Learn Ancient Greek Better with Music: Byzantine Chant

Psalm 139 in Byzantine Chant Notation

 This weekend my wife and I showed my son Disney's The Lion King (1994) for the first time. I last saw it in the late '90's, and yet I still had essentially every song memorized. Now if only I could find a way to free up that space for some more paradigms!

As anyone will tell you, it's easiest to memorize something when it's been put to music. So how can you use this in your Greek studies, and does this Hakuna Matata principle (problem-free philology?) really transfer over into Second Language Acquisition (2LA)?  

Background

There is a lot of research on the impact of music on the brain and also on first language acquisition, but more work is still needed for 2LA.

One recent study broke a cohort of EFL students into three groups. One was taught English using only music, one half-music, and finally one without music. When tested for vocabulary retention 3wks after the completion of instruction, the all-music group performed best, with the half-music group performing the worst. The authors had some possible theories as to why half-music performed worse than no-music, but more work would need to be done. What we can conclude though, is that extensive music in the target language was effective for vocabulary retention.

If you love research, check out this literature review article by Rieb and Cohen. They provide an overview of all the ways music and language learning has been studied, including the shared neurological responses to music and language, and how music aids in recall. 

Suggested uses

My aims are less lofty than what the above scholars have set out to accomplish. I had a very specific language learning niche I was hoping to fill using music: redeeming my grocery shopping.

I love to read, but I have more time spent during the day performing low-cognitive-load tasks than I do free time to commit to reading. Because of this, I consume far more books through audio than I do reading directly. 

What I wanted to do was utilize this time to consume Greek texts as well. While I can listen to the audio Greek New Testament (typically listening at 0.8x speed), the number of books/chapters that I am familiar enough with to follow along while bagging my milk is somewhat limited. But, if I take the time to learn a song, I can work on simpler ear training. Overtime, I've found that my ability to process Greek has increased, to where I'm following along for songs without having studied them beforehand. It's always a nice surprise!

Thankfully there are a large number of songs out there using ancient/Koine Greek that are easy to learn and are enjoyable too.

Here's the easiest: The Trisagion

This edition is even in Greek (modern pronunciation) and English, so if you lose your way with the Greek, the translation isn't too far away. To learn about the history of this ancient hymn, read the Wikipedia article.

My favorite Greek hymn is Psalm 136. Not only does it re-tell the history of Israel, but there is a lot of repetition built in.

This Psalm is put to a very fast beat, that draws you in quickly. My son really enjoys this one, and we've started learning it one verse at a time. When you do that, you are not only memorizing original Koine Greek, but you are also singing along to a Psalm that has been sung by Christians for thousands of years.

Modern and newly composed Greek music will follow in another post, but for now, here are a few extra resources:

To find songs on YouTube, use 'ψαλτηριον' as your search term.

My favorite album.

An accomplished Byzantine Chanter

To turn YouTube videos into MP3s, use NewPipe on Android, or any number of websites that offer that functionality.

Do you use music in your study? Do you have any favorite songs? Share them in the comments!

Θαύματα τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἐνδόξου μεγαλομάρτυρος Γεωργίου

 Τῇ αὐτῇ ἡμέρᾳ (= d. 23. Aprilis).

Θαύματα τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ ἐνδόξου μεγαλομάρτυρος Γεωργίου· εὐλόγησον πάταερ.

[1. De columna viduae. Περὶ τῆς οἰκοδοῆς τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ κίνος. Cod. Chalki, schola theol. 39, f. 255.]

Ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ κατὰ τὴν μητρῷαν τοῦ ἁγίου πολίχνην, ἔνθα καὶ το λείψανον τοῦ ἁγίου κατάκειται, τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ αὐτοῦ ὀνόματι ἐκτισμένον εὐκτήριον οἷκον ἀνοικοδομῆσαι καὶ εἰς μείζονα κάλλος ἀνεγεῖραι βασιλεὺς ἐγνοωκώς, ἀπέστειλέ τινα τῶν ἐν τέλει, χρήματα πολλὰ παρασχόμενος, καὶ ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων ἀναλωμάτων δαπάνας χορηγεῖσθαι προσέταξε, παραγγείλας τὴν οἰκδομίαν ὡς τάχιστα εὖ διαθεῖναι. ἀπελθὼν οὖν ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀνὴρ καὶ τοὺς θεμελίους καταβαλόμεος, τοῦ ἔργου ἀπήρξατο· ἐπεὶ δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ κιόνων ἐδέησε, περιῆγε ζητῶν, πόθεν ἄν ἀξίως τοῦ οἴκου ἐφεύροι καὶ κίονας. οὐδὲ γάρ ἧν ἐπιτήδειος ὁ χῶρος πρὸς λατομίαν· μακρόθεν δὲ μηνυθείσης αὐτῷ τῆς τοιαύτης εὐπορίας, ἐξ αὐτῆς πρὸς τὸν  δηλωθέντα παρεγένετο τόπον, καὶ εὑρὼν στύλους πάνυ καλλίστους, σχεδίας εὐτρεπίσας, διὰ θαλάσσης τούτους διαπορθμεύειν ᾠήθη·

