Agni Parthene in Old English (Greek hymn)

ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ

Please do not redistribute my work without permission. Feel free to email me with any inquiries!

[SkaldBard]

Here is my translation and performance of the beautiful Greek hymn Agni Parthene in Old English.

My first video upload as the Skaldic Bard was this hymn in Old Norse, and I thought to complement it with its cousin language Old English; though it is a (relatively) modern hymn, one can imagine the Anglo-Saxon and Norse Varangians in Constantinople being immersed in melodies such as this one during the Middle Ages.

I made this version a little more upbeat as a) an experiment for fun, and b) to try to capture the virile energy of the Germanic tradition. I've also used an authentic Old English cursive font this time without diacritics.

I hope you enjoy. Lyrics below in standardised Old English and Runic. If you enjoyed the video and would like to see more, please like, subscribe and leave a comment - I try to respond to as many comments as possible and I very much enjoy reading them.

You could also donate here if you’d like to help me make more:

Many thanks for your support.

Clǣne Mæġden Hlǣfdīġe, þū unmǣle Godberend.
ᚳᛚᚫᚾᛖ ᛗᚫᛄᛞᛖᚾ ᚻᛚᚫᚠᛞᛁᛄᛖ ᚦᚢ ᚢᚾᛗᚫᛚᛖ ᚷᚩᛞᛒᛖᚱᛖᚾᛞ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Mæġden Mōdor, ealra Cƿēn, þū aldēaƿiġe flēos.
ᛗᚫᛄᛞᛖᚾ ᛗᚩᛞᚩᚱ ᛠᛚᚱᚪ ᚳᚹᛖᚾ ᚦᚢ ᚪᛚᛞᛠᚹᛁᛄᛖ ᚠᛚᛇᛋ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Tohrtre þonne sunnan lēoman and hīerre þonne heofonas.
ᛏᚩᚻᚱᛏᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᛋᚢᚾᚾᚪᚾ ᛚᛇᛘᚪᚾ ᚪᚾᛞ ᚻᛁᛖᚱᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᚻᛇᚠᚩᚾᚪᛋ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Ġeorstu drēam mæġdenchora, furþre þonne þā englas.
ᛄᛇᚱᛋᛏᚢ ᛞᚱᛠᛘ ᛗᚫᛄᛞᛖᚾᚳᚻᚩᚱᚪ ᚠᚢᚱᚦᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᚦᚪ ᛖᛝᛚᚪᛋ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Beorhtre þonne ūprodor and sċīrre þonne sunnan leoht.
ᛒᛇᚱᚻᛏᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᚢᛈᚱᚩᛞᚩᚱ ᚪᚾᛞ ᛋᚳᛁᚱᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᛋᚢᚾᚾᚪᚾ ᛚᛇᚻᛏ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Hāliġre þonne sċolu ƿuldorƿeroda ealra.
ᚻᚪᛚᛁᛄᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᛋᚳᚩᛚᚢ ᚹᚢᛚᛞᚩᚱᚹᛖᚱᚩᛞᚪ ᛠᛚᚱᚪ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ

Ēċe clǣne Maria, ealre ƿeorolde Hlǣfdīġe,
ᛖᚳᛖ ᚳᛚᚫᚾᛖ ᛗᚪᚱᛁᚪ ᛠᛚᚱᛖ ᚹᛇᚱᚩᛚᛞᛖ ᚻᛚᚫᚠᛞᛁᛄᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Þū brȳd clǣne, unmǣle, eallhāliġe Hlǣfdīġe
ᚦᚢ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚳᛚᚫᚾᛖ ᚢᚾᛘᚫᛚᛖ ᛠᛚᛚᚻᚪᛚᛁᛄᛖ ᚻᛚᚫᚠᛞᛁᛄᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Maria, ealra brȳd and cƿēn and ūres drēames fruma.
ᛗᚪᚱᛁᚪ ᛠᛚᚱᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚪᚾᛞ ᚳᚹᛖᚾ ᚪᚾᛞ ᚢᚱᛖᛋ ᛞᚱᛠᛗᛖᛋ ᚠᚱᚢᛗᚪ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Þrymful mæġden, ealra cƿēn, ūru hālgoste Mōdor.
ᚦᚱᚣᛗᚠᚢᛚ ᛗᚫᛄᛞᛖᚾ ᛠᛚᚱᚪ ᚳᚹᛖᚾ ᚢᚱᚢ ᚻᚪᛚᚷᚩᛋᛏᛖ ᛘᚩᛞᚩᚱ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Sēlre þonne cheruphim, unāmetenlīċe tīrēadiġre
ᛋᛖᛚᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᚳᛖᚱᚢᚠᛁᛗ ᚢᚾᚪᛗᛖᛏᛖᚾᛚᛁᚳᛖ ᛏᛁᚱᛠᛞᛁᛄᚱᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
þonne gāstlīċe seraphim and māre þonne ophanim.
ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᚷᚪᛋᛏᛚᛁᚳᛖ ᛋᛖᚱᚪᚠᛁᛗ ᚪᚾᛞ ᛗᚪᚱᛖ ᚦᚩᚾᚾᛖ ᚩᚠᚪᚾᛁᛗ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ

