The Cherubikon (Greek: χερουβικόν) is the usual Cherubic Hymn (Greek: χερουβικὸς ὕμνος, Church Slavonic ) sung at the Great Entrance of the Byzantine liturgy.
History
Origin The cherubikon was added as a troparion to the Divine Liturgy under Emperor Justin II (565–578) when a separation of the room where the gifts are prepared from the room where they are consecrated made it necessary that the Liturgy of the Faithful, from which those not baptised had been excluded, start with a procession.Brightman (1896, p. 532, n. 9). This procession is known as the Great Entrance, because the celebrants have to enter the choir by the altar screen, later replaced by the iconostasis. The hymn symbolically incorporates those present at the liturgy into the presence of the angels gathered around God's throne.Parry (1999), p. 117. The chant genre offertorium in traditions of Western plainchant was basically a copy of the Byzantine custom, but there it was a proper mass chant which changed regularly.Latin sources since the 10th century transliterate the Greek cherubikon (see the sacramentary of Düsseldorf: D-DÜl Ms. D2), but also translated it into Latin as part of the so-called Missa greca which had been the proper chant for Pentecost at the Royal Abbey of Saint Denis (F-Pn lat. 976 and gr. 375). In all these sources it had been rubrified as "offertorium" (Of) which had been a soloistic chant genre.
Although its liturgical concept already existed by the end of the 4th century (see the homily by Chrysostom quoted here), the cherubikon itself was created 200 years later due to a change in sacred architecture. The Great Entrance as a ritual act is needed for a procession with the Gifts while simultaneous prayers and ritual acts are performed by the clergy. As the processional troparion, the cherubikon has to bridge the long way between prothesis, a room to north of the central apse, and the sanctuary which had been separated by changes in sacred architecture under Emperor Justin II. The cherubikon is divided into several parts.For a detailed list of all simultaneous ritual acts and the particular celebration at the Hagia Sophia cathedral see Moran (1979, 175-177). The first part is sung before the celebrant begins his prayers, there were one or two simultaneous parts, and they all followed like a gradual ascent in different steps within the Great Entrance. Verses 2-5 were sung by a soloist (in ) from the ambo.The conclusion with the last words of verse 5 and the allelouiarion are sung in dialogue with the domestikos and the soloist. The notated sources (which had survived since the end of the 12th century) clearly separate the part of the monophonaris which was recorded in the specialist psaltikon, as opposed to the asmatikon used by the other choristers.
Liturgical use Concerning the text of the processional troparion which was ascribed to Justin II, it is not entirely clear, whether "thrice-holy hymn" did refer to the Sanctus of the Anaphora or to another hymn of the 5th century known as the trisagion in Constantinople, but also in other liturgical traditions like the Latin Gallican and Milanese rites. Concerning the old custom of Constantinople, the trisagion was used as a troparion of the third antiphonon at the beginning of the divine liturgy as well as of hesperinos. In the West, there were liturgical customs in Spain and France, where the trisagion replaced the great doxology during the Holy Mass on lesser feasts.See the evidence in a homiletic explanation of the Old Gallican Liturgy by Pseudo-Germanus (1998).
The troparion of the great entrance (at the beginning of the second part of the divine liturgy which excluded the catechumens) was also the prototype of the genre offertorium in Western plainchant, although its text only appears in the particular custom of the Missa graeca celebrated on Pentecost and during the patronal feast of the Royal Abbey of Saint Denis, after the latter's vita became associated with Pseudo-Dionysios Areopagites. According to the local bilingual custom the hymn was sung both in Greek and in Latin translation.
Today, the separation of the prothesis is part of the early history of the Constantinopolitan rite (akolouthia asmatike). With respect to the Constantinopolitan customs there are many different local customs in Orthodox communities all over the world and there are urban and monastic choir traditions in different languages into which the cherubikon has been translated.
Exegetic tradition of Isaiah
The trisagion or thrice-holy hymn which was mentioned by John Chrysostom, could only refer to the Sanctus of the Anaphora taken from the Old Testament, from the book of the prophet Isaiah in particular (6:1-3):
In a homily John Chrysostom interpreted Isaiah and the chant of the divine liturgy in general (neither the cherubikon nor the trisagion existed in his time) as an analogue act which connected the community with the eternal angelic choirs:
The anti-cherubika The cherubikon belongs to the ordinary mass chant of the divine liturgy ascribed to John Chrysostom, because it has to be sung during the year cycle, however, it is sometimes substituted by other troparia, the so-called "anti-cherubika", when other formularies of the divine liturgy are celebrated. On Holy Thursday, for example, the cherubikon was, and still is, replaced by the troparion "At your mystical supper" (Τοῦ δείπνου σου τοῦ μυστικοῦ) according to the liturgy of Saint Basil, while during the Liturgy of the Presanctified the troparion "Now the powers of the heavens" (Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν) was sung, and the celebration of Prote Anastasis (Holy Saturday) uses the troparion from the Liturgy of St. James, "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" (Σιγησάτω πᾶσα σὰρξ βροτεία). The latter troparion is also used occasionally at the consecration of a church.
Text In the current traditions of Orthodox chant, its Greek text is not only sung in older translations such as the one in Old Church Slavonic or in Georgian, but also in Romanian and other modern languages.
In the Greek text, the introductory clauses are participial, and the first person plural becomes apparent only with the verb ἀποθώμεθα "let us lay aside". The Slavonic translation mirrors this closely, while most other translations introduce a finite verb in the first person plural already in the first line (Latin , Georgian , Romanian "we imitate, represent").
