“Let all human flesh be silent, and let it stand with fear and trembling,
and let itself consider nothing earthly; for the King of Kings
and Lord of Lords comes forth to be sacrificed and given as food to the believers;
and there go before him the choirs of Angels, with every Dominion and Power,
many-eyed Cherubim and six-winged Seraphim,
covering their faces, and singing out the hymn:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.” (from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom)
Hymn of the Cherubim is an excerpt from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41, a sacred, a cappella choral work Tchaikovsky completed in 1878. It was the first “unified musical cycle” of settings of the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, one of the central eucharistic services of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The core of the text (below) is attributed to Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople in the 5th century.
Hymn of the Cherubim by Tchaikovsky
Church Slavonic:
Иже херѹвимы тайнѡ ѡбразѹюще,
и животворѧщей Троицѣ трисвѧтую пѣснь припѣвающе,
Всѧкое нынѣ житейское отложимъ попеченіе.
Ꙗкѡ да Царѧ всѣхъ подъимемъ,
аггельскими невидимѡ дорѵносима чинми.
Аллилѹіа, Аллилѹіа, Аллилѹіа.
The original Greek text:
Σιγησάτω πᾶσα σάρξ βροτεία, καὶ στήτω μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου, καὶ μηδὲν γήϊνον ἐν ἑαυτῇ λογιζέσθω· ὁ γὰρ Βασιλεῦς τῶν βασιλευόντων καὶ Κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων προσέρχεται σφαγιασθῆναι, καὶ δοθῆναι εἰς βρῶσιν τοῖς πιστοῖς· προηγοῦνται δὲ τούτου οἱ χοροὶ τῶν Ἀγγέλων, μετὰ πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας, τὰ πολυόμματα Χερουβίμ, καὶ τὰ ἑξαπτέρυγα Σεραφίμ, τὰς ὄψεις καλύπτοντα, καὶ βοῶντα τὸν ὕμνον· Ἀλληλούϊα, Ἀλληλούϊα, Ἀλληλούϊα.
Latin:
Qui cherubin mystice imitamur
et vivifice trinitati ter sanctum ẏmnum offerimus
Omnem nunc mundanam deponamus sollicitudinem
Sicuti regem omnium suscepturi
Cui ab angelicis invisibiliter ministratur ordinibus.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
English translation:
We who mystically represent the Cherubim,
and who sing to the Life-Giving Trinity the thrice-holy hymn,
let us now lay aside all earthly cares
that we may receive the King of all,
escorted invisibly by the angelic orders.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” — St. Paul, Letter to the Philippians (4:8)
VIRGÓ SACRÁTA is a Christian mission-driven online resource and shop inspired from the beauty of Catholic faith, tradition, and arts. Our mission is to “Restore All Things to Christ!”, in continuing the legacy of Pope St. Pius X under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?” O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
