Hymn I (Carmina Nisibena I)
The voice in these hymns is the city of Nisibis — a woman, a mother, a sinner who knows what she is. She prays not in the voice of the upright but in the voice of the surrounded. The background is history: the Persian sieges of Nisibis in 338, 346, and 350 CE, the last of which involved the deliberate diversion of the Mygdonius river to flood the city walls. That flood — the war-made water weapon — is the poem's central image. Ephrem maps it onto Noah's flood with the precision of a mind that thinks in types. The ark becomes Nisibis; Nisibis becomes the ark. Noah's sacrifice stayed the flood; Christ's cross — the new covenant sign, as the rainbow was the old — should stay it again. The refrain drives the petition home: stretch your bow. The city is still inside the wood.
Sung to the melody: "I opened my mouth with wisdom"
I.
God of mercies, who gave rest to Noah —
let him give rest to your mercies too.
He offered sacrifice and stilled the flood,
gave offerings and received the promise.
With prayer and incense he satisfied your will;
with oaths and the bow you showed him grace.
And wherever the flood surges
to strike the earth,
the bow stretches out against it
to pursue it and to reassure the land —
that your oaths may hold the peace
and your bow come against wrath.
Refrain: Stretch out your bow against the flood —
for behold, it has raised its waves against our walls.
II.
Openly, Lord, you were appeased
by the weak blood that Noah sprinkled —
all wrath, in every age, from all.
How much more powerful the blood of your Only-begotten,
that its sprinkling may hold back our flood,
for in his mystery the sacrifices gained their power.
The weak offerings Noah brought
stilled all wrath —
be appeased through the offering of my altar
and hold back from me the flood of living waters.
Let the pair of your signs preserve us:
for me, your cross; for Noah, your bow.
Your cross broke open [the sea] of waters;
let your bow hold back the flood of rain.
III.
Behold, all the currents have troubled me,
and you gave blessing to the ark —
waves only surrounded her,
but hills and arrows and waves surround me.
She was for you a treasury of treasures;
I have become a treasury of sins.
She in your love trod the waves,
while I in your wrath
am blinded among the arrows.
The smell of her, the flood has troubled me,
the salt of that ark
has become dry land to me.
Her you brought to rest in the harbor of a mountain;
bring me to rest in the harbor of my walls.
IV.
The righteous one guided me through the floods
and loved her among the waves —
for Noah conquered the waves of lust
that had drowned the sons of Seth in his generation,
for the flesh had strayed to the daughters of Cain.
He subdued the back of the waves by riding them,
that no women might defile him — he kept them pure,
those animals:
within that ark, every pair —
he sanctified marriage in the pairing.
The olive, whose oil makes the face shine —
with its leaf it brightened their faces.
But for me the river whose watering runs in torrent —
behold, Lord, its flood has darkened me.
V.
The mire of my sins your justice saw,
and your pure eyes turned away from me.
You gathered waters through the unclean one
to purge from me the place of my sins —
not that through them you would baptize and cleanse me,
but that through them you would frighten and lead me,
that the waves would rouse prayer
to wash away my sins.
Their sight, full of repentance,
became for me a baptism.
The sea, Lord, that became my strangling —
let your mercies strangle sins within it.
In the Sea of Reeds, bodies were drowned;
in this one, drown sins instead of bodies.
VI.
The ark you fashioned in mercy
to preserve within it every survivor,
that the earth not be stripped bare in wrath.
Your grace made a land of wood.
You matched them one to one;
you returned them one to one.
My lands, three times —
they were filled and stripped bare.
And now waves surge against me
to blot out the survivor remaining in me.
In the ark you preserved the remnant;
preserve in me, Lord, also the leaven within me.
The ark gave birth on the mountain;
in my lands I give birth to your captives.
VII.
Lord, the captives of the fortresses rejoice in me —
for in the olive you gave joy to captives.
You sent a healer through the dove
to the afflicted ones who suffered among all the waves.
