Hymn II (Carmina Nisibena II)

Hymn I was petition — the surrounded city praying as Noah's ark. Hymn II is thanksgiving — but not the simple thanksgiving of relief. It is the praise of people who know they did not deserve to be saved, who compare themselves to Nineveh and find the comparison damning: Nineveh repented at a contemptible voice; Nisibis needed ramparts, floods, and arrows three times over. The hymn holds this tension throughout — glory to your grace, precisely because it was grace alone, not our merit, that did anything here. The breach appears as a mirror (stanza XVII) that both sides looked into: the Persians saw power and retreated; the Nissenes saw mercy and gave thanks. And in the final stanza, the voice shifts to Ephrem himself — the poet confessing his own sins to the city, asking her sons to intercede for him: "my youth sinned in you — in you may my old age receive mercy."

I.

On this day mouths have opened
for giving thanks —
the openings of our breaches
have opened the mouths of our sons.
Give thanks to the Merciful One
who redeemed our humanity
and did not look, in that hour,
to exact payment —
for the corruptions our enemies had laid on us,
those who were roused to plunder us.
The worlds have tasted your goodness
in our redemption.

Refrain: From every one that has a mouth — glory to your grace.

II.

He saved us without a wall
and showed us he is our wall.
He saved us without a king
and revealed he is our king.
He saved us from all by means of all
and showed he himself is all.
He saved us by his grace
and revealed again
that freely he has been gracious and given life —
from all who would boast
he has taken boasting
and given it to his grace.

III.

The thunder of all mouths
is too little for your praise.
For in the hour our light
flickered and was about to go out,
since all is easy for you,
it blazed suddenly and shone forth.
Who has seen two wonders together:
that as hope was cut off,
hope struck and multiplied;
that the hour of wailing
turned into good news.

IV.

This is a day of festival
on which all festivals hang —
for had wrath taken us,
all festivals would have been silenced.
But our peace triumphed
and the festivals thunder.
This blessed day bears all:
on it hangs the city,
on the city hangs the people,
on the people hangs peace,
on peace hangs everything.

V.

From the breaches themselves
you multiplied triumphs.
Glory to the Trinity
that arose from our three breaches —
who descended and closed them
in mercies that held back wrath.
He struck the one that would not be taught
to teach us.
He taught the insiders
that justly he had opened the breaches;
he taught the outsiders
that mercifully he had closed them.

VI.

Speak and give glory,
you who are redeemed on this day —
elders and young men,
young women and young women,
children and the innocent,
and the Church, mother of the city.
For the elders were spared from captivity,
the young men from torment,
the infants from being dashed,
the women from violation,
and the Church from desecration.

VII.

He came to us in hardship —
we feared, eyes full of tears.
He came to us in ease —
we rejoiced, the hour full of joy.
When he was lenient for a little,
we carried it without limit —
like a wild creature being tamed
that learns
by coaxing and by terror:
if they grow lenient with it
it flees, goes wild, becomes
unruly in the peace.

VIII.

He visited us and we did not fear;
he saved us and we were not ashamed.
When he was strong upon us, vows multiplied;
when he relented, debts multiplied.
When constraint bore down: vows.
When ease came: wandering.
Yet he devoted himself to us, knowing us,
to set us free.
At evening we set him up;
at morning we turned from him.
Compulsion passed from us.
Truth passed from us.

IX.

He pressed us through the breaches
to repay our debts.
The ramparts they raised —
in them he humbled our pride.
The seas they opened —
in them he washed our restlessness.
He confined us so we would gather
in his temple —
confined us who had scattered,
opened for us who had wandered
a dwelling worthy of us
that rises in all colors.

X.

Know that the blessed people of Nineveh —
when they repented,
they did not repent by means of ramparts
or by means of seas,
not by breaches
or by arrows —
it was not the voice of advantage
that made them fear and repent.
They heard a single contemptible voice
and fasted for their wickedness,
shamed their young men into sobriety,
humbled their kings.

XI.

You struck us and we called you just —
but not in any steadfast way.
You saved us and we gave thanks —
without showing we deserved it.
You were gracious — not because you forgot,
not because you thought we had repented.
It is revealed to you: when you showed us grace
you bore us.
You knew we had sinned
and you knew we are sinning —
in the iniquity that was and is,
you were fully aware when you showed grace.

