THE HOLY MARTYR DIMITRI

June 3

From the Prologue

The ambitious Boris Godunov treacherously murdered Dimitri at the age of eight in the town of Uglich in the year 1591 A.D. After his death, Dimitri appeared to a monk and prophesied that a false Dimitri will appear and will cause the death of the murderer Boris Godunov which afterward actually happened. A countless number of miracles occurred at the grave of the slain Crown-Prince. After fifteen years his relics were discovered to be whole and incorrupt. They were translated solemnly to Moscow and interred in the church of the Holy Archangel Michael.

HYMN OF PRAISE

THE HOLY MARTYR DIMITRI, CROWN-PRINCE

Dimitri, a small child, a great saint became,

And bloody Godunov the great, forever remained cursed.

Craving for power, the ambitious one can never be satisfied,

In both worlds, that is fire; fire unquenchable.

From Boris' goblet, men are poisoned,

But, from the goblet, Boris drank and himself judged.

Down the river of blood, to the throne, Boris sails,

But into the sea of maggots, that river flows.

As from an earthquake, the crown on the criminal trembles,

Of everything frightened, of everything afraid, looks toward the heavens.

Whoever innocent blood sheds, his own let him prepare,

From this, may there not be an exception and there is none.

Craving for power winged horse, wings of wax

While to the height of authority it soars the wings melted!

Then, from the heights to the bottom falls: lower than a vagabond,

And Satan to his own speaks: Behold the hundredth madman!

Dimitri, the young crown-prince innocently suffered,

He, a crown-prince was then and a crown-prince now.