Saint Marina

[Daniel Hoseiny]

There was in Antioch a holy martyr,
Who glorified the Holy Trinity on earth.
She beat the devil in the prison of the prefect's quarter,
She's young Marina, virgin of great worth.

Deprived of mother in the age of infant,
But raised by wet-nurse in the holy faith,
Your father, hearing 'Christ,' disowned daughter in an instant,
As pagan priest who shared the rebel devil's fate.

Refusing marriage on behalf of purity and virtue,
You stayed a virgin for the holy Jesus as the Spouse,
Though being desired by Olymbrios the governor who met you
And offered hand and luxury of wealthy state.

Despite all this you told him you're Christian.
He gave you over to a noble woman for re-education,
Who couldn't persuade you to defect from Jesus Christ.
And publicly he heard to his proposal firm rejection.

Offended, he subjected you to ugly torture,
In many ways exposing you to fleshly pain.
You bore it all without uttering a murmur,
You prayed and all attempts to break you were in vain.

And then in prison satan frightened you with ugly vision:
As dragon he appeared to you to swallow up,
By invocation of the name of Christ he suffered detonation,
Unable to prevail over the Holy Cross by fighting Christ.

He then emerged a second time as weirdy creature,
But taking him by horns, you hammered him until he fled.
Then heavens opened up and Savior healed your wounds of torture,
And speaking strength, encouraged you to bravely stand.

Then, on a final day you entered a decisive battle,
When they had dunked you in a barrel of cold water,
But Holy One had turned it in baptismal holy fountain,
While Holy Spirit's dove did bring you wreath from the above.

And crowd seeing it, despised the cruelty of governor austere.
They marveled and gave glory to Marina's God with cheer.
Of them were 15 000 executed with Marina virgin-martyr.
Now all of them enjoy the Heaven of eternal Holy God.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcuxDIY5zYo&ab_channel=JOYOFHEAVEN

Marina is commemorated on July 17, her life story: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2023/07/17/102042-great-martyr-marina-margaret-of-antioch