Χήρα δέ τις γυνή, ἐν τῴ τόπῳ ὑπάρχουσα καὶ τὸν βίον ἀνεπίληπτον ἔχουσα καὶ τῷ πρὸς τὸν μάρτυρα φίλτρῳ κατεχομένη, εὐχὴν αὐτῷ ηὔξατο, κίονα κάλλιστον παρασκεῖν ἐξ οἰκείων ἀναλωμάτων, εἰς τὸν τούτου νεών· εὑροῦσα δὲ τοῦτον κατ' οὐδὲν τοῦ πόθου ἐνδέοντα καὶ ἐξωνησαμένη, τῇ θαλάσσῃ ἐπέλασε, παρεκάλει τε τὸν ἄρωοντα ἐπὶ τῆς σχεδίας σὺν τοῖς λοιποῖς στύλοις καὶ τοῦτον ἀναλβέσθαι· ἀποσεισάμενος δὲ ἐκεῖνος τὴν ταύτην παράκλησιν ἔφασκε μὴ χρῆναι τῇ τοῦ βασιλέως πολυτελείᾳ χήρας δῶρον ἐγκαταμῖξαι, μήτε μὴν τῇ ἐκ τῶν δημοσίων προσόδων γενομένῃ σχεδίᾳ ἰδιαξούσης γυναικὸς φόρτον ἐπιτεθῆναι· ἐάσας οὗν τοῦτον αὐτόθι καὶ μόνους τοὺς βασιλικοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς σχεδίας ἀναλαβόμενος στύλους, ἀπέπλευσεν· ἡ δὲ γυνή, οὕτως ἑαυτὴν σὺν τῷ δώρῳ παρεωραμένην ὁρῶσα, μετὰ πλείστης οἰμωγῆς πρὸς τὸν ἅγιον ἔλεγεν· «Οἴμοι, ἅγιε τοῦ Χριστοῦ μάρτυς Γεώργιε, διὰ τὶ μή τὸ βραχύ μου τοῦτο δῶρον προσεδέξω τὸν σὸν καθηγητὴν μιμησάμενος; διὰ τί μὴ τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπὶ τούτῳ καρδίαν πεπληροφόρηκας; οὗκ οἵσθά μου τὴν πρός σε πίστιν ὁπόση; οὐκ ἐπίστασαί μου τὸν πόθον ὁποῖς; νῦν ἔγνων, ὅτι προσΨχθισας τῇ ζωῇ μου· νῦν οἷδα, ὅτι τῆς σῆς με ἀπεγύμνωσας σκέπης.»