It entered and chased away all their pains,
for its joy swallowed grief,
and mourning dissolves in its consolation.
Like a great commander
it gave courage to the fearful,
sowed a voice among the despairing.
It gave the eyes to taste the sight of peace
and hastened to open the mouth for your praise.
As the olive survived amid the waves, keep me —
that the captives of the fortresses may rejoice in me.
VIII.
The flood surged and was held at our wall;
let the Power that sustains all hold it.
Let it not fall, as those built on sand fall —
for I did not build my teaching upon sand.
Let rock be my foundation,
for upon your rock I built my faith.
The hidden foundation of my hope —
let it bear my walls.
For the walls of Jericho fell
because its hope was built on sand.
Moses built a wall in the sea,
for his mind was built upon the rock.
Noah's foundation was upon the rock;
the wooden dwelling was borne upon the waters.
IX.
I compare the souls within me
to the animals in the ark —
and instead of Noah, humble and contrite,
may the women he sanctified intercede.
Behold, my virgins who have not been given in marriage —
instead of Ham who uncovered his father's shame —
behold, the workers of righteous deeds
who decently covered and clothed [the apostles].
In my pains I have spoken as one moved;
Lord, do not judge me, for my words have provoked.
The diligent ones who murmured — you silenced;
be gracious to me as to the last ones who kept quiet.
X.
Before the wrath you made a refuge,
and all the tribes fled into it.
Noah was a spirit of rest —
to give rest to his household, as his name declares.
You closed the doors to preserve the righteous;
you opened the sluices to destroy the unclean.
Noah stood among the waves —
the terrible ones from without,
the corrupted mouths from within.
The waves lifted him up; the mouths troubled him.
You made peace with him among the inner ones
and laid low before him the outer ones.
Quickly you changed the difficulties,
for obstacles are light to you, Lord.
XI.
Hear and weigh my comparison with Noah —
how my pain exceeds his.
Let your mercy make our salvations equal,
for behold, my children stand in his likeness,
between the wrathful ones and the corrupt.
Make peace, Lord, with the inner ones
and lay low the outer ones before me —
and double my victory.
And a third time, kill their wrath;
let your mercy be trebled — your Trinity.
Let not evil overcome your mercies,
for twice and three times you have overcome it.
Let my victory fly through the world,
that glory may be won for you throughout the world.
Or let me be consoled a third time —
do not let me die this third time.
Colophon
Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373 CE), Hymns on Nisibis (Carmina Nisibena), Hymn I. Spoken in the voice of Nisibis herself — the Aramaic-speaking city of the Roman-Persian frontier, enduring the Persian sieges of 338, 346, and 350 CE. The third siege involved the deliberate flooding of the city walls via the Mygdonius river; this flood is the poem's central image and the ground of its sustained typological comparison to Noah's flood.
Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church. Translated directly from the Syriac (Classical Syriac, Eastern Aramaic). Source: Edmund Beck's critical edition (CSCO 218/219, Louvain, 1961); Syriac base text transcribed by Michael Oez for the Digital Syriac Corpus (CC-BY 4.0, github.com/srophe/syriac-corpus). McVey's English translation (Paulist Press, 1989) is paywalled and was not consulted during the drafting of this translation.
Key terms: mālā (ܡܳܡܽܘܠܳܐ) = flood/torrent (used for both the diverted Mygdonius and Noah's deluge); kuyālā (ܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ) = ark (lit. "vessel/tub"); rahme (ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ) = mercies/compassion (God's fundamental attribute in Ephrem's theology). Bracketed text in stanza II ([the sea]) reflects a scribal correction in the Beck edition. The stanzas preserve the madrāshā form: 11 syllabic stanzas with congregational refrain (ʿunita). Melody borrowing (qālā) named at the head: "I opened my mouth with wisdom."
Compiled for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, Mar 2026.
