Hymn III (Carmina Nisibena III)

Hymn I was petition; Hymn II was thanksgiving. Hymn III is theology. Ephrem steps back from Nisibis herself and asks: who is the God we have been praising? The opening stanzas press into apophatic territory — He is not to be traced, not to be pictured, wholly unlike what human minds can hold, yet wholly present in every sense. Then the hymn pivots: Nisibis, hear this — on your account these things were written. You became a cause for hymns in the world. Your sufferings were the occasion for song. From theodicy to agriculture to metals to human discipline: everything purposeful hardship accomplishes in the world, it accomplishes in you. And then the killing blow: you scorned the two Testaments. So He wrote you three hard books instead. First blow — you forgot. Middle blow — it taught you, then you forgot again. Third blow — it labored over you. Who would still go astray?

I.

He nailed it to our hearing
lest it come undone and stray —
for it wanders, the hunting
of who He is and whom He resembles.
How can we portray
His likeness in ourselves:
that Being who resembles Mind —
nothing defiled is in Him;
wholly He sees and hears,
wholly He is like Speech,
wholly He is every sense.

Refrain: Glory to the One Being — beyond all our searching.

II.

His appearance is beyond all touching,
beyond all picturing in our minds.
He hears without ears,
speaks without a mouth,
acts without hands,
sees without eyes —
our soul cannot weigh itself,
even in silence,
against the One who is thus.
In His grace He clothed Himself
in the garb of our humanity
and gathered us into His likenesses.

III.

Let us learn how it is
that He is spiritual
yet appeared as bodily;
that He is serene
yet appeared as wrathful —
all of this for our sake.
The Being takes our likenesses,
resembles us,
so that we might resemble Him.
One alone truly resembles Him —
the Child who went out from Him,
stamped in His own likeness.

IV.

Nisibis, hear these things —
on your account these things
were written and spoken,
for you and for others.
You became a cause in the world
for hymns and for translations.
Mouths cried out over you
when you were besieged;
mouths sang over you
when you triumphed and were freed.
Through you, mouths were opened
for lament and for praise.

V.

The prayer of your inhabitants
sufficed for your deliverance —
not because they were righteous
but because they were repentant.
As much as they sin,
they run that much under the rod,
mingling their defeats
and their victories.
As their sins were great,
let their fruits be great;
as great as their afflictions,
let their crowns be greater still.

VI.

The day of your deliverance
is king of all days.
The Lord's Day cast down
what was raised against you;
the day of the Son's resurrection
raised up your fallen city.
Resurrection Day
raised you up, true to its name —
it glorified its own title.
The Sabbath loosed the siege and kept you:
through the travail of your breaches,
it rebuked the wind.

VII.

In Samaria the famine was great;
in you the plenty was great.
Into Samaria plenty crept
suddenly from nowhere —
into you the sea roared
suddenly from nowhere.
In Samaria a colt was eaten
and relief restored her.
In you a Body was eaten —
living, and life to all —
and suddenly He delivered them:
the Eaten One, to the eaters.

VIII.

It is plain: He did not desire,
as a good thing,
the afflictions that came in every age
while He Himself permitted them.
Our sins themselves become
the cause of calamities.
None has received from the Creator —
He it is who receives from us.
For we have sinned and pressed Him
to be angry though He did not will it,
to strike though He did not desire it.

IX.

Land, vineyard, and olive
all need tending.
When the olive is beaten,
its branches grow rich.
When the vineyard is pruned,
its fruits grow lovely.
When the earth is worked,
its yields grow full.
When the sea is stirred,
they drink from its pools.
Bronze, silver, and gold —
when refined, they shine.

X.

If a man disciplines, he improves all;
if he neglects, all goes wild and rebels.
In what he disciplines,
let us learn about the One who disciplines him —
when he himself disciplines, it is for benefit.
All that he disciplines are his servants
so that he might rightly acquire them.
The Good One disciplines His servants
that they might acquire themselves.

XI.

Let your afflictions be your scribes —
your books of remembrance.
The three sieges are enough
to be your books,
to meditate on every hour in their tales —
the tales of the two Testaments
you were scorning,
refusing to read them for your life.
Therefore He wrote you
three hard books
that you might read your tribulations in them.

XII.

Let us meditate on what has passed
so that what comes again may find us ready;
let us be disciplined by what came,
to be covered against what is coming.
Let us remember what has gone
to free ourselves from what is to come.
For the first blow —
we forgot it.
The middle blow taught us,
yet the middle blow we forgot again.
The third labored over us.
Who would still go astray?