Ταῦτα αὐτὴ κατολοφυρομένη, φαίνεταί τις ἔφιππος στρατιώτης καὶ ἤρετο τὴν αἴτίαν τοῦ τοσύτου κλαυθμοῦ· τῆς δὲ ἐξειπούσης, ἐκεῖνος αὖθις πρὸς αὐτήν· «Καὶ ἐν ποίῳ τοῦ ωαοῦ τοῦτον ἐβούλου στῆναι τοὸν κίονα;» ἡ δέ φησι· «Δεύτερον εν τῷ δεξιῷ μέρει, κύριε.» ἀποβὰς οὗν τοῦ ἵππου ὁ φανείς, ἔγραψεν ἐπὶ τοῦ κίονοσ τῷ δακτύλῳ ἐπ' οὐτῆς τῆς λέξεως οὕτως· «Οὕτος ὁ στῦλος τῆς κήρας στήτω δεύτερος ἐν τῇ δεξιῷ μέρει τοῦ ναοῦ.» εἷτα λέγει πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα· «Ἐμοῦ τὸ ἕν μέρος τοῦ στύλου κουφίζοντος, αὐτὴ ὢθησον, γύναι, τὸ ἕτερον.» ἡ δὲ μετ' ἐκπλήξεως ἁψαμένη, παραυτίκα τοῦτον ἑώρα ἐκδραμόντα πρὸς θάλασσαν. καὶ εὐθέως ὁ ἐν σχήματι στρατιώτου φανείς, γέγονεν ἀφανὴς. ἡ δὲ γυνὴ φόβου καὶ θαὺματος πολλοῦ πληρωθεῖσα καὶ ὡς εἴη ὁ ἅγιος πιστεύσασα, εἰς τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἷκον ὑπέστρεψεν, εὐχαριστοῦσα τῷ θεῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ μάρτυρι. ὁ μέντοι κίων διαπορθμευθεὶς τοὺς ἐν τῇ βασιλικῇ σχεδίᾳ προέλαβε κίονας καὶ παρὰ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν ἔκειτο· φέρων ὡς ἀπό τινος γλυφῆς, ἐγκεκολαμμένα τῆς ἁγίας ἐκείνης χειρὸς τὰ χαράγματα, ἅπερ ἰδὼν ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τεταγμένος βασιλικός ἀνήρ, τόν τε κίονα ἐπιγνοὺς καὶ τὴν πίστιν τῆς χήρας ὑπερθαυμάσας, ἐξέστη καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐδόξαζε καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἀνύμνει τοῦ μάρτυρος· κατὰ μέντοι τὸ προστεταγμένον αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου διὰ τῶν θείων ἐκείνων γραμμάτων ἀνυπερθέτως πεποίηκεν.

Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν ὀξυτάτην ἀντίληψιν τοῦ μεγάλου ἀθλητοῦ ἐπικαλεσάμενοι, ἐφ' ἑτέραν διήγησιν τῶν θαυμάτοων αὐτοῦ βαδιούμεθα. 

Menologian Text PG 115, p.11

 Γ' Ὁ μακάριος οὔτος, Ἀδελφοι καὶ Πατέρες, ὀ τῆς Χριστιανικῆς σφραγίδος ἐπώνυμος, εὐγενῶν φονέων καὶ τῶν ἐν ἀξιώμασι περιβλέπτων γέγονε τέκνον, ἐν ἡμέραις Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Κοπρωνύμου, τῇ ὑποκρυφίῳ δόξῃ ὀρθοδόξως πολιτευσαμένων. Ἔδει γὰρ, ἔδει ἐξ αὐτῶνς τὸν τῆς Θεοφανείας ἐπώνυμον γεννητικῶς ἀποστίλψαι  φωστῆρα· οὐ γὰρ ἅν ἡμῖν ὁ καθαρὸς οὔτος μαργαρίτης προυτέθειτο, εἱ ἐν ἡμέραις σκότους διαφανῶς οἱ τούτου γεννήτοροες τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀπέστρεψαν. Μονογενὴς τοιγαροῦν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχων ὁ μακάριος, ἐκπαιδεύεται νηπιόθεν τὰ ἰερὰ Γράμματα, Γραφὴν τε πᾶσαν εἰς ἅκρον μνηθείς, οὐδὲ τῆς ἔξω σοφίας ἠμοίρησε. Ταύτης γοῦν τὸ κάλλιστον ἐπιλεξάμενος ἐν νῷ τεθησαύρικεν, ὅσον δὲ τὸ μυθῶδες μακρὰν χαίρειν εἰπὼν παρελογίσατο πρεπόντως. Νέου δὲ κομιδῇ τοῦ Μακαρίου ὐπάρχοντος, καὶ οὔπω τῆς ἡβικῆς ἡλικίας ἐπιλελημμένου, οἱ αὐτοῦ γονεὶς πρὸς Κύριον ἐξεδήμησαν, καὶ μένει λοιμὸν μόνος ἐν ὑπερβάλλοντι πλούτῳ ὁ ἄγιος· τάχα τῆς Προνοίας οὔτως οἰκονομησάσης, ἵνα μὴ ὁ τῶν γονέων πόθος, πρόσκομμα τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν οὐτοῦ τρίβου γεννήσηται.

P. G. Tomus 115, p.11

Γ' Ὁ μακάριος οὔτος,

This blessed one,

Ἀδελφοι καὶ Πατέρες,

Brothers and Fathers,

ὀ τῆς Χριστιανικῆς σφραγίδος ἐπώνυμος,

This one sealed by the name Christiana,

εὐγενῶν φονέων καὶ τῶν ἐν ἀξιώμασι περιβλέπτων γέγονε τέκνον,

called well-borne and looked upon by all with honor [as a??] child

ἐν ἡμέραις Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ Κοπρωνύμου,

in the days of Constantine V (r. 741-775)

τῇ ὑποκρυφίῳ δόξῃ ὀρθοδόξως πολιτευσαμένων.

the secret glory of the Orthodx citizens

Ἔδει γὰρ, ἔδει ἐξ αὐτῶνς τὸν τῆς Θεοφανείας ἐπώνυμον γεννητικῶς ἀποστίλψαι  φωστῆρα·

For it is necessary, it is necessary out of them one named seer-of-God for her star to shine[??] 