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 1 (Carmina Nisibena 1)
Syriac text after Edmund Beck, ed., Des Heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Carmina Nisibena, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium Vol. 218/219 (Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1961). TEI XML transcription by Michael Oez, Digital Syriac Corpus (github.com/srophe/syriac-corpus), CC-BY 4.0.
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܶܐܦܬܰܚ ܦܽܘܡܝ̱ ܒܺܝܕܰܥܬܳܐ
I.
ܐܰܠܳܗ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܕܰܐܢܺܝܚܬ ܠܢܽܘܚ
ܐܰܢܺܝܚ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܪ̈ܰܚܡܰܝܟ
ܩ̇ܪܶܒ ܕܶܒ̈ܚܶܐ ܟܽܠܼܳܐ ܡܳܡܽܘܠܳܐ
ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܩܽܘܪ̈ܒܳܢܶܐ ܢܣܼܰܒ ܫܽܘܘܕܳܝܳܐ
ܒܰܨܠܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܥܶܛܪܳܐ ܪܶܥܝܳܟ
ܒܡܽܘ̈ܡܳܬܳܐ ܘܩܶܫܬܳܐ ܚܰܢܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܘܰܐܝܟܳܐ ܕܣܳܥܶܐ ܡܳܡܽܘܠܳܐ
ܕܢܶܟܝܶܗ ܠܰܐܪܥܳܐ
ܩܶܫܬܳܐ ܠܩܽܘܒܠܶܗ ܡܶܬܡܰܬܚܳܐ
ܕܠܶܗ ܬܶܪܕܽܘܦ ܘܠܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܬܠܰܒܶܒ
ܕܡܽܘܡ̈ܳܬܳܟ ܬܶܛܰܪ ܫܰܝܢܳܐ
ܘܩܶܫܬܳܟ ܬܩܰܪܶܒ ܥܰܡ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܡܬܽܘܚ ܩܶܫܬܳܟ ܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܡܳܠܐܳܐ
ܕܗܳܐ ܙܩܰܦ ܓܶܠܠܰܘ̈ܗ̱ܝ ܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܫܽܘܪ̈ܰܝܢ
II.
ܓܰܠܝܳܐܺܝܬ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܐܶܬܪܰܥܰܡ
ܕܰܕܡܳܐ ܡܚܺܝܠܳܐ ܕܪܰܣܶܣ ܢܽܘܚ
ܟܽܠܼܳܐ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ ܒܟܽܠ ܕܳܪ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ
ܟܡܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܚܰܝܠܬܳܢ ܕܡܶܗ ܕܺܝܚܺܝܕܳܟ
ܕܢܶܟܠܳܐ ܪܣܶܣܶܗ ܡܳܡܽܘܠܰܢ
ܕܗܳܐ ܒܪܳܙܶܗ ܗܽܘ ܩܢܰܘ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ
ܕܶܒܚ̈ܶܐ ܡܚ̈ܺܝܠܶܐ ܕܩܳܪܶܒ ܢܽܘܚ
ܘܟܽܠܳܐ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܒܩܽܘܪܒܳܢ ܡܰܕܒܰܚܝ̱ ܐܶܬܪܰܥܳܐ
ܘܰܟܠܼܺܝ ܡܶܢܝ̱ ܡܳܡܽܘܠ ܚ̈ܰܝܶܐ
ܘܢܶܢܛܪܽܘܢ ܙܰܘܓܳܐ ܕܢܺܝܫ̈ܰܝܟ
ܠܺܝ ܨܠܺܝܒܳܟ ܘܰܠܢܽܘܚ ܩܶܫܬܳܟ
ܨܠܺܝܒܳܟ ܢܶܬܪܽܘܥ [ܝܰܡܳܐ] ܕܡ̈ܰܝܳܐ
ܩܶܫܬܳܟ ܬܶܟܠܶܐ ܡܳܡܽܘܠ ܡܶܛܪܳܐ
III.