Fæġna, þū sang Cheruphim, fæġna, þū ymen engla.
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᚦᚢ ᛋᚪᛝ ᚳᛖᚱᚢᚠᛁᛗ ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᚦᚢ ᚣᛗᛖᚾ ᛖᛝᛚᚪ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Fæġna, þū lēoþ seraphim, þū drēam hēahengla.
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᚦᚢ ᛚᛇᚦ ᛋᛖᚱᚪᚠᛁᛗ ᚦᚢ ᛞᚱᛠᛗ ᚻᛠᚻᛖᛝᛚᚪ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Fæġna, þū sibb and ġesǣlþ, ġeorstu hǣlnesse hæfen.
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᚦᚢ ᛋᛁᛒᛒ ᚪᚾᛞ ᛄᛖᛋᚫᛚᚦ ᛄᛇᚱᛋᛏᚢ ᚻᚫᛚᚾᛖᛋᛋᛖ ᚻᚫᚠᛖᚾ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Þū þæs Ƿordes hāliġe būr þe flēƿst unāƿemmednesse
ᚦᚢ ᚦᚫᛋ ᚹᚩᚱᛞᛖᛋ ᚻᚪᛚᛁᛄᛖ ᛒᚢᚱ ᚦᛖ ᚠᛚᛖᚹᛋᛏ ᚢᚾᚪᚹᛖᛗᛗᛖᛞᚾᛖᛋᛋᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Fæġna, ƿynsuma neorxnaƿang ālīfes bletsodes
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᚹᛁᚾᛋᚢᛗᚪ ᚾᛇᚱᚳᛋᚾᚪᚹᚪᛝ ᚪᛚᛁᚠᛖᛋ ᛒᛚᛖᛏᛋᚩᛞᛖᛋ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Fæġna, ġeorstu feorhbēam, fruma undēadlīċnesse.
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛄᛇᚱᛋᛏᚢ ᚠᛇᚱᚻᛒᛠᛗ ᚠᚱᚢᛗᚪ ᚢᚾᛞᛠᛞᛚᛁᚳᚾᛖᛋᛋᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ

