Akathist Hymn to the Holy Right-believing Queen Tamar
O thou who didst gather honey from the hive of virtues and art adorned with heavenly purple and crown, whom Christians hymn with unceasing song, as the teacher of all the faithful set aright this our stammering tongue, that we who seek thy intercession may offer thee this praise: Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O fair watchman, who with great help from God didst crush the necks of the lawless, thee, the unwaning light granted by God, we magnify thus:
Rejoice, most renowned queen; rejoice, comely bride of heaven; rejoice, conqueror of the delights of this passing age; rejoice, thou who art seasoned with divine grace; rejoice, crusher of those stripped of God’s protection; rejoice, king who received victory from God; rejoice, hope of those who seek thee; rejoice, blossoming of our soul; rejoice, thou who didst gain the mercy of God; rejoice, thou who art adorned with prayer; rejoice, for God hath visited His inheritance; rejoice, for the Lord hath saved His people; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
Instructed by the word of God and well planted by divine teaching, we, drawn up to heaven by the fragrance of thy struggle, sing to thee: Alleluia.
O perfection of God-pleasing kingship, who didst shine forth upon our expectation full of hope, to thee, the queen commended to the Theotokos, we sing thus:
Rejoice, thou who didst long for the kingdom on high; rejoice, tree planted by the channels of the waters of the kingdom; rejoice, thou who didst live in the knowledge of God; rejoice, strengthener of Christianity; rejoice, destroyer of evil seeds; rejoice, thou who searchest all things with the eye of the mind; rejoice, imitator of the angels; rejoice, thou who didst shine with good labour; rejoice, thou who wast filled with the Holy Spirit; rejoice, thou who art adorned with the light of God; rejoice, comforter of the spiritual life; rejoice, sweet-sounding sticheron of the feasts; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O thou who wast enthroned on the royal throne, dawn of joy to thy people, from those who praise thee the odes of the crowned are spread abroad: Alleluia.
O valiant and unsleeping guardian of thy God-given kingdom, to thee, winged by fasting and prayer and exalted by humility adorned by God, we who unceasingly extol the saints of God speak thus:
Rejoice, good narrator of God-inspired words; rejoice, disciple of Him who broke the bolts of death; rejoice, establisher of royal laws; rejoice, thou who wast taught by God-bearing teachers; rejoice, thou who leadest our souls up to heaven; rejoice, gatherer of the labours of the holy kings; rejoice, bridle of all uncleanness; rejoice, blossoming of every virtue; rejoice, thou who blessest those who now praise thee; rejoice, indestructible temple; rejoice, thou whose fruit God hath multiplied; rejoice, thou who didst establish all things well; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O unshakeable pillar of the Church, thee, the imitator of those blessed myrrh-bearing women and likened to them, all the orders of Christians hymn: Alleluia.
O enricher of all-honourable churches and restorer of ruined sanctuaries, the queen who singeth together with the cherubim and seraphim we magnify thus:
Rejoice, enricher of churches; rejoice, thou who art nailed to the love of God; rejoice, benefactor of holy temples; rejoice, thou who with royal bounty bringest fruits to monasteries; rejoice, place rich in ore amid the heat of this passing world; rejoice, thou who gladly receivest our supplications; rejoice, holder of the sceptre of Christ; rejoice, purifier of our thoughts; rejoice, tireless labourer; rejoice, herald of victory; rejoice, for the Lord careth for thee; rejoice, for the rulers of the people make supplication before thy face; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O mighty destroyer of the lawless, who didst put to shame those insolent Muslims, we who keep the feast of the victory from God sing to thee: Alleluia.
O thou who waterest our understanding, watered and quickened by the flow of thy words we cry to thee thus:
Rejoice, conqueror of raging Muhammadans; rejoice, unassailable wall; rejoice, indestructible gate; rejoice, radiant abode; rejoice, blessed land; rejoice, thou who didst put the opposing powers to shame; rejoice, thou by whom Beliar was wounded; rejoice, divinely wise guide; rejoice, wondrous speaker of God; rejoice, voice of the saving law; rejoice, watchfulness of our soul; rejoice, thou who art perfect in goodness; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O wondrous temple of the Holy Spirit, who now in the heavens resoundest with divine song, we glorify thee: Alleluia.
O ennobler of the lowborn, whom the world could not steal away as thou didst ascend to God with a mind free of pride, to thee, lover of being crucified with Christ, we sing thus:
Rejoice, thou who art adorned with God-pleasing mourning; rejoice, worker of wondrous victories; rejoice, holder of the whetted sword of the Spirit; rejoice, thou who with that dread sword cuttest off barrenness; rejoice, thou who quickenest fruit-bearing plants; rejoice, thou who art pure in heart; rejoice, thou who art enlightened in mind; rejoice, thou who art enriched by the divine word; rejoice, ineffable treasure; rejoice, blessed food of our soul; rejoice, saving drink; rejoice, thou who by God’s help didst put to shame the haters of Sion; rejoice, thou who art magnified by the pious; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O chastiser of the double-minded and merciful to thy fellow-strugglers, we who praise thy open-handed judgment bow before thee thus: Alleluia.