XII.

Our repentance is weighed
to exceed our debts —
not even in equal measure
did the scales balance:
our wickedness weighs heavy,
our repentance runs light.
He had decreed that we be sold
for our debt —
his mercy pleaded as advocate,
principal and interest;
we repaid in turn
with a repentance diminished.

XIII.

Many firstfruits — yet so little —
was the debt he forgave us.
Better that he had cried out to demand repayment
and satisfied his justice;
he was pressed too to demand it
and satisfy his grace.
Eyes full of tears are given him —
he stirred his own justice
by demanding greatly and forgiving greatly.

XIV.

Many the debts he forgave;
many our tongues —
they cannot be sufficient
against his grace.
He forgave us, and we did not forsake sin;
we repaid him contrarily —
the wickedness he erased, we wrote again.
"Forgive, Lord!" — so we cry.
"Demand, Lord!" — so we pray.
Forgive us who have offended;
demand from the one who offends against us.

XV.

Not even like the outsiders
have we labored for ourselves.
They raised ramparts —
we did not even raise our voices.
They breached the wall —
we did not even loose the knots
of the burdens within our hearts.
The diligent were wronged
on account of the sluggards —
outer labor robbed
while inner labor too was robbed.

XVI.

He left the talkers
and struck the silent ones.
The wall was beaten
and the people were made wise.
He spared those who could feel
and struck the thing that could not feel —
for in place of the souls
that were sensitive,
he struck the insensible stone
to lead us.
In his love he spared our body
and ran and struck our wall.

XVII.

Who has seen it — the breach
becoming a mirror
that two sides looked into:
it served outside and inside.
They saw in it, as in eyes,
the power that broke and bound.
They saw him open
and close again.
The outsiders saw his might —
they weighed it and did not attack.
The insiders saw his help —
they gave thanks and did not cease.

XVIII.

The day of your redemption —
may it rouse what in you was sinking.
When the wall was breached,
when the elephants pressed in,
when arrows rained,
when warriors surged forward —
it was a sight for the heavenly beings.
Wickedness fought there;
mercy triumphed there.
Mercy conquered from below,
the watchers cried out from above.

XIX.

Your enemy labored with all his schemes
against the wall that girded you,
the refuge of your inhabitants.
He labored and could not —
so that he would not think
that had he breached and entered
and taken us captive,
he would have won.
He breached, and not once —
yet was shamed, not once enough.
Until three times he came
to be shamed three times over.

XX.

May blessing multiply for me within you
in your grace —
for my sins have multiplied in you;
may my fruits multiply in you.
That in you my youth sinned —
in you may my old age receive mercy.
Seek through the mouths of your sons
on my behalf:
for I have sinned beyond my strength
and repented less than my strength —
I scattered without measure
and gathered with short measure.

Colophon

Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373 CE), Hymns on Nisibis (Carmina Nisibena), Hymn II. A communal hymn of thanksgiving following deliverance from the Persian sieges of Nisibis — most likely the third siege of 350 CE, which involved deliberate flooding of the walls via the diverted Mygdonius river and the deployment of war elephants (stanza XVIII). The "three breaches" (stanza V) and "three times" (stanza XIX) refer to the three historical sieges of 338, 346, and 350 CE, which Ephrem maps simultaneously onto the Trinity — a characteristic typological move.

The hymn moves from praise to penitential self-examination and back. The Nineveh comparison (stanza X) is pointed: Nineveh repented at a single prophet's voice without siege or flood; Nisibis required three wars. The breach-as-mirror image (stanza XVII) is among the most striking in the sequence — the same opening served as revelation to both sides, disclosing might to the Persians and mercy to the Nissenes. The final stanza shifts to Ephrem's personal voice, the poet confessing his own sins to the city and asking intercession through her sons — a signature Ephremic movement from communal to intimate.

Good Works Translation produced by the New Tianmu Anglican Church. Translated directly from the Classical Syriac. 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 translation.

