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"The
bodiless servant was sent to the living city and the spiritual gate...."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [A hymn for the feast of the annunciation, celebrating
Mary's being told of the coming birth of Jesus:] The angel Gabriel was sent from heaven by God to an undefiled virgin, to a city of Galilee, Nazareth, to announce to her the strange manner of
her conception. The bodiless servant was sent to the living city and the spiritual
gate to make known the descent of of the
master's presence. The heavenly soldier was sent to the spotless palace of glory to prepare the everlasting dwelling for
the creator. And coming before her he proclaimed: "Hail, fiery throne more glorious by far than the fourfold-form
living beings. Hail, heavenly royal seat, Hail, unhewn mountain, most honored vessel. For in you has come to dwell bodily the fullness of the Godhead, by the good will of the everlasting
Father and with the joint cooperation of the
Holy Spirit. Hail, you who are favored The Lord is with you." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How can I hold you as a child, you
who hold everything together?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [And parts of longer hymns. From a hymn for the feast of
the presentation of the infant Jesus in the temple by Mary and Joseph:] "How can I hold you as a child, you who hold everything together? "How do I bring you to the temple,
who is beyond goodness? How do I deliver you to the arms of the
elder, who sits in the bosom of the Father? "How do you endure purification, you who purifies the whole corrupt
nature?" So said the Virgin the temple who contained God marveling at your great condescension,
Christ. [part 3; p.41] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "When you called those who had died
before to rise up, I came to life." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [From a canon for Holy Saturday, the day between Jesus'
death and his resurrection, when tradition said he freed the "faithful" from hell. This hymn is
an official part of the Eastern Orthodox Holy Week liturgy. Tripolitis cites a commentator of the 1100s as saying
that Kassia couldn't possibly be the author because "a hymn for a major religious holiday could not be
attributed to a woman" (p.81):] He who once Hid the pursuing tyrant In the waves of the sea, Was hidden beneath the earth By the children of those he had saved. But let us, as the maidens, Sing unto the Lord, For he is greatly glorified. Senseless, old, Insatiable, gaping Hell, receive The life of all mankind. For you will be sick devouring the souls of the righteous that you had
swallowed down; The Lord will strike you down Because He is glorified.... To all those shackled With the indestructible chains of hell The Lord shouted: "Those in bondage burst forth, Those in darkness be free." Our King is delivering Those in the earth.... By means of the cross, O benefactor, You mortified the pride of the
soul-destroyer; Descending into hell, you crushed its
barriers And, as God, raised the forefather; And by your death granted to the
faithful Peace and life and exultation. You who breathed life into mortals Lived with those in hell. Those in darkness you told to come out And those in bonds to be released, To the destruction of the enemy. And when you called those who had died
before To rise up, I came to life. [ll.1-15, 39-45, 75-90; p.81-87] ------------------------------------------------------------------- "Don't judge with reason, but let
your goodness prevail." ------------------------------------------------------------------- [From a canon for the dead:] Most impartial judge, when you weigh our deeds, don't judge with reason, but let your goodness prevail; and add weight to the scale, Lord, when the evil deeds tip it the other
way.... We pray, O Deliverer, that you mix the terrible cup of unmixed drink in your hand with gentleness, and save those of your servants whom you have already taken from the
earth, from this sediment, and place them in the land of the meek, Merciful One, to praise and bless you forever.... Ever-remembered fathers, brothers, and
sisters, relatives, friends, and my soul-mates, who have already taken the terrible
road, instead of a contribution accept a gift of this hymn by me. And as many of you as are fortunate to gain the bliss of heaven, earnestly entreat the Creator on my
behalf.... [ll.163-171, 201-210,
229-236; pp.89-105] --------------------------------------------------- "I hate the one who conforms to all
ways." --------------------------------------------------- [Some of Kassia's "secular" poems. From
"Metre of Kassia in Iambic Verse":] I hate a murderer condemning the
hot-tempered. I hate the adulterer when he judges the
fornicator. I hate the leper who drives out the
leprous.... I hate a rich man complaining as a poor
man. I hate the poor man boasting as in
wealth. I hate a debtor who sleeps
unconcernedly.... I hate the verbose in an unsuitable
time. I hate silence when it is a time for
speaking. I hate the one who conforms to all
ways.... I hate the one who does not encourage
everyone with words. I hate one who speaks before examining. I hate the one who teaches knowing
nothing.... [ll.1-3, 5-7, 17-19,
21-23; pp.111-113] --------------------------------------------------------- "Just as it is impossible to bend a
great pillar...." --------------------------------------------------------- [On stupidity:] There is absolutely no cure for
stupidity nor help except for death. A stupid person when honored is arrogant
towards everyone, and when praised becomes even more
over-confident. Just as it is impossible to bend a great
pillar, so it is to change a stupid person. [p.125] -------------------------------------------- "Monachos is having only
yourself." -------------------------------------------- [From "Concerning monachoi,"
one of Kassia's poems on the monastic life:] Monachos is having only yourself. Monachos is a single-thought life. Monachos having worldly concerns has
been called many names but not monachos.... Monachos is a restrained tongue. Monachos is a non-wandering eye. Monachos is a completely shut door. Monachos is a support of the
unsupported. Monachos is an established book showing the model to be imitated and teaching at the same time.... [ll.1-4, 10-16; p.137] ---------------------------------- "Beauty has its consolation." ---------------------------------- [From Kassia's "Epigrams":] Don't seek wealth, or for that matter
poverty; for one inflates the mind and judgment, the other brings unending grief. [p.119] --------------------- It is moderately bad for a woman to have
a radiant countenance, yet beauty has its consolation; but if a woman is ugly, what misfortune, what bad luck. [p.121] --------------------- Woe, oh lord, if a stupid person
attempts to be clever; where does one flee, where does one
turn, how does one endure?