Colophon

Carmina Nisibena III — translated from Classical Syriac by Narsai (DSS Translator, thirteenth session, 2026-03-23). Translation independently derived from the Digital Syriac Corpus base text (Beck/DSC, CC-BY 4.0). McVey's Paulist edition not consulted. Lexical verification against Payne Smith's Thesaurus Syriacus and Costaz's Dictionnaire syriaque–français. The Blood Rule holds.

Meter note: Heptasyllabic couplet stanzas (Ephremic meter), 12 stanzas with a congregational refrain (ʿunīthā) given after the opening stanza. Stanzas I–III are apophatic theology; IV–VI address Nisibis directly; VII–XII develop the theodicy of purposeful affliction. Hymn VIII is absent from the DSC staging — gap will be noted in Hymn VIII's file when reached.

Key translation choices: ܩܰܒܥܳܗ̇ (stanza I) = "nailed/fixed" — the same root used for pegging tent stakes and driving nails; the firmness of God's teaching fixed to human hearing before it wanders. ܦܰܗܝܳܐ ܠܡܰܥܩܳܒܽܘ (stanza I) = "a wandering hunt" — the infinitive ܡܰܥܩܳܒܽܘ means to track/trace footprints; it is a wandering hunt to track who God is. ܝܰܡܳܐ (stanza VII) = "the sea" — the Mygdonius river diverted against Nisibis's walls in 350 CE; Ephrem calls it a sea, the flood-as-siege-weapon. ܐܟܺܝܠܳܐ ܠܳܐܟ̈ܽܘܠܶܐ (stanza VII) = "the Eaten One to the eaters" — the Eucharist antithesis: in Samaria a dead animal was eaten in desperation; in Nisibis the Living Body was eaten in hope, and the Eaten One Himself delivered those who ate. ܬܠܳܬܳܐ ܣܶܦܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܥܰܣܩ̈ܺܝܢ (stanza XI) = "three hard books" — the three sieges as providential scripture written for a city that scorned the two Testaments.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 3 (Carmina Nisibena 3)

1.

ܩܰܒܥܳܗ̇ ܠܡܰܫܡܰܥܬܰܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܬܶܫܬܪܶܐ ܘܬܰܦܗܶܐ
ܕܦܰܗܝܳܐ ܠܡܰܥܩܳܒܽܘ ܕܡܰܢܽܘ ܘܰܠܡܼܰܢ ܕܳܡ̇ܐ
ܐܰܝܟܰܢ ܡܨܶܝܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܢܶܨܽܘܪ ܕܡܽܘܬܶܗ ܒܰܢ
ܕܗܰܘ ܐܺܝܬܝܳܐ ܕܕܳܡ̇ܐ ܠܡܰܕܥܳܐ
ܠܰܝܬ ܒܶܗ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܰܐܛܺܝܡ ܒܟܽܠܶܗ ܚܳܙܶܐ ܘܫܳܡܰܥ
ܟܽܠܶܗ ܐܰܝܟ ܡܰܠܳܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܟܽܠܶܗ ܒܟܽܠ ܪ̈ܶܓܫܶܐ ܗܽܘ

ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ (Response/Refrain):

ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ : ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܚܰܕ ܐܺܝܬܝܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܒܨܶܐ ܡܶܢܰܢ

2.

ܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܡܺܝܫ ܚܶܙܘܶܗ ܕܢܶܬܨܺܝܪ ܒܪܶܥܝܳܢܰܢ
ܫܳܡܰܥ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܕ̈ܢܶܐ ܡܡܰܠܶܠ ܕܠܳܐ ܦܽܘܡܳܐ
ܥܳܒܶܕ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܺܝ̈ܕܶܐ ܘܚܳܙܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ
ܠܳܐ ܟܳܝܫܳܐ ܢܰܦܫܰܢ ܘܫܶܠܝܳܐ
ܨܶܝܕ ܡܶܢ ܕܗܳܟܰܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܠܒܶܫ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ
ܐܶܣܟ̈ܺܡܶܐ ܕܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܟܶܢܫܰܢ ܒܕܶܡ̈ܘܳܬܶܗ

3.

ܢܺܐܠܰܦ ܕܰܐܝܟܰܢܳܐ ܕܺܐܝܬܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܪܽܘܚܳܢܳܐ
ܘܶܐܬܚܙܺܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܦܰܓܪܳܢܳܐ ܘܗܳܟܰܢ ܐܳܦ ܫܶܦܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܘܶܐܬܚܙܺܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܚܰܡܬܳܢܳܐ ܘܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܠܥܽܘܕܪܳܢܳܐ
ܐܺܝܬܝܳܐ ܒܕܶܡ̈ܘܳܬܰܢ ܠܰܢ ܕܳܡܶܐ
ܕܰܚܢܰܢ ܢܕܰܡܶܐ ܒܶܗ ܚܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܠܶܗ ܕܳܡܶܐ
ܝܰܠܕܳܐ ܕܰܢܦܰܩ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܕܰܛܒܺܝܥ ܒܕܶܡ̈ܘܳܬܶܗ

4.

