Hymn IX (Carmina Nisibena IX)

Hymn IX moves into the harder register — not jealousy or agricultural lament but shame. The city cannot ask with a clean face. Her inner life has been made to match her outer devastation; she has been full of impurity; she served divinations in secret during the years of the True One. The prayer is still made, but with the explicit acknowledgment that it cannot be made with clean hands. Set against this shame is a series of axioms that build toward confidence: truth conquers all, even the sea's bitterness cannot muddy it; God in wisdom reveals just enough of truth's mark to sustain the seeker without overwhelming them. The closing movement is theological rather than personal — through the abundance of redemptions, both the delusion of carved images and the doctrine of the Magi were exposed, and in him alone the city was redeemed. The hymn has no refrain in the preserved source. Stanza I's opening line is lost.

I.

[Opening line lost.]

My sorrows are as Job's —
your justice redeemed him;
may your grace be merciful to me.

II.

In both respects it is gain:
that the righteous shall not tire of seeking,
nor rebels grow bold to sin.

III.

She labored among the children
to guide and to help —
without a voice drawing you —
our fathers departed
and left me in peace.

IV.

In my outer harbors —
look, Lord: they are cut off.
In my inner harbors —
see, Lord: they are weakened.
For I carry my beloved ones.

V.

With swords they cropped
my outer wings;
fire kindled also
in my inner chambers —
the frankincense of swallows.

VI.

In the wilderness the sun-worshippers
slaughtered my children;
in the city the servants of Baal
sacrificed my oxen —
my sheep along with my children.

VII.

In my fields: wailing.
In my courts: their dancing.
In my vineyards: terror.
In my streets: confusion.
Who will suffice for me?

VIII.

The Evil One who acted cunningly
and stirred up through his words
made confusion from within —
that my inner life might come to resemble
all of my outer life.

IX.

With what face, Lord,
shall I call on you to send
the host of holy ones
to guard my harbors —
that are full of impurity?

X.

With your new leaven
you drew creation.
By the leaven of your likeness —
against the old leaven
that seduces and stirs.

XI.

In the open contest
your power would triumph:
you would not crown error
over your athletes —
for error hangs by seduction alone.

XII.

If in our time it should spring —
it resembles our falsehood:
for in the years of the True One
we served divinations,
and in secret remembered them.

XIII.

If I look at the time,
he provokes and openly
brings hidden things to light —
that our falsehood might be exposed,
which was clothed in truth.

XIV.

In truth it is:
truth conquers all —
and the sea with all its bitterness
cannot muddy it,
for it is clear by nature.

XV.

In wisdom you did it, Lord:
you revealed its forehead-mark,
that the child might take ease
and not be disheartened —
you veiled the crown.

XVI.

Through the trembling walls
through which you glorified me,
the wrongdoers repaid you —
with sacrifice and defiance
that angers openly.

XVII.

In that time, if only
sacrifices had been offered to delusion —
even then there was ground for excuse:
that through them
I was redeemed.

XVIII.

Through the abundance of your redemptions
you exposed both:
the delusion of carved images,
the teaching of the Magi —
for in you, Lord, I was redeemed.

Colophon

Carmina Nisibena IX — translated from Classical Syriac by the DSS Translator lineage, 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: Pentacolon stanzas — five cola per stanza (two bicola + one closing colon), roughly heptasyllabic per colon. No congregational refrain (ʿunīthā) is preserved in the DSC source.

Voice and structure: Nisibis speaks in first person throughout; stanza III shifts briefly to third person (the city describing herself). Three movements: (I) Lament and shame — comparison to Job, catalogue of devastation in outer and inner territories, the fourfold ruin of fields/courts/vineyards/streets, the Evil One who made inner confusion match outer ruin, the prayer of shame that cannot be made with a clean face (I–IX). (II) Theological axioms — the new leaven drawing creation against the old; truth unconquerable even by the sea's bitterness; the divine pedagogy of revealing just enough while veiling the crown (X–XV). (III) Exposure and doxology — the wrongdoers' repayment through sacrifice and defiance; the conditional excuse for past idolatry; the final double exposure of idol-religion and Magi-teaching; the one true redemption (XVI–XVIII).

