Eastern Patriarchs' Greatest Hits!

If you were also wondering about that haunting but joyful song the Eastern Patriarchs kept chorusing at the end of the Pope's funeral...well, here's the same song sung by a Greek Orthodox choir. And with considerably more women involved. And a lot more English than Greek and Arabic. ;)

You can read a translation of the Eastern bit of the Papal Mass at Inferno XV. (Scroll down past the bit where he talks about his own choir activities.)

Anyway, the snazzy chorus goes like this:

Christos anesti ek nekron
Christ is risen from the dead
thanato thanaton patisas
Trampling down death by death
ke tis en tis mnimasi zoin kharisamenos.
And on those in the tombs, giving life!

Note that important word "charis" there...wouldn't that be "gracing" them with life?

(And hey! He's not just Snake-Stompin' Jesus, He is Death-Stompin' Jesus, too!)