ܗܳܐ ܫܰܓܫܽܘܢܝ̱ ܟܽܠ ܡܰܚܫܽܘ̈ܠܺܝܢ
ܘܝܶܗܒܰܬ ܛܽܘܒܳܐ ܠܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ
ܕܠܳܗ̇ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܗܰܘ ܒܰܠܚܽܘܕ ܟܰܪܟܽܘܗ̇
ܬ̈ܶܠܳܠܶܐ ܘܓܶܐܪ̈ܶܐ ܘܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܟܰܪܟܽܘܢܝ̱
ܗܳܝ ܗܼܘܳܬ ܠܳܟ ܣܺܝܡܰܬ ܓ̈ܰܙܶܐ
ܘܶܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܗ̇ܘܺܝܬ ܣܺܝܡܰܬ ܚܰܘ̈ܒܶܐ
ܗܳܝ ܒܚܽܘܒܳܟ ܕܳܫܶܬ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ
ܘܶܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܒܪܽܘܓܙܳܟ
ܐܶܬܥܰܘܪܶܬ ܒܰܝܢܳܬ ܓܶܐܪ̈ܶܐ
ܪܺܝܚܳܗ̇ ܡܳܠܐܳܐ ܫܰܓܫܰܢܝ̱ ܢܰܗܪܳܐ
ܡܶܠܚܳܗ̇ ܕܗܳܝ ܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ
ܗܘܺܝ ܣܦܰܢܝ̱ ܒܓܰܘ ܝܰܒܫܳܐ
ܠܗܳܝ ܐܰܢܺܝܚܬ ܒܰܠܡܺܐܢ ܛܽܘܪܳܐ
ܘܠܺܝ ܐܰܢܺܝܚ ܒܰܠܡܺܐܢ ܫܽܘܪ̈ܰܝ
IV.
ܙܰܕܺܝܩܳܐ ܪܕܳܢܝ̱ ܠܺܝ ܒܫ̈ܶܦܥܶܐ
ܘܰܠܗܳܝ ܚܰܒܶܒ ܒܰܝܢܳܬ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ
ܕܰܙܟܼܳܐ ܢܽܘܚ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܕܪܶܓܬܳܐ
ܕܰܚܢܰܩܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܒܕܳܪܶܗ ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܫܺܝܬ
ܕܰܡܪܰܕ ܒܶܣܪܶܗ ܥܰܠ ܒ̈ܢܳܬ ܩܳܐܶܝܢ
ܟܒܰܫ ܪܟܽܘܒܶܗ ܚܰܨܳܐ ܕܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܛܰܡܐܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܢܺܫ̈ܶܐ ܩܰܕܶܫ
ܗܰܘ ܠܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܕܒܳܗ̇ ܒܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ ܟܽܠ ܙܰܘ̈ܓܺܝܢ
ܡܙܰܘܓܳܐ ܩܰܕܶܫ ܙܽܘܘܳܓܳܐ
ܙܰܝܬܳܐ ܕܡܶܫܚܶܗ ܡܰܦܨܰܚ ܐܰܦ̈ܶܐ
ܒܛܰܪܦܶܗ ܐܰܦܨܰܚ ܦܰܪ̈ܨܽܘܦܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܠܺܝ ܢܰܗܪܳܐ ܕܡܶܪܘܰܙ ܫܶܩܝܶܗ
ܗܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܡܰܟܡܰܪ ܠܺܝ ܡܳܡܽܘܠܶܗ
V.