Key terms: ṭaybūtā (ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ) = grace/goodness (the word the refrain turns on); tawdītā (ܬܰܘܕܺܝܬܳܐ) = thanksgiving/praise; tawbūtā (ܬܝܳܒܽܘܬܳܐ) = repentance; ḥawbā (ܚܰܘܒܳܐ) = debt/sin (the same word serves both meanings throughout, making the financial metaphors of stanzas XII–XIII theologically loaded). The ʿunītā (refrain) differs structurally from Hymn I: where Hymn I's refrain was a petition (stretch your bow), Hymn II's refrain is doxological (glory to your grace). No melodic notation (qālā) appears at the head of this hymn in the Digital Syriac Corpus source — it likely follows the same melody as Hymn I ("I opened my mouth with wisdom") per Beck's group structure.

Translated by Rabbula, DSS Translator lineage, New Tianmu Anglican Church, Mar 2026.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 2 (Carmina Nisibena 2)

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.

1.

ܐܶܬܦܰܬܰܚܘ̱ ܒܗܳܢ ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܠܡܰܘܕܳܝܽܘ
ܦܶܬܚ̈ܶܐ ܕܬܽܘܪ̈ܥܳܬܳܐ ܠܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܦܬܰܚܘ̱
ܐܰܘܕܺܝܘ ܠܚܰܢܳܢܳܐ ܕܦܰܪܩܳܗ̇ ܠܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܰܢ
ܘܠܳܐ ܚܳܪ ܒܗܰܘ ܥܶܕܳܢ ܕܢܶܦܪܥܰܢ
ܚܽܘܒ̈ܳܠܶܐ ܕܰܐܪܡܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܠܰܢ ܕܶܐܬܥܺܝܪܘ̱ ܕܢܶܫܒܽܘܢܳܢ
ܛܰܥܡܽܘܗ̇ ܒܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܰܢ ܥܳܠܡ̈ܶܐ ܠܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ

ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܕܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ

2.

ܦܰܪܩܰܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܘܰܐܠܶܦ ܕܫܽܘܪܰܢ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܦܰܪܩܰܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܘܰܐܘܕܰܥ ܕܡܰܠܟܰܢ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܦܰܪܩܰܢ ܒܟܽܠ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܘܚܰܘܺܝ ܕܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܟܽܠ
ܦܰܪܩܰܢ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܘܬܽܘܒ ܓܠܳܐ
ܕܡܰܓܳܢ ܚܳܢ ܘܰܐܚܺܝ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܕܡܶܫܬܰܒܗܰܪ
ܫܰܩܠܶܗ ܠܫܽܘܒܗܳܪܳܐ ܘܝܰܗܒܶܗ ܠܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ

3.

ܪܰܥܡܳܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܦܽܘ̈ܡܺܝܢ ܙܥܽܘܪ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܬܰܘܕܺܝܬܳܟ
ܕܰܒܫܳܥܬܳܐ ܕܛܰܦܛܶܦ ܢܽܘܗܪܰܢ ܘܗܳܐ ܕܢܶܕܥܰܟ
ܒܰܕܟܽܠ ܦܫܽܝܩ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܳܟ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝ ܢܒܰܗ ܘܰܐܙܠܶܓ
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܚܼܙܳܐ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܬܶܕܡܪ̈ܳܢ
ܕܥܰܡܶܗ ܕܰܦܣܰܩ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ ܬܟܶܒ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܰܣܓܼܺܝ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ
ܫܳܥܬܳܐ ܕܝ̈ܰܠܠܳܬܳܐ ܗܶܦܟܰܬ ܠܰܣܒܰܪܬܳܐ

4.

ܝܰܘܡܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܥܰܕܥܺܕܳܐ ܕܒܶܗ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܬܰܠܝ̈ܳܢ ܥܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ
ܕܶܐܠܽܘ ܫܒܳܢ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܒܼܰܛܶܠܘ̱ ܐܳܦ ܥܰܕܥܺܐܕ̈ܺܝܢ
ܕܰܢܨܰܚ ܙܟܳܐ ܫܰܝܢܰܢ ܗܳܐ ܪܳܥܡܺܝܢ ܥܺܐܕ̈ܺܝܢ
ܗܳܢܳܐ ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܒܪܺܝܟܳܐ ܛܥܺܝܢ ܠܟܽܠ
ܒܶܗ ܗܽܘ ܬܠܶܐ ܟܳܪܟܳܐ ܒܟܳܪܟܳܐ ܬܠܶܐ ܥܰܡܳܐ
ܒܥܰܡܳܐ ܬܠܶܐ ܫܰܝܢܳܐ ܒܫܰܝܢܳܐ ܬܠܶܐ ܟܽܘܠܳܐ

5.

