The Sun Sat in Its Seclusion
Chapter 20 of the Mandaean Book of John — the third chapter of the John-Johannes section (Chapters 18–33). The cosmos holds its breath: sun in seclusion, moon in eclipse, the four winds gripping each other's wings in silence. Then the sun speaks to Johannes — not as a celestial authority but as a supplicant. "You have three halos, a crown worth the whole world. If you go to the house of the Great, remember us." The Baptist's power exceeds the heavenly bodies. His response is not comfort but judgment: the perfect ship became the pride of glory, but the king's seal was placed upon her and she went to the dunghill, fought with her husband, sought her sons and could not find them. When her vows were fulfilled, she was not worthy of the house of Life. Seventeen verses.
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Source text from Haberl and McGrath's critical edition (Brill, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference; all departures from the reference are documented in the colophon.
John teaches in the evenings of the night.
Yahya teaches in the nights.
And he said:
Yahya teaches in the nights.
In the name of the sublime and strange one!
The sun sat in its seclusion,
and the moon sat in its eclipse.
The four winds of the house
grasped one another's wings and breathed not.
The sun opened his mouth
and spoke to John in Jerusalem:
"You have three halos,
a crown worth the whole world.
You have a ship from the perfect,
which travels here in the Jordan.
You have the greater Plugta,
which goes here between the waters.
If you go to the house of the Great,
remember us before the Great."
John opened his mouth
and spoke to the sun in Jerusalem:
"You have indeed requested the halos,
and the perfect guard your crown.
This perfect ship
is the pride of glory.
They fashioned the Plugta
which goes between the waters.
The seal of the king was placed upon her,
and she cavorts in your name,
and goes to the place of dunghills.
She fights with her own husband,
she seeks her sons and does not find them.
When her vows were fulfilled and she departed,
she was not worthy of the house of Life.
She was not worthy of the house of Life,
and was not raised to the everlasting abode."
And Life is praised!
Colophon
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church (NTAC + Claude), April 2026.
Source text: Charles Haberl and James McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (Brill, 2020), accessed via Internet Archive under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Page 62 (text), page 63 (translation).
The English translation of Haberl and McGrath was consulted as a reference. Seven departures from the reference are documented below:
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"sat" for both sun and moon (v. 1) — The reference uses "sat" for the sun but "reposed" for the moon. The Mandaic uses the same verb (itib) both times. This translation preserves the exact parallel: the sun and moon perform the same action — withdrawing into their respective states.
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"its eclipse" for "an eclipse" (v. 1) — The Mandaic b-talia can be read with or without a possessive sense. "Its eclipse" maintains the parallel with "its seclusion" — each celestial body withdraws into its own condition.
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Past tense for the cosmic scene (vv. 1–3) — The reference shifts from past tense in verse 1 ("sat," "reposed") to present tense in verse 2 ("grasp," "breathe not") and verse 3 ("opens," "says"). The Mandaic verbal forms are consistent throughout. This translation uses past tense for the entire opening: the cosmos fell still, then the sun spoke.
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"the pride of glory" for "Glory's Pride" (v. 9) — The Mandaic construct giuat iqara places "pride" as the head noun and "glory" as the genitive: "the pride belonging to glory." The reference capitalizes and reverses the English to produce a proper name. This translation preserves the Mandaic order as a description, not a title.
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"fashioned" for "formed" (v. 10) — The Mandaic gitruia carries connotations of deliberate making. "Fashioned" preserves this slightly more than the reference's "formed."
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"the Great" without "[Life]" (vv. 6, 8) — The reference interpolates "[Life]" in brackets after "the Great." The Mandaic says rabia only. This translation does not add what the Mandaic omits.
-
"Plugta" for "Pelugtā" (vv. 5, 10) — The reference uses the transliteration Pelugtā with schwa-marking. This translation uses a simplified form consistent with the project's conventions for Mandaic terms (cf. Habshaba, Shilmai, Nidbai).
Blood Rule attestation: This English was independently derived from reading the Classical Mandaic source text. The Haberl-McGrath English was consulted as a reference for verification and disambiguation, but the translation follows the Mandaic grammar, word order, and diction independently. All departures from the reference are documented above.
First English translation: No. Haberl and McGrath (2020) provide the first complete scholarly English translation. This is an independent English rendering from the same Mandaic source.
Scribal credit: Tulku Tankō (探鉱), Expeditionary Tulku of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: ࡎࡉࡐࡀࡓ ࡖࡉࡅࡄࡀࡀࡍ — ࡐࡓࡀࡒ 20
Classical Mandaic source text from Haberl and McGrath's critical edition (Brill, 2020), p. 62. Presented for reference and verification.
