CANON TO THE MOTHER OF GOD CHANTED FOR EVERY AFFLICTION AND DESPONDENCY ... by St. Gerasimos of Little Anne Skete

Ode 1.

Irmos.  After crossing the sea as if it were dry ground and escaping the wickedness of Egypt, the Israelite cried out:  Let us sing to our redeemer and God.

As you supernaturally bore God, who lifted the curse laid on mortal men, dissolve the cloud of my despondency, for you are the inexhaustible fountain of compassion.

Deliver me from the assembly of those who afflict me and from the malicious influence of the enemy, and heal my sick soul, O Virgin, for you bore the fountain of mercy.

O Maiden, in your sympathy heal the pain of my soul, transforming the afflictions and hardships of my life into true joy.

Quickly disperse, O Maiden, with the breeze of your compassion the harsh, heavy and sorrowful burden of my many sins and save me, I implore you.

Ode 3.

Irmos.  You covered the vault of the sky with a roof, O Lord, and built the church; confirm me in your love, O summit of desires, support of the faithful and only clement Lord.

The winds of sicknesses and anxieties have burst forth against me; by your fervent protection, deliver me from their devastating blasts.

Like wild dogs, many afflictions have encircled me; deliver me from their mad assault, O Mother of God, and save me.

Crush the serpent's dreadful insolence towards me, and give joy, Mother of God, to my wretched heart.

Ode 4.

Irmos.  I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of your dispensation; I have meditated on your works and glorified your divinity.

O Lady, gladden my heart, which is imperiled by bitter attacks, and save me with your most sympathetic foresight.

The enemies have raised their murderous voice against me, seeking to destroy me, but come quickly, O Lady, and deliver me from their attack.

Cause a river of divine sweetness to burst on me in your kindness and dry up all the bitterness which the all-destructive enemy has sent against me.

Let your fervent supplication be a breeze of salvation and relief for my life, O Maiden, for I am oppressed by many afflictions.

Ode 5.

Irmos.  Illumine us with your commandments, O Lord, and by your lofty arm grant us your peace, O merciful God.

Disperse with your grace the difficult load of despondency and affliction which causes pain to my wretched life, O Virgin.

Graciously grant joy in my heart, pure Virgin, and take away the bitter pain which the serpent stealthily pours into me.

Rescue me, pure Queen, from the grief of my soul caused by the multitudes of my falls into sin, and grant me the saving sadness that brings joy.

O pure Virgin, cause sweetness and spiritual dew to pour like rain into my soul, for I have been parched by the passions, and I am worn out by my cooperation with the wicked one.

Ode 6.

Irmos.  I will pour out my supplication to the Lord and to him will I declare my afflictions, for my soul has been filled with troubles and my life has approached Hades, so like Jonah I pray:  Raise me up from death, O God.

Look graciously from above upon me, your humble suppliant, for I have been wounded by the painful arrows of the destructive enemy, O Maiden; crush his savage cruelty towards me.

Bitter affliction oppresses my soul, O Maiden, due to my numberless falls, but I run to your sympathy and cry out from the depths of my heart, "Deliver me from my bitter distress, for it leads me to destruction."

I am now required by the just tribunal of the Savior, O Mother of God, to give an account of my myriad sins; wherefore I am stricken with pains and passions; but, all-pure and holy Virgin, in your sympathy pity me.

O mother of the generous giver of mercy—the compassionate Savior of the world—O Virgin Mary who pities all men, have mercy on me, your wretched servant; I beg you to free me from the terrible affliction which has found me.

Ode 7.

Irmos.  The youths from Judea, having come to Babylon of old, by their faith in the Trinity trampled down the flame of the furnace, chanting, O God of our fathers, blessed are you.

With a sprinkling of your mercy, O Mother of God, quench the burning coals of my passions, grant me relief, and deliver me from harsh affliction, so that I may cry to you:  Hail, pure Virgin, fountain of joy.

Loftiest throne of the Master of all and pure Virgin:  Raise me from the abyss of sin and all ignorance, for I cry, O God of our fathers, blessed are you.

I earnestly entreat you to deliver my wretched soul from distress, despondency and hateful habit, and give me tears of compunction, so that I may wash away the filth of my passions, O pure Virgin.

With the light of dispassion, illumine my soul, which is shrouded by the darkness of the passions, and give encouragement and strength to your suppliant, O Lady, so that I may reverently do the will of the Lord.

