What is the Coptic translation for the Great Lent melody chorus response, “blessed are those who have mercy, who give to the poor and fast and pray, the Holy Spirit will fill their hearts, the son will show them mercy on judgment day”?
By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10
This verse is the refrain for the Hymn of the Great Lent, often known by its first words, "Blessed are those" or ⲱⲟⲩⲛⲓⲁⲧⲟⲩ (Ouniatou). This hymn is chanted during the Great Fast (ⲧⲏⲛⲏⲥⲧⲓⲁ) and highlights the pillars of the fast: mercy, prayer, and fasting.
The Coptic translation in the Bohairic (ⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙⲛⲭⲏⲙⲓ) dialect, as used in the Liturgy:
Coptic Script (Bohairic)
Ⲱⲟⲩⲛⲓⲁⲧⲟⲩ ⲛⲛⲓⲛⲁⲏⲧ: ⲛⲏⲉⲧϣⲉⲛϩⲏⲧ ϧⲁ ⲛⲓϩⲏⲕⲓ: ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲛⲏⲥⲧⲉⲩⲓⲛ ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲡⲣⲟⲥⲉⲩⲭⲉⲥⲑⲉ: ⲡⲓⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ ⲉϥⲉⲙⲟϩ ⲛⲛⲟⲩϩⲏⲧ: Ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲉϥⲉⲉⲣⲛⲁⲏⲧ ⲛⲱⲟⲩ: ϧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲛⲧⲉ ϯⲕⲣⲓⲥⲓⲥ.
Breakdown of Key Terms
- Ⲱⲟⲩⲛⲓⲁⲧⲟⲩ (Ouniatou): Blessed are they (native Coptic).
- ⲛⲛⲓⲛⲁⲏⲧ (Enni-na-et): To those who have mercy (native Coptic).
- ⲛⲓϩⲏⲕⲓ (Ni-hiki): The poor (native Coptic).
- ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲛⲏⲥⲧⲉⲩⲓⲛ (Eter-nistevin): Those who fast (based on the Greek loanword Nesteia).
- ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲡⲣⲟⲥⲉⲩⲭⲉⲥⲑⲉ (Eter-prosevkesthe): Those who pray (based on the Greek loanword Proseuche).
- Ⲡⲓⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ (Pi-Pnevma Ethowab): The Holy Spirit (Greek Pneuma + Coptic Ethowab).
- Ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ (Pshiri): The Son (native Coptic).
- ϯⲕⲣⲓⲥⲓⲥ (Ti-krisis): The Judgment (Greek loanword Krisis).
Theological Context
This response is central to the spirituality of the Great Fast. In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, fasting is never practiced in isolation; it must be accompanied by metanoia (repentance), prayer, and almsgiving (mercy). This reflects the teaching of the Church Fathers that fasting of the body is useless without the fasting of the soul from evil and the active practice of love toward the poor. As the hymn states, the reward for these spiritual labors is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (ⲡⲓⲡⲛⲉⲩⲙⲁ ⲉⲑⲟⲩⲁⲃ) and mercy from the Son on the Great Day of Judgment.