Stichera on the Litiya Self-Voiced, Tone 1

St. John of Damascus

On this day, according to prophecy, let heaven and earth rejoice. / Angels and people! Let us triumph spiritually, / for God in the flesh appeared / to those who sat in darkness and in shadow, born of a virgin; / the cave and the manger contained Him. / The shepherds announce the miracle; / the Magi from the east bring gifts to Bethlehem; / but we with unworthy lips / like angels will bring His praise: / "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, / for He who is awaited by the nations has come, / He has come and saved us from slavery to the enemy!"

Heaven and earth were united on this day / at the birth of Christ. / On this day God came to earth, / and man ascended to heaven. / Today, for man's sake, / in the flesh we see Him Who is invisible by nature. / Therefore we, too, praising Him, will exclaim to Him: / "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace: / Thy coming has given it to us; / Our Saviour, glory to Thee!"

"Glory to God in the highest," / – in Bethlehem I hear from the bodiless on this day, / – "Who was pleased that peace should be established on earth!" / Now the Virgin is more extensive than the heavens, / for the light has shone for the darkened / and has exalted the humble, singing like angels: / "Glory to God in the highest!"

In His own image and likeness, / seeing Him lost because of transgression, / Jesus descended, bowing down to the heavens, / and dwelt, without undergoing change, into the virgin womb, / in order to renew in it the corrupt Adam, crying out: / "Glory to Thy appearing, O my Deliverer and God!"

Glory, tone 5, of St. John of Damascus

The Magi, the kings of Persia, having clearly learned / that the King of Heaven was born on earth, / guided by a bright star, reached Bethlehem, / bearing the choice gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh; / And when they fell, they bowed down: for they saw the Eternal One in the cave / lying down like a child.

And now, tone 6, of Patriarch Germanos

All the angels in heaven rejoice, / and people rejoice on this day, / all creation also triumphs / for the sake of the Saviour and Lord born in Bethlehem: / for all the deception of idolatry has ceased, / and Christ reigns forever!

Stichera on verse self-voiced

Patriarch German, tone 2

A great and wondrous miracle took place on this day: / The Virgin gives birth and Her womb is not damaged. / The Word is incarnate and is not separated from the Father. / The angels and the shepherds praise, / and we with them will cry out: / "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace!"

Tone 3