Key translation choices: ܥܳܩ̈ܳܬܝ̱ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܺܐܝܽܘܒ (I) = "my sorrows are as Job's" — the Job comparison presents God's justice as trustworthy even in extreme suffering; Job was redeemed through that justice, and Nisibis appeals to the same precedent. ܥܽܘ̈ܒܰܝ ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ / ܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ (IV–V) = outer/inner harbors — ܥܽܘܒܳܐ carries both "womb" and "harbor/bay"; the city as body, outer territories as exposed limbs, inner quarters as the sheltered womb; stanza IV: ܦܣܺܝܩܺܝܢ = severed for the outer territories, ܡܚܺܝܠܺܝܢ = weakened for the inner. ܠܒܽܘܢܬܳܐ ܕܣܰܘܬܳܐ (V) = frankincense of swallows — the burning of swallows' nests turned to incense-smoke, the most intimate domestic spaces destroyed and rising as offering; one of Ephrem's most compressed images. ܣܳܓ̈ܽܘܕܰܝ ܫܶܡܫܳܐ (VI) = sun-worshippers, the Persian/Zoroastrian forces identified by religion rather than ethnicity. ܦܳܠܚ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܥܠܳܐ (VI) = servants of Baal, likely internal apostates within the city who reverted to older Semitic cult under Persian pressure — the double wound: enemies without and apostates within. ܒܺܐܝܓܽܘܢܳܐ (XI) = open contest — Greek agōn; combined with ܐܰܬܠܺܝ̈ܛܰܝܟ = your athletes (Greek athlētai); the martyrs and faithful are contestants in an arena where truth must win openly and cannot be overturned by seduction alone. ܚܽܘܬܚܳܬܗ̇ (XV) = forehead-mark, the frontal ornament that identifies and authenticates; God reveals enough of truth's identifying mark to sustain the seeker, but veils the full crown (ܟܠܺܝܠܳܐ) so the child is not overwhelmed — divine pedagogy at its most tender. ܕܰܓ̈ܠܺܝܦܶܐ (XVIII) = carved images, idols identified by their making rather than their name; ܡܓܽܘ̈ܫܶܐ = the Magi, Zoroastrian priests; the two religious alternatives to Christianity under Persian rule are named together and convicted by the one who redeems.

Lacuna (stanza I): The first colon of stanza I is lost in the Beck/DSC source. The missing line likely contained the opening appeal framing the Job comparison. Irretrievable from current sources.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 9 (Carmina Nisibena 9)

ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ (melody indicator): [ܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ]

1.

Line Missing
ܥܳܩ̈ܳܬܝ̱ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܺܐܝܽܘܒ ܦܪܰܩܬܶܗ ܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳܟ
ܬܶܚܢܰܢܝ̱ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ

2.

ܒܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܳܐܦ ܠܳܐ ܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ
ܢܶܠܐܽܘܢ ܠܡܶܒܥܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܡܳܪ̈ܽܘܕܶܐ
ܢܶܣܓܽܘܢ ܠܡܶܚܛܳܐ

3.

ܒܰܒ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ ܥܶܡܠܰܬ ܕܬܶܪܕܶܐ ܘܰܬܥܰܕܰܪ
ܘܰܕܠܳܐ ܒܩܳܠ ܢܶܓܕܳܟ ܢܶܟܪܽܘܢ ܐܰܒܳܗ̈ܰܝܢ
ܫܰܒܩܽܘܢܝ̱ ܒܰܫܠܳܡܳܐ

4.

ܒܥܳܒ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܚܽܘܪ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܰܦܣܺܝܩܺܝܢ
ܠܥܽܘ̈ܒܰܝ ܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܚܙܺܝ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܰܡܚܺܝܠܺܝܢ
ܕܶܐܛܥܰܢ ܚܰܒܺܝ̈ܒܰܝ

5.

ܒܣܰܝ̈ܦܶܐ ܩܰܨܶܨܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܓܶܦ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܢܽܘܪܳܐ ܩܶܕܚܰܬ ܬܽܘܒ ܒܥܽܘܒ̈ܰܝ ܓܰܘ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܠܒܽܘܢܬܳܐ ܕܣܰܘܬܳܐ

6.

ܒܕܰܒܪܳܐ ܢܟܶܣܘ̱ ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܣܳܓ̈ܽܘܕܰܝ ܫܶܡܫܳܐ
ܒܟܰܪܟܳܐ ܕܒܰܚܘ̱ ܬܰܘܪ̈ܰܝ ܦܳܠܚ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܥܠܳܐ
ܥܶܪ̈ܒܰܝ ܥܰܡ ܝ̈ܰܠܕܰܝ

7.

ܒܚܰܩ̈ܠܳܬܝ̱ ܝ̈ܰܠܠܰܬܳܐ ܒܕܳܪ̈ܳܬܝ̱ ܡܰܪܩܽܘܕܬܳܐ
ܒܟܰܪ̈ܡܰܝ ܣܽܘܪܳܕܳܐ ܒܫܽܘ̈ܩܰܝ ܒܽܘܠܒܳܠܳܐ
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܢܶܣܦܼܰܩ ܠܺܝ

8.

ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܶܐܨܛܰܢܰܥ ܘܫܰܓܶܫ ܒܡ̈ܶܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܬܘܳܗܬܳܐ ܥܒܰܕ ܡܶܢ ܓܰܘ ܕܬܶܕܡܶܐ ܓܰܘܳܝܽܘܬܝ̱
ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܠܒܰܪܳܝܽܘܬܝ̱

9.

ܒܰܐܝܠܶܝܢ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܐܰܦܰܝ̈ ܐܶܩܪܶܝܟ ܕܰܬܫܰܕܰܪ
ܡܰܫܪܺܝܬ ܩܰܕܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ ܕܰܬܢܰܛܰܪ ܥܽܘ̈ܒܰܝ
ܕܰܡܠܶܝܢ ܛܰܡܐܽܘܬܳܐ

10.

ܒܰܚܡܺܝܪܳܟ ܚܰܕܬܳܐ ܢܓܰܕܬܶܗ ܠܰܒܪܺܝܬܳܐ
ܒܰܚܡܺܝܪܳܟ ܕܶܡ̇ܳܝ ܚܡܺܝܪܳܐ ܥܰܬܺܝܩܳܐ
ܕܰܫܕܰܠ ܘܰܡܢܰܚܶܦ

11.

ܒܺܐܝܓܽܘܢܳܐ ܓܰܠܝܳܐ ܕܚܰܝܠܳܟ ܢܶܬܢܰܨܰܚ
ܕܠܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܬܟܰܠܶܠ ܛܽܘܥܝܰܝ ܠܰܐܬܠܺܝ̈ܛܰܝܟ
ܒܫܶܕܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܬܬܰܠܝܳܐ

12.

ܒܙܰܒܢܰܢ ܐܶܢ ܢ̇ܰܨܶܕ ܕܳܡܶܐ ܗܽܘ ܠܙܺܐܦܰܢ
ܕܒܰܫ̈ܢܰܝ ܫܰܪܺܝܪܳܐ ܩܶܨܡ̈ܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܫܰܡܶܫܢ ܚܢܰܢ
ܒܟܶܣܝܳܐ ܙܰܟܰܪܢ ܐܢܚܢܰܢ

13.

ܒܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܐܶܢ ܐܶܚܽܘܪ ܡܓܰܪܶܓ ܘܰܠܓܰܠܝܳܐ
ܡ̇ܰܝܬܶܐ ܟܰܣܝ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܕܢܶܬܟܰܐܰܪ ܙܺܐܦܰܢ
ܕܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܡܥܰܛܰܦ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ

14.

ܒܫܰܪܺܝܪܳܐ ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܙ̇ܟܶܐ ܟܽܠ
ܘܝܰܡܳܐ ܒܰܡܪܳܪܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܳܐ ܡܨܶܐ ܕܳܠܰܚ̇ ܠܶܗ
ܕܫܰܦܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܒܰܟܝܳܢܶܗ

15.

ܒܚܶܟܡܳܐ ܥܒܰܕܬܶܗ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܰܓܶܠܬ ܚܽܘܬܚܳܬܗ̇
ܕܫܰܒܪܳܐ ܢܶܬܪܰܦܶܐ ܘܰܕܠܳܐ ܢܶܬܠܰܒܰܒ
ܚܰܦܬܶܗ ܠܰܟܠܺܝܠܳܐ

16.

ܒܫܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ ܪ̈ܰܥܺܝܠܶܐ ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ ܢܰܨܰܚܬܳܢܝ̱
ܦܰܪܥܽܘܟ ܛܳܠܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܕܶܒܼܚܳܐ ܘܢܽܘܩܳܝܳܐ
ܕܡܰܪܓܶܙ ܓܰܠܝܳܐܺܝܬ

17.

ܒܗܰܘ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܐܶܠܽܘ ܕܶܒܚ̈ܶܐ ܐܶܬܩܰܪܰܒܘ̱
ܠܛܽܘܥܝܰܝ ܐܳܦ ܐܰܬܪܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܡܰܣܒܳܪܽܘ
ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ ܐܶܬܦܰܪܩܶܬ

18.

ܒܣܽܘܓܳܐܐ ܕܦܽܘܪ̈ܩܳܢܶܐ ܐܰܟܣܶܬ ܠܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ
ܠܛܽܘܥܝܰܝ ܕܰܓ̈ܠܺܝܦܶܐ ܠܝܽܘܠܦܳܢ ܡܓܽܘ̈ܫܶܐ
ܕܒܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܐܶܬܦܰܪܩܶܬ

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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