ܢܨܺܝܒܺܝܢ ܫܡܼܰܥ ܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܕܰܒܥܶܠܬܶܟܝ̱ ܗܳܠܶܝܢ
ܐܶܬܟܬܶܒ ܘܶܐܬܡܰܠܰܠ ܐܳܦ ܠܶܟܝ̱ ܐܳܦ ܠܰܐܚܪ̈ܳܢܶܐ
ܗܘܺܝܬ ܥܶܠܬܳܐ ܒܬܺܒܶܝܠ ܠܩܺܐܪ̈ܣܶܐ ܘܰܠܬܽܘܪ̈ܓܳܡܶܐ
ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܥܠܰܝܟܝ̱ ܐܰܘ ܕܶܐܬܚܰܒܫܰܬܝ̱
ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܥܠܰܝܟܝ̱ ܙܡܰܪܘ̱ ܕܰܢܨܰܚܬܝ̱ ܘܶܐܬܦܰܨܶܝܬܝ̱
ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܐܶܬܦܰܬܰܚܘ̱ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܠܺܐܠܝܳܐ ܘܰܠܩܽܘܠܳܣܳܐ

5.

ܨܠܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܥܳܡܽܘܪ̈ܰܝܟܝ̱ ܣܶܦܩܰܬ ܠܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܶܟܝ̱
ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܙܰܕܺܝܩܺܝܢ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܕܬܰܝܳܒܺܝܢ
ܟܡܳܐ ܕܨܳܥܪܺܝܢ ܗܳܟܰܢ ܪܳܗܛܺܝܢ ܬܚܶܝܬ ܫܰܒܛܳܐ
ܒܚܽܘ̈ܒܶܐ ܘܰܒܢܶܨ̈ܚܳܢܶܐ ܡܡܰܙܓܺܝܢ
ܕܰܥܫܶܢܘ̱ ܚܛܳܗ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܢܥܰܫܢܽܘܢ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܰܢܨܰܚܘ̱ ܒܣܳܩܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ ܢܰܨܰܚܘ̱ ܐܳܦ ܟܠܺܝ̈ܠܰܝܗܽܘܢ

6.

ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܕܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܶܟܝ̱ ܡܰܠܟܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܟܽܠ ܝܰܘܡ̈ܺܝܢ
ܫܰܒܬܳܐ ܣܶܚܦܰܬ ܫܽܘܪ̈ܰܝܟܝ̱ ܣܶܚܦܰܬ ܠܟܳܦܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ
ܝܽܘܡ ܩܝܳܡܬܶܗ ܕܰܒܼܪܳܐ ܐܰܩܺܝܡܳܗ̇ ܠܡܰܦܽܘܠܬܶܟܝ̱
ܝܽܘܡ ܩܝܳܡܬܳܐ ܐܰܩܺܝܡܶܟܝ̱ ܐܰܝܟ ܫܡܶܗ
ܩܰܠܣܶܗ ܠܟܽܘܢܳܝܶܗ ܫܪܳܬ ܫܰܒܬܳܐ ܢܰܛܪܳܗ̇
ܒܥܰܡܠܳܐ ܕܬܽܘܪ̈ܥܳܬܳܗ̇ ܗܺܝ ܟܰܐܪܰܬ ܢܰܫܦܳܗ̇

7.

ܒܫܳܡܪܺܝܢ ܥܫܶܢ ܟܰܦܢܳܐ ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܕܶܝܢ ܥܫܶܢ ܣܰܒܥܳܐ
ܠܫܳܡܪܺܝܢ ܓܣܼܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܠܳܗ̇ ܣܰܒܥܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝܳܐ
ܠܶܟܝ̱ ܕܶܝܢ ܢܗܼܰܡ ܥܰܠ ܠܶܟܝ̱ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝܳܐ
ܒܗܳܝ ܐܶܬܶܐܟܶܠ ܥܽܘܠܳܐ ܘܰܐܚܝܳܗ̇
ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܐܶܬܶܐܟܶܠ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܚܰܝܳܐ ܘܡܰܚܶܐ ܟܽܠ
ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝ ܦܪܰܩ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܐܟܺܝܠܳܐ ܠܳܐܟܽܘ̈ܠܶܐ

8.

ܝܺܕܺܝܥܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܠܰܘ ܛܳܒܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܨܒܼܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܽܐܘ̈ܠܨܳܢܶܐ
ܕܰܗܘܰܘ ܒܟܽܠ ܕܳܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܟܰܕ ܗܼܽܘ ܥܒܼܰܕ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܚܰܘܒܰܝ̈ܢ ܗܽܘ ܗܳܘܶܝܢ ܥܶܠܬܳܐ ܕܒܽܘܣܒ̈ܳܣܺܝܢ
ܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܩܒܶܠ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܕܰܒܪܰܝܢ
ܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܩܒܺܝܠ ܡܶܢܰܢ ܕܰܚܛܰܝܢ ܘܰܐܠܶܨܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܕܢܶܪܓܰܙ ܕܠܳܐ ܨܒܼܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܢܶܡܚܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܪܥܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ

9.

ܐܰܪܥܳܐ ܟܰܪܡܳܐ ܘܙܰܝܬܳܐ ܣܢܺܝܩܺܝܢ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܪܕܽܘܬܳܐ
ܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܚܒܶܛ ܙܰܝܬܳܐ ܟܶܢ ܥܳܬܪܺܝܢ ܦܶܪ̈ܥܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܟܣܰܚ ܟܰܪܡܳܐ ܟܶܢ ܫܳܦܪܺܝܢ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܦܠܰܚ ܥܰܦܪܳܐ ܫܦܼܰܪܘ̱ ܐܶܕܫ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܪܕܺܝ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܒܠܺܐܩ̈ܶܐ ܐܳܫܬܺܝܢ ܠܶܗ
ܢܚܳܫܳܐ ܟܶܣܦܳܐ ܘܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܣܬܩܶܠܘ̱ ܐܰܦܪܶܓܘ̱

10.

ܐܶܢ ܗܽܘ ܕܒܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܪܳܕܶܐ ܘܡܰܫܦܰܪ ܟܽܠ
ܘܶܐܢ ܗܽܘ ܕܰܒܣܼܳܐ ܘܰܐܗܡܺܝ ܡܣܰܬܢܳܐ ܘܡܳܪܶܕ ܟܽܠ
ܒܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܪܳܕܶܐ ܗܽܘ ܢܺܐܠܰܦ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܰܪܕܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܟܰܕ ܗܼܽܘ ܐܶܢܗܽܘ ܕܪܳܕܶܐ ܕܢܶܬܗܢܶܐ
ܟܽܠܶܗ ܕܪܳܕܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܥܰܒܕ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܢܶܩܢܶܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܛܳܒܳܐ ܪܕܳܐ ܠܥܰܒܕ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܢܶܩܢܽܘܢ

11.

ܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܐܽܘܠܨܳܢܰܝ̈ܟܝ̱ ܣܳܦܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܥܽܘܗܕ̈ܳܢܰܝܟܝ̱
ܚܒܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ ܬܠܳܬܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܣܳܦܩܺܝܢ ܕܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܠܶܟܝ̱
ܣܶܦܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܬܶܬܗܰܓܺܝܢ ܟܽܘܠ ܫܳܥ ܒܫܰܪ̈ܒܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܕܺܝܰܬܺܩ̈ܺܝܢ ܫܳܛܬܝ̱ ܗܘܰܝܬܝ̱
ܕܬܶܩܪܶܝܢ ܒܗܶܝܢ ܚܰܝ̈ܰܝܟܝ̱ ܒܰܕܓܽܘܢ ܟܬܼܰܒ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܶܟܝ̱
ܬܠܳܬܳܐ ܣܶܦܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܥܰܣܩ̈ܺܝܢ ܕܬܶܩܪܶܝܢ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܢܰܓ̈ܕܶܝܟܝ̱

12.

ܢܶܒܼܛܰܠ ܒܡܳܐ ܕܰܗܘܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܬܽܘܒ ܗ̇ܘܶܐ
ܢܶܬܪܕܶܐ ܒܗܰܘ ܕܶܐܬܳܐ ܕܢܶܬܟܣܰܗ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܳܐܬܶܐ
ܢܶܥܗܰܕ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܰܥܼܒܰܪ ܕܢܶܫܪܶܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܰܥܬܺܝܕ
ܕܩܰܕܡܳܝܬܳܐ ܡܚܽܘܬܳܐ ܛܥܰܝܢ ܗܘܰܝܢ
ܡܶܨܥܳܝܬܳܐ ܬܟܰܒܬܰܢ ܕܡܶܨܥܳܝܬܳܐ ܛܥܰܝܢܰܢ
ܬܠܺܝܬܳܝܬܳܐ ܥܡܰܠܬܰܢ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܬܽܘܒ ܢܶܛܥܼܶܐ

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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