The Secrets of the World
Chapter 42 of the Book of John (Drāshā ḏ-Yaḥyā), the central narrative scripture of the Mandaean tradition. This chapter marks a total shift from the Spirit Confrontation cycle (Chapters 40–41). Where those chapters staged direct combat between celestial beings and Ruha, Chapter 42 is a wisdom catalogue — Manda d'Heyyi teaching his friends through a chain of riddles.
Each "secret" is a kenning — a word-riddle in which one thing is revealed through another: the land's secret is stillness, the water's secret is life, death's secret is sleep, the world's secret is Adam. The form is gnomic: short, declarative, irreducible. The chapter moves from cosmic secrets (land, heavens, light, darkness) through elemental secrets (water, salt, sword) to existential secrets (death, the world, the First, the dome) and then to spiritual secrets (kindness, baptism, the pearl, love, poverty). It closes with a challenge from an unnamed interlocutor and the stranger's self-declaration — he is a man from another world, marked for light.
Translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. The Mandaic source text is from Häberl & McGrath's edition (2020), accessed via the staged PDF. The English translation by Häberl & McGrath was consulted as a reference but the English below is independently derived from the Mandaic.
It is the voice of Manda d'Heyyi
who calls and teaches his friends.
He teaches the righteous elect
the secrets of this world.
"The world full of secrets and signs —
the world is full of secrets,
secrets that none know.
The land's secret is stillness.
The foundation's secret is the heavens.
5 Light's secret is the day.
Darkness's secret is the night.
Water's secret is life.
Salt's secret is the soul.
The sword's secret is fire.
Death's secret is sleep.
The world's secret is Adam.
The First's secret is his son.
The dome's secret is the righteous elect's,
who would not stand for it for all the worlds.
10 Kindness's secret is to close the eyes
and know a hundred and one.
Baptism's secret is to speak one thing
and hear one.
The pearl's secret is to speak one thing
and listen to one.
Love's secret is to close the eyes
upon the way and know.
Poverty's secret
is to be sent out in the world.
15 The elect's secret is the myrtle,
and the body's secret is the rose.
For as the myrtle refreshes,
so shall the elect refresh,
and as the rose decays,
so shall the body decay.
The body shall surely decay,
and the world's measure shall be full."
"From where have you come, truthful man,
20 you who number this world's abominations?"
"I am a man from another world,
upon whose head the mark is set.
The mark is set upon my head,
and I shall carry it up to light's place."
The triumphant Life speaks,
and the man who went here triumphs!
In the name of the Great Life,
and in the name of the precious Truth.
Colophon
Chapter 42 of the Book of John (Drāshā ḏ-Yaḥyā), translated from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026. Approximately 22 verses.
This chapter is the first wisdom catalogue in the Book of John — a departure from both the Fisher section's allegory (Chapters 36–39) and the Spirit Confrontation cycle's direct combat (Chapters 40–41). Manda d'Heyyi teaches not through action but through riddle.
The structural form is gnomic: "raza d-X Y" — "the secret of X is Y." Each pairing is a kenning, an irreducible word-riddle. The secrets descend from cosmic (land, heavens, light, darkness) to elemental (water, salt, sword) to existential (death, sleep, Adam, the First) to spiritual (kindness, baptism, love, poverty). The final pairing — myrtle and elect, rose and body — is the chapter's theological resolution: what refreshes endures; what decays must decay; and the world's measure shall be full.
The chapter closes with a dramatic frame-break: an unnamed voice challenges the speaker ("From where have you come?"), and the speaker responds with the self-declaration formula from Chapter 41 — "I am a man from another world." The mark upon his head (trilṣia/rushuma) connects to baptismal language: the marked one belongs to the light.
Dramatis Personae:
- Manda d'Heyyi (ࡌࡀࡃࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ, "Knowledge of Life"): The great revealer of the Mandaean tradition. He is the celestial being who brings gnosis (manda = knowledge) from the lightworld to earth. In the Book of John he appears variously as teacher, judge, and stranger.
