Chapter I. Morning prayers
Rising from sleep, before any other activity, stand reverently, presenting yourself before the All-Seeing God, and, placing the sign of the cross on yourself, say:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
After this, slow down a little so that all your feelings calm down and your thoughts leave everything earthly. And then say the following prayers, without haste and with heartfelt attention:
Publican's Prayer
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Thrice)
Beginning prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
| Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure2 of good3 and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filthiness, and save us, O Good One, ours ours. | Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, omnipresent and filling the whole world, Source of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us; cleanse us from all uncleanness and save, O Good One, our souls. |
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Three times). Glory, and now:
| Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as it is in Heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread: and forgive us our debts5, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation6, but deliver us from the evil one7. | Our Heavenly Father! Let the holiness of Your name be glorified; let your kingdom come; may Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today the bread necessary for our existence; forgive us our sins, just as we forgive those who are guilty before us; and do not allow us to fall into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
Troparion to the Most Holy Trinity
| Rising from sleep, we fall down to Thee, the Blesser, and cry out the angelic song to Thee, the Stronger: Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, O God, through the Mother of God have mercy on us. | Rising after sleep, we fall at Your feet, O Good One, and we proclaim the angelic song to You. Strong: Holy, Holy, Holy You, O God! through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy on us. |
| Glory: From bed and sleep you raised me up, Lord, enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips, even singing to You, Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy are you, God, have mercy on us through the Mother of God. | You raised me from my bed from sleep, Lord! Enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips to sing to You, Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy You. God! through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy on us. |
| And now: Suddenly the Judge will come, and every deed will be exposed, but with fear9 we call10 at midnight: Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, O God, through the Mother of God have mercy on us. | Suddenly the Judge will come, and everyone’s deeds will be revealed. So let us cry out in fear at midnight: Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O God! through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy on us. |
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Prayer
| Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, Holy Trinity, for for the sake of Thy goodness and long-suffering you were not angry with me, lazy and sinful, and you destroyed me with my iniquities. mi; but you loved mankind as a rule, and in the despair of the lying one you raised me up to wake up11 and glorify your power. And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my mouth, to learn Your words12, and to understand Your commandments, and to do Your will, and to sing to You in confession13 with my heart, and to sing praises Thy all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages centuries. Amen. | Rising after sleep, I thank You, Holy Trinity, that, according to Your great mercy and long-suffering, You, God, were not angry with me, lazy and sinful, and did not stop my life in the midst of my iniquities, but showed me Your usual love for mankind and lifted me up , lying unconscious, to bring You morning prayer and glorify Your power. And now enlighten my thoughts, open my mouth, so that I may learn Your word and understand Your commandments, do Your will, glorify You with a grateful heart and glorify Your most holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and to eternity. Amen. |
| Come, let us worship the King our God. | Come, let us worship the King, our God. |
| Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. | Come, let us worship Christ the King, our God, and fall at His feet. |
| Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. | Come, let us worship Christ Himself, our King and God, and let us fall at His feet. |
Psalm 50
| Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; For I know my iniquity, and I will bear away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone and have done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and triumph over Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the unknown and secret truth,15 and you have shown me Your wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop16, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. There is joy and gladness in my ears; the bones of the humble will rejoice17. Turn away Your face from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked your way, and wickedness will turn to you. Deliver me from bloodshed18, O God, the God of my salvation, my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then take pleasure in the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; then they will place your calf on the altar. | Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy and, according to the abundance of Your pity, blot out my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. You alone have I sinned and done evil before You, so that You are righteous in Your judgment and pure in Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. But, behold, You loved righteousness and revealed to me the hidden secret of Your wisdom. You sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will become whiter than snow. You will let me hear joy and gladness, and the broken bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and destroy all my iniquities. Make my heart pure, O God, and strengthen the spirit of righteousness in my chest. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of hope for salvation through You and strengthen me with the sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Save me from the shed blood, O God, God is my Savior, and my tongue will glorify Your righteousness. God! You will open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You had desired a sacrifice, I would have given it; a burnt offering will not please You. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit: God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion with Thy favor, O Lord, and let the walls of Jerusalem be erected: then the sacrifice of righteousness, the heave-hoist, and the burnt offering will be pleasing to Thee; Then they will place bullocks on Your altar. |
