1. Truly it is right that we magnify you who bestow life, just as your pure Mother you magnify for her life-creating falling into sleep.
2. Truly it is right that we magnify you, Theotokos, you took your divine and all-blameless soul and entrusted it into the Hands of God.
3. Wonder strange and new! For the Door now passes through the Doorway, Heaven enters Heaven! We stand in awe as the Throne of God ascends the Throne of God!
4. All angelic hosts stood and marveled when beholding Christ God, who is unapproachable now approach to give honor to His mother as a Son.
5. Angels shook with fear to behold their God again descending; with His mother’s soul carried in His hands, He arose again in glory most divine.
6. Heaven shall be awed, and the earth unto these words shall hearken; God above all things, who did once come down, for His mother’s sake a second time descends!
7. Wisdom now has moved from her dwelling place on earth to heaven, and has filled her heavenly mansion there with the glory that has come from God above.
8. Virgin Bride of God, who did not descend to us from Heaven, by her giving birth unto heaven’s King from this world unto the heavens now ascends.
9. Mankind now may pass into heaven for the Way is open. Come therefore, all Christians who bear His name: Let us rise up with the Mother of our God.
10. Down into the earth You, the Lord’s unplanted land, descended, Out of you has sprung forth the Grain of Life, and unto the Land of Heaven you arise.
11. Mother of the Light! Now the sun which once beheld the setting of the Sun of Righteousness now beholds You, O Virgin, as the setting of the moon.
12. Darkness of the tomb now conceals the Lord’s light-bearing Mountain which once covered Heaven with Virtue’s light, but now lies beneath the shadows of its shroud.
13. Taken from the earth you arose to be with God in heaven. All the earth rejoices along with you and it glorifies, O Virgin, your repose.
14. Pure and incorrupt, now your body lies enclosed in Heaven while your grace, O Virgin, is pouring forth and illuminates the face of all the earth.
15. Filling up your days singing hymns to God with prayer and fasting You, O Virgin Maiden, await the time when you come before the Lord in your repose.
16. Faithful souls rejoice, and their faces are alight and shining, our all-holy Lady, because of you, who, departing now from us, will join the Lord.
17. See before your tomb standing piously the true believers; hear the lamentations our voices raise unto you, who are the Author of our Life.
18. Early in the dawn we the faithful rise to sing your glory praising your Dormition, with all our love, Sovereign Virgin Maiden, free from any sin.
19. Virgin Bride of God! When you enter into heaven’s kingdom, Grant that you remember the faithful here who now honor your Dormition with our hymns.
20. As you once foretold, you are magnified now, most pure Virgin, by the very power which did create both the heavens and the earth and all therein.
21. Standing face to face where the Seraphim their faces cover, you behold the Trinity that is God one in essence, and which nothing can divide.
22. All the earth is glad and the heavens sing in celebration; angels raise their voices to join with men and as you ascend to heaven they rejoice!
Glory to the Father and the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
23. God beyond all time, with the Word and Spirit everlasting, in that You are God, merciful and good, let the clarion of Christians be extolled!
Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
24. Life was born of you, who are holy and most pure, O Virgin, as you now depart from this world to Life, grant true life to us who faithfully believe.
(Repeat Verse One)
Truly it is right that we magnify you who bestows life, just as your pure Mother you magnify for her life-creating falling into sleep.
~From the translation by Nancy Chalker Takis, www.newbyz.org; (http://www.newbyz.org/dormitionlamentations.pdf)