Source: Classical Mandaic text from Charles G. Häberl & James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (De Gruyter, 2020). Open access via Internet Archive (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Reference translation consulted: The English translation by Häberl & McGrath was consulted as a reference to verify comprehension of the Mandaic. The English above is independently derived from the Classical Mandaic source text. Key departures are documented below.
Key departures from Häberl & McGrath's English (11 documented):
- "signs" for "hints" — rimzia means sign, gesture, hint; in a wisdom catalogue "signs" carries the weight of divine indicators, not casual hints.
- "stillness" for "peacefulness" — yinaha is cognate with Aramaic nuha/niha (rest); "stillness" in gnomic context has more weight and precision.
- "Light's secret is the day / Darkness's secret is the night" for "The light's secret is day / The darkness' secret is night" — article restructured for parallel rhythm in the catalogue; each secret receives the same grammatical weight.
- "Water's secret" / "Salt's secret" for "The water's [secret is]" / "The salt's secret" — removing the editorial bracket and matching possessive structure throughout the catalogue.
- "close the eyes" for "shut the eyes" — yinbkash = to close, to humble; "close" is less colloquial than "shut" and maintains the register.
- "speak one thing" for "say one thing" — mimar = to speak, to say; "speak" carries more formality in the context of baptismal and spiritual secrets.
- "upon the way" for "on the way" — b-shuqia = in/upon the ways; "upon" is more formal and appropriate to the register.
- "so shall the elect refresh / so shall the body decay" for "so too will the elect surely refresh / so too will the body surely decay" — "shall" for prophetic register; removing "too" and "surely" as unnecessary intensifiers when the parallel structure already carries the force.
- "the world's measure shall be full" for "the world's measure will become full" — shalimhleh ykleh = shall be completed/fulfilled; "shall be full" is more direct and final.
- "you who number" for "you who lists" — maminat from mana = to count, to number; "number" preserves the mathematical and reckoning sense.
- "I shall carry it up to light's place" for "I will bring it up to light's place" — salqianba = to bring up, to carry upward; "carry" emphasizes the physical act of bearing the mark, and "shall" maintains the prophetic register.
First independent English translation of Chapter 42 of the Book of John. Part of the ongoing New Tianmu Anglican Church translation of the complete Book of John from Classical Mandaic.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ — Chapter 42
Classical Mandaic source text from Häberl & McGrath (2020), page 130 (physical) / PDF page 139 (0-indexed, Mandaic), lines 8–53. Presented for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. Note: PyMuPDF extraction produces consistent couplet reversal in Mandaic text; the w- prefix (ࡅ) on the second member of each pair confirms correct reading order.
Verses 1–3 (PDF page 139, lines 8–14)