First prayer of Saint Macarius the Great
| God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no more good before You, but deliver me from the evil one, and let Your will be done in me, and without condemnation I will open my unworthy lips and praise the name Your holy, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever eyelids of centuries. Amen. | God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have never done anything good before You; deliver me from evil, and let Your will be done in me; let me open my unworthy lips with impunity and praise Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto ages of ages. Amen. |
Second prayer, of the same saint
| Having risen from sleep, I bring the midnight hymn to Ti, Savior, and falling down crying to Ti: do not let me fall asleep in a sinful death, but have mercy on me, crucify yourself with your will, and hastening to raise me who lies in laziness, and save me in standing and prayer and in sleep By night shine upon me a sinless day, O Christ God, and save me. | Rising after sleep, at midnight I offer You, Savior, a song and, falling at Your feet, I exclaim to You: do not let me fall asleep in sinful death, but have pity on me, O voluntarily Crucified One! quickly raise me, lying carelessly, and save me, standing before You in prayer. And after a night’s sleep, send me a clear, sinless day, O Christ God, and save me. |
Prayer three, of the same saint
| To You, O Lord, the Lover of Mankind, I come running from sleep, and I strive for Your works with Your mercy, and I pray to You: help me at all times, in all things, and deliver me from all worldly things. I am an evil thing and the devil's haste, and save me, and bring us into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Provider and Giver of all good, in You is all my hope, and I send glory to You, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. | To You, Lord - Lover of Mankind, getting up after sleep, I hasten and, by Your mercy, take up the deeds pleasing to You. I pray to You: help me always and in everything, and deliver me from all evil in the world and from the devil’s help, and save me, and bring me into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Source and Giver of all good; all my hope is in You, and I send praise to You now, always and forever. Amen. |
Prayer four, of the same saint
Lord, by Your many goodness and Your great bounties You have given me, Your servant, the passing time of this night to pass without misfortune from all evil that is contrary to me; You Yourself, Master of all,21 Creator, grant me with Your true light and an enlightened heart to do Your will, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Fifth prayer, St. Basil the Great
| Lord Almighty, God of hosts and all flesh, living in the highest and looking upon the humble22, but searching the hearts and wombs23 and the innermost parts of men, the forerunner, the Beginningless and Everlasting Light, With Him there is no change or reversal; Himself, Immortal King, accept our prayers, even at this time, for the multitude of Your generosity boldly, from the profane we create to You, and forgive us our sins, even in deed, and in word, and in thought, in knowledge, or in ignorance, we have sinned; and cleanse us from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant us, with a cheerful heart and a sober mind, to pass through the whole night of this present life, awaiting the coming of the bright and revealed day of Your Only Begotten Son, Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Lord of Christ, in the same place the Judge of all will come with glory, to whom he will give according to his deeds, so that he will not fall and sluggish, but watchful and exalted in the work26 that will come to pass, and prepare for the joy and Divine palace of His glory below, where they celebrate the unceasing voice, and the indescribable sweetness of those who see Your faces with indescribable kindness. For You are the true Light, you enlighten and sanctify all things, and all creation sings to You forever and ever. Amen. | Lord, Almighty, God of the bodiless and all flesh, living of heaven of the earth, observing hearts and thoughts and clearly knowing the secrets of men, the beginningless and eternal Light, which has no changes in power and leaves no shadowed place on Its path! You Yourself, immortal King, accept our prayers, which we now, hoping for the abundance of Your compassion, make to You from unclean lips, and forgive us our sins committed by us in deed, word and thought, consciously or unconsciously, and cleanse us from all uncleanness, both flesh and spirit. And grant us with a watchful heart and a sober thought to live the whole night of this earthly life, in anticipation of the coming of the bright and glorious day of the second coming of Your Only Begotten Son, the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, when the common Judge will come with glory to reward everyone according to his deeds. He find us not lying down and sleepy, but awake and risen, in the midst of fulfilling His commandments, and ready to enter with Him into the joy and divine palace of His glory, where the unceasing voices of those who triumph and the inexpressible joy of those who see the inexpressible beauty of Your face. For You are the true Light, enlightening and sanctifying the whole world, and You are glorified by all creation forever and ever. Amen. |
