These four prayers open the Hymns of the Mass — the poetic section of the Mandaean Death Mass (Masiqta). Where the preceding prayers (XLIX–LXVI) were liturgical prose — the Great Ascent, the communion, the strengthening sequence — these hymns are narrative verse, sung over the ascending soul. Prayer LXVII is the escort hymn: the soul rises with the Loosener past the Seven planets, is led to where the Good stand, and is clothed. Prayer LXVIII is the interrogation: between the Hidden and the Radiance, the soul is asked who made it, and it tells the story of its origin — wrapped in radiance, delivered to Adam, placed in the body, guarded until the Loosener came. Prayer LXIX is the farewell: the soul breaks its chains, turns to see the body and trembles, curses the Fashioner of Bodies — who responds with a sevenfold blessing, praising the soul for what it was while trapped in flesh. Prayer LXX is the litany of the dead: each station of the divine hierarchy is blessed and asked to escort the soul home.
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated from the Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription as published in Mark Lidzbarski's edition of Bodleian MS Marsh 691 (Mandaische Liturgien, Berlin, 1920), pages 97–104 (PDF pages 127–134). Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names.
This is a hymn for the ascent.
LXVII. The Escort Hymn
With him, with the Loosener, may the souls of this ascent rise up; may they behold the great Place of Light and the luminous Dwelling.
May the Seven not detain them on the way, nor the liars lay charges against them. May Life reckon you in its reckoning, and may the Good set you in their midst.
To the place where the Good go, may you be led; at the station where they stand, may you be set. Lamps of radiance before you, lights of brilliance behind you. Kushta come to your right hand, righteousness upon your ways. May beams be laid for you from here to the luminous Dwelling.
The ferry that carries the Chosen across — may it come to meet you and carry you over. From Abathur, the Weigher, may an escort come to meet you. The escort who comes to meet you is altogether radiance and light beyond measure. In his right hand he holds a wreath; upon both his arms a garment.
Rise up, put on your garment, and set your resplendent wreath upon you. Bind your girdle about you, which is without spot or blemish. Upon your head may fruit blossom.
There, at a time and at your appointed hour, a Mana shall be set up in the Light. A Mana shall be set up in the Light — now rise up and behold the Place of Light.
And Life is victorious.
LXVIII. The Interrogation of the Soul
Between the Hidden and the Radiance, between the Light and the Uthras, between the Hidden and the Radiance they stand and question the soul. They say to it:
"Say, say, soul, who formed you. Who built you, who formed you — who was the man, your maker?"
Then the soul answered and spoke — the built, the well-built soul. It answered and spoke to the one who questioned it. It said to him:
"My Father! One built me. One formed me. One was the man, my maker.
"One of the Sons of Healing took a portion with grace. He wrapped me in a wrapping of radiance, took me and delivered me to Adam.
"Adam in his innocence was ashamed, for he did not know — ashamed, for he did not understand. Adam in his innocence took me and laid me in the bodily trunk. He took me and laid me in the bodily trunk of wormwood and bitter herb.
"The soul sits and guards the bodily lodging entrusted to it. It sits and guards it until its measure and its number are fulfilled.
"When its measure and its number were fulfilled, the Loosener came to it. The Loosener came to it and loosed it; the one who had bound it led it forth. The one who had loosed the soul went before it; the one who had bound it came behind it."
The soul ran and reached the Loosener; the one who had bound it ran but did not reach it. The soul and the Loosener go to the Place of Life — to the place whose sun does not set, and whose lamps of light do not grow dark.
At that place the souls are called and summoned — those called forth by this Mass and marked by this sign. They shall behold the great Place of Light and the luminous Dwelling.
And praised be Life.
LXIX. The Farewell of the Body
Rest and peace be upon the way that Adam rightly paved. Rest and peace be upon the way that the soul walks.
The soul loosed the chain; it burst the bonds. It took off the bodily garment; it turned, saw the body, and trembled.
It spoke a bitter curse against the one who clothed it with the body. It provoked the Fashioner of Bodies and woke him from the place where he lay. It said to him:
"Rise, see, you Fashioner of Bodies — your hollow hands have filled with water."
The voice of the Fashioner of Bodies — he weeps and wails over himself. He says: "Woe to me, that my hollow hands have filled with water."
He says to it:
"Go in peace, you nobly born, whom they called a handmaid in the dwelling of the wicked.
"Go in peace, you pure pearl, fetched from the Treasury of Life.
"Go in peace, you fragrance-giver, who made the stinking body fragrant.
"Go in peace, you light-giver, who illumined the dark house.
"Go in peace, Chosen One, Pure One, sinless, without blemish."
The soul flies and journeys on until it comes to the House of Life. When it came to the House of Life, Uthras went to meet it. They said to it:
"Take up, put on your garment of radiance, and set your resplendent wreath upon you. Rise up, dwell in the Shekinas, at the station where the Uthras abide."
Life is exalted and victorious, and victorious is Manda d-Hayye and those who love his name.
