The light is quiet

The original Greek text: Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης ἀθανάτου Πατρός, οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἐσπερινόν, 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.

Church Slavonic :

The light of the quiet Holy Holiness, the immortal Father of Heaven, the Holy Blessed One, Jesus Christ: came to the west of the sun, came the evening light, eat the Father, the Son of God, the Son of God. Worthy is there at all times that the voice of the reverend, Son of God, give life: the same world praises. ^[one]

Latin (Lumen hilare):
Iucunda lux tu gloriae,
fons luminis de lumine,
beate Iesu caelitus
a Patre sancto prodiens.

Fulgor diei lucidus
solisque lumen occidit,
et nos ad horam vesperam
te confitemur cantico.

Laudamus unicum deum,
Patrem potentem, Filium
cum spiritu paraclito
in Trinitas gloria.

O digne linguis qui piis
lauderis omni tempore,
Fili dei, te saecula
vitae datorem personent.
Amen.

The Latin text with the incipit “Iucunda lux tu gloriae” is not a translation of the Greek original, but a stylization in the Ambrosian manner. Each stanza of a (pseudo-) Amvrosian hymn consists of 4 lines written in four-foot iamba. Such a poetic structure allows you to sing the hymn to the famous Gregorian melodies (for example, Veni Creator Spiritus ), since no chant was supposed for the melody of the Byzantine prototype.

A more accurate (later, prosaic) Latin translation:
Lumen hilare sanctae gloriae immortalis Patris / Coelestis, sancti, beati, Iesu Christe, / Quum ad solis occasum pervenerimus, lumen cernentes verspertinum, / Laudamus Patrem, et Filium, et sanctum Spiritum Dei. / Dignus es in tempore quovis sanctis vocibus celebrari, Fili Dei, vitae dator. / Quapropter te mundus glorificat.

The song "Quiet Light" is one of the oldest surviving hymns of the early Church. Basil the Great († 379 ) mentions this song in his book “ On the Holy Spirit to Amphilochius ”:

Our fathers did not want to accept in silence the grace of evening light, but immediately, as he advanced, they brought thanks. Although we cannot positively say who was the creator of those praises that we read during the prayers, however, the people repeat the ancient voice and no one imagines that they blaspheme when they say: we praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God. If anyone knew the Athenogen’s anthem, which he, instead of protective medicine, left to his disciples when he himself was in a hurry to offer the burnt offering, he would also have learned the idea of ​​the martyrs about the Spirit.

- Basil the Great. " On the Holy Spirit to Amphilochius ." Chapter 29

Based on these words, Mark of Ephesus confidently attributed the authorship to the Quiet Light to the holy martyr Athenogenes of Sebastia († July 16, 311 ), and modern Greek liturgical books call this song the hymn of St. Athenogen the martyr. Analysis of the text of Basil the Great shows that we can talk about two songs: “Quiet Light” and the other, written by Athenogenes. In this regard, it is suggested that “Quiet Light” is an even earlier text. Since many prayers and hymns were borrowed by Basil the Great from the rank of the Neocesarean Church, Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea († no later than 270 years ) may be a possible author.

Slavic Theologians ascribed “Silent Light” to Sophronius of Jerusalem († 644 ). Meanwhile, in the Code of Alexandria of the fifth century, this hymn is already given, and as part of the texts of the Holy Scriptures . The analysis of the text shows that the hymn contains Christology before the era of Ecumenical Councils . Thus, many scholars believe that the "Logos" was originally called the "Son and Holy Spirit of God" in the hymn. Thus, any of the versions makes "Quiet Light" the oldest Vespers hymn.

In the Orthodox Church

The anthem “The Quiet Light” is sung at the Vespers Byzantine rite during the “entrance to the censer ”, before the censorship of the altar: at the Great Vespers while singing the Virgin Mary (on Sunday Vespers - dogma ), the last stichera to “Lord Calls”, the clergy go out from the northern door of the altar and stand in the middle of the temple in front of the openings of the Royal Gates ; the first are the priests with candles , then the deacon with the censer (or the Gospel , if the reading of the latter is due on that day) and the primate . The evening entrance dates back to the early Christian custom: written monuments of the 3rd century give a description of the common evening meals of Christians, which, when the bishop was present at the meal, were accompanied, among other things, by the blessing of the evening light - the inclusion of a lamp in the collection. ^[2]

The “Quiet Light" expresses gratitude to those who pray for the opportunity to see Christ , the non-evening light and the Sun of truth, at a time when the world around us is plunged into night darkness. Despite its brevity, The Quiet Light perfectly sets forth the main points of Christian theology:

• triadology (a song is offered to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit to God),
• christology (Christ is called the light of the holy glory of the Father, comparable with the Nicene Tsaregradsky Creed , in which Christ is called the Light from the Light),
• ecclesiology (a song is brought not only on behalf of those present, but also the whole Church (“voices of the venerable ones” - that is, the voices of saints, not only alive, but also deceased)),
• eschatology (Christ is chanted “at all times”).

Under the singing “Quiet Light”, a procession of clergy enters the altar, which, together with the lamps made out, symbolically indicates that Christ himself invisibly entered the assembly of the faithful. Particularly solemn evening entrance looks in the Greek Churches, where the customs of the nationwide singing "Quiet Light" and the full entrance are preserved (clerics leave the altar, go to the western gate of the temple and from there, through the whole church, go to the altar).

In the Anglican Church

During the reforms of the 20th century, a number of churches of the Anglican community introduced new liturgical books into their worship. As a result, the modern liturgical books of the Anglican Church , the Episcopal Church of the United States and others have made it possible to replace the standard order of repentance , which began Vespers , with an evening light ceremony with the singing of "Quiet Light." The consequence of this was the numerous poetic translations of "Quiet Light" into English.

• Skaballanovich M. N. “Explanatory Typicon”, chapter “Quiet Light”
• Victor Alymov “Lectures on historical liturgy”, chapter “Liturgy of the 3rd century
• To the history of the anthem "Quiet Light