Prayers V–VIII
These four prayers continue the baptismal liturgy of the Mandaean Qolasta. Prayer V completes the trilogy of headband prayers — the three cosmological invocations (I, III, V) that accompany the winding of the white cloth band upon the head. Prayer VI releases the third headband prayer, as II released I and IV released III. A liturgical rubric follows, instructing the priest on the order of ritual actions before approaching the Jordan. Prayer VII introduces the pasdama — a liturgical cloth grasped during the immersion. Prayer VIII is the great incense prayer: a litany of fragrance offered over sandalwood and incense on the bank of the Jordan, praising the divine hierarchy from the First Life down through the ancestors, the living, and the dead.
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 (Mandäische Liturgien, Berlin, 1920), pages 38–44. Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted as a reference for verification of difficult passages and proper names.
V. The Prayer for the Headband
In the name of Life.
The light shone, the light shone — the light of the great first Life shone. There shone forth the wisdom and the enlightenment, the understanding and the praise of the first Mānā, who had come forth from his place.
The winder of the wreath was Yōshō-Yōshāin. The bringer of the wreath was Ith-Enstbath-Uthrē. The erector of the wreath was Ith-Yāwar, the son of Enstbath-Uthrē. He brought it and set it upon the head of the created Mānā — the one who had been planted by the well-guarded Mānā.
The wreath flames and the tendrils of the wreath flame. Before the Mānā is light; behind the Mānā is honor. The two sides of the Mānā are radiance, splendor, and victory. Over the four corners of the House and over the seven sides of the firmament there lies silence, rest, and radiance.
And Life is victorious.
This is the prayer for the headband — read it and set it upon the head.
Liturgical Instruction
These three prayers — "In the name of that first man" (= I), "Life created Yāwar-Zīwā" (= III), and "The light shone" (= V) — read over your crown and lay it upon your head. Read "Mānis nāhī sākh" (= XXV) over the myrtle wreath and lay it upon your head over your crown. Then wind the mystery-cloth for your oath of faith and hold it at your crown. When you go to the Jordan, read "Hear me, my Father — declare me" (= LXXX).
VI. The Prayer of Releasing
The wreath of ethereal light gleamed forth from the House of Life. Uthras brought it from the House of Life, and the mighty first Life secured it in its dwelling.
Its erector shall be erected; its securer shall be secured — its erector upon the earth of light, its securer in the radiant dwelling. You were erected and secured in the place where the good are secured.
And praised be Life.
This is the prayer of the releasing of "The Light Shone."
VII. The Prayer of the Pasdama
In the name of the great Life, may healing come to me, [name].
Mighty and great became the great Mystery of radiance, light, and glory that rests upon the Mundā of the first Life. From it Manda d'Hayye arose and came forth — he who through the mind of the first Life perceived and understood that it is excellent.
And praised be Life.
Read this prayer and take hold of the pasdama for the baptism.
VIII. The Prayer of the Incense
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the mighty first alien Life from the worlds of light, the exalted one who stands above all works; for the ancient radiance and the first light; for the Life that came forth from Life; and for the Kustā that was from the beginning at the beginning.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for Yōkabar-Zīwā, who was great in radiance, rich in light and glory, the messenger of the first men of proven righteousness, who pressed through the worlds and came, split the firmament, and revealed himself.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for Yōzataq Manda d'Hayye, the wellspring of Life, who shows silence and bestows hope, who guards the prayers of the spirits and souls of the truthful and believing, good and gentle people at the place of Life and in the radiant dwelling.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the Father of the Uthras, the ancient, high, hidden one who preserves — the Man who dwells on high and is concealed in the deep. He sees and understands what the worlds and aeons do in the clouds of darkness.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the dwelling of Life and the planting of the Uthras.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the dwelling of the four men, the sons of salvation.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the dwelling of Abathur.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the dwelling of Hibil, Sitil, and Anōsh, the sons of the living, radiant, resplendent, luminous stock — the men whom the sword did not sweep away, whom the fires did not burn, whom the floods did not carry off, whose paths the waters did not wet. They sought and they found; they waged a suit of righteousness and prevailed; they spoke and were heard. Full they are, not diminished; whole they are, not lacking; victorious they are, not defeated. They came from a pure place and they go to a pure place.
How lovely the fragrance, how lovely the fragrance — yes, for the life-portion of our fathers, the truthful and believing people — those who have departed and left their bodies, and those who still dwell in their bodies. They bore witness: now may the gate of sins be closed before them and the gate of light be opened. May the bond with Life be granted them, for whom there is no separation. Pray from there for us, and we will pray from here for you. All fruits come to an end and all fragrances pass away, but the fragrance of Life is established for all ages and all eternity for the friends of the name of Kustā.
Without sins, transgressions, offenses, stumbling, or errors shall these souls who descend to the Jordan and receive the baptism rise up and behold the great place of light and the radiant dwelling.
Praised be the great Life in the light. Life is victorious.