Iċ þē bidde, Hlǣfdīġe, nū inċīeġe iċ þē.
ᛁᚳ ᚦᛖ ᛒᛁᛞᛞᛖ ᚻᛚᚫᚠᛞᛁᛄᛖ ᚾᚢ ᛁᚾᚳᛁᛖᛄᛖ ᛁᚳ ᚦᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Iċ þē besēċe, ealra cƿēn, tō þē ƿilniġe ēst þīnne.
ᛁᚳ ᚦᛖ ᛒᛖᛋᛖᚳᛖ ᛠᛚᚱᚪ ᚳᚹᛖᚾ ᛏᚩ ᚦᛖ ᚹᛁᛚᚾᛁᛄᛖ ᛖᛋᛏ ᚦᛁᚾᚾᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Þrymful mæġden unmǣle, eallhāliġe Hlǣfdīġe.
ᚦᚱᚣᛗᚠᚢᛚ ᛗᚫᛄᛞᛖᚾ ᚢᚾᛗᚫᛚᛖ ᛠᛚᛚᚻᚪᛚᛁᛄᛖ ᚻᛚᚫᚠᛞᛁᛄᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Iċ þē inċīeġe cēnlīċe, þū godcunde hof ġehālgode.
ᛁᚳ ᚦᛖ ᛁᚾᚳᛁᛖᛄᛖ ᚳᛖᚾᛚᛁᚳᛖ ᚦᚢ ᚷᚩᛞᚳᚢᚾᛞᛖ ᚻᚩᚠ ᛄᛖᚻᚪᛚᚷᚩᛞᛖ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Help mīn and hrede mē, ġesċild mē ƿiþ þām fīend.
ᚻᛖᛚᛈ ᛗᛁᚾ ᚪᚾᛞ ᚻᚱᛖᛞᛖ ᛗᛖ ᛄᛖᛋᚳᛁᛚᛞ ᛗᛖ ᚹᛁᚦ ᚦᚪᛗ ᚠᛁᛖᚾᛞ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ
Þæt iċ midierfenuma bēo ālīfes bletsodes.
ᚦᚫᛏ ᛁᚳ ᛗᛁᛞᛁᛖᚱᚠᛖᚾᚢᛗᚪ ᛒᛇ ᚪᛚᛁᚠᛖᛋ ᛒᛚᛖᛏᛋᚩᛞᛖᛋ
Fæġna, brȳd unbeƿeddode!
ᚠᚫᛄᚾᚪ ᛒᚱᚣᛞ ᚢᚾᛒᛖᚹᛖᛞᛞᚩᛞᛖ

[ΠανοςΒιζ]

As a Greek and orthodox. It spoke to me. I can't understand the words but I feel this hymn.

[oidussus]

We need more Old English Orthodox chants. And nobody can convince me otherwise.

Well done as always!

[Polish_Orthodox_Knight]

No way! One of my favourite Orthodox chants in one of my favourite Germanic languages. Mate, I always really enjoy your songs but now you absolutely rock!

[TheFrontierr]

So THIS is waht you were working on! And yet again, the Skaldic Bard makes some of the best music ever. God bless my friend!

[hammerheadms]

One of my favorite Greek chants. This was awesome!☦️

[orchardhouse]

Thanks from an Orthodox Christian in the US! This is one of my favorite hymns.

[RealConstantinusMagnus]

This makes a lot of sense when you remember that thousands of Anglo-Saxon exiles joined the Varangian guard after 1066

[samaliusdamalius]

Now this is exactly why your songs are always worth a wait

[baggelis_aikaterinis]

Α Ν Α Τ Ρ Ι Χ Ι Λ Α !!!!
Αγνή Παρθένε Δέσποινα
Άχραντε Θεοτόκε
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε
Παρθένε Μήτηρ Άνασσα
Πανένδροσε τε πόκε
Χαίρε Νύμφη Ανύμφευτε

ΜΠΡΑΒΟ, Μ Π Ρ Α Β Ο !!!

[paulandreasen]

Thank you Skaldic Bard. I'm Orthodox and my ancestry lies in Scandinavia and the British isles so really I love this!
I absolutely love your stuff and look forward to seeing what you have coming next!

[stephencrawford]

I read the Agape Vespers Gospel in Anglo-Saxon this year, fell absolutely in love with the language. This song was written by St Nektarios, patron saint of my parish.

[gregoryheers]

Thank you for this, Bard! I had requested Agni Parthene in Old English some time ago, and you have done it! May she bless you!

[jamesf]

Thank you so much for this! I found my eyes misting from this hymn to Our Lady. It has great timing, following the Feast of the Assumption & Dormition. If you observe it, a blessed St. Michael’s Lent to you!

[Blark]

Just after the end of the Dormition Fast too, nice.

[MrWhite-fmlj]

Really beautiful 😉 another great Chant/Prayer that we Orthodox Christians revere very much! @SkaldBard I tell you that you have won many Orthodox fans in these last years!

[damselthesecond]

Never forget how devoted England was to our Lady that the land was called our Lady's dowry by people and the Church. Blessed Queen Mother, save England, Thy dowry.

[marcoaureliorodriguesdevas]

God bless you Skladic. Never ceases to amaze.

[VitoCorleone]

Agni Parthene in Old English is such a blessing as someone of Anglo-Saxon descent.
God bless! ☦️☦️

[UltimaThulean]

Brother! Prayers answered! I am free of narcotics and found a wife. God bless thee and thy work. Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon us sinners.