When it is said
At the Panikhida, the Orthodox memorial service, it comes after the sixth song of the canon, a long hymn in nine songs. Its ikos follows it.
At a funeral the kontakion is sung, then its ikos, then the kontakion again. That is a trace of the long hymn it comes from.
On its own, without the ikos, the kontakion is part of the Church’s daily prayers: Compline at night, the Midnight Office and the weekday Liturgy.
Russian prayer books also give a short service for the departed that anyone may say at home or at the grave. It has this kontakion and its ikos.
Where it comes from
No author known
The first stanza of a long hymn
A kontakion began as a long hymn. An opening stanza came first, then many longer stanzas called ikoi, often 24. Over the centuries the services kept only the opening stanza, which now carries the name kontakion, and the first ikos. This one is still sung whole at one service: the funeral of a priest, where all 24 ikoi follow it.
Orthodox Encyclopedia (Pravoslavnaya Entsiklopediya), “Services for the departed” (in Russian); Azbuka Very Orthodox encyclopedia, “Kontakion” (in Russian)
Sung for a queen
Prince Philip came from a Greek family of the Orthodox faith. He chose this kontakion, sung to a chant from Kyiv, for his own funeral. It was sung again in September 2022, at the service for Queen Elizabeth II in St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU), 21 September 2022
Who wrote it?
No one knows. Tradition says hymns of this kind, kontakia, began with St Romanos the Melodist. He was a hymn writer who lived under the emperor Anastasius I, who reigned from AD 491 to 518. No source names the writer of this one.
What the words mean
Alleluia at the grave
The ikos stands at the grave. We were made from the earth, and to the earth we go, as God told Adam. Yet the ikos turns our weeping at the grave into the song of praise, “Alleluia”. Christians grieve, but as people who hope in Christ’s resurrection.
The Scripture in it
“‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Church Slavonic
Со святыми упокой, Христе, душу раба Твоего, идеже несть болезнь, ни печаль, ни воздыхание, но жизнь безконечная.
Сам Един еси Безсмертный, сотворивый и создавый человека, земнии убо от земли создахомся, и в землю туюжде пойдем, якоже повелел еси, Создавый мя и рекий ми: яко земля еси, и в землю отъидеши, аможе вси человецы пойдем, надгробное рыдание творяще песнь: аллилуиа, аллилуиа, аллилуиа.