[p.125] --------------------- Love everyone, but don't trust all. [p.129] --------------------- The possession of good is rare, but on the other hand evil is very
available. [p.133] Kassia.
"The Fallen Woman," Jessica Suchy-Pilalis, soprano cantor. Historical
Anthology of Music by Women, JamesR. Briscoe, Indiana University Press:
Cassette, 1991, with music by Hildegard of Bingen, Anne Boleyn,
MaddelanaCasulana, Francesca Caccini, Isabella Leonarda and others. Kassia
was a Byzantine abbess and composer of liturgical chants and hymns. According
to tradition, she defiedEmperor Theophilos, during a 'bride show" in which
a woman was selected as queen on the basis of her physicalappearance rather
than her compassion, honesty, or her ability to lead. Casting his eye upon the
charms of alovely woman named Icasia, the emperor declared that in this world
women were the occasion of much evil (refrerring to the Biblical fall of man).
"And surely, sir," said Kassia, "they have likewise been the
occasion of much good." Theophilos chose Icasia and rejected Kassia. The
incident, however, led to Kassia's religious callingas a nun and abbess, where
her vocation, leadership and musical gifts florished. Kassia
is the only woman poet to come down to us from the Byzantine Greek. Considered
the most importantwoman hymnographer of the Byzantine era, she composed 49
liturgical chants, and as a poet, 261 secular versesand moral sentences. In
843, she became the abbess of her monastery in Constantinople, composing music
for theservices in her convent and writing liturgical and secular verses.
"The Fallen Woman", a troparion about Mary Magdalene (Luke 7:36-50),
is still sung in the morning office of Holy Wednesday in the Eastern Church. Song of Mary Magdalene / The Fallen
Woman Text and Music by Kassia Lord, the woman who fell into many sins has perceived your divinity and joins the procession of
myrrh-bearing women. Lamenting, she brings you myrrh, before
your burial. "O!" she cries, "what
night falls on me, what dark and moonless madness of
wild-desire, this thirst for sin. Take my spring of tears You who draw water from the clouds, bend to me, to the sighing of my heart, You who bend the heavens in your secret
incarnation, I will kiss your immaculate feet and wipe them dry with the hair of my head. When Eve, at twilight in Paradise heard the sound of your feet, she hid in
terror. Who will trace the abundance of my sins or your unfathomable judgments, Saviour
of my soul? Do not abandon me, your slave in your immeasurable mercy." "Arabic-christian
chant until the present, in spite of many minor changes and reforms, chants
dating back to thefirst centuries of Christianity have been kept alive and
handed down in the Maronitic as well as the Melchitic andSyrian-Catholic rites.
Although the apostle Paul had forbidden women to sing chants in church, the
early ChristianSyrian heretics cultivated women's choirs and women's solo
chants." Augustus music and text by Kassia When Augustus became ruler upon earth, the multitude of kingdoms ended. After thou becamst flesh through the Holy One, the multitude of idols ended. The towns became part of one kingdom and the nations believed in one holy rule. The people were guided by the laws of the ruler. We, the faithful, have been inscribed in the name of Diety. Oh, though incarnate Lord, grant us Thy mercy, glory to Thee. |