Ode of Saint Andrew of Crete

Irmos:

My help and protector is my God,

and I will proclaim his glory.

He is the God of my father, and I will exalt his majesty;

for he hath made his glory to triumph.

Troparia:

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

Where shall I make my beginning

to mourn the deeds of my wretched life?

What first-fruits shall I lay down, O Christ,

to this my present weeping?

But as thou art merciful, grant me forgiveness of sin.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

Come, wretched soul, with thy flesh,

confess to the maker of all;

and from now leave thy past folly

and bring tears of repentance to God.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

I rivalled in transgression Adam first-created,

and I knew myself naked of God,

of the everlasting kingdom, and of the delight,

because of my sins.

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

Alas unto me, wretched soul!

How like thou art to the first Eve!

Evil thou saw, and were grievously wounded,

and the tree thou touched,

and recklessly tasted the food of folly.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

Instead of Eve of the flesh, I have Eve of the mind,

in thoughts of sensual passion, seemingly sweet,

but ever tasting of the bitter down-gulping.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

Adam was justly banished from Eden, O saviour,

for not keeping one commandment of thine:

what then shall I suffer,

ever thrusting aside thy words of life?

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

I have walked in the footsteps of blood-thirsty Cain

by deliberate choice, giving life to the flesh,

becoming the murderer of the conscience of my soul,

and warring upon it by my evil deeds.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

I have not resembled Abel, O Jesus, in righteousness;

I have never brought thee fitting gifts, nor godly deeds,

neither offering pure, nor a life unblemished.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

As Cain, so are we, O wretched soul;

together we have offered to the maker of all,

deeds defiled and sacrifice polluted,

and a worthless life; for this we stand condemned.

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

As the potter the clay, moulding life,

thou informed me with flesh and with bones,

with breath and with life. But, my creator,

my redeemer, and judge, accept me repentant.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

I speak out to thee, O saviour, the sins I have committed,

and the wounds of my soul and body, inflicted upon me

by murderous thoughts of footpads within.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

Although I have sinned, O saviour,

yet I know that thou art lover of man;

thy chastisement is merciful, and fervent thy compassion;

thou dost see the tears and hasten,

as the father calling the prodigal.

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

As I lie, O saviour, before thy gate,

even in the time of old age,

cast me not out empty into hell;

but before the end, as lover of man,

grant me forgiveness of sins.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

I have fallen among thieves, thoughts of my own;

now I am wounded by them all over,

battered and bruised. But come to me thyself,

Christ saviour, to heal me.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

The priest seeing me passed me by,

and the Levite looking on my distress

disdained my nakedness. But Jesus, risen of Mary,

come thou to have pity upon me.

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of all,

take from me the burdensome collar of sin,

and as thou art compassionate

grant to me forgiveness of trespasses.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

The time of repentance, and I come to thee my maker;

take from me the burdensome collar of sin,

and as thou art compassionate

grant to me forgiveness of trespasses.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

Do not abhor me, O saviour,

nor thrust me away from thy face;

take from me the burdensome collar of sin,

and as thou art compassionate

grant to me forgiveness of trespasses.

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

As thou art God, forgive all my sins,

O saviour, voluntary and involuntary,

manifest and hidden, known and unknown, and save me.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

From my youth, O saviour,

I have transgressed thy commandments,

heedless and in idleness, my whole life passed in passion;

so I cry unto thee, O saviour, even now, at the end, save me.

Pomilui mia, Boze, pomilui mia.

I have squandered the substance of my soul in riotous living,

I am empty of godly fruits; and hungry I cry:

O merciful Father, prevent and have pity upon me.

Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me.

I fall down, Jesus, at thy feet; I have sinned against thee,

be merciful to me, take from me the burdensome

collar of sin, and as thou art compassionate

grant to me tears of contrition.

Eleison me, O Theos, eleison me.

Enter not into judgement with me,

bringing forward my actions, probing my words,

correcting my spurts of self-will; but in thy compassion,

looking upon my terrors, save me, all-powerful.

Irmos:

My help and protector is my God,

and I will proclaim his glory.

He is the God of my father, and I will exalt his majesty;

for he hath made his glory to triumph.