Greek Οἱ τὰ χερουβὶμ μυστικῶς εἰκονίζοντες καὶ τῇ ζωοποιῷ τριάδι τὸν τρισάγιον ὕμνον προσᾴδοντες πᾶσαν τὴν βιωτικὴν ἀποθώμεθα μέριμναν Ὡς τὸν βασιλέα τῶν ὅλων ὑποδεξόμενοι ταῖς ἀγγελικαῖς ἀοράτως δορυφορούμενον τάξεσιν ἀλληλούϊα ἀλληλούϊα ἀλληλούϊαBrightman, ed. (1896, 377 & 379).
10th-century Latin transliteration of the Greek text I ta cherubin mysticos Iconizontes ke ti zopion triadi ton trisagyon ymnon prophagentes passa nin biotikin apothometa merinnan Os ton basileon ton olon Ipodoxomeni tes angelikes aoraton doriforumenon taxasin alleluia.Transliteration according to the Carolingian sacramentary of the 10th century (D-DÜl Ms. D2, f. 203v). About the particular orthography of the Latin transliteration and different medieval text versions of the Greek cherubikon (Wanek 2017, 97; Moran 1979, 172-173).
Latin Qui cherubin mystice imitamur et vivifice trinitati ter sanctum ymnum offerimus Omnem nunc mundanam deponamus sollicitudinem Sicuti regem omnium suscepturi Cui ab angelicis invisibiliter ministratur ordinibus A[LL]E[L]UIAQuoted after the source GB-Lbl Ms. Harley 3095, f. 111v.
English translation We who mystically represent the Cherubim, and who sing to the Life-Giving Trinity the thrice-holy hymn, let us now lay aside all earthly cares that we may receive the King of all, escorted invisibly by the angelic orders. AlleluiaRaya (1958, p. 82).
Church Slavonic
ї҆́же херꙋвї́мы та́йнѡ ѡ҆бразꙋ́юще, и҆ Животворѧ́щей тро́ицѣ Трисвѧтꙋ́ю пѣ́снь припѣва́юще, всѧ́кое ны́нѣ жите́йское ѿложи́мъ попече́нїе. Ꙗ҆́кѡ да царѧ̀ всѣ́хъ подымемъ, ангельскими неви́димѡ дорѷноси́ма чи́нми. Аллилꙋ́іаХерувимска пҍцнь отъ Иона Кукузеля (Sarafov 1912, 203-210). Examples of the Bulgarian tradition are the Cheruvimskaya Pesn sung by the Patriarch Neofit (monodic tradition) and the so-called "Bělgarskiy Razpev", closely related to Ukrainian and Russian traditions (Starosimonovskiy Rozpev, Obihodniy Rozpev, or several arrangements by more or less known composers of the 19th and 20th centuries etc.).
Transliterated Church Slavonic Íže heruvímy tájnō ōbrazujúšte, i životvoręštej Tróicě trisvętúju pěsňĭ pripěvájúšte, Vsęko[j]e nýňě žitéjsko[j]e otložimŭ popečenìe. Jákō da Carę vsěhŭ podŭimemŭ, ángelĭskimi nevídimō dorỳnosíma čínmi. AllilúiaThe variant “je” (transcription for ѥ instead of е) is common for the early sources of the East Slavic territory (Kievan Rus').
Georgian რომელნი ქერუბიმთა საიდუმლოსა ვემსგავსებით, და ცხოველსმყოფელისა სამებისა, სამგზის წმიდასა გალობასა შენდა შევწირავთ, ყოველივე აწ სოფლისა დაუტეოთ ზრუნვა.See the transcription of the cherubikon by the Chant Center of the Georgian Patriarchate sung according to the tradition of the Gelati monastery: According to the school of Vasili and Polievktos Karbelashvili (John Graham about the transcription movement): A third version with a female Ensemble: და ვითარცა მეუფისა ყოველთასა, შემწყნარებელსა ანგელოსთაებრ უხილავად, ძღვნის შემწირველთა წესთასა. ალილუია, ალილუია, ალილუია.Second part of the cherubikon sung according to the tradition of the Gelati monastery: Another tradition:
From a traditionalist point of view the cherubikon has an outsider position within the repertoire, because Georgian hymnography was always oriented to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and much less to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and its local divine liturgies. Thus, there are no medieval sources with the text in Nuskhuri script, but the living polyphonic tradition was transcribed into staff notation since the 19th century. The text quoted here follows the notated editions of the Anchiskati Church Choir, the official academic choir of the Georgian Patriarchate in Tbilisi.
Transliterated Georgian romelni qerubimta saidumlosa vemsgavsebit, da tskhovelsmq'opelisa samebisa, samgzis ts'midasa galobasa shenda shevts'iravt, q'ovelive ats' soplisa daut'eot zrunva. da vitartsa meupisa q'oveltasa, shemts'q'narebelsa angelostaebr ukhilavad, dzghvnis shemts'irvelta ts'estasa. aliluia, aliluia, aliluia
Romanian Noi, care pe heruvimi cu taină închipuim, Şi făcătoarei de viaţă Treimi întreit-sfântă cântare aducem, Toată grija cea lumească să o lepădăm. Ca pe Împăratul tuturor, să primim, Pe Cel înconjurat în chip nevăzut de cetele îngereşti. Aliluia, aliluia, aliluia.Text quoted according Orthodox wiki.
The notated chant sources Due to the destruction of Byzantine music manuscripts, especially after 1204, when Western crusaders expelled the traditional cathedral rite from Constantinople, the chant of the cherubikon appears quite late in the musical notation of the monastic reformers, within liturgical manuscripts not before the late 12th century. This explains the paradox, why the earliest notated sources which have survived until now, are of Carolingian origin. They document the Latin reception of the cherubikon, where it is regarded as the earliest prototype of the mass chant genre offertorium, although there is no real procession of the gifts.
The Latin cherubikon of the "Missa greca"