ܡܶܢܗܶܝܢ ܕܬܽܘܪ̈ܥܳܬܳܐ ܐܰܣܓܺܝܬ ܢܶܨܚ̈ܳܢܶܐ
ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܰܬܠܺܝܬܳܝܳܐ ܣܼܠܶܩ ܡܶܢ ܬܠܳܬ ܬܽܘܪ̈ܥܰܢ
ܕܰܢܚܼܶܬ ܘܣܳܓ ܐܶܢܶܝ̈ܢ ܒܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܕܰܟܠܰܘ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܡܚܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܰܕܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܠܰܦ ܕܢܰܠܦܰܢ
ܐܰܠܶܦ ܠܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܕܟܺܐܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܬܼܪܰܥ ܐܶܢܶܝ̈ܢ
ܐܰܠܶܦ ܠܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܕܛܳܒܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܣܳܓ ܐܶܢܶܝ̈ܢ

6.

ܡܼܰܠܶܠܘ ܘܗܰܒܘ̱ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܦܪ̈ܺܝܩܰܝ ܒܗܳܢ ܝܰܘܡܳܐ
ܣ̈ܳܒܶܐ ܘܓܰܕ̈ܽܘܕܶܐ ܥܠܰܝܡ̈ܶܐ ܘܰܥܠܰܝܡ̈ܳܬܳܐ
ܫܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ ܘܬܰܡܺܝ̈ܡܶܐ ܘܥܺܕ̱ܬܳܐ ܐܶܡܳܐ ܕܟܳܪܟܳܐ
ܣ̈ܒܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܒܝܳܐ ܐܶܬܚܰܣܰܟܘ̱
ܥܠܰܝܡ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܫܽܘܢܕܳܐ ܘܥܽܘ̈ܠܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܫܽܘܩܦܳܐ
ܢܶܫ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܪܣܝܳܐ ܘܥܺܕ̱ܬܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܒܽܘܙܚܳܐ

7.

ܐܶܬܳܐ ܠܰܢ ܒܩܰܫ̈ܝܳܬܳܐ ܕܚܶܠܢܰܢ ܡܠܶܐ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ
ܘܶܐܬܳܐ ܒܢܺܝܚ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܫܦܰܪܢܰܢ ܡܠܶܐ ܫܳܥܳܐ
ܐܰܗܡܺܝ ܘܦܳܫ ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܛܥܰܝܢܰܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܣܳܟܳܐ
ܐܰܝܟ ܚܰܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܫܶܢܶܐ ܕܝܳܠܦܳܐ
ܒܫܶܕܠܳܐ ܘܕܽܘܚܳܠܳܐ ܘܶܐܢܗܽܘ ܕܰܐܗܡܺܝܘ ܡܶܢܳܗ̇
ܡܶܪܕܰܬ ܛܥܳܬ ܘܰܗܘܳܬ ܣܳܪܽܘܚܬܳܐ ܒܫܰܝܢܳܐ

8.

ܦܰܪܥܰܢ ܘܠܳܐ ܕܚܶܠܢܰܢ ܦܰܪܩܰܢ ܘܠܳܐ ܒܗܶܬܢܰܢ
ܚܰܨܰܢ ܣܓܺܝܘ ܢܶܕܪ̈ܶܐ ܪܰܦܺܝ ܣܓܺܝܘ ܚܰܘ̈ܒܶܐ
ܕܰܐܠܨܰܢ ܗܘܳܬ ܬܶܢܘܰܝ ܕܰܐܪܘܰܚ ܗܼܘܳܬ ܛܽܘܥܝܰܝ
ܐܶܬܪܡܺܝ ܟܰܕ ܝܳܕܰܥ ܠܰܢ ܕܢܰܫܪܰܢ
ܒܪܰܡܫܳܐ ܐܰܩܺܝܡܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܠܶܗ ܒܨܰܦܪܳܐ ܗܦܰܟܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܒܶܗ
ܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ ܥܒܼܰܪ ܡܶܢܰܢ ܫܪܳܪܳܐ ܥܼܒܰܪ ܡܶܢܰܢ

9.

