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THE EULOGY TO OUR KAGAN VLADIMIR.
Rome with voices panegyrical, praises Peter and Paul through whom they came
to believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God:
Asia, Ephesus and Patmos praise John the Theologian;
India praises Thomas;
Egypt, Mark.
All lands, cities and men honour and glorify their teacher who brought them
the Orthodox Faith. Thus let us, through our own strength, humbly praise our
teacher and mentor, the great Kagan of our land Vladimir, the grandson of lgor
of yore and son of glorious Sviatoslav, who ruled in their day with courage and
valour, becoming famed in many lands for their victories and fortitude. And
they did not reign in a poor and unknown land, but in Russia, which is known
and celebrated by all to the ends of the earth.
A good attestation of your devotion, blessed one, is the Holy Church of the
Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, which you build on the orthodox foundation
and where your valorous body now lays at rest and awaits the archangel's
trumpet. A good and certain attestation is your son, George [Iaroslav's Christian
name], whom God has made the heir to your throne,
who does not destroy your laws, but confirms them,
who does not diminish works of piety, but extends them,
who does not undo, but strengthens,
who finishes that which you have left unfinished
even as Solomon finished the works begun by David;
who has built a great and holy temple to God's omniscience
that it may hallow your city;
who has embellished with all manner of things beautiful,
with gold and silver and precious stones
and with sacred vessels;
so that the church is a wonder to all surrounding lands
and so that the like cannot be found in all the northern land,
nor in the east nor the west;
who has given your famous city of Kiev the crown of glory,
who has turned your city and its people
to all-glorious Mother of God,
who is always ready to succour Christians
and for whom he has built a church with doors of gold
in the name of the first holy day of the Lord of the Annunciation,
that the veneration, which the archangel will offer to the Virgin,
may also be upon this city.
To her he speaks, saying:
"Rejoice, Blessed One, the Lord is with you!"
And to the city he speaks, saying:
"Rejoice, faithful city, the Lord is with you!"
Arise from your grave, venerated prince,
Arise and shake off your sleep.
You are not dead,
but only sleep until the day of resurrection of all.
Arise! You are not dead,
for it is not right that you should die,
for you have believed in Christ, the Sustainer of the whole world.
Shake off your deep sleep
and lift up your eyes
that you might see what honour the Lord has granted you,
and you still live upon this earth,
unforgotten through your sons.
Arise! Behold your child George,
Look upon your beloved one,
whom God has brought forth from your loins.
Behold him embellishing the throne of your land.
Rejoice and be of good cheer!
Behold the pious wife of your son, Irina.
Behold your grandchildren
and your great-grandchildren.
Behold how they live and how they are cared for by God.
Behold how they preserve devotion in your tradition,
how they partake of the Sacraments of the Holy Church,
how they glorify Christ,
how they venerate before his Holy Name.
Behold your city radiant with grandeur.
Behold your blossoming churches,
Behold Christianity flourishing.
Behold your city gleaming,
adorned with holy icons and
fragrant with thyme,
praising God and filling the air with sacred songs.
And beholding all this, rejoice and be of good cheer, and praise the Lord, the
Creator of all which you have seen.
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