The Bridegroom Cometh

The Bridegroom Cometh

For Christmas

Author: St. Methodius, 3rd Century Greek Bishop, Poet & Martyr
Discourse 11, Chapter 2.
"The Banquet of the Ten Virgins"
"ἄνωθεν, παρθένοι, βοῆς ἐγερσίνεκρος ἦχος"
Inspired by the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13,
Plus notes and other hymns and carols based on this text

Translated by A. W. Chatfield.

Compare: The Banquet of the Ten Virgins, Translation by Rev. William Clark.
Behold the Bridegroom! Hark The Cry, a Cento by Rev. John Brownlie, with Notes

Source: Allen W. Chatfield, Songs and Hymns of the Earliest Greek Poets (London, 1876), p. 141 et seq.

THE VIRGINS' SONG.

'Anothen, parthenoi, boes egersinekros echos'

(Iambic metre, varied.)

1. The Bridegroom cometh! overhead

The shout descending wakes the dead!

Go forth to meet the King,

The gates just entering!

Virgins, white-robed, with lamps haste eastward forth to meet Him,

Haste ye, O haste to greet Him!

2. Earth's mournful bliss I left, and toys

Of wanton life, and foolish joys:

To Thee alone I cling:

Thou art my Life, my King:

Grant that I may, O Blessed, ever close to Thee,

Thy royal beauty see!

3. Thou art my wealth: for Thee I fled

All worldly lure; and upward sped;

And come in spotless dress

Of Thine own Righteousness,

With Thee to enter in the bridal chamber gates,

Where perfect bliss awaits.

4. Saved from the dragon's myriad wiles,

By which the simple he beguiles,

I bore the dreadful fire,

And wild beasts' savage ire;

Waiting till Thou from Heaven, O Hope of all creation,

shouldst come to my salvation!

5. My home and country for Thy sake,

And maiden dance, I did forsake,

And mother's pride and race,

And thoughts of rank and place;

For Thou, O Christ the Word, art all in all to me:

I long for naught save Thee!

6. Hail! Christ the Life, unchanging Day,

Accept this humble virgin lay:

To Thee our song of praise

With heart and voice we raise!

In Thee, O Thou perfection's flower, O Word Divine,

Love, joy, mind, wisdom, shine.

7. O Bride, triumphant now in light,

And clad in robes of purest white,

Sweet-breathing, sinless, free,

Ope wide the gates to me:

Sit we in self-same company near Christ above,

And sing thy marriage, Love!

8. Ah me! some virgins vainly pour

Their sobs and cries outside the door:

Their lamps are quenched, and they

No burning light display:

Their error they would mend: but ah! they come too late,

And closed is the gate.

9. For they a foolish part had played,

And from the sacred pathway strayed;

Oil, they had purchased none:

Ah! wretched and undone!

Forbidden with dead lamps the home of bliss to see,

They wail their misery.

10. Lo! goblet filled with sweetest wine:

Drink we, O virgins, 'tis Divine;

And forth-set for our need:

Lo! this is drink indeed;

This for the guests, who to the marriage bidden are,

The Bridegroom doth prepare.

11. First type, O Blessed One, of Thee

In Abel shining bright we see:

To heaven he lifts his eyes,

Blood-dripping, and thus cries:

"Me, by my cruel brother slain, receive, O Lord,

O Thou the Eternal Word."

12. Joseph, another type of Thee,

Won highest prize of purity:

Whom Thou wouldst own Thy child:

He scorned to be beguiled

By, shameless woman; stripped, he yet her wrath defied,

And straight to Thee he cried:

13. A lamb for sacrifice is sought:

A lamb-like victim Jephthah brought:

For rash-made vow he cared,

Nor virgin daughter spared:

A type, O Blessed One, of Thy humanity,

She poured her soul to Thee:

14. In valour Judith holds high post:

The leader of the oppressing host

She smote by beauty's lure,

Herself a type all pure:

He headless lay; and unto Thee the conquering maid

Her love in song displayed:

15. The Judges twain, by passion's flame

Enkindled, and all dead to shame,

Would chaste Susannah bind

To their unhallowed mind:

To their proposals base she gave a just reply:

And raised her voice on high:

16. 'Twere better far that I should die,

Than traitress be to marriage tie,

And yielding to your will

Both soul and body kill:

Base men! God's fire of wrath eternal would me seize:

Save me, O Christ, from these!

17. And he who thousands washed from sin,

Of Thy true light the bringer-in,

For virtue's cause alone

Is into prison thrown

By wicked king: and staining now the ground with gore,

He cried to Thee the more:

18. And Thy blest Mother, spotless maid,

Was thought her vows to have betrayed,

When travailing with Thee,

O Lord of purity:

And found with child of transcendental heavenly birth,

She raised her voice from earth:

19. Thy saints, all eager that they may

Behold the glories of the day

Of Thine espousals high,

With holy gifts draw nigh:

For Thou, O Word, hast called them, Thou the angels' King:

White-robed to Thee they sing.

20. O holy Church, O heavenly Bride,

With hymns, attending at Thy side,

We yet on earth below

Thine honour thus forth-show:

All snow-white thou, all beauteous spouse of Christ above,

All purity, all love.

21. Past are corruption, sickness, pain;

Nor tears shall ever flow again;

For troubles all have fled;

And death himself is dead:

And sin and folly with dark dismal train are gone,

Since grace in glory shone.

22. No longer Paradise of men

Is void; for there God wills again

That man should safely dwell;

Yea, man the same who fell

Beneath the serpent's wiles: now in the promised rest,

Immortal, fearless, blest.

23. Thou now to heavenly places raised,

By all the virgin choir art praised,

O Bride of Heavenly King:

And song all new we sing:

With lighted torch in hand, with snow-white lilies crowned,

Thy praise in Christ we sound.

24. Father of heaven, supreme in might,

Dwelling in pure eternal light

With Thine own Son most dear,

Admit--for we are here--

E'en us within the gates of life, to sing Thy love

In Thy blest courts above.

__________________________________________________________________

Editor's Note:

This translation was included in the collection edited by Bernard Pick, Hymns and Poetry of the Eastern Church.

This is one of many hymns inspired by the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-13. Others include:

Behold, The Bridegroom Cometh - George F. Root

An 8^th Century Greek Hymn (Ἰδοὺ ὁ Νυμφιὸς ἔρχεται ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῆς νυκτός) from the Ferial Midnight Office of the Greek Church, with these translations:
- Behold the Bridegroom Cometh - Brownlie
- Behold the Bridegroom Cometh - Moultrie, with notes and music
- Behold the Bridegroom Draweth Nigh - Moorsom

St. Methodius, The Banquet of the Ten Virgins (8th Century), with these translations:

Behold the Bridegroom! Hark The Cry, a cento by Rev. John Brownlie, with notes.
The Virgins' Song ["The Bridegroom Cometh"], translation by AW Chadfield. [this carol]
The Banquet of the Ten Virgins translation by Rev. William Clark.

See: Christmas-tide Hymns from the Eastern Churches.

If you would like to help support Hymns and Carols of Christmas, please click on the button below and make a donation.

Related Hymns and Carols