οὐ γὰρ ἅν ἡμῖν ὁ καθαρὸς οὔτος μαργαρίτης προυτέθειτο,

For not to us was this pure pearl set out,

εἱ ἐν ἡμέραις σκότους διαφανῶς οἱ τούτου γεννήτοροες τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἀπέστρεψαν. 

if in the days of darkness [to see through], pious parents turning back 

Μονογενὴς τοιγαροῦν αὐτοῖς ὑπάρχων ὁ μακάριος, 

Only-Begotten therefore, to them the blessed existed

ἐκπαιδεύεται νηπιόθεν τὰ ἰερὰ Γράμματα, 

bringing them up from childhood in the divine letters,

Γραφὴν τε πᾶσαν εἰς ἅκρον μνηθείς, 

all the scriptures to the highest memories

οὐδὲ τῆς ἔξω σοφίας ἠμοίρητε. 

but in outside wisdom, she had no share.

Ταύτης γοῦν τὸ κάλλιστον ἐπιλεξάμενος ἐν νῷ τεθησαύρικεν, 

So then this most beautiful thoughts, she kept stored in the mind

ὅσον δὲ τὸ μυθῶδες μακρὰν χαίρειν εἰπὼν παρελογίσατο πρεπόντως. but however the great myths to rejoice in speaking fitting fallacies

Νέου δὲ κοιμιδῇ τοῦ Μακαρίου ὐπάρχοντος, 

But of the young, the Blessed one provided care

καὶ οὔπω τῆς ἡβικῆς ἡλικίας ἐπιλελημμένου, 

and not yet having laid hold of maturity,

οἱ αὐτοῦ γονεὶς πρὸς Κύριον ἐξεδήμησαν, 

These, of him [became] parents of the Lord on their travels,

καὶ μένει λοιμὸν μόνος ἐν ὑπερβάλλοντι πλούτῳ ὁ ἄγιος· 

and the saint abided the pestilence alone in the exceeding riches;

τάχα τῆς Προνοίας οὔτως οἰκονομησάσης, 

perhaps Providence, in this way was managing,

ἵνα μὴ ὁ τῶν γονέων πόθος, 

so that the strong desire of the parents

πρόσκομμα τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν οὐτοῦ τρίβου γεννήσηται.

[does not beome] a stumbling [block] to God, but becomes a well-worn path.

On the Incarnation Section 1

 1.1

ΑΥΤΑΡΚΩΣ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων ἐκ πολλῶν ὀλίγα διαλαβόντες, περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν περὶ τὰ εἴδωλα πλάνης,

Whereas in what precedes we have drawn out — choosing a few points from among many — a sufficient account of the error of the heathen concerning idols,

καὶ τῆς τούτων δεισιδαιμονίας, πῶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς τούτων γέγονεν ἡ εὕρεσις, ὅτι ἐκ κακίας οἱ ἄνθρωποιἑαυτοῖς τὴν πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα θρησκείαν ἐπενόησαν·

and of the worship of idols, and how they originally came to be invented; how, namely, out of wickedness men devised for themselves the worshipping of idols:

ἀλλὰ γὰρ χάριτι Θεοῦ σημάναντες ὀλίγα καὶ περὶ τῆς θειότητος τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Πατρὸς,

and whereas we have by God's grace noted somewhat also of the divinity of the Word of the Father,

καὶ τῆς εἰς πάντα προνοίας καὶ δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ· καὶ ὅτι ὁ ἀγαθὸς Πατῆρ τούτῳ τὰ πάντα διακοσμεῖ, καὶ τὰ πάντα ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ κινεῖται, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ζωοποιεῖται·

and of His universal Providence and power, and that the Good Father through Him orders all things, and all things are moved by Him, and in Him are quickened:

φέρε κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν, Μακάριε καὶ ἀληθῶς φιλόχριστε, τῇ περὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας πίστει, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τοῦ Λόγου διηγησώμεθα,

come now, Macarius (worthy of that name), and true lover of Christ, let us follow up the faith of our religion , and set forth also what relates to the Word's becoming Man,