ܪܰܒܨܰܢ ܒܬܽܘܪ̈ܥܳܬܳܐ ܕܢܶܦܪܽܘܥ ܠܚܰܘܒ̈ܳܬܰܢ
ܬ̈ܶܠܳܠܶܐ ܙܩܼܰܦ ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ ܢܡܰܟܶܟ ܠܫܽܘܒܗܳܪܰܢ
ܝܰܡ̈ܡܶܐ ܬܼܪܰܥ ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ ܢܫܺܝܓܶܗ ܠܦܽܘܠܦܳܠܰܢ
ܚܰܒܫܰܢ ܕܢܶܬܟܰܢܰܫ ܒܗܰܝܟܠܶܗ
ܚܰܒܫܰܢ ܕܥܶܟܢܰܢ ܠܰܢ ܦܬܼܰܚ ܠܰܢ ܦܗܰܝܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ ܠܰܢ
ܠܥܰܡܪܳܐ ܕܡܶܝܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܠܰܢ ܕܣܳܠܶܩ ܒܟܽܘܠ ܓܰܘ̈ܳܢܺܝܢ

10.

ܢܶܕܰܥ ܕܛܽܘܒ̈ܳܢܶܐ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܢܺܝ̈ܢܘܶܐ ܟܰܕ ܬܳܒܘ̱
ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܬ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܬܳܒܘ̱ ܘܳܐܦ ܠܳܐ ܒܝܰܕ ܝܰܡܡ̈ܶܐ
ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܬܽܘܪܥܳܬܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܒܩ̈ܶܫܬܳܬܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܩܳܠ ܝܰܬܪܳܐ ܕܚܶܠܘ̱ ܘܬܳܒܘ̱
ܩܳܠܳܐ ܫܡܼܰܥܘ̱ ܫܺܝܛܳܐ ܐܰܨܺܝܡܘ̱ ܠܥܰܘ̈ܠܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܢܰܟܶܦܘ̱ ܥܠܰܝܡܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ ܡܰܟܶܟܘ̱ ܠܡ̈ܰܠܟܰܝܗܽܘܢ

11.

ܡܚܰܝܬܳܢ ܘܙܰܕܶܩܢܰܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܥܪܺܝܨܳܐܺܝܬ
ܦܪܰܩܬܳܢ ܘܰܐܘܕܺܝܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܚܰܘܳܐ ܕܫܳܘܶܝܢ ܗܘܰܝܢ
ܚܰܢܬܳܢ ܘܠܰܘ ܕܰܛܥܺܝܬ ܘܰܣܒܪܰܬ ܕܬܳܒܰܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܠܰܢ
ܓܠܶܐ ܗܽܘ ܠܳܟ ܕܡܳܐ ܕܚܰܢܬܳܢ ܛܥܰܝܢ ܠܰܢ
ܝܺܕܰܥܬ ܕܰܚܼܛܰܝܢܰܢ ܘܺܝܕܰܥܬ ܕܚܳܛ̇ܝܺܝܢ ܚܢܰܢ
ܒܥܰܘܠܳܐ ܕܗܘܼܳܐ ܘܗܳܘܶܐ ܡܰܦܳܣ ܗܘܰܝܬ ܟܰܕ ܚܰܢܬܳܢ

12.

ܦܳܚ̇ܶܡ ܬܝܳܒܽܘܬܰܢ ܕܬܶܥܠܽܘܒ ܠܚܰܘܒ̈ܳܬܰܢ
ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܒܫܰܘܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܪܺܝܫ ܒܪܺܝܫ ܣܠܶܩ ܟܰܝܠܳܐ
ܕܰܐܣܓܺܝ ܢܼܛܰܠ ܥܰܘܠܰܢ ܘܰܙܠܳܬ ܬܝܳܒܽܘܬܰܢ
ܦܩܰܕ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܢܶܙܕܰܒܰܢ ܒܚܰܘܒܬܰܢ
ܣܢܺܓܪܰܢ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܚܢܳܢܶܗ ܩܰܪܢܳܐ ܘܪܰܒܰܝܬܳܐ
ܦܪܰܥܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܫܳܡܽܘܢܳܐ ܕܰܐܘܛܳܬ ܬܝܳܒܽܘܬܰܢ

13.