ࡉࡅࡄࡀࡀࡍ ࡁࡓࡀࡌࡔࡉࡀ ࡖࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡋࡅࡉࡀ
ࡅࡀࡌࡀࡓ
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡃࡀࡓࡉࡔ ࡁࡋࡉࡋࡅࡉࡀ
ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀ ࡖࡔࡀࡀࡍࡉ ࡅࡌࡀࡍࡓࡊࡉࡀ
ࡅࡎࡉࡓࡀ ࡏࡕࡉࡁ ࡁࡕࡀࡋࡉࡀ
ࡔࡀࡌࡉࡔ ࡏࡕࡉࡁ ࡁࡅࡑࡓࡕࡀ
ࡋࡀࡂࡈࡉࡀ ࡂࡀࡍࡀࡐࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡄࡃࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡅࡋࡀࡀࡍࡔࡌࡉࡀ
ࡀࡓࡁࡀ ࡆࡉࡒࡉࡀ ࡖࡁࡀࡉࡕࡀ
ࡅࡋࡇ ࡋࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡖࡉࡍࡌࡀࡓࡋࡇ ࡁࡏࡅࡓࡀࡔࡋࡀࡌ
ࡔࡀࡌࡉࡔ ࡋࡅࡐࡌࡇ ࡉࡐࡄࡕࡇ
ࡕࡀࡂࡀ ࡖࡔࡀࡅࡉࡋࡇ ࡋࡅࡊࡋࡇ ࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡏࡕࡋࡀࡊ ࡕࡋࡀࡕࡀ ࡕࡉࡉࡊࡀ
ࡖࡓࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡄࡀࡀࡊ ࡁࡉࡀࡓࡃࡀࡍ
ࡏࡕࡋࡀࡊ ࡌࡍ ࡌࡔࡀࡋࡊࡉࡋ ࡎࡉࡐࡕࡍࡀ
ࡖࡄࡀࡀࡊ ࡓࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡉࡍࡀ ࡌࡀࡉ ࡋࡌࡀࡉ
ࡏࡕࡋࡀࡊ ࡋࡐࡅࡂࡕࡀ ࡓࡀࡁࡕࡉࡀ
ࡒࡅࡃࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ ࡀࡃࡀࡊࡓ ࡏࡋࡀࡊ
ࡗ ࡕࡉࡆࡀࡋ ࡋࡁࡉࡕ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ
ࡅࡋࡇ ࡋࡔࡀࡌࡉࡔ ࡖࡉࡍࡌࡀࡓࡋࡇ ࡁࡏࡅࡓࡀࡔࡋࡀࡌ
ࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ࡋࡅࡐࡌࡇ ࡉࡐࡄࡕࡇ
ࡅࡕࡀࡂࡀࡊ ࡀࡍࡈࡓࡉࡀ ࡂࡌࡉࡓࡉࡀ ࡏࡋࡇ
ࡀࡀࡍࡕ ࡕࡉࡉࡊࡀ ࡌࡉࡔࡀࡋ ࡔࡀࡋࡉࡕ
ࡂࡉࡅࡀࡕ ࡏࡒࡀࡓࡀ
ࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡌࡔࡀࡋࡊࡉࡋࡉࡀ ࡎࡉࡐࡕࡍࡀ
ࡖࡓࡀࡃࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡉࡍࡀ ࡌࡀࡉ ࡋࡌࡀࡉ
ࡂࡉࡈࡓࡅࡉࡀ ࡋࡐࡅࡂࡕࡀ
ࡖࡂࡀࡉࡓࡀ ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡊ
ࡄࡀࡕࡌࡀ ࡖࡌࡀࡋࡀࡊ ࡌࡀࡕࡀࡍ ࡏࡋࡇ
ࡅࡀࡆࡋࡀ ࡋࡁࡉࡕ ࡒࡉࡒࡋࡉࡀ
ࡁࡀࡉࡀ ࡁࡉࡍࡀ ࡋࡀࡌࡀࡔࡀࡊ
ࡒࡀࡓࡁࡀ ࡌࡍ ࡆࡀࡅࡀ ࡖࡀࡍࡔࡐࡇ
ࡋࡀࡔࡉࡄࡀ ࡋࡁࡉࡕ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡗ ࡔࡀࡋࡌࡅ ࡉࡍࡃࡓࡇ ࡅࡀࡍࡒࡐࡀ
ࡅࡋࡀࡌࡒࡀࡉࡌࡀ ࡋࡃࡀࡅࡓࡀ ࡕࡀࡒࡀࡍ
ࡅࡌࡔࡀࡁࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
Source Colophon
Charles G. Haberl and James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary, Texts and Translations 71, Mandaean Studies 1 (Leiden: Brill, 2020). Accessed via Internet Archive. Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Page 62 (Mandaic text), page 63 (English translation).
The Mandaic text represents the critical edition prepared from multiple manuscripts.
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