Midnight Praises
Morning Praises
Arise O Children of the Light
A hymn of the Midnight Praises (Tasbeha) calling the faithful to rise from spiritual sleep and praise God with alertness and devotion. It draws primarily from Psalms 134 and 119.
Arise, O children of the light, let us praise the Lord of hosts.
An invitation to all believers - "children of the light" - to rise and glorify God. We are called children of the light because through baptism we received the light of Christ (Ephesians 5:8). The "Lord of hosts" refers to God as commander of the heavenly armies of angels.
That He may grant us the salvation of our souls.
The ultimate purpose of our praise is not merely ritual but the salvation of our souls. We praise God not to earn salvation but because praise draws us into His presence where transformation happens.
Whenever we stand before You in the flesh.
Acknowledging that we stand before God in our physical bodies - weak, tired, and limited. This is an honest admission of our human frailty as we approach the Almighty.
Cast away from our minds the slumber of sleep.
This is not just about physical sleepiness during late-night prayers. "Slumber of sleep" represents spiritual laziness, apathy, and the numbing effect of worldly distractions that dull our awareness of God.
Grant us sobriety O Lord, that we may know how to stand before You at times of prayer.
"Sobriety" (nepsis in Greek) is a key concept in Coptic spirituality - it means watchfulness, alertness, and clarity of mind. The Desert Fathers considered nepsis essential for genuine communion with God. We ask for it because we cannot produce it on our own.
And ascribe unto You, the befitting glorification, and win the forgiveness of our many sins.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
We ask to give God the praise He deserves - "befitting glorification" - not half-hearted worship. The connection between praise and forgiveness reflects the Coptic understanding that genuine worship purifies the heart. "Lover of Mankind" (Philanthropos) is a title emphasizing that God's fundamental disposition toward humanity is love.
Behold bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 134:1. This begins a section drawn from the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), which pilgrims sang while ascending to the Temple in Jerusalem. The call is universal - all servants, not just priests or monks.
You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 134:1. "Standing" in the house of the Lord refers to the posture of prayer and service. In Coptic tradition, the church building is considered a continuation of the Temple - a place where heaven and earth meet.
By night, lift up your hands, O you saints and bless the Lord.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 134:2. Night prayer holds special significance in Coptic spirituality. The Midnight Praises (Tasbeha) follow Christ's example of praying at night (Luke 6:12). Lifting hands is the ancient posture of prayer - open palms raised, symbolizing surrender and receptivity to God's grace.
The Lord bless you from Zion, who made heaven and earth.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 134:3. After calling us to bless the Lord, the psalm responds with God's blessing back to us. "From Zion" - from His dwelling place. The Creator of heaven and earth personally blesses those who worship Him. This reciprocal relationship of blessing is at the heart of worship.
Let my cry come before You, O Lord. Give me understanding according to Your word.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:169. The hymn now transitions to Psalm 119, the great psalm about God's word. The request for understanding reflects humility - we cannot comprehend God's word through intellect alone but need divine illumination.
Let my supplication come before You, deliver me according to Your word.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:170. "Supplication" is a deeper, more urgent form of prayer than a simple request. Deliverance "according to Your word" means we trust God's promises, not our own efforts, for rescue from sin and difficulty.
My lips shall utter praise, for You teach me your statutes.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:171. True praise flows from being taught by God. The more we learn of His ways, the more praise naturally overflows. This verse connects learning and worship - they are not separate activities in the Coptic tradition.
My tongue shall speak of Your words, for all Your commandments are righteousness.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:172. Our speech should be shaped by God's words. The declaration that all His commandments are righteousness is a confession of trust - even the commands we struggle with are ultimately right and good.
Let Your hand become my help, for I have chosen Your precepts.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:173. Notice the balance: God's hand helps, but we must choose His precepts. This reflects the Coptic understanding of synergy (cooperation) between divine grace and human free will - God does not force salvation, and we cannot achieve it alone.
I longed for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your Law is my delight.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:174. Longing and delight - these are emotional words. Our relationship with God is not merely intellectual or dutiful. The psalmist delights in God's law the way one delights in a beloved. This is the heart the Church wants us to cultivate.
Let my soul live and it shall praise You, and let Your judgments help me.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:175. Life and praise are inseparable - a living soul praises, and praise gives life to the soul. Even God's judgments are framed as help, not punishment. The Coptic view sees God's correction as a father training his children, not a judge condemning criminals.
I have gone astray, like a lost sheep, seek Your servant for I do not forget Your commandments.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 119:176. The final verse of Psalm 119 - and one of the most honest lines in all of Scripture. Even after 176 verses celebrating God's word, the psalmist admits he has gone astray. Yet he does not despair. He asks God to come seek him, echoing the parable of the Good Shepherd (Luke 15:4-7). This is the posture of Coptic repentance: honest about our weakness, confident in God's pursuit of us.
