The Oxyrhynchus Hymn

The Oxyrhynchus Hymn (P. Oxy. XV 1786) is the earliest known manuscript of a Christian hymn - dating from the 3rd century AD - to contain both lyrics and musical notation. It is now kept at the Papyrology Rooms of the Sackler Library, Oxford. The text, in Greek, poetically invokes silence so that the Holy Trinity may be praised.

The surviving text is fragmentary, thus there are quite a number of suggested reconstructions and translations on the web. The version which this recording - performed by Gregorio Paniagua and the Atrium Musicae de Madrid, from "Musique de la Grèce antique" - follows is the following:

"(Spoken) [Σε Πάτερ κόσμων, Πάτερ αἰώνων, μέλπωμεν] ὁμοῦ, πᾶσαι τε Θεοῦ λόγιμοι δο[ῦλο]ι. Ὅσα κ[όσμος ἔχει πρὸς ἐπουρανίων ἁγίων σελάων.]
(Sung) [Πρ]υτανήω σιγάτω, μηδ' ἄστρα φαεσφόρα λ[αμπέ]
(Spoken) σθων, [ἀπ]ολει[όντων] ῥ[ιπαὶ πνοιῶν, πηγαὶ]
(Sung) ποταμῶν ῥοθίων πᾶσαι. Υμνούντων δ' ἡμῶν [Π]ατέρα χ' Υἱὸν χ' Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, πᾶσαι δυνάμεις ἐπιφωνούντων· Ἀμήν, Ἀμήν. Κράτος, αἶνος [ἀεὶ καὶ δόξα Θεοὶ δωτῆρι μόνῳ πάντων] ἀγαθῶν· Ἀμήν, Ἀμήν."

I have shown the reconstructed text not present in the surviving text in brackets and denoted spoken and sung parts (some parts are merely spoken due to the absence of any notation for those areas).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Oxyrhynchus
• Hymn
• Early
• Christianity
• Church
• Christian
• Jesus
• Christ
• Trinity
• Music
• Egypt
• Papyrus

[flyingblackboard]

Due to requests for transliteration of the Greek, here it is (note: this is a letter-by-letter transliteration and may not reflect actual pronunciation):

"(Spoken) Se Pater kosmōn, Pater aiōnōn,

Melpōmen omou, pasai te Theou logimoi douloi. Osa

kosmos echei pros ep'ouraniōn agiōn se laōn.

(Sung) Prytanēō sigatō, med'astra phaesphora lampe...

(Spoken) ...sthōn, apoleiontōn ripai pnoiōn, pēgai

(Sung) potamōn rothiōn pasai.

[flyingblackboard]

(continued)

Ymnountōn d'ēmon Patera ch'Yiou ch'Agiou Pneuma, pasai dynameis epiphōnountōn. Amēn, Amēn. Kratos, ainos aei kai doxa Theoi dōtēri mon

ō pantōn agathōn. Amēn, Amēn."

There is one widespread translation on the net, but it only covers (most of) the text which is actually present on the papyrus scrap.

[amaterasutenno]

I hope you can translate it into English/provide a loose-English translation of it.

the chant is so Beautiful. A sweet incense to my mind.

Thank!!!

[flyingblackboard]

There is one rather loose translation that I did find:

"To thee, Father of the Universe, Father of time, let us all sing together all the blessings of the world() That the blessings of God be not killed, neither in the evening nor in the morning. That the stars, bearers of light, and the springs of the impetuous rivers no longer keep silent."

[flyingblackboard]

(continued)

And while we celebrate in our hymns the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, let all the properties of creation intone this refrain: Amen, Amen. Strength, praise, eternal glory to the only dispenser of all good. Amen, Amen."

[gold333]

Is this modern greek or ancient greek?

[flyingblackboard]

I'd say more that it's probably in Koine Greek, the popular form of the language which emerged in post-Classical antiquity.

So, yep, it's in ancient Greek, but it is not the Greek of Homer or the poets. Rather, it's something close to the Greek of the New Testament.

[sunsdomain]

Sometimes youtube makes me sick... Sometimes it intrigues me with a display of erudition. Thank you for this.

[akhtung1]

Wikipedia has this translation - .. Let it be silent Let the Luminous stars not shine, Let the winds (?) and all the noisy rivers die down; And as we hymn the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Let all the powers add "Amen Amen" Empire, praise always, and glory to God, The sole giver of good things, Amen Amen

[7redsauce]

@Oallos1 There is so much overwhelming evidence of Trinitarian doctrines within the Early Church, I am amazed that there are naysayers.

[Oallos1]

Dating from the 200s then, we have once again, clear evidence here of the holy trinity being worshipped in the early church.

[Salvianus]

Fascinating, thanks for the research.

[Jottum1]

Thanks!