. 369):

Awake! my soul, awake!
Sleep not, for dear life's sake.
The end is drawing near,
Why linger? Dost thou fear
The stirring call?

Be sober, O my soul,
That Christ may thee control,
That God may mercy shew;
Dost think from Him to go
Who filleth all?

Moorsom's title for this page was "The Christian's Address To His Soul."

    Of the 46 hymns in that volume, 42 were appearing in English for the first time. See page 8 of Rev. Brownlie's introduction. It was recently reprinted by the University of Oxford press; I have been unable to a locate a scanned copy.

    According to an article on the Wikipedia web site, “The 'Horologion' (Greek: ῾Ωρολόγιον; Church Slavonic: Часocлoвъ, Chasoslov, Romanian: Ceaslov), or Book of Hours, provides the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services (Greek: akolouthies, ἀκολουθίες) as used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches...Several varieties of Horologia exist....” "Horologion." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 30 May 2009, 13:46 UTC. 30 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horologion&oldid=293310333>. This page contains links to several online versions.

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