Canon the Mother of God at Compline
Tone 1 – Saturday

Ode I, Irmos.

Israel, having escaped cruel bondage and passed through the impassable as upon dry land, beholding the enemy drowned, singeth with rejoicing a song unto God, Who worketh wonders with His mighty arm, for He hath been glorified.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The rulers of the angelic ranks were filled with awe, O Queen of all, as they praised thee; and every mind singeth of thee for thy goodness, as the Mother of the Creator. For, having borne Christ, thou hast surpassed every order of praise.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Tormented by grievous afflictions and harassed by enemies, I, the wretched one, cry with weeping: Stretch forth unto me thy hand from on high, O all-bountiful one, and deliver me; by thy prayers grant me to pass my life unharmed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Heal the hidden transgressions of my soul with the remedy of mercy, O Theotokos, and calm the impulse of the flesh; and, turning back the spears and arrows of the enemies, drive them mightily into their own hearts.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

The virginal womb destroyed the ancient man-slaying feeding-ground, having borne Christ, O pure one; therefore all creation now rejoiceth, having been restored to life, and with one accord hymneth thy Son and God.

Ode III, Irmos.

Unto the pre-eternal Son, incorruptibly begotten of the Father, and in the latter times incarnate without seed of the Virgin, let us cry, unto Christ our God: Thou Who hast exalted our horn, holy art Thou, O Lord.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The great Jacob, sleeping once upon the way, beheld Angels descending from on high by the ladder unto the earth, O Virgin, and marvelled; and awakening, he plainly prefigured thee as the heavenly Door.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Held fast by temporal things, I, the wretched one, am cast into affliction and tormented by storms of temptations. Woe is me! I cry: O thou who hast borne God and exalted our horn, save me by thy prayers.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Stretch forth Thy mighty hand from heaven, O Christ, King of all things that are, and subject the heads of the spiritual enemies beneath the feet of us who faithfully proclaim the Theotokos to be Thy Mother.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Isaias of old, having been cleansed by the coal of the Spirit, plainly proclaimed that the Son should be born from thy womb, O all-bountiful Virgin; Him in the latter times thou didst bear without man for my sake.

Ode IV, Irmos.

A rod from the root of Jesse, and a flower therefrom, O Christ, Thou didst spring forth from the Virgin; from the praised mountain, overshadowed and densely wooded, Thou didst come, becoming incarnate of her who knew not man, O bodiless God. Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The prince prefigured thee, O Mother of God, as fair and most honourable among women, ascending from the wilderness and bearing the Shoot, Christ, upon thine arm, crying: Glory to Thy power, O Lord.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Incline thine ear unto me, O good one, and behold my distress and the multitude of my troubles; for unto thee, O Lady, have I lifted up the eye of my soul, and bending my knees with weeping, I now entreat thee, crying: Still the tumult of my temptations.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Knowing thee to be an impregnable wall, and drawn by thine intercession, I, thy servant, have now fled unto thee; and I reckon the arrows of the enemy as childish and ineffectual, O all-bountiful one. Wherefore, rejoicing, I cry: Glory, O Mother of God, to thy Childbearing.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

The power of the Most High overshadowed thee, O Virgin, through the coming of the Divine Spirit; and then, beyond nature, the Lord of all, having given life unto flesh and soul, assumed them unto Himself, while remaining in the same nature.

Ode V, Irmos.

Being the God of peace and Father of mercies, Thou hast sent unto us Thine Angel of Great Counsel, Who granteth peace; wherefore, being guided unto the light of the knowledge of God, rising early from the night, we glorify Thee, O Lover of mankind.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Daniel of old foresaw thee, O divine and all-hymned one, as the unhewn mountain, foretelling that from thee, by a divine birth, should be cut the Stone, Christ the Saviour of the world. And we the faithful, now honouring Him, praise thee, O Bride of God.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Having fallen into many afflictions, I, the wretched one, praying with pain and weeping of heart, boldly cry as thy servant: Deliver me, O Birthgiver of God, in my lowliness from the troubles that encompass me, and fill me with gladness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Still the raging sea of my passions by thy mighty prayer, O good one, thou who without passion hast borne Christ, that henceforth, living in stillness of soul, I may hymn thee in the songs of my life.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Tell me, how dost thou bear God upon thine arm and give suck unto Him Who sustaineth all things with His hand, O all-blessed Virgin? “I remain pure even after Childbearing,” saith she, “having borne Christ our God and taken away the debt of Adam and of our foremother.”

Ode VI, Irmos.