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
| Holy Angel, who stands before me more damned27 than my soul and more passionately28 than my life, do not leave me a sinner, but depart from me for my intemperance. Do not give room to the crafty demon to possess me; with the violence of this mortal body, strengthen my poor and thin hand29 and guide me on the path of salvation. To her, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my accursed soul and body, forgive me everything that I have offended you with in so many ways all the days of my life, and if I sinned in this past night, cover me in the present this day, and keep me from every temptation of the enemy May I not anger God in any sin, and pray for me to the Lord, that He may strengthen me in His passion, and show me worthy as a servant of His goodness. Amen. | Holy Angel, appointed to watch over my poor soul and unhappy life, do not leave me, a sinner, and do not depart from me for my intemperance; do not give the opportunity to the evil demon to subjugate me with the predominance of this mortal body; Take firmly my unfortunate and drooping hand and lead me to the path of salvation. Oh, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my poor soul and body! forgive me everything with which I offended you all the days of my life, and if I sinned in any way last night, protect me this day; and keep me from every temptation of the enemy, so that I do not anger God with any sin; and pray to the Lord for me, that He might strengthen me in His fear and make me a slave worthy of His mercy. Amen. |
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, with Your saints and all-powerful prayers, drive away (drive away) from me, Your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence, and all evil. and extinguish evil, evil and blasphemous thoughts from my damned heart and from my darkened mind the flame of my passions, for I am poor and damned. And deliver me from many and cruel memories and enterprises, (thoughts) and free me from all evil actions. For Thou art blessed from all generations, and glorified is Thy most honorable name forever and ever. Amen.
Prayerful invocation of the saint whose name you bear
Pray to God for me, holy servant of God (name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and a prayer book for my soul.
Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos
| Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls. | Virgin Mary! Rejoice, full of grace Mary: the Lord is with you; Blessed are You among women, and blessed is Your Fruit, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls. |
Troparion to the Cross and prayer for the fatherland
| Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance, granting victory to the enemy, and preserving Thy life through Thy Cross. | Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victories over your enemies and preserving Your people through Your Cross. |
After this, pray briefly for the health and salvation of your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, benefactors, acquaintances who are sick or in sorrow, and if you can, read the following memorial.
Memorial
About the living.
| Remember, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, your mercy and generosity from all eternity, for whose sake you became human, and crucifixion and death, for the salvation of those who believe in you, you endured you deigned; and rose from the dead, you ascended into Heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father, and listen to the humble prayers of those who call upon You with all their hearts. Incline Your ear and hear the humble prayer of me, Your unnecessary servant, into the stench of the fragrance of the spiritual,32 which is offered to You for all Your people. And first of all, remember Your Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which You have provided with Your honest Blood, and established, and strengthened, and expanded, multiplied, died, and invincible hell preserve the new gates forever; Calm the tearing apart of the Churches, quench the pagan vacillations, and quickly destroy and eradicate the heresies of rebellion, and turn them into nothingness by the power of Your Holy Spirit. ( Bow. ) | Remember, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, your eternal mercies and manifestations of pity, by which you became man and deigned to endure crucifixion and death for the salvation of those who rightly believe in you. And You rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father, lovingly bowing to the humble prayers of those who call upon You with all their hearts. Incline Your ear and hear my humble prayer, Your unworthy servant, who offers it to You as a fragrant spiritual sacrifice for all Your people. And first of all, remember Your Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which You redeemed with Your precious blood, and establish it, and strengthen it, and expand, and increase, pacify and preserve it forever with the invincible forces of hell; Calm the disagreements of the churches, extinguish pagan persecutions, and quickly destroy and eradicate the emergence of heresies, and turn them into nothing by the power of Your Holy Spirit. ( Bow. ) |
Save, Lord, and have mercy on our God-protected country, its authorities and army, protect their power with peace, and subdue under the nose of the Orthodox every enemy and adversary, and the words of peace and goodness in their hearts about Your Holy Church her, and about all Your people, yes and in the silence of their quiet and silent life we will live in orthodoxy, and in all piety and purity. ( Bow.
)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on the Great Lord and Father of our Holy Patriarch, and His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarchs, Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops and Orthodox Bishops, and Priests and the deacons, and all the church staff, who have appointed you to shepherd your verbal flock, and with your prayers have mercy on them and save me, a sinner. ( Bow.
)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father ( his name
), and with his holy prayers forgive my sins.
( Bow.
