E05880: Romanos the Melodist composes his kontakion /canticum (hymn) 59, On All the *Martyrs (S01151). Written in Greek at Constantinople, in the mid-6th c.

Romanus the Melodist, Canticum 59, On All the Martyrs (CPG 7570)

proemium 1.

(1) Ὡς ἀπαρχὰς τῆς φύσεως     τῷ φυτουργῷ τῆς κτίσεως
  ἡ οἰκουμένη προσφέρει σοι, κύριε,     τοὺς θεοφόρους μάρτυρας·
ταῖς αὐτῶν ἱκεσίαις      ἐν εἰρήνῃ βαθείᾳ
  τὴν ἐκκλησίαν σου,    τὴν πολιτείαν σου
  διὰ τῆς θεοτόκου συντήρησον, (5)
:πολυέλεε.:

‘‘Like the first fruit of nature to the planter of creation,
The world offers you, Lord, the god-bearing martyrs.
By their supplications, in deep peace
Keep your Church and your state,
Through the Mother of God,
Oh greatly merciful One.’

[...]

Strophe 2
(2) Ἀπὸ πάσης συνήχθησαν πόλεως    καὶ ἡμῶν πατριῶται γεγόνασιν,
ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς ἐπεδήμησαν   καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἡμῖν συνεπάγονται
τῆς πανηγύρεως συμμέτοχοι·    σὺν τῇ ἄνω ἡ κάτω χορεύει κτίσις·
μεθ’ ἡμῶν γὰρ βοῶσι καὶ ἄγγελοι·
“Θαυμαστὸς ἐν ἁγίοις σου εἶ ἀληθῶς, (5)
:πολυέλεε.”:

‘From each city have they come together, and our fellow townspeople have they become.
From all over the world they are visiting, and the world they are bringing along to us,
Sharing in our celebration. In a dance with the upper creation is the lower one joining along,
For the angels are now with us crying aloud:
“Truly wonderful are you in your saints [Ps. 67:36],
Oh greatly merciful One!”’

[...]

Text: Maas, Trypanis 1963.
Translation: E. Rizos.