Ode 8.

Irmos.  The king of Heaven whom the hosts of angels hymn, hymn and exalt him above all forever.

Be gracious, O Maiden, and dry up all the streams of afflictions and cause the water of joy to gush forth upon my humble soul, I entreat you.

Be my relief amid needs and my consolation amid pains of body and soul, so that I may glorify you, most glorified Virgin.

O Maiden, your Son caused joy to gush forth for the world and he brought an end to the pain of the curse; wherefore bring an end to my affliction of heart, too.

Sprinkle on me the water of spiritual joy drawn from the fountains of salvation, all-pure Maiden, and end the dryness of my heart.

Ode 9.

Irmos.  O Mother of God, we who have been saved through you fittingly confess you, and with the incorporeal choirs magnify you, O pure Virgin.

Joy of the angels and most highly favored Virgin:  Give joy to my soul, which is afflicted by the passions, in your motherly sympathy.

Make me wise with the knowledge of repentance and give me the taste of the divine kindness of your Son, O Virgin, so that I may be saved.

With a kindly eye, Mother of God, behold the contrite distress of my soul, and drive away the cloud of despondency which oppresses me.

Deliver me from the madness of Belial, O Virgin.  Heal, I beg of you, the infirmities of my soul and body, and remedy the wretched consequences of my falls into sin.

O lampstand filled wholly with the light of spiritual glory, Mother of God and all-hymned Virgin:  Deliver my life from every hardship.

Grant that my mind may triumph over all despondency and every wretched habit, and deem me worthy of salvation, immaculate Virgin.

ENDNOTES FOR THE CIRCUMSPECT

I thank Zoilus for proofing the Greek and I thank Aeteia, my lawfully-wedded, for proofing the English.  Any errors surviving their ministrations are purely my own.  A Greek original may be found here.

Ode 1.  "Heal" > ἰατρεύω:  treat medically, cure, remedy, correct (Great Scott); be a doctor, find a remedy, heal (Montanari).  The word used in Ode 9 is ἰάομαι:  heal, cure, remedy, pardon, spare, repair, placate.
"I beg you" is omitted as awkward in a sentence in English, but the reader may re-insert it as he pleases.

Ode 4.  "Come quickly" renders πρόφθασον.  This verb in Classical Greek can mean precede (Montanari), outrun or anticipate (Great Scott).  Anticipate is unfortunately how most translators take it.  In the LXX we have act with foresight, lead the way (Muraoka).  In modern Greek it can mean come up to (Kyriakides) or come quickly (A Romaic Grammar Accompanied by a Chrestomathy with a Vocabulary, E. A. Sophocles).  I think Anglophone Greeks typically translate it as come speedily, but hasten is also used.  E. A. Sophocles knew something that few people now know, that the Greeks of Asia regarded themselves as Romans ("Romaic"), not Greek; the word "Hellene" was in his day (1842), he adds, still despised by monastics as synonymous with "pagan idolater."  Even in the 20th century, the Christians of Cappadocia still called themselves Romans.   

Ode 8.  "Be gracious" is the translation of ἵλαθι > ἵλημι, of which only this imperative form is in use in Greek.  The authorities vary on how to fit together this verb and related forms.  Great Scott defines ἱλάσκομαι  as placate, appease; pass., be merciful, gracious.  Montanari adds pardon to the transitive definitions and be kind to the aorist passive.  Montanari also treats ἵλημι as an epic form of ἱλάσκομαι, though he agrees with Great Scott that it is the singleton of ἵλημι.  We find in Hebrews 8:12 a quote from Jeremiah 31:34 using ἵλεως (gracious, merciful), an adjective clearly related to ἵλημι.  This adjective translates the Hebrew verb סָלַח, which is a verb meaning forgive, pardon.  (Hebrews 8:12 may be the first verse which the NIV got right and the KJV got wrong.)  Sapiens says that "it is important to translate it in a way to indicate good disposition. After all, ilaomai/
ilaskomai has the root of ilarion as in Phos ilarion ("gladsome light").  So I would say, in the non-causative, 'be gracious, be merciful.' And in the causative form ilaomai/ilaskomai would be 'make gracious/merciful, turn to mercy,' or something of the sort. Intercede is not accurate at all. I also agree that propitiate is awful."