O destroyer of those who sacrifice to Beliar and waster of their frenzied designs, who didst make the plants of divine hope spring up in our souls, thee, lifted up to the heavens by a divine mind, we magnify thus:
Rejoice, thou who didst multiply prayers and vigils; rejoice, thou who didst quench the hopes of adversaries; rejoice, thou who wast bathed in God-adorned tears over thy people; rejoice, raiser of thy neighbours; rejoice, thou who castest down the frenzied enemy; rejoice, hope of thy servants; rejoice, sun of the blood of David; rejoice, thou who hast reached the borders of the kingdom; rejoice, thou who art imprinted on our minds; rejoice, thou who art written upon these our hearts; rejoice, thou who hast delighted the Lord; rejoice, thou whom we who praise thee hymn; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O thou who didst shine forth as joy to the pious and ungrudgingly spreadest spiritual light upon us, to thee, withdrawn from human sights and beholder of the divine light, we cry: Alleluia.
O divine shelter of monks, ever praised by renowned priests, to the queen who heweth blessedness out of rock for churches and out of these our hearts we speak thus:
Rejoice, adorner of churches and metochia; rejoice, builder of an honourable monastery in Jerusalem; rejoice, thou who fillest the treasuries of the churches; rejoice, stillness of the cells of monks; rejoice, divine handmaid of the Theotokos of Vardzia; rejoice, thou who wast exalted by humility and kneeling; rejoice, thou who wast learned in the Typikon of the Church; rejoice, thou who with divine understanding didst pray unceasingly; rejoice, holder of the Life-giving Cross; rejoice, thou who wast anointed from thy infancy with royal oil; rejoice, for twelve priests were clothed in what thy hands had woven; rejoice, for they sing odes to thee, the crowned one; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O thou untouched by the stain of this passing world, who didst pass through the world without straying, to thee, seeker of the kingdom and watchtower sealed by that unceasing seeking, we sing: Alleluia.
O thou who didst live by the saving rule of Christ and didst fill the empty vessels of the poor with God-pleasing mercy, thee, the fair throne adorned with virtues, we magnify thus:
Rejoice, feeder of orphans and widows; rejoice, disciple of the God-taught springs of water; rejoice, thou who art likened to the pattern of the bee; rejoice, thou who art adorned with saving good works; rejoice, teacher of God-pleasing struggle; rejoice, radiant image of teachers; rejoice, thou who didst gain that blessed unwaning life; rejoice, thou who leadest our minds up to God; rejoice, thou who daily keepest vigil for labour; rejoice, thou who didst imitate the first-born image; rejoice, thou whom the virtues proclaim; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O thou who didst fall asleep in the power of the righteous and didst open thine eyes in the kingdom, singer of God, thou hast become winged there also: Alleluia.
O companion of the holy kings in the courts on high, moved to praise thy virtues we cry thus to thee, who callest upon the unfailing fountain of God:
Rejoice, thou who wast delivered in peace from the waves of this passing world; rejoice, fragrance now wafted up to heaven; rejoice, companion of the angels; rejoice, thou who didst enter the garden of God; rejoice, thou who gladly receivest our supplications; rejoice, thou who didst abhor fleshly delight; rejoice, thou who wast nourished with spiritual bread; rejoice, companion at the table of the Lord; rejoice, thou who strengthenest our wills; rejoice, gatherer of our scattered understanding; rejoice, thou whom infants adorn with praises; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O lofty image of good labour, whom many thousands who seek God implore for help from God, to thee, who standest in the choir with the angels, we offer this hymn: Alleluia.
O thou who didst live in the light of the knowledge of God and art known by thy works, thee, the Christian woman daily adorned by the labour of grace, we praise thus:
Rejoice, lover of the light beyond being; rejoice, thou who keepest the feast of unwaning delight; rejoice, thou who now rejoicest in the heavens; rejoice, motherly shelter; rejoice, thou who loosest our sighs; rejoice, thou who nourishest minds that hasten to God; rejoice, hostel of Christians; rejoice, teacher of divine love; rejoice, blazing candle; rejoice, unquenchable lamp; rejoice, for by the sight of thee Christians were clothed in righteousness; rejoice, for the mercy of God came upon thy house; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O mind free of pride, to thee, the comely bride of the kingdom who hast entered into the joy of God, we, the psalmists of that unfailing joy, cry: Alleluia.
May He who purchased us with His precious blood and nailed our sins to the Cross tune our organs too, to sing thus:
Rejoice, crusher of frenzied Beliar; rejoice, thou who madest thy beloved people glorious; rejoice, thou who madest the churches shine; rejoice, thou who didst undo the devices of the Muslims; rejoice, cleaving sword of the Messiah; rejoice, queen inscribed in gold; rejoice, treasure that cannot be stolen; rejoice, hope that cannot be destroyed; rejoice, thou who didst finish well thy wondrous course; rejoice, thou who hast attained to the throne of God; rejoice, thou whose departure the Christians mourned; rejoice, thou at whose struggle all marvel; Rejoice, unfading bloom of spiritual beauty and awesome height exalted by thy God-pleasing reign, holy Queen Tamar!
O holy Queen Tamar, illumined with divine light, entreat the merciful God, that, loosed from our strange sins and attaining the unwaning glory, we too may sing with thee to the Lord: Alleluia.
(This kontakion is read thrice, then Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1.)
O holy Queen Tamar, renowned on earth in royal purple and now in the heavens enthroned with the angels, by thy swiftly-helping prayer enlighten our God-protected people and its rulers. Strengthen in their ministry and labours the Most Holy and Most Blessed Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazeti, the great lord, our father Ilia, the most reverend metropolitans and archbishops, the honourable priests, the deacons in Christ, all the monastic orders and all Orthodox Christians.
O wondrous image of piety, holy Queen Tamar, intercede for us before God, that, desiring to make a beginning of repentance, moved by divine longings and bringing forth manifest fruits of repentance, we too may sing with thee to God, the Author of our salvation, whose is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
