O my people, what have I done to thee?

Popule meus, quid feci tibi?
Aut in quo contristavi te?
Responde mihi.

Quia eduxi te de terra Aegypti:
parasti Crucem Salvatori tuo.

Hagios o Theos.
Sanctus Deus.
Hagios Ischyros.
Sanctus fortis.
Hagios Athanatos, eleison himas.
Sanctus immortalis, miserere nobis.

Quia eduxi te per desertum quadraginta annis:
et manna cibavi te, et introduxi te in terram satis bonam:
parasti Crucem Salvatori tuo.
Hagios…

Quid ultra debui facere tibi, et non feci?
Ego quidem plantavi te vineam meam speciosissimam:
et tu facta es mihi nimis amara:
aceto namque sitim meam potasti:
et lancea perforasti latus Salvatori tuo.
Hagios…

Ego propter te flagellavi Aegyptum cum primogenitis suis:
et tu me flagellatum tradidisti.
Popule meus…

Ego te eduxi de Aegypto, demerso Pharone in mare Rubrum:
et tu me tradidisti principibus sacerdotum.
Popule meus…

Ego ante te aperui mare:
et tu aperuisti lancea latus meum.
Popule meus…

Ego ante te praeivi in columna nubis:
et tu me duxisti ad praetorium Pilati.
Popule meus…

Ego te pavi manna in desertum:
et tu me cedisti alapis et flagellis.
Popule meus…

Ego te potavi aqua salutis de petra:
et tu me potasti felle et aceto.
Popule meus…

Ego propter te Chananeorum reges percussi:
et tu percussisti arundine caput meum.
Popule meus…

Ego dedi tibi sceptrum regale:
et tu dedisti capiti meo spineam coronam.
Popule meus…

Ego te exaltavi magna virtute:
et tu me suspendisti in patibulo crucis.
Popule meus…

 

English translation

O my people, what have I done to thee?
Or how have I offended you?
Answer me.

Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt:
thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Saviour.

O holy God!
O holy God!
O holy strong One!
O holy strong One!
O holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.
O holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.

Because I led thee through the desert for forty years:
and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good:
thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Saviour.
O holy God!…

What more ought I to have done for thee, that I have not done?
I planted thee, indeed, My most beautiful vineyard:
and thou hast become exceeding bitter to me:
for in my thirst thou gavest me vinegar to drink:
and with a spear thou hast pierced the side of thy Saviour.
O holy God!…

For thy sake I scourged the firstborn of Egypt:
Thou hast given me up to be scourged.
O my people…

I led thee out of Egypt having drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea:
and thou hast delivered Me to the chief priests.
O my people…

I opened the sea before thee:
and thou hast opened my side with a spear.
O my people…

I went before thee in a pillar of cloud:
and thou hast led me to the judgment hall of Pilate.
O my people…

I fed thee with manna in the desert;
and thou hast assaulted me with blows and scourges.
O my people…

I gave thee the water of salvation from the rock:
and thou hast given me gall and vinegar to drink.
O my people…

For thy sake I struck the kings of the Canaanites:
and thou hast struck my head with a reed.
O my people…

I gave thee a royal sceptre:
and thou hast given a crown of thorns for my head.
O my people…

I exalted thee with great strength;
and thou hast hanged me on the gibbet of the cross.
O my people…