καὶ περὶ τῆς θείας αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπιφανείας δηλώσωμεν· ἣν Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν διαβάλλουσιν, Ἕλληνες δὲ χλευάζουσιν, ἡμεῖς δὲ προσκυνοῦμεν· ἵν’ ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐκ τῆς δοκούσης εὐτελείας τοῦ Λόγου, μείζονα καὶ πλείονα τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν εὐσέβειαν ἔχῃς.

and to His divine Appearing among us, which Jews traduce and Greeks laugh to scorn, but we worship; in order that, all the more for the seeming low estate of the Word, your piety toward Him may be increased and multiplied.

1.2

Ὅσῳ γὰρ παρὰ τοῖς ἀπίστοις χλευάζεται, τοσούτῳ μείζονα τὴν περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν παρέχει·

For the more He is mocked among the unbelieving, the more witness does He give of His own Godhead;

ὅτι τε ἃ μὴ καταλαμβάνουσιν ἄνθρωποι ὡς ἀδύνατα, ταῦτα αὐτὸς ἐπιδείκνυται δυνατά· καὶ ἃ ὡς ἀπρεπῆ χλευάζουσιν ἄνθρωποι,

inasmuch as He not only Himself demonstrates as possible what men mistake, thinking impossible, but what men deride as unseemly,

ταῦτα αὐτὸς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθότητι εὐπρεπῇ κατασκευάζει· καὶ ἃ σοφιζόμενοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι ὡς ἀνθρώπινα γελῶσι,

this by His own goodness He clothes with seemliness, and what men, in their conceit of wisdom, laugh at as merely human,

ταῦτα αὐτὸς τῇ αὐτοῦ δυνάμει θεῖα ἐπιδείκνυται, τὴν μὲν τῶν εἰδώλων φαντασίαν τῇ νομιζομένῃ ἑαυτοῦ εὐτελείᾳ διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ καταστρέφων, τοὺς δὲ χλευάζοντας καὶ ἀπιστοῦντας μεταπείθων ἀφανῶς ὥστε τὴν θειότητα αὐτοῦ καὶ δύναμιν ἐπιγινώσκειν.

He by His own power demonstrates to be divine, subduing the pretensions of idols by His supposed humiliation — by the Cross — and those who mock and disbelieve invisibly winning over to recognise His divinity and power.

1.3

Εἰς δὲ τὴν περὶ τούτων διήγησιν, χρεία τῆς τῶν προειρημένων μνήμης· ἵνα καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐν σώματι φανερώσεως τοῦ τοσούτου καὶ τηλικούτου Πατρικοῦ Λόγου γνῶναι δυνηθῇς,

But to treat this subject it is necessary to recall what has been previously said; in order that you may neither fail to know the cause of the bodily appearing of the Word of the Father,

καὶ μὴ νομίσης, ὅτι φύσεως ἀκολουθία σῶμα πεφόρεκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἀσώματος ὢν τῇ φύσει,

so high and so great, nor think it a consequence of His own nature that the Saviour has worn a body; but that being incorporeal by nature,

καὶ Λόγος ὑπάρχων, ὅμως πατὰ φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ ἀγαθότητα τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ Πατρὸς, διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν, ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῳ σώματι ἡμῖν πεφανέρωται.

and Word from the beginning, He has yet of the loving-kindness and goodness of His own Father been manifested to us in a human body for our salvation.

1.4

Πρέπει δὲ ποιουμένους ἡμᾶς τὴν περὶ τούτου διήγησιν, πρότερον περὶ τῆς τῶν ὅλων κτίσεως, καὶ τοῦ ταύτης δημιουργοῦ Θεοῦ εἰπεῖν,

It is, then, proper for us to begin the treatment of this subject by speaking of the creation of the universe, and of God its Artificer,

ἵνα οὕτως καὶ τὴν ταύτης ἀνακαίνισιν ὑπὸ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτὴν δημιουργήσαντος Λόγου γεγενῆσθαι ἀξίως ἄν τις θεωρήσειεν·

that so it may be duly perceived that the renewal of creation has been the work of the self-same Word that made it at the beginning.

οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐναντίον φανήσεται, εἰ δι’ οὗ ταύτην ἐδημιούργησεν ὁ Πατὴρ, ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ταύτης σωτηρίαν εἰργάσατο.

For it will appear not inconsonant for the Father to have wrought its salvation in Him by Whose means He made it.