New Year Hymn

Saint John

The crowning of the head of the cycle of the year, or more simply put, the new year, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church, coincides with the feast of the beheading of St. John the Baptizer of Divinity. Fitting.

The Ge’ez video above is for your viewing and more importantly listening pleasure, and I will accompany it with a transcription, transliteration, and translation of the lyrics.

እስመ ለዓለም:

በመንፈስ : የሐውር : ወበኃይለ : ኤልያስ ፤ አልቦ ፤ ዘየዓብዮ : ለዮሐንስ ፤

ይህ : የበዓታ : ነው።

isme le’3lem

till the age to come; a portion of non-eucharistic liturgy

be’menfes ye’hawr we’be’hayle elyas albo ze’ye3abyo le’yohans

There is none greater than John, he goes with the spirit and the might of Elias.

yh ye’be3ata new (this one line is in Amharic, and it is a note)

This is a tradition of the Entrance of the Theotokos house of certification of non-eucharistic liturgy in Gwender, Amhara, Ethiopia.

ምልጣን፡

ወአንተኒ ፡ ሕፃን ፡ ነቢየ ፡ ልዑል ፡ ትሰመይ ፤ ዓርኩ ፡ ለመርዓዊ ፡ ትሰመይ ፤ ወአዝማዱ ፡ በሥጋ ፡ ትሰመይ ፣ ተፈኖከ ፡ ታርኁ ፡ አናቅጸ ፡ ጽድቅ።

milTan

This is a portion of non-eucharistic liturgy.

we’antenee hitsan nebeeye li3ul tisemey 3arku le’mer3awee tisemey we’azmadu be’siga tisemey tefenoke tarhu anaqitse tsidq

You are the baby who is the prophet of the Most High, you have been appointed, friend of the Bridegroom, you have been appointed, and the kinsman, according to the flesh, you have been appointed, you have been sent to open the gates of righteousness.