The belly of the sea-beast harmed not Jonah, the child of Jacob, whom it received; so the Word, having dwelt within the Virgin and assumed flesh, passed through, preserving her incorrupt. For He Who suffered no corruption preserved her who bore Him unharmed.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Not departing from the bosom of the Father, the pre-eternal Son came into the maternal bosom; and in the latter days He Who before the ages was with the Father came forth from the Virgin’s womb, raising all unto immortal life through His ineffable goodness.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Bound with the chains of the enemy through affliction, I have fallen, woe is me, unto the gates of Hades. But appear from heaven and stand before me, O pure Maiden of God, raising me, thy servant, by thy prayers; and give a helping hand unto me who hymn thy divine Childbearing.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

I, the wretched one, have fallen into the pit of destruction, and many beasts surround me; but, O Lady, by thy prayers turn away the stones and preserve thy servant unharmed, for thou didst bear Christ the Cornerstone within thy womb.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

The choir of the divine Prophets of old proclaimed the figures of thy Childbearing, O Virgin: the radiant cloud, the lampstand, the jar, the table, the heavenly dew, the bread and manna, the door, the throne, the chamber, the rod, and paradise; for thou hast borne Christ.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sedalen, Tone 1.
We all entreat thee, O Mother of God, who wast shown to be truly Virgin even after Childbearing, fleeing with love unto thy goodness; for we sinners have thee as our intercessor, and have acquired thee as salvation in afflictions, thou only all-immaculate one.

Ode VII, Irmos.

The youths, nurtured in the good faith, disregarded the impious command and feared not the threat of fire; but standing in the midst of the flame, they sang: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The Pre-eternal One, passing through thine impassable doors, O pure Queen of all, preserved thy signs intact, leaving thee pure even after Childbearing: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Refrain: Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Cast into the furnace, I am scorched by sevenfold flames from soul-slaying afflictions; but do thou thyself rain down dew upon me, O good Lady, and by thy supplications save me, who cry in song: Blessed is God.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Having grown old in the passions, amid unrelenting afflictions and sorrows, and having come unto the sunset of my life without part in the virtues, consumed by sloth, I cry unto thee, O Lady, consolation of those upon earth: Have mercy on me.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Rightly worshipping the Trinity in unity, and proclaiming thee, O pure Virgin Mother, as she who bore God in the flesh, we who are upon earth sing divinely: O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.

Ode VIII, Irmos.

A very great wonder! The furnace prefigured in an image her who giveth dew; for the fire which it received burned not the youths, and likewise the divine Fire burned not the Virgin, through whom He passed, leaving her pure. Wherefore, singing, let us cry: Let every creature bless the Lord and exalt Him above all for ever.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

The all-true word of the priest prefigured thy Childbearing, O Virgin; for truly thou hast borne the divine Word, and He opened not thy womb, O Virgin, through which God passed. Wherefore, rejoicing, we all with one accord duly hymn thee as the Theotokos and exalt thee, O pure one, for ever.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Burn up with divine fire, O most pure one, the thorn which hath grown within my soul, rendering it powerless through thy prayers; and raise me up unto virtue, that I may bear fruit unto Christ. For the ever-living Flower, having sprung forth from thee, adorned all creation. Wherefore we honour thee, O pure Birthgiver of God, as the Theotokos for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Grant me speedily, O Birthgiver of God, healing without pain in my grievous afflictions; for having fallen into sorrows and troubles, I, the wretched one, weeping, call upon thy swiftness in intercession. Therefore, O most holy one, make haste to deliver me, and save me from every torment, that, blessing thee, I may hymn thy Childbearing.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

The rod of Aaron, which budded of old, prefigured thee, O Virgin; for thou alone, without man, hast borne the Shoot, having received the heavenly rain within thy womb. Wherefore, rejoicing, we all with one accord duly hymn thee as the Theotokos and exalt thee for ever.

Ode IX, Irmos.

I behold a strange and most glorious mystery: the cave become heaven; the Virgin, a cherubic throne; the manger, a dwelling-place wherein the Uncontainable Christ our God lay, Whom praising we magnify.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Most glorious is the mystery of the Virgin: for Him Whom the heights above the heavens could not contain, she contained within her womb. Wherefore, assembling together, we call her blessed, and rejoicing in faith, we magnify her.

Refrain: O Most Holy Lady Mother of God, save us. (Bow)

Beholding thee alone as higher than the heavens, O undefiled one, the divine Dawn, the cherubic throne, the chamber, and the holy couch, we who are upon earth, praising, magnify Christ our God, Whom thou didst bear from thy pure loins.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Many sorrows are round about me; evil afflictions assail me, and infirmities and cruel sins have now cast me into the pit. Wherefore, in the bitterness of my soul I entreat thee, O Most Holy Theotokos: find deliverance for me.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

Give peace unto the world, O Christ, through the supplications of the pure Maiden of God, casting down the power of the enemy beneath the feet of faithful kings, and establishing for them ineffable tranquillity; preserve it for ever.

Then at Compline, “It is truly meet,” and the rest as usual, followed by the Dismissal.

4 October 2026