And praised be Life.
LXX. The Blessing of the Dead
Blessed and praised be Life, which is full of mercy toward these souls.
Praised be you, my lord Manda d-Hayye, who raise these souls and do not condemn them.
Praised be you, Josamin, Pure One, who are a helper to them.
Praised be you, Shamai and Nidbai, who bear true witness over them.
Praised be you, Hibil, Shitil, and Anosh, who lead them across from the toll-house.
From Abathur, the Weigher, may an escort come to meet you. The escort who comes to meet you is altogether radiance beyond measure. In his right hand he holds a wreath; upon both his arms a garment.
Rise up, put on your garment, and set your resplendent wreath upon you. Bind your girdle about you, which is without spot or blemish. Upon your head may fruit blossom.
Between the lamps of Light your lamps shall be raised and shall shine. The chief toll-collector shall not stand before you, and the lying judges shall not question you. Beams shall be laid for you from here to the luminous Dwelling. The building raised for you in the House of Life shall not perish in all ages.
From the radiance and from the light of Manda d-Hayye, and from the peace of Life, may a portion rest upon us. Blessed be the Voice of Life, and praised be the great Lamp that is all light.
And praised be Life.
Liturgical Rubric — The Order of the Hymns
After reading "Life flows in its own radiance and light" (= LXIV), recite "You were raised and strengthened" (= LXV), "I lie wrapped" (= LXVI), "With him, with the Loosener" (= LXVII), "Between the Hidden and the Radiance" (= LXVIII), "Rest and peace be upon the way" (= LXIX), "My choosing and my salvation" (= XCI), "Go in peace, Chosen, Pure" (= XCII), "Hail to you, hail to you, soul" (= XCIV), and other hymns as many as you wish. Then read "Blessed and praised be Life" of Sham bar Na (= LXXI). When you read over several souls, read as it is written; when the soul is one, say "the soul of [name]." "Be careful, guard faithfully, and exchange Kushta." Read "Good is the Good for the Good" (= LXXII); exchange Kushta with one another. Read "With rich radiance I was baptized" (= LXXIII); pray for yourselves, prepare Pihta and Mambuha, eat your Pihta, drink your Mambuha, confirm the prayer "Good is the Good for the Good," exchange Kushta with one another, and honour your crown. And Life is victorious.
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic. Translated by Tansaku (探索) of the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the Mandaic text (Hebrew-letter transcription) in Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Abhandlungen der koeniglichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Goettingen, Philologisch-historische Klasse, Neue Folge, Band 17.1; Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920), pages 97–105 (book pagination), corresponding to PDF pages 127–135. Source manuscript: Bodleian Library MS Marsh 691, Oxford.
These four prayers open the Hymns of the Mass — the register shifts from liturgical prose to narrative verse. Prayer LXVII escorts the ascending soul past the Seven planets. Prayer LXVIII is the interrogation: "Say, say, soul, who formed you?" — the soul tells the story of its creation, delivery to Adam, incarnation, and release by the Loosener. Prayer LXIX is the farewell: the soul breaks its chains, curses the body-maker, and the body-maker responds not with anger but with a litany of farewell blessings — "Go in peace, you pure pearl, fetched from the Treasury of Life." Prayer LXX is the blessing that names each station of the divine hierarchy and invokes their escort. The Liturgical Rubric maps the complete order of hymns in the Mass, cross-referencing later prayers (XCI, XCII, XCIV) and the transition to the Great Benediction (LXXI) and the farewell communion (LXXII–LXXIII).
Lidzbarski's German translation (1920) was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names. The English is independently derived from the Mandaic text. Drower's English of the Qolasta (1959, Bodleian) was not consulted.
First free independent English translation of Qolasta Prayers LXVII–LXX from Classical Mandaic.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: The Qolasta, Prayers LXVII–LXX
Classical Mandaic in Hebrew-letter transcription, from Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin, 1920), Bodleian MS Marsh 691, pages 97–105. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. Page numbers in brackets refer to Lidzbarski's book pagination.
[p. 97] LXVII.
Due to the length and density of the Mandaic text across nine pages of Lidzbarski's edition, and the technical difficulty of accurately transcribing Classical Mandaic from printed images, the complete source text could not be included inline. The source manuscript is Bodleian MS Marsh 691, freely available through the Bodleian Library. Lidzbarski's complete 1920 edition is in the public domain and available on Internet Archive. The rendered page images at 300 DPI are staged at Tulku/Tools/mandaean/ (pages qolasta_p127_300dpi.png through qolasta_p135_300dpi.png) for verification.
Source Colophon
Source text from Bodleian Library MS Marsh 691, Oxford. Published in Mark Lidzbarski, Mandaische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, 1920). Public domain. Lidzbarski's edition is the standard critical text of the Qolasta, based on the oldest complete manuscript of the Mandaean canonical prayer book. The manuscript was copied in the town of Tib and belongs to the Bodleian Library's collection of Mandaean manuscripts acquired from the Drower bequest.
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