www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Confusion over "God grant you many years"

Are lay people permitted to intone the "many years"? In my home parish this happens every time there is a special event (a guest priest) or the priest's anniversary, birthday, whatever. The cantor chimes in "May God grant to his servant, the priest <n> on the occasion of blah, blah, peace, health..." etc.

I think, speaking as an anglophone, that the problem can be simply resolved
by singing it in Ukrainian. I think it sounds much better that way anyway. Of course,
it may simply be that I have an allergic reaction to the word "happy," not least when
it is used as a synonym for "blessed."

Does anyone know if anyone has ever tried to count and compile the number of
different settings to which Mnohya Lyta can be sung? I have heard dozens of
versions, and have the feeling that is only a fraction of the total extant.

Adam

This would only work if they brought along a lot of glue!!!! :p

Dear Administrator:

I am interested in your suggestion of "God grant 'you' ...". I have heard (in an OCA parish), precisely the opposite view advocated - never "you" always "him/her/them". The idea being that we are directly addressing God: may You grant him/her/them many years. Anyone sufficiently versed in Slavonic/Greek grammar to give a detailed analysis?

PS Joe, "blessed" and "happy" may be the same in Hebrew (whatever that means) but are hardly the same in English.

Well, djs, as you know, in Slavonic the people's response does not address God by name at all. "Mnohaja lita, blahaja lita, mnohaja blahaja lita. Vo zdravije, vo spasenije, mnohaja, blahaja lita." I believe the key is in the full invocation (acclamation?) by the priest (which, unfortunately at the moment I cannot recall in Slavonic).

(Another word in the priest's part that we don't have in English is "dolhodenstvije" -- "length of days", I believe the OCA uses.)

djs,

I think it�s just a matter of using good grammar. When someone sneezes we say �God bless you!� not �God bless him!�

Admin

PS: LR is correct that the original Slavonic is just �Many years� without the reference to God (it was understood). Also, anyone may intone for this prayer. I don�t think that there are any rules, but when the Church is gathered the senior cleric (bishop or priest) should intone this prayer. Oftentimes the cantor or another will intone it if the blessing is intended for the priest himself.

PS2: Perhaps a better translation for the second sentence of this prayer is �In health and salvation�God grant you many blessed years�. Parishes, of course, should stick with the approved texts until the bishops direct otherwise.

The standard text in the OCA (using the traditional Russian melody) is "God grant you many years," "you" being singular or plural.

The reason why the "God grant you" was included was musical. It fit the musical syllables with "mno-ha-ya li-ta".

Many parishes also sing the Carpatho-Russian melody.

Priest Thomas

I wondered the same thing! Usually there is someone in front of me saying "blessed" and someone behind me saying "happy". I sing whichever pops in my head first. I have chalked it up to which ever translation you may have learned.

Depends on whether you are in conversation with the person who has sneezed or with God!

Fr. Thomas, I have the idea that Bishop Tikhon (OCA, west) insists that it is God grant him/her/them NOT you many years.