The Lord's EpiphanyKaftoun, Mount Lebanon.
Anonymous, 13th Century A.D.
The epigraphy of the icon is written in three languages: In Greek, we find below the circle segment in the center, the main inscription: "The Baptism", above Jesus' crucifix halo: "Jesus Christ". In the upper left corner abbreviated: "The Prophet David" and in the upper right corner: "The Prophet Isaiah". In Syriac, on the open scroll that the prophet Isaiah holds in his hand, we read a composed text: "Thus the LORD has spoken: Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (Isaiah 1: 16; 12: 3). In Arabic, on the scroll held by David: "The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like the lambs of the forest. What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back?" (Psalm 114) "The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw You and were troubled."
The music that is playing when you enter this blog is my favorite Greek Epiphany song. The commemoration of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan by the honourable prophet and forerunner John the Baptist is coming up quickly, January 6th to be exact. I want to share this song with everyone who visits my blog. Of course, on the eighth day of Epiphany, I'll be removing the song. If you like it as much as I do, you can download it from here.
Καλημέρα Πάντες ω! Αδελφοί, ακούσατε την σήμερον εορτήν.
Σήμερον τα Φώτα και εορτή και λαμπρά ημέρα δεσποτική.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Εν αρχή ως ήρχισεν ο Θεός εποίησεν την γην και τον ουρανόν.
Ύστερον δε πάλιν από αυτά, έκαμεν τα ζώα και τα φυτά.
Έκαμεν την θάλασσαν, ποταμούς, τον μέγαν Ιορδάνην και αλλουνούς.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Ο Αδάμ και η Εύα ημάρτησαν και εις αμαρτίαν υπέπεσαν.
Την απάτην στον όφην την έριξαν και του θεού δεν είπαν πως έφταιξαν.
Αλλ’ ο όφις ήτον διάβολος, των πονηρών δαιμόνων διδάσκαλος.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Μα ο Ιησούς ο φιλάνθρωπος ήρθεν εις τον κόσμον ως άνθρωπος.
δια να λυτρώσει πάντας ημάς από αυτάς τας χείρας τας μιαράς.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Και τον Ιωάννην εζήτησεν και στο βάπτισμά του τον έκραξεν.
«Ιωάννη Πρόδρομε σου ζητώ, στον μέγαν Ιορδάνην να βαπτιστώ».
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Και ο Ιωάννης του έλεγεν και σφοδρώς το σώμαν του έτρεμεν.
«Πώς να σε βαπτίσω ω! Λυτρωτά όπου η χειρ μου τρέμει και δειλιά!
Πως τολμώ να βάλω την χείραν μου, εις την κορυφήν του Σωτήρα μου»!
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
«Άφες φόβον Πρόδρομε σου ζητώ στον μέγαν Ιορδάνην να βαπτιστώ».
Τότε τον βαφτίζει ο Βαπτιστής και έλαμψεν η έρημος παρ’ ευθύς.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Και το πνεύμα ως είδος περιστεράς και λεπτής και ωραίας και καθαράς.
Και φωνή ηκούσθην εκ’ του πατρός, «ούτος είν’ ο υιός μ’ ο αγαπητός»
και τα χερουβείμ θυμιάζουσιν και τα σεραφείμ τον δοξάζουσιν.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Δια τούτο πάντες ω! Αδελφοί ακούσατε την σήμερον εορτήν.
Να την εορτάσομεν αδελφοί, ότι είν’ ημέρα δεσποτική.
Καλημέρα, καλημέρα, καλή σου μέρα αφέντη με την κερά.
Και εις έτη πολλά. Και του χρόνου να ’στε καλά.
A very loose translation of this song is in the first comment…
2 comments:
A very loose translation:
Good day, all you brothers! Listen, it’s a feast today!
Today the feast of lights, the bright Lord’s day!
Refrain:
Good day, good day, good day to all your honors!
In the beginning God made the earth and the heaven,
and then brought forth animals and plants,
then the seas, the great Jordan, and the other rivers.
Adam and Eve sinned and into sinfulness fell.
The serpent deceived them into disbelieving God.
But the serpent was the devil, their teacher the evil demon.
But Jesus the lover of mankind
came into the world as a man
to deliver all of us out of the hands of the vile one.
And He sought the Jordan so He could be baptised,
crying out, “Forerunner John, I’m looking for you,
so that I can be baptised in the great Jordan.”
And John said to Him, protesting strongly,
“How can I baptise You? Help my trembling hand
and my fear. How dare I lay a hand on my Savior’s head?”
“Put away your fear, Forerunner! I seek you to baptise me
in the great Jordan.” Then the baptizer baptized Him,
and the wilderness immediately grew bright.
And the Spirit in the form of a dove, gentle, beautiful and pure.
And the Voice was heard from the Father,
“This is my only Son, the Beloved,”
and the cherubim were amazed and the seraphim glorified Him.
For this, all you brothers, listen! Today’s the feast!
Let’s celebrate, brothers, for this is the Lord’s special day!
Refrain:
Good day, good day, good day to all your honors!
God grant you many years, and many happy returns of this day!
A thought that a brother shared with us ...
He who had no sin went through the baptism of repentance for sinners!?
For John's was the baptism of repentance. He who had no need to repent!?
Jesus gladly identified Himself with the sinners even at the cost of being misunderstood.
He had the clear leading of the Father to go ahead and not think what the people might think or infer.
God's ways are different from man's ways.
Personally I also believe that Jesus would rather have the righteousness and confirmation from HIS Father rather than depend on the merit of HIS sinless life in the days of His flesh.
As in all His actions, like though He had the right to take His life back, He waited for the Father to raise HIM up.
How much more filthy our righteous rags.
O' what a saviour, what a gospel.
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