ܛܦܳܠܳܐ ܕܚܰܘ̈ܒܰܝ ܚܙܳܬ ܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳ[ܟ
ܘܢܳܕ] ܡܶܢܝ̱ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܰܝܟ ܕܰܟܝ̈ܳܬܳܐ
ܟܰܢܶܫܬ ܡܰܝ̈ܳܐ ܒܝܰܕ ܛܰܡܐܳܐ
ܕܠܺܝ ܕܺܝܠܝ̱ ܬܶܥܒܶܕ ܕܽܘܟܝ̱ ܚܰܘ̈ܒܶܐ
ܠܰܘ ܕܗܽܘܢ ܬܰܥܡܶܕ ܬܕܰܟܶܝܢܝ̱
ܐܶܠܳܐ ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ ܬܶܕܚܰܠ ܬܶܪܕܶܝܢܝ̱
ܕܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܢܥܺܝܪܽܘܢ ܠܰܨܠܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܰܬܫܺܝܓ ܚܰܘ̈ܒܰܝ
ܚܙܳܬܗܽܘܢ ܕܡܰܠܝܳܐ ܬܝܳܒܽܘܬܳܐ
ܗܘܳܬ ܠܳܗ̇ ܠܺܝ ܡܰܥܡܽܘܕܺܝܬܳܐ
ܝܰܡܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܰܗܘܼܳܐ ܠܰܚܢܽܘܩܳܢܝ
ܢܚܰܢܩܽܘܢ ܒܶܗ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܠܚ̈ܰܘܒܶܐ
ܒܝܰܡܳܐ ܕܣܽܘܦ ܚܶܢܩܰܬ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܶܐ
ܒܗܳܢܳܐ ܚܢܽܘܩ ܚܰܘܒ̈ܶܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܶܐ
VI.
ܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ ܒܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܬܰܩܶܢܬ
ܕܬܶܛܰܪ ܒܳܗ̇ ܟܽܠ ܫܰܪ̈ܟܳܢܺܝܢ
ܕܠܳܐ ܬܓܰܙܶܐ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ ܒܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܥܒܼܰܕ ܚܢܳܢܳܟ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ ܕܩܰܝܣܳܐ
ܣܰܦܶܩܬ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ ܚܕܳܐ ܒܰܚܕܳܐ
ܦܰܢܺܝܬ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ ܚܕܳܐ ܠܰܚܕܳܐ
ܐܰܪ̈ܥܳܬܝ̱ ܕܺܝܠܝ̱ ܬܠܳܬ ܙܰܒ̈ܢܺܝܢ
ܡܠܺܝ ܘܶܐܣܬܰܦܰܩ
ܘܗܳܫܳܐ ܥܰܠܝ̱ ܣܳܥܶܝܢ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ
ܕܢܶܥܛܽܘܢ ܣܪܺܝܕܳܐ ܕܰܦܠܼܰܛ ܒܺܝ
ܒܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ ܢܳܛܪܰܬ ܫܰܪܟܳܢܳܐ
ܛܰܪ ܒܺܝ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܐܳܦ ܒܺܝ ܚܡܺܝܪܳܐ
ܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ ܒܛܽܘܪܳܐ ܝܶܠܕܶܬ
ܒܰܐܪ̈ܥܳܬܝ̱ ܐܳܠܶܕ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܰܚ̈ܒܺܝܫܰܝ
VII.
ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܚܳܕܶܐ ܒܺܝ ܚܒܺܝ̈ܫܰܝ ܚܶܣ̈ܢܶܐ
ܕܠܰܚܒܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ ܒܙܰܝܬܳܐ ܚܕܺܝܬ
ܫܶܕܪܰܬ ܐܳܣܝܳܐ ܒܝܰܕ ܝܰܘܢܳܐ
ܠܢܰܣܺܝ̈ܣܶܐ ܕܶܐܫܬܰܢܰܩܘ̱ ܒܟܽܠ ܓܰܠܠܺܝ̈ܢ
ܥܰܠ ܘܰܪܕܰܦ ܟܽܠ ܟܺܐܒܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ
ܕܚܰܕܽܘܬܶܗ ܒܶܠܥܰܬ ܟܰܪܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܘܛܳܠܶܩ ܐܶܒܠܳܐ ܒܒܽܘܝܳܐܶܗ
ܘܰܐܝܟ ܪܰܒ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ
ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܽܘܒܳܒܳܐ ܠܰܪ̈ܗܺܝܒܶܐ
ܙܪܰܥ ܨܰܘܬܳܐ ܒܶܝܬ ܨ̈ܰܕܳܝܶܐ
ܛܥܶܡ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ ܚܙܳܬܳܐ ܕܫܰܝܢܳܐ
ܘܣܰܪܗܶܒ ܦܬܰܚ ܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܠܫܽܘܒܚܳܟ
ܐܰܝܟ ܙܰܝܬܳܐ ܒ̈ܓܶܠܠܶܐ ܛܰܪܰܝܢܝ̱
ܕܬܶܚܕܶܐ ܒܺܝ ܚܒܺܝ̈ܫܰܝ ܚܶܣ̈ܢܶܐ
VIII.
