Psalmody & Hymnography
Kontakion & Troparion
Troparion: a short hymn summarizing the feast or saint being celebrated. Kontakion: originally a longer poetic sermon (St. Romanos the Melodist wrote the greatest examples); now usually a single stanza. Every feast and saint has assigned troparia and kontakia. The Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos is the most famous kontakion.
The text
The Nativity kontakion
Today the Virgin gives birth to Him who is above all being, and the earth offers a cave to Him whom no one can approach.
Angels with shepherds give glory, and magi journey with a star; for to us is born a young Child, the pre-eternal God.
Ἡ Παρθένος σήμερον τὸν ὑπερούσιον τίκτει, καὶ ἡ γῆ τὸ σπήλαιον τῷ ἀπροσίτῳ προσάγει.
Ἄγγελοι μετὰ ποιμένων δοξολογοῦσι, μάγοι δὲ μετὰ ἀστέρος ὁδοιποροῦσι· δι᾽ ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἐγεννήθη παιδίον νέον, ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων Θεός.
By St Romanos the Melodist, and the model for the form: one stanza that states the whole feast. The kontakion was originally a long metrical sermon of which only this opening stanza is now sung.
Sources
- Menaion, Octoechos, Pentecostarion (liturgical books) the OCA calendar
- St. Romanos the Melodist, Kontakia (6th century)