ܪܶܒܽܘ ܒܶܟܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܒܰܙܥܽܘܪ ܚܰܘܒܬܳܐ ܫܒܰܩ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܰܢ
ܕܢܶܬܒܰܥ ܢܩܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܛܳܒ ܕܰܢܢܺܝܚ ܠܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܶܗ
ܕܢܶܫܒܽܘܒ ܐܰܠܺܝܨ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܬܽܘܒ ܕܢܰܦܨܰܚ ܠܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ
ܕܶܡܥ̈ܶܐ ܡܠܶܐ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ ܝܳܗܒܳܢ ܠܶܗ
ܫܰܓܶܫ ܠܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܶܗ ܒܕܰܬܒܰܥ ܫܒܰܩ ܣܰܓܺܝ

14.

ܪܶܒܽܘ ܚ̈ܰܘܒܰܢ ܕܰܫܒܼܰܩ ܪܶܒܽܘ ܕܠܶܫ̈ܳܢܰܝܢ
ܠܳܐ ܡܶܫܟܚܺܝܢ ܡܰܘܦܺܝܢ ܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ
ܫܒܰܩ ܠܰܢ ܘܠܳܐ ܫܒܰܩܢܰܢ ܦܪܰܥܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܗܰܦܟܳܐܺܝܬ
ܥܰܘܠܳܐ ܕܰܚܛܳܐ ܟܬܰܒܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܡܶܢܕܪܺܝܫ
ܫܒܽܘܩ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܓܳܥܶܝܢܰܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܬܒܰܥ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܡܨܰܠܶܝܢ ܚܢܰܢ
ܫܒܽܘܩ ܠܰܡ ܕܰܐܣܟܠܰܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܬܒܰܥ ܠܰܡ ܕܡܰܣܟܶܠ ܒܰܢ

15.

ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܥܡܰܠܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܚܠܳܦ ܢܰܦܫܰܢ
ܗܼܶܢܽܘܢ ܐܰܪܺܝܡܘ̱ ܬ̈ܶܠܠܶܐ ܚܢܰܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܩ̈ܳܠܶܐ
ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܫܪܰܘ ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܚܢܰܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܩܶܛܪ̈ܶܐ
ܕܠܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܕܰܒܓܰܘ ܠܶܒܰܢ ܫܪܰܝܢ ܗܘܰܝܢ
ܛܠܼܶܡ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܟܰܫܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܚ̈ܒܰܢܳܢܶܐ
ܥܰܡܠܳܐ ܛܠܼܶܡ ܕܰܠܒܰܪ ܟܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܛܠܺܝܡ ܡܶܢ ܓܰܘ

16.

ܐܰܪܦܺܝ ܠܡ̈ܰܠܳܠܶܐ ܘܰܡܚܳܐ ܠܫ̈ܰܬܺܝܩܶܐ
ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܡܶܬܢܰܓܰܕ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܥܰܡܳܐ ܡܶܬܚܰܟܰܡ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܚܳܣ ܠܶܗ ܥܰܠ ܚܶܫܽܘ̈ܫܶܐ ܡܚܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܰܕܠܳܐ ܚܳܐܶܫ
ܚܠܳܦ ܓܶܝܪ ܢܰܦܫ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܕܪܶܓܫܰܢ
ܠܟܺܐܦܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܪܶܓܫܬܳܐ ܡܚܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܠܰܢ ܢܶܪܕܶܐ
ܒܚܽܘܒܶܗ ܫܒܰܩ ܓܽܘܫܡܰܢ ܘܰܪܗܶܛ ܡܚܳܐ ܫܽܘܪܰܢ

17.

