Daily Images of God--Lent 2022
Day 7 -- March 8
LAUGHING LIGHT
(Phos Hilaron)
The Greek hymn “Phos Hilaron” (Happy Light) is dated from the late 200s or early 300s of the Common Era. It was used as a lamp lighting hymn, and still is in the Daily Greek Orthodox vespers service. Legend says that it was composed by Saint Sophronius, on the way to being martyred along with ten others in Sebaste Armenia during the persecution of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 305. He is often depicted as an elderly bishop with the executioner's arm paralyzed until the saint had completed his song of praise to the “laughing light.”
Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης ἀθανάτου Πατρός,
οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ,
ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἑσπερινόν,
ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα, Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Θεόν.
Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις,
Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς· διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.
Translation of Phos Hilaron in the 1979 Prayer Book of the The Episcopal Church:
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Here is my (inclusive/expansive language) metrical translation of the hymn to be sung to "Evening Hymn" (no. 37 in the TEC 1982 Hymnal):
Light who brings joy, O sum
Of sacred brightness
Around the deathless Parent
Of all creation,
Heav’nly, Holy, Blessed,
Christ Jesus our salvation.
Now we are drawing near
To the daystar’s setting.
And see its flame still dying.
We sing our praise to God:
Parent, Spirit, Child,
Our evening light now burning.
You made all time, and each
Real moment has meaning,
And sings out great thanksgiving,
Life-giver, Child of God,
Each being's voice and self,
Throughout your cosmos must sing.
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