)
| Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents ( their names ), brothers and sisters, and my relatives in the flesh, and all the neighbors of my family, and others, and grant them Your peace and superior goodness. ( Bow. ) | Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents ( their names ), brothers and sisters, and my relatives according to the flesh, and all the people close to me from my family and friends, and give them Your earthly and heavenly blessings. |
Save, Lord, and have mercy on the old and the young, the poor and the orphans and widows, and those who are in sickness and sorrow, troubles and sorrows, situations (adversity) and captivity, prisons and imprisonments , more (especially) in persecution, to you for the sake of the Orthodox faith, from the godless pagans, from the apostates and from the heretics, Thy present servants, and remember me, visit, strengthen, comfort, and soon by Thy strength I will weaken, Give them freedom and deliverance. ( Bow.
)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on those sent to serve, those who travel, our fathers and brothers, and all Orthodox Christians. ( Bow.
)
Save, Lord, and have mercy on those who hate and offend me, and those who create misfortune for me, and do not leave them to perish for my sake, a sinner. ( Bow.
)
Those who have departed from the Orthodox faith and are blinded by destructive heresies, with the light of Your knowledge, enlighten and bring Your Holy Apostles to the Catholic Church. ( Bow.
)
About the deceased
Remember, Lord, from this life the Orthodox kings and queens who departed from this life, the noble princes and princesses, the most holy patriarchs, the most holy metropolitans, the Orthodox archbishops and bishops I, in the priesthood and in the rank of the church, and in the monastic rank, served You, and in Your eternal villages with the saints rest in peace. ( Bow.
)
Remember, Lord, the souls of your departed servants, my parents, ( their names
), and all relatives according to the flesh;
and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, giving them the Kingdom and the communion of Your eternal goodness (blessings) and Your endless and blissful life of pleasure. ( Bow.
)
Remember, Lord, and all in the hope of resurrection and eternal life, our departed fathers and brothers and sisters, and those who lie here and everywhere, Orthodox Christians, and with Thy saints, where the light of Your countenance shines, grant us all, and have mercy on us , as Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen. ( Bow.
)
Grant, Lord, forgiveness of sins to all those who have gone before in the faith and hope of the resurrection, our fathers, brothers and sisters, and create for them an eternal memory. ( Thrice.
)
Praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary
| It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption. | It is truly right to glorify You as the Mother of God, always blessed and completely blameless, and the Mother of our God. We magnify You as the true Mother of God, who gave birth without illness to God the Word, worthy of greater honor than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim. |
Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice )
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy and save us, as you are Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen.
The publication under review, as we see it, is of interest in three aspects: firstly, this is a publication designed to diversify and at the same time, so to speak, “church” the home prayer of the laity; secondly, it contains translations of liturgical texts into Russian; thirdly, this is one of the few publications of translations made by Hieromonk Ambrose (Timrot). Let's look at each of these three sides in more detail.
1. Home prayer of the laity. Among the most common sins reported to the priest at confession is “failure to read” the morning and evening rules. Our laity for the most part are firmly convinced that the current prayers printed in prayer books are a long-standing church tradition, and that, we repeat, “reading” them is one of the main duties of every Christian. (Before communion, as everyone knows, you need to read three canons, the order for communion, and also, preferably, one or two akathists.) Many quite honestly and diligently force themselves to read these prayers - the same ones from year to year; if our parishioners manage to force themselves to read these prayers, they rejoice and thank God; if they fail, they accuse themselves of laziness, spiritual relaxation, self-pity, etc. However, few people are ready to admit that the eye has long been blurred, that boring words no longer provide food for either the mind or the heart, that no effort of will can no longer focus their attention on the lines along which the gaze habitually glides without lingering. and without getting caught up in a single word.
To a person - even a Christian, even an Orthodox one! – we need variety. This is its nature, this is how the human brain works. The ancient fathers understood this perfectly. Let us give a fragment of a quotation from the question-answers of the Monks Barsanuphius and John, which the publishers give in the preface to the book: “...Whoever has a lot of different foods at dinner eats a lot, and with delight; and whoever eats the same food every day not only tastes it without pleasure, but sometimes feels, perhaps, disgust from it.” The Fathers speak, of course, about spiritual food, about prayer.
And the Book of Hours for the Laity provides precisely the opportunity for such diversity. Here are prayers that seem to be known to everyone - these are the daily cycle services that we are used to hearing in church. The book has a section “Morning Sequences”, from where a layman (and even a clergyman) can, as his morning rule, read either the Midnight Office, or Matins, or the first hour - or all of this together. Accordingly, there is also a section “Evening Sequences”, which contains the ninth hour, Vespers and Compline.