ܣܼܥܳܐ ܡܳܠܐܳܐ ܘܶܐܬܛܰܪܝ̱ ܒܫܽܘܪܳܢ
ܢܶܐܚܕܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܣܳܡܶܟ ܟܽܠ
ܠܳܐ ܢܶܦܶܠ ܐܰܝܟ ܒܢܰܝܢ ܚܶܠܳܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܒܢܺܝܬ ܝܽܘܠܦܳܢܝ̱ ܥܰܠ ܚܶܠܳܐ
ܫܽܘܥܳܐ ܢܗܶܐ ܠܺܝ ܫܶܬܶܐܣ̈ܶܐ
ܕܥܰܠ ܫܽܘܥܳܟ ܒܢܺܝܬ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܝ̱
ܫܶܬܶܐܣܬܳܐ ܟܣܺܝܬܳܐ ܕܬܽܘܟܠܳܢܝ̱
ܬܶܛܥܶܝܢ ܫܽܘܪ̈ܰܝ
ܢܦܰܠܘ̱ ܓܶܝܪ ܫܽܘܪ̈ܶܝܗ̇ ܕܺܐܝܪܺܝܚܽܘ
ܕܥܰܠ ܚܶܠܳܐ ܒܢܳܬ ܬܽܘܟܠܳܢܳܗ̇
ܒܼܢܳܐ ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܒܝܰܡܳܐ
ܕܥܰܠ ܫܽܘܥܳܐ ܒܢܼܳܐ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܶܗ
ܫܶܬܶܐܣܬܶܗ ܕܢܽܘܚ ܥܰܠ ܫܽܘܥܳܐ
ܡܕܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܩܰܝܣܳܐ ܒܡ̈ܰܝܳܐ ܛܶܥܢܰܬ
IX.
ܦܳܚܶܡ ܢܰܦܫ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܕܰܒܓܰܘܝ̱
ܠܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ ܕܰܒܟܽܘܝܳܠܳܐ
ܘܰܚܠܳܦ ܢܽܘܚ ܕܰܐܒܺܝܠ ܘܡܰܡܟܳܟ
ܚܳܠ ܢܶܫ̈ܶܐ ܕܶܐܬܩܰܕܰܫ ܒܳܗ̇
ܗܳܐ ܒܬܽܘ̈ܠܳܬܝ̱ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܙܕܰܘܰܓ
ܚܠܳܦ ܚܳܡ ܕܰܢܦܰܩ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܦܰܪܣܺܝ
ܨܰܥܪܳܐ ܕܰܐܒܽܘܗ̱ܝ
ܗܳܐ ܥܳܒܽܘܕ̈ܶܐ ܕܙܶܕܩ̈ܳܬܳܐ
ܕܢܰܟܶܦܘ̱ ܘܰܐܠܒܶܫܘ̱ ܠܰܫ̈ܠܺܝܚܶܐ
ܒܟܺܐܒ̈ܰܝ ܐܶܫܬܰܢܺܝܬ ܡܰܠܠܶܬ
ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܠܳܐ ܬܶܥܕܽܘܠ ܕܰܐܪܓܙ ܡ̈ܶܠܰܝ
ܠܟܰܫܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܪܰܛܶܢܘ̱ ܫܰܬܶܩܬ
ܚܽܘܢܰܝܢܝ̱ ܠܺܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܠܰܐ̱ܚܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܕܫܳܠܶܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ
X.
