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Nova radost’ stala

Boh predvicnyj

This Christmas hymn can be found in the Metropolitan Cantor Institute's Byzantine Catholic Hymnal for Nativity and Theophany (2007). The text is that of Monsignor William Levkulic (see below), who also published an English setting, Joyful news.

Sources

This hymn was included in the L'vov Pisnoslovets (1907), as hymn 17, and in the Užhorod Pisennik (1913), as hymn 37. The text given in both volumes contained nine verses.

The same nine verses were reprinted in Latin letters in the 1932 Greek Catholic collection, Kolady, with lyrics as follows:

1. Nova radost' stala -- jaka nebyvala -- zvizda jasna nad vertepom -- svitu vozsijala.

2. Kde Christos rodilsja -- z Divy voplotilsja -- jak čelovik pelenami -- uboho povilsja.

3. Anhely spivali -- "Slava" vozklicali -- na nebesich i na zeml'i -- radost' vozviščali.

4. David car ihrajet -- v husly udarjajet -- sladkohlasno i predivno -- Boha vozchcal'ajet.

5. I my tež spivajme -- Christa proslavl'ajme -- iz Marii roždennaho -- virno ublažajme.

6. Prosime T'a Carju -- nebesnyj vladarju -- daruj lita sčastlivyja -- nam i hosudarju.

7. V miri provoditi -- Tebi uhoditi - i s Toboju v carstvi Tvojem -- vo viki vikov žiti.

In 1969, Father Stefan Papp printed a version with music and seven verses (Duchovňi Pisňi, page 136), although several of these verses differ significantly from those in previous collections:

In 1969, Monsignor William Levkulic published the first three verses in the booklet Christ is Born: Glorify Him. This text incorporated a number of changes also seen in some Ukrainian versions, such as reversing the two halves of the third line of verse 1 (from "zvizda jasna nad vertepom" to "nad vertepom zvizda jasna"). These verses were reprinted (without music) in Byzantine Liturgical Chant (1970) and in the Hymns section of The Divine Liturgy, a Book of Prayer (1978).

English translations

In 1969, Monsignor William Levkulic published a three verse English translation, Joyful news, in the booklet Christ is Born: Glorify Him. This setting was reprinted in Byzantine Liturgical Chant (1970, with music) and in the Hymns section of The Divine Liturgy, a Book of Prayer (1978, without music).

A different English translation (by Joseph Roll) can be found on page 997 of the The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship (Ukrainian Catholic, 2004), titled "A new joy is risen." This same text is also set (on the previous page) to the melody of a another Slavonic hymn, Nova radost stala (II).

Harmonization

Here is the harmonization of the Slavonic version, from page 7 of Joachim Ratzin's Kolady (1952):