As we can see, the publication is based on a very sound and very simple idea: to offer much more traditional church texts as an alternative to “traditional” morning and evening prayers. It is difficult to argue with this approach: what could be better than those prayer books that the Church created many centuries (or even millennia) ago and preserved to this day?
In addition to the morning and evening sequences, the collection includes sections “Daytime Sequences” (these are the third and sixth hours, as well as lunch service), “Prayers for the meal” and a number of additions.
2. Russian translations. The reader of “Chaslosov for the Laity” has every chance to make his prayer more meaningful, since in addition to the Church Slavonic translation (remember, almost all the texts in the collection are translated from Greek), a Russian translation is also given here in a parallel column.
In Russia there is a long tradition of publications containing translations into Russian of liturgical texts: here one can recall N. Nakhimov (N. Ch. Zayonchkovsky), P. P. Mironositsky, M. N. Skaballanovich and many others; Nowadays, translations are carried out by priests. Anthony Lakirev, priest. Georgy Kochetkov, priest. Mikhail Asmus, priest. Ambrose (Timrot), etc. Among the most recent publications of this kind, one should indicate the publication “The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with a parallel translation into Russian” under the general editorship of Metropolitan. Hilarion (Alfeeva) (M.: Nikeya, 2016).
As for the “Book of Hours for the Laity” specifically, here the prayer book reader receives, so to speak, a double benefit: firstly, if he wishes, he can use the Russian translation in his home prayer (but if Church Slavonic is completely understandable to him, then he has at his disposal there is a corresponding text), and secondly, he has the opportunity to prepare for the temple service, where he will hear, among other things, the very texts that are presented in the collection.
Of course, this is not the only translation of the Book of Hours into Russian. Here, first of all, it is necessary to mention the first and last volumes of the seven-volume “Orthodox Worship” published by the St. Philaret Institute - “Vespers and Matins” and “Book of Hours”, respectively (at present, volumes of the third edition of this collection of translations, which also includes Church Slavonic version of the texts). However, there cannot be a single correct translation, one for all times - and therefore different translations of the same texts complement and shade each other, allowing for comparative analysis, identifying strengths and weaknesses. Intensive translation work gradually leads to the formation of a liturgical style of the Russian literary language - in the same way as other styles were formed earlier: journalistic, scientific, popular science, etc.
3. Translations by Jerome. Ambrose (Timroth). Taking this opportunity, we would like to talk here about the translations of Fr. Ambrose, which he has been doing for many years. If you go to the website www.wertograd.org and follow the link “Divine Services” (the link leads to the website www.azbyka.ru), then we will see a list of liturgical texts translated by Fr. Ambrose. This includes the Book of Hours with an appendix, the Sunday Octoechos, the Festive Menaion, and the most important services of the Triodion - both Lenten and Colored, and many other texts. You can choose to present the text in two columns (the Church Slavonic text will be given in transliteration), or you can, if you wish, see only the Church Slavonic translation in authentic graphics and spelling.
Not being a specialist in the field of classical philology, I do not undertake to evaluate the quality of the translation. It is quite obvious, however, that the conscious intention of the translator was to preserve the usual Church Slavonic style, rhythm, and partly vocabulary in the Russian text. This solution, of course, has the right to life and has its strengths - as well as predictable shortcomings: for the sake of familiarity, in some cases, it is probably necessary to sacrifice accuracy. But to confirm (or refute) this assumption, a detailed analysis of a sufficiently large number of texts is needed, which is beyond the scope of the current review.
One way or another, thanks to the works of Rev. Ambrose (Timrot), any interested Internet user has access to a very significant array of Orthodox hymnographic texts translated into Russian. However, experience shows that Internet users and book readers – these two groups overlap very little. Therefore, it is extremely important that the sequences of the Book of Hours - that is, those texts that form the backbone of public worship - are now available in yet another Russian translation and, moreover, in paper form.
I would like to hope that the cooperation of Fr. Ambrose and the “Synchrony” society will continue and we will see in the same series “Sunday Octoechos for the laity,” as well as the Lenten Triodion, the Colored Triodion, the Festive Menaion, etc.
And then the Orthodox Christians of Russia will finally have access to the treasury of Orthodox hymnography in their native language.
