Ethiopian/Eritrean pronounciation Question

[Elisha]

For EkhristosAnesti or anyone else who might know,

Do you know what the Paschal response to Christ is Risen! is in Ge'ez, how to pronounce it and what it translates to in English?  The below is a question and a response from my priest on an Orthodox music yahoo  group.  Thanks.

Re:Eritrean music

--- In OrthodoxPSALM@yahoogroups.com, "Fr. J and D B"
<> wrote:
>
> If anyone DOES find it, I'd love to have a copy.
>
> d
>
There are many Eritreans that attend services here at parish here in Santa Rosa,
CA., but
not a one of them seems to know "Christ is risen" as we know. I believe, not
certain here,
that they are following a very different liturgical tradition, and it is
possible that the
Troparion "Christ is risen" as we sing it is not done by them. When you greet an
Eritrean -
an old timer that is, with the words "Christos tin saya multan" (forgive the bad
transliteration, it is based on my bad pronunciation), the old timer (the young
Eritreans are
not "churched") will respond with a paragraph length statement about Christ
being risen
and Satan overthrown, and peace being given.

Whether they sing it or no, we will have to find out from an
ethnomusicologist/liturgist
who has some familiarity with Eritrean and Ethiopian practice.

If there is anyone in Atlanta on this e-list, or Seattle, where there are large
Eritrean
communities with their own churches, you might find someone who could tell us.

Fr L

PS: the pronunciation of Ge'ez, or Amharic, the Liturgical language of these
folks, is not
easy. You can damage your epiglotis.
 

[jnorm888]

I met alot of Ethiopians in the Washington D.C. Area.


I don't know if there are any on this forum.



JNORM888

[FrChris]

Well, 'Amdetsion' is a Deacon in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church; I am absolutely confident that he will be very helpful on this issue when he makes note of it!

[Amdetsion]

Elisha

I will try to answer your question:

Aftre Tinsae'h or Resurrection instead of the what you may call the 'Trisagion' (Holy God, Holy Mighty....) the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches sings the following:

Kiristos tensi'a imutan mote
wekédo lemot le'ile wiste meqabir
wehabe hiywete zelalem irefte. (3
times)

Christ rose from the dead. He died
and trampled death under foot. He
gave the life of eternal rest to those
who were in the grave. (3 times)

The above is all Ge-ez with English translation.

This is sung in-place-of the Trisagion until after Pentcost. This is sung in a beautiful slow tone; almost like a 'cry'. If you heard it sung the melody alone is mezmarizing.

As far as Amahric greetings to each other we say various phrases depending on what village or province or even family up bringing influences you. But you will find it good in general to say "Melkam Tinsae'h" (Happy Resurrection) or "Kereestos Tineswal!" (Christ has Risen!) to people after church services and in public until after Pentacost. The reply is "Amein" (Yes I beleive). This replaces common 'initial' greetings. Aftre making that statement it is normal to ask how the person is doing and so on.

As for regular choir songs; we have many.

Our Eritrean brothers and sisters use Tigreanian language for common speech. But we all know Amaharic and the Church language Ge-ez which happens to be very close to the Tigreanian.

I hope this helped some.

[Elisha]

Thanks very much, Dn. Amde!  Have a great Lent!

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