Glory be to the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
The Lesser Doxology - directing all glory to the Holy Trinity. Every hymn in the Coptic tradition concludes by glorifying the Trinity, anchoring all worship in the foundational truth of our faith: one God in three persons.
Now and forever, and unto the age of all ages amen.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
This phrase extends glory beyond time itself. "The age of all ages" is an expression of eternity - our praise here is joined with the eternal praise of the angels and saints who never cease glorifying God.
Glory be to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto all ages, amen.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
The full Trinitarian doxology repeated, reinforcing that our worship has no expiration. What we do in Tasbeha on earth is practice for the eternal worship we will offer in heaven.
Glory be to You, O Good One, the Lover of Mankind. Glory be to Your Mother the Virgin, and all Your saints.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
God is "the Good One" - goodness is not just something God does but who He is. Glorifying the Virgin Mary and the saints is not worship of them but recognition that God's glory shines through them. They reflect His light, and we honor the source by honoring the reflection.
Glory be to You O only-begotten One, O holy Trinity, have mercy upon us.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
"Only-begotten" refers to Christ (John 3:16) - the Son who is eternally begotten of the Father. The hymn moves from praise to petition: have mercy upon us. Even in our highest worship, we remain aware of our need for mercy. This is the essence of Coptic humility.
Let God arise, and let all His enemies be scattered, and let all that hate His holy name, flee from before His face.
Glory be to You, O Lover of Mankind.
From Psalm 68:1. A sudden shift to spiritual warfare. After all the praise and petition, we declare God's victory over evil. In the context of midnight prayer, this is especially powerful - the darkness of night symbolizes the darkness of sin, and we declare that God scatters it all.
As for Your people, let them be blessed, a thousand thousand fold, and ten thousand ten thousand fold, doing Your will.
An extraordinary blessing - not just a thousand fold but "a thousand thousand" and "ten thousand ten thousand." These numbers echo the heavenly host described in Daniel 7:10 and Revelation 5:11. The blessing is tied to "doing Your will" - obedience and blessing are connected.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
From Psalm 51:15 - David's great psalm of repentance. This is the perfect ending: after all the exhortations to praise, we confess that we cannot even open our own lips without God's help. Every word of praise we have just offered was itself a gift from God. We end where we began - dependent on Him for everything, even the ability to worship Him.
Reflection
The opening hymn of the Midnight Praises (Tasbeha), sung as the faithful rise from sleep to begin the nocturnal office. It draws from Psalms 134 and 119, calling believers to cast off spiritual drowsiness and stand before God with sober, watchful hearts.
Biblical Origin
Rooted in Psalm 134 (Septuagint 133), one of the Psalms of Ascent sung by Levitical priests during the night watch at the Temple, and Psalm 119:169-176 (Septuagint 118), the great acrostic meditation on God's Law. The opening line also echoes Ephesians 5:8 and 1 Thessalonians 5:5, where the baptized are called children of light.
Theological Meaning
- The hymn establishes that worship is fundamentally an act of awakening - the soul must rise from the slumber of sin and spiritual apathy before it can offer acceptable praise. St. Macarius the Great taught that the soul falls asleep through attachment to the world, and only the call of God rouses it to life.
- The plea for nepsis (sobriety/watchfulness) reflects the Coptic ascetical tradition preserved by the Desert Fathers, who understood that genuine prayer requires a vigilant mind free from wandering thoughts. Without divine grace granting this sobriety, human effort alone cannot sustain communion with God.
- The closing verse - 'I have gone astray like a lost sheep, seek Your servant' (Psalm 119:176) - transforms the entire hymn into an act of repentance. Even after declaring our desire to praise, we confess our wandering. This is the Coptic pattern: praise and repentance are inseparable, as St. Athanasius the Apostolic taught in his Letter to Marcellinus on the Psalms.
Liturgical Significance
Positioned as the very first hymn of the Tasbeha, it functions as a spiritual alarm - summoning the congregation from bodily rest into the sacred work of nocturnal praise. The Church places this hymn first because everything that follows depends on the interior awakening it describes. The believer who truly prays these words enters the rest of the Midnight Praises with a heart prepared to receive God's presence.
Spiritual Application
This hymn trains the faithful to prioritize God over bodily comfort, choosing to stand before Him when the world sleeps. It cultivates the discipline of watchfulness in daily life - not only in the midnight hour but in every moment where spiritual drowsiness threatens to separate the soul from attentiveness to God.
The opening call of the Tasbeha summons the baptized to rise from spiritual slumber into sober, watchful praise, grounding all worship in the inseparable union of repentance and glorification.