ࡖࡒࡀࡓࡉࡀ ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔ ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡇ
ࡒࡀࡋࡀ ࡖࡌࡀࡃࡍࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡋࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ ࡖࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡓࡐࡉࡔࡋࡅࡍ ࡋࡁࡄࡉࡓࡉࡀ ࡆࡉࡃࡒࡀ
ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡓࡀࡆ ࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ
ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡓࡀࡆ ࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ ࡅࡓࡉࡌࡆࡉࡀ
ࡖࡏࡉࡍࡔ ࡋࡓࡀࡆࡉࡇ ࡋࡀࡏࡃࡀ
Verses 4–9 (PDF page 139, lines 15–25)
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡎࡀࡃࡀࡀࡍ ࡏࡔࡅࡌࡉࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡀࡓࡒࡀ ࡉࡍࡀࡄࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡔࡅࡀࡊ ࡋࡉࡋࡉࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡍࡅࡓࡀ ࡏࡅࡌࡀࡌࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡄࡋࡀ ࡉࡍࡔࡉࡌࡕࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡀ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡌࡅࡕࡀ ࡔࡉࡕࡍࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡄࡉࡓࡁࡀ ࡅࡍࡓࡀ
ࡅࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡀ ࡁࡓࡇ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡀࡋࡌࡉࡀ ࡀࡃࡀࡌ
ࡖࡋࡀࡒࡀࡌ ࡏࡋࡀ ࡋࡅࡊࡋࡄࡅࡍ ࡀࡋࡌࡉࡀ
Verses 10–14 (PDF page 139, lines 26–37)
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡒࡅࡌࡁࡀ ࡖࡁࡄࡉࡓࡉࡀ ࡆࡉࡃࡒࡀ
ࡅࡌࡉࡃࡀ ࡄࡃࡀ ࡅࡌࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡉࡍࡄࡅࡕࡀ ࡉࡍࡁࡊࡀࡔ ࡄࡃࡀ
ࡅࡌࡉࡔࡌࡀ ࡄࡃࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ ࡖࡌࡀࡁࡑࡅࡕࡀ ࡌࡉࡌࡀࡓ ࡄࡃࡀ
ࡅࡌࡉࡔࡕࡌࡀ ࡄࡃࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡌࡀࡓࡂࡀࡉࡍࡕࡀ ࡌࡉࡌࡀࡓ ࡄࡃࡀ
ࡌࡉࡁࡊࡀࡔ ࡁࡔࡅࡒࡉࡀ ࡅࡌࡉࡃࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡓࡀࡄࡌࡅࡕࡀ ࡀࡉࡉࡍࡀ
ࡋࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡃࡅࡓࡉࡀ ࡁࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡎࡉࡊࡅࡍࡕࡀ
Verses 15–22 (PDF page 139, lines 38–53)
ࡅࡀࡓࡃࡀ ࡓࡀࡆࡉࡀ ࡖࡀࡐࡂࡓࡀ
ࡓࡀࡆࡀ ࡖࡁࡄࡉࡓࡉࡀ ࡀࡎࡀ
ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡓࡅࡀࡆ ࡓࡀࡅࡆࡉࡀ
ࡖࡌࡊࡀ ࡖࡀࡎࡀ ࡓࡀࡅࡆ
ࡀࡐࡂࡓࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡕࡍࡀࡓ ࡀࡍࡕࡓࡉࡀ
ࡖࡌࡊࡀ ࡖࡅࡀࡓࡃࡀ ࡀࡍࡕࡀࡓ
ࡅࡔࡀࡋࡉࡌࡋࡇ ࡉࡊࡋࡇ ࡋࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡉࡕࡍࡀࡓ ࡀࡍࡕࡓࡉࡀ ࡀࡐࡂࡓࡉࡀ
ࡖࡌࡀࡌࡉࡍࡕ ࡂࡅࡉࡍࡉࡀ ࡖࡄࡀࡆࡉࡍ ࡀࡋࡌࡀ
ࡌࡀࡍ ࡀࡕࡉࡕ ࡂࡁࡀࡓ ࡔࡊࡉࡈ
ࡖࡏࡋ ࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉ ࡕࡓࡉࡋࡑࡉࡀ ࡓࡅࡔࡅࡌࡀ
ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡀࡀࡍ ࡅࡍࡓࡊࡀࡉࡀ
ࡅࡎࡀࡋࡒࡉࡀࡍࡁࡇ ࡋࡀࡕࡀࡓ ࡄࡍࡅࡓ
ࡋࡓࡉࡔࡀࡉ ࡓࡅࡔࡅࡌࡀ ࡕࡓࡉࡋࡑࡉࡀ
ࡅࡆࡀࡉࡊࡀ ࡂࡀࡁࡓࡀ ࡖࡀࡎࡂࡉࡀ ࡋࡀࡊ
ࡌࡉࡔࡕࡀࡉࡉࡍ ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡆࡀࡉࡊࡍ
Source Colophon
Classical Mandaic source text from Charles G. Häberl & James F. McGrath, The Mandaean Book of John: Critical Edition, Translation, and Commentary (De Gruyter, 2020), page 130 (physical) / PDF page 139 (0-indexed). Open access via Internet Archive: archive.org/details/mandaeanbookofjohn. Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
The Mandaic text is presented in Unicode (Mandaic block U+0840–U+085F). The Book of John is preserved in manuscript tradition and is one of the central scriptures of the Mandaean religion, a living Gnostic tradition with approximately 100,000 adherents primarily in Iraq and the global diaspora.
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