ܩܕܳܡ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ ܥܒܕܰܬ ܒܶܝܬ ܓܰܘܣܳܐ
ܘܡܰܪܕܽܘ ܗܘܰܘ ܒܶܗ ܟܽܠ ܛܽܘܗ̈ܡܺܝܢ
ܪܽܘܚ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܢܽܘܚ ܒܶܝܬ ܢܰܘܚܳܐ
ܕܰܢܢܺܝܚ ܡܰܫܪܶܝܗ ܐܰܝܟ ܟܽܘܢܳܝܶܗ
ܐܰܚܶܕܬ ܬܰܪ̈ܥܶܐ ܕܬܶܛܰܪ ܟܺܐܢܳܐ
ܦܬܰܚܬ ܢܶܣ̈ܟܶܐ ܕܬܰܣܺܝܦ ܛܰܡ̈ܐܶܐ
ܩܳܡ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܢܽܘܚ ܒܰܝܢܳܬ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ
ܕܚܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܒܰܪ
ܠܦܽܘ̈ܡܶܐ ܚ̈ܒܳܠܶܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܓܰܘ
ܙܰܝܚܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܓ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܫܰܓܫܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ
ܫܰܝܶܢܬ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܫܰܦܶܠܬ ܩܽܘܕܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܫܰܚܠܶܦܬ ܒܰܥܓܰܠ ܥܰܣܩ̈ܳܬܳܐ
ܕܕܰܠܺܝ̈ܠܳܢ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܥ̈ܛܳܠܳܬܳܐ
XI.
ܫܡܼܰܥ ܘܰܬܩܽܘܠ ܦܽܘܚܳܡܝ̱ ܥܰܡ ܢܽܘܚ
ܘܰܕܙܳܐܶܠ ܟܺܐܒܝ̱ ܡܶܢ ܕܺܝܠܶܗ
ܚܢܳܢܳܟ ܢܰܫܘܶܐ ܦܽܘܪ̈ܩܳܢܺܝܢ
ܕܗܳܐ ܩܳܝܡܺܝܢ ܝܰܠܕ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬܶܗ
ܒܶܝܬ ܚܰܡ̈ܬܳܢܶܐ ܠܰܚܒ̈ܳܠܶܐ
ܫܰܝܶܢ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܥܰܡ ܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܘܫܰܦܶܠ ܩܽܘܕܡܰܝ ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܘܬܰܥܶܦ ܙܳܟܽܘܬܝ̱
ܘܕܰܬܠܳܬ ܩܛܽܘܠ ܪܽܘܓܙܶܗ
ܢܬܰܠܶܬ ܚܢܳܢܶܗ ܬܠܺܝܬܳܝܳܟ
ܠܳܐ ܢܶܙܟܼܶܐ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܠܪ̈ܚܡܰܝܟ
ܕܰܬܢܳܐ ܘܰܬܠܳܬ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܥܠܽܘܒܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܬܶܦܪܰܚ ܙܳܟܽܘܬܝ̱ ܒܬܺܒܶܝܠ
ܕܶܐܬܰܬܓܰܪ ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܒܬܺܒܶܝܠ
ܐܰܘ ܕܶܐܬܢܰܚܰܡ ܠܰܬܠܳܬܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܬܡܺܝܬܰܢ ܠܺܝ ܒܰܬܠܺܝܬܳܝܳܐ
Source Colophon
Syriac text from: Edmund Beck, ed. Des Heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Carmina Nisibena (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Vol. 218/219; Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1961). Syriac base text is public domain. TEI XML edition transcribed by Michael Oez; Digital Syriac Corpus, University of Oxford / Brigham Young University / Vanderbilt University. CC-BY 4.0. Access: github.com/srophe/syriac-corpus.
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