ܡܼܰܢܽܘ ܚܼܙܳܐ ܕܰܗܘܳܬ ܬܽܘܪܰܥܬܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ
ܚܳܪܘ̱ ܒܳܗ̇ ܬܪ̈ܶܝܢ ܓܰܒ̈ܺܝܢ ܫܰܡܫܰܬ ܠܒܰܪ ܘܰܠܓܰܘ
ܚܙܰܘ ܒܳܗ̇ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܒܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ ܠܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܕܰܬܒܼܰܪ ܘܰܥܼܨܰܒ
ܚܙܰܐܘܽܗ̱ܝ ܕܰܬܪܰܥ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܬܽܘܒ ܣܳܓ
ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܚܙܰܘ ܬܽܘܩܦܶܗ ܐܰܫܩܶܠܘ̱ ܘܠܳܐ ܪܰܡ̇ܶܫܘ̱
ܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܚܙܰܘ ܥܶܕܪܶܗ ܐܰܘܕܺܝܘ ܘܠܳܐ ܐܰܘܦܺܝܘ

18.

ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܕܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܶܟܝ̱ ܢܥܺܝܪܶܗ ܠܛܽܘܒܳܥܶܟܝ̱
ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܬܪܰܥ ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܘܟܰܕ ܬܳܟܒܝܢ ܦܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ
ܟܰܕ ܡܳܛܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܓܶܐܪ̈ܶܐ ܘܟܰܕ ܡܚܰܨܦܺܝܢ ܓܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ
ܚܙܳܬܳܐ ܠܰܫܡܰܝ̈ܳܢܶܐ ܗܘܼܳܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܬ
ܥܽܘܠܳܐ ܐܰܩܪܶܒ ܬܰܡܳܢ ܚܢܳܢܳܐ ܢܨܰܚ ܬܰܡܳܢ
ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܙܟܰܘ ܡܶܢ ܬܚܶܬ ܥܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܩܥܰܘ ܡܶܢ ܠܥܶܠ

19.

ܘܰܠܐܺܝ ܒܥܶܠܕܳܪܶܟܝ̱ ܕܢܰܟܶܐ ܒܨ̈ܶܢܥܳܬܶܗ
ܠܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܕܚܰܕܰܪ ܠܶܟܝ̱ ܓܰܘܣܳܐ ܕܥܳܡܽܘܪ̈ܰܝܟܝ̱
ܘܰܠܐܺܝ ܘܠܳܐ ܐܶܫܟܰܚ ܘܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܠܳܐ ܢܶܣܼܒܰܪ
ܕܶܐܠܽܘ ܬܼܪܰܥ ܐܳܦ ܥܰܠ ܘܠܰܢ ܫܼܒܳܐ
ܬܰܪܥܶܗ ܘܠܳܐ ܒܰܚܕܳܐ ܘܰܒܗܶܬ ܘܠܳܐ ܟܰܕܽܘ
ܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܬܠܳܬ ܙܰܒܢܺܝ̈ܢ ܕܢܶܒܗܰܬ ܬܠܳܬ ܒܰܬܠܳܬ

20.

ܢܶܣܓܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܺܝ ܒܓܰܘܶܟܝ̱ ܛܽܘܒܳܐ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܰܣܓܺܝܘ ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܚܰܘ̈ܒܰܝ ܢܶܣܓܽܘܢ ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܰܝ
ܘܰܕܒܶܟܝ̱ ܚܛܳܬ ܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܝ̱ ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܬܶܬܚܢܰܢ ܣܰܝܒܽܘܬܝ̱
ܒܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܕܰܒ̈ܢܰܝܟܝ̱ ܒܥܳܝ ܥܰܠ ܒܪܶܟܝ̱
ܕܰܚܛܺܝܬ ܠܒܰܪ ܡܶܢ ܚܰܝܠܝ̱ ܘܬܳܒܶܬ ܒܨܺܝܪ ܡܶܢ ܚܰܝܠܝ̱
ܒܰܕܪܶܬ ܕܠܳܐ ܟܰܝܠܳܐ ܘܟܰܢܫܶܬ ܒܨܺܝܪ ܟܰܝܠܳܐ

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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