# New Church Slavonic (Russian version): Молитва Кресту



## foremanna

Can someone tell me if this is Russian and if it is then what does it say?


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## Maroseika

Yes, it is definately in Russian (old script), with tildes substituting letters in some frequent words, however the pictures are not clear enough to discern all the details.
The upper word in the first cross is ц~рь (tzar) - usual "name" of Christ, the word below it is (not sure) сл~вы (of honour), the left one is сынъ (son), the right word is божiй (God's).
Left two separate letters are I~C (meaning *I*су*с* - Jesus); right two separate letters are Х~С (meaning *Х*ристо*с* - Christ). 

Two reverse images are way  out-of-focus to discern the text. Can you provide better images?
Anyway, it looks like a dictum of Christ, beginning with something like Аз воскреси (I have raised from the dead), but in this case it is written with gross errors by somebody imitating ancient orthography without good knowledge of it.


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## Tolmach

Maroseika said:


> Two reverse images are way  out-of-focus to discern the text. Can you provide better images?
> Anyway, it looks like a dictum of Christ, beginning with something like Аз воскреси (I have raised from the dead), but in this case it is written with gross errors by somebody imitating ancient orthography without good knowledge of it.



Two reverse images represent the first part of an Orthodox prayer - "Молитва Честному Животворящему Кресту" ("Prayer to the Honest and Life-giving Cross"): "Да воскреснет Бог, и расточатся врази Его, и да бежат от лица Его ненавидящие Его".  I'm not sure, that I can translate it correctly, but the general meaning is: "Let God rise, and let His enemies disappear, and let the people who hates Him flee, seeing His face".


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## Maroseika

Exactly! Right today I saw it in one museum and was going to supplement my translation, but you have passed ahead me, Tolmach.
So it's all right with the orthigraphy there, I just failed to distinguish Д and А and mixed up Old-Slavic with Ancient- Russian.


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## foremanna

So its ancient Russian?  Do you think its worth anything?


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## Maroseika

foremanna said:


> so its ancient Russian?


No, it's so called New Church Slavonic of Russian version (новоцерковнославянский язык русского извода) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Slavonic_language . The prayer is broken on the word ненавидящие (нен...). 



> do you think its worth anything?


Why, you already have the translation, haven't you?


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## Slavianophil

This is a well-known Orthodox Christian prayer which we say as part of evening prayers.

Here it is in English: 
*Prayer to the Venerable Cross*
*Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee from His face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let the demons perish from the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross and say with gladness: Hail, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, for Thou drivest away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Who was crucified on thee, went down to hell and trampled on the power of the devil, and gave us thee, His honorable Cross, for driving away all enemies. O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me with our holy Lady, the Virgin Theotokos, and with all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.*


*From http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/prayers.htm#_Toc513472533*

Here is the text of the prayer as we say it every evening:

*Да воскреснет Бог, и расточатся врази Его, и да бежат от лица Его ненавидящии Его. Яко исчезает дым, да исчезнут; яко тает воск от лица огня, тако да погибнут беси от лица любящих Бога и знаменующихся крестным знамением, и в веселии глаголющих: радуйся, Пречестный и Животворящий Кресте Господень, прогоняяй бесы силою на тебе пропятаго Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, во ад сшедшаго и поправшаго силу диаволю, и даровавшаго нам тебе Крест Свой Честный на прогнание всякаго супостата. О, Пречестный и Животворящий Кресте Господень! Помогай ми со Святою Госпожею Девою Богородицею и со всеми святыми во веки. Аминь.*


I give it in modern spelling for the sake of simplicity.


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## Awwal12

> Here is the text of the prayer as we say it every evening


You forgot to mention that it is in Church Slavonic, not in Russian. )


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## Slavianophil

Awwal12 said:


> You forgot to mention that it is in Church Slavonic, not in Russian. )


 
I think it has already been mentioned.


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## Awwal12

Then I'm sorry, looks like I've just skipped the previous pair of messages.


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## foremanna

thank you. i guess we can call this thread closed


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