This saying — "How lovely the fragrance, for the first Life" — read over the incense and the sandalwood and lay them before you on the bank of the Jordan, in a new vessel with new fire upon the copper censer, the helper of all prayers.
Colophon
Good Works Translation from Classical Mandaic by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
The Mandaic source text was read from Mark Lidzbarski's Mandäische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 38–44, which presents the text of Bodleian MS Marsh 691 in Hebrew-letter transcription. Lidzbarski's edition is in the public domain.
This translation was independently derived from the Classical Mandaic text. The translator's knowledge of Classical Mandaic, developed through the translation of the seventy-six chapters of the Mandaean Book of John and the first four Qolasta prayers (Life 140), informed the reading. Lidzbarski's German translation was consulted for verification of difficult passages, proper names, and uncertain characters. Ethel S. Drower's English translation (The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans, Leiden: Brill, 1959) — the only prior English rendering — was not directly used, as the available digitization lacks machine-readable text.
Key translation choices:
- "dwelling" for Mandaic škinta — rendering the Mandaic directly rather than preserving as "Skinā"
- "wreath" for Mandaic klila — the priestly crown of myrtle and cloth
- "Mundā" (transliterated) — a Mandaic term for the cosmic foundation or vessel of the first Life; Lidzbarski also keeps this term untranslated
- "life-portion" for a Mandaic term Lidzbarski renders as "Münze" (coin) — the heavenly share or treasure belonging to each faithful soul
- "pasdama" (transliterated) — the liturgical cloth grasped during immersion, distinct from the headband (himiana) and the myrtle wreath (klila)
- "ethereal light" for Mandaic ayar-nhura — Lidzbarski's "Ätherlicht"
- "wellspring" for Mandaic ainba — Lidzbarski's "Sprudel"
Reference consulted: Mark Lidzbarski, Mandäische Liturgien (German translation), Berlin, 1920.
Reference NOT used: Ethel S. Drower, The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans, Leiden, 1959 (image-only digitization, no machine-readable text).
This is believed to be the first freely available independent English translation of Qolasta Prayers V through VIII from Classical Mandaic.
Translated by Tulku Kavi (कवि), the Expeditionary Tulku. Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text
Classical Mandaic text in Hebrew-letter transcription from Mark Lidzbarski, Mandäische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 38–44, Bodleian MS Marsh 691. The text below presents the opening lines of each prayer section as transcribed from high-resolution rendered images (300 DPI) of the Lidzbarski edition. Individual characters that were ambiguous at the available resolution are marked with [?]. The complete and authoritative text for all four prayers spans pages 38–44 of Lidzbarski's edition, accessible via Internet Archive.
V
בשׁמא דהייא נהור נהורא נהור נהורא נהור נהורא דהייא רביא קדמאייא [...] חכימתא ונהירותא סוכלתא ותושׁבחתא דמאנא קדמאייא דמן אתריה אתא [...]
כלליא [?] דיושׁו יושׁאין כלליא [?] דאית אנסתבת אותרי כלליא [?] דאית יאואר בר אנסתבת אותרי [...]
ותמשׁיאבון הייא
VI
כלליא דאייר נהורא אנהר מן ביתא דהייא אתיוהי [?] אותריא מן ביתא דהייא והייא רביא קדמאייא אסריה [?] בשׁכינתיה [...]
ומשׁבא הייא
VII
בשׁמא דהייא רביא אסותא תיהוי לי [...]
מקימתא [?] ורבתא הות רזא רבא דזיוא נהורא ויקארא דעל מונדא [?] דהייא קדמאייא [...]
ומשׁבא הייא
VIII
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דהייא רביא קדמאייא נוכראייא מן אלמיא דנהורא [...]
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דיוכבר זיוא [...]
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דיוזטק מאנדא דהייי [...]
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דאבא דאותריא [...]
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דשׁכינתא דהייא ונציבתא דאותריא
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דשׁכינתא דארבא גברי בני אסייתא [?]
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דשׁכינתא דאבתור
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דשׁכינתא דהיבל שׁיתל ואנוש [...]
מא טב ריחא מא טב ריחא אין דמנאתא [?] דאבאהתן מהימני [...]
Note: The transcription above covers the opening lines of each prayer section and the litany refrains of Prayer VIII. The full text of all four prayers (approximately six pages of Mandaic in Lidzbarski's edition) is available in the original publication. A complete character-by-character transcription from the 300 DPI images is possible but would require dedicated palaeographic attention beyond the scope of this translation session.
Source Colophon
Classical Mandaic text from: Mark Lidzbarski, ed., Mandäische Liturgien (Berlin: Weidmann, 1920), pages 38–44. Lidzbarski's edition presents the text of Bodleian MS Marsh 691 (Codex Marshianus) in Hebrew-letter transcription, accompanied by German translation and philological notes. The edition is in the public domain (published 1920, author died 1928).
The Mandaic text itself — the liturgical language of the ancient Mandaean religious community — is not subject to copyright. Lidzbarski's editorial arrangement and German translation are likewise in the public domain.
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