Kassia, Troparion on the Sinful Woman
Κύριε, ἡ ἐν πολλαῖς ἁμαρτίαις / περιπεσοῦσα γυνή, / τὴν σὴν αἰσθομένη θεότητα, /
μυροφόρου ἀναλαβοῦσα τάξιν, / (5) ὀδυρομένη μύρον σοι / πρὸ τοῦ ἐνταφιασμοῦ
κομίζει, / οἴμοι, λέγουσα, / ὅτι νύξ με συνέχει, / οἶστρος ἀκολασίας, / (10) ζοφώδης τε
καὶ ἀσέληνος, / ἔρως τῆς ἁμαρτίας· / δέξαι μου τὰς πηγὰς τῶν δακρύων, /ὁ νεφέλαις
στημονίζων / τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ ὕδωρ· / (15) κάμφθητί μοι / πρὸς τοὺς στεναγμοὺς τῆς
καρδίας, / ὁ κλίνας τοὺς οὐρανοὺς / τῇ ἀφράστῳ σου κενώσει. / καταφιλήσω τοὺς
ἀχράντους σου πόδας, / (20) ἀποσμήξω τούτους δὲ πάλιν / τοῖς τῆς κεφαλῆς μου
βοστρύχοις, / ὧν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ / Εὔα τὸ δειλινὸν / κρότον τοῖς ὠσὶν ἠχηθεῖσα / τῷ
(25) φόβῳ ἐκρύβη. / ἁμαρτιῶν μου τὰ πλήθη / καὶ κριμάτων σου ἀβύσσους / τίς
ἐξιχνιάσει, / ψυχοσῶστα σωτήρ μου; / (30) μή με τὴν σὴν δούλην παρίδῃς / ὁ ἀμέτρητον
ἔχων τὸ μέγα ἔλεος.
Lord, the woman who / fell into many sins, / recognizing your divinity, / took on the myrrhbearer’s
office / (5) and brings you in tears myrrh / before your entombment / saying “Ah
me! / Night is upon me, / goad of incontinence, / (10) gloomy and moonless, / lust after sin. /
Receive my streams of tears, / you who feed clouds / with the water of the sea. / (15) Bend to
my / heart’s groans, / you who bent the heavens / with your ineffable abasement. / I shall
kiss your immaculate feet / (20) and wipe them again / with the hair of my head—/the feet /
whose sound Eve / heard in paradise mid-afternoon / (25) and hid in fear. / Who will fathom
/ the numbers of my sins / and the depths of your judgments, / my soul-saving savior? / (30)
Do not overlook me, your servant—/you who have great pity without measure.”