主日八調讚詞
Sunday Oktoechos
or the Book of Eight Tones

掌院修士法剌韋昂　敬譯
translated by Archim. Flavian

修士司祭尼闊賴修士司祭阿列克些　參攷
examined by Hieromonks Nikolai and Aleksy
司祭密特囉方　參訂
proofread by Priest Mitrophan

Published by Holy Virgin Church, Jingdu (Beijing), 1884

This Sunday Oktoechos is prepared from a scan of a photocopy provided by Rdr Jeremias Norman who copied it with the permission of the late Fr Gregory Zhu of the Pokrov Church in Harbin. The original has the name of the priest LEE Xunyi stamped on the first page. The first four tones was prepared in typeset, while the latter four tones was hand-written in brush calligraphy. The Troparia and Kontakia contained herein also appeared in the 1913 Horologion.

A scan of volume 2 (tones 5 to 8) prepared in typeset has been contributed by Fr Dionisy Pozdnyaev. The original is located in the Russian State Library in Moscow.

A pdf scan of another original copy of volume 1 and 2 located at the state library in Irkustk diocese has been contributed by Fr Dionisy Pozdnyaev. This copy has the original title page and translator acknowledgement page unlike all the other previous copies known to date. Also the copy from Harbin uses the modern Chinese Orthodox term Shangdi to refer to God, whereas the copies from Irkutsk and Moscow uses the earlier classical Chinese term Tianzhu.

The electronic text has been transcribed by the dilligent efforts of the Holy Trinity parish of Taipei from the scanned copy from Harbin. Volunteers are need to proofread the electronic text, and Tone 7 still needs to be transcribed. This classical Chinese Orthodox translation, in addition to the original Greek, will serve as a reference for a modern Chinese translation of the Sunday Oktoechos. If you are interested in helping with this initiative, please contact OFASC.