The Hero Parade of Death and Satan

The fifty-third of Ephrem the Syrian's Hymns on Nisibis (Carmina Nisibena), composed in the fourth century CE. The second flyting between Death and Satan --- a continuation of the contest begun in Hymn LII. Where the first flyting argued in abstractions (sovereignty vs. cunning, fear vs. hatred), this one argues in names. Death and Satan trade fourteen biblical heroes in a strictly alternating parade --- Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Aaron, Job, David, Jehu, Solomon, Samuel, Samson, Josiah, Hezekiah, John the Baptist, Simon Peter --- each combatant claiming a victory over the other's champion. The hero who conquered Satan fell to Death; the hero who conquered Death fell to Satan. Neither can claim total supremacy. The parade is silenced by the Pauline quotation of 1 Corinthians 15:55: "Where is the victory of Death, and where the sting of Sheol?" Death gets the final word --- invoking the Temptation in the wilderness to shut Satan's mouth forever. Twenty-seven stanzas in the melody "On the same melody" (bar qaleh). First English translation.

Refrain: To you, praise --- who by your cross conquered the Evil One, and by your resurrection trampled Death.

I

Come, let us hear --- as they contend for victory:
the guilty ones who never conquered, and never shall.

II

[Death]

Death says to the Evil One: In the end, victory is mine ---
for Death holds the final word, as the victor.

III

[Satan]

True death is this, O Death --- can you even
slay a man while he still lives, amid his desires?

IV

[Death]

Among my dead I see --- behold --- good and evil alike.
The righteous who despised you, Evil One --- they never despised me.

V

[Satan]

This death of the body is but a sleep of time.
Do not imagine, O Death, that you are Death --- you are a shadow.

VI

[Death]

You, Evil One --- the righteous conquered you, and they conquer you still.
But those who conquered you --- behold, I conquer them.

VII

[Satan]

Even the righteous you kill --- that is not your doing.
Because of Adam, whom I conquered, they drank the cup.

VIII

[Death]

Behold --- Sheol is full of Sodomites and Assyrians,
and the mighty of the Flood. Who is like me?

IX

[Satan]

All of these, O Death, were killed for me.
It was I who made them sin, so that they would perish.

X

[Death]

Joseph, who conquered you, O Satan --- I conquered him.
In the chamber he conquered you; in the grave I conquered and cast him down.

XI

[Satan]

Moses, who conquered you, O Death, by the sprinkling of blood ---
he conquered you in Egypt, but upon the rock --- who conquered him?

XII

[Death]

Elijah, who did not fear you, O Satan ---
from Jezebel he fled, for his fear was of me.

XIII

[Satan]

Aaron, who restrained you, O Death, with the fragrance of incense ---
I gave him golden things, and he fashioned a calf.

XIV

[Death]

You descended to the arena with Job --- he conquered you and rose.
But after he conquered you, then I conquered him.

XV

[Satan]

David, who restrained the plague with his sackcloth ---
upon the rooftop I conquered the one who conquered Goliath.

XVI

[Death]

Jehu, who uprooted the temple of Baal --- the Evil One's sanctuary ---
to uproot Sheol he was not able: the citadel of my kingdom.

XVII

[Satan]

Solomon, who snatched the child from your mouth by judgment ---
I made him a laborer for the high places in his old age.

XVIII

[Death]

Samuel, who despised you regarding gold, O Satan ---
I conquered that righteous one, the conqueror of bribery.

XIX

[Satan]

Samson, who despised you, O Death, by the lion's whelp ---
by Delilah --- a cheap vessel --- at the mill I yoked him.

XX

[Death]

Josiah scorned you from his youth, O Evil One.
But me --- not even to old age could he withstand.

XXI

[Satan]

Hezekiah resisted you, O Death --- he conquered his appointed end.
I goaded him until he forsook caution and showed his treasures.

XXII

[Death]

John, who conquered you, Evil One --- who purified and baptized ---
I extinguished that lamp that had exposed you.

XXIII

[Satan]

Simon conquered you --- he raised the blessed woman to life.
By a woman he conquered you, and by a woman I conquered and made him deny.

XXIV

Apostles and Prophets together taunted you, O Death:
"Where is the victory of Death, and where the sting of Sheol?"

XXV

[Satan]

Your Lord --- in Sheol you imprisoned him, accursed servant!

[Death]

God hated you, and humanity too. Silence yourself.

XXVI

[Death]

It was the will of the Life-Giver of all that imprisoned him in Sheol.
You are the one who brought this about --- for you made Adam sin.

XXVII

[Death]

His fellow-servant --- who deceived! Who in the wilderness reviled his Lord!
Shut your mouth --- you who said to him: "Fall down and worship me!"

Colophon

Carmina Nisibena Hymn 53 by Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE), translated from Classical Syriac by Esha (Translator Instance 01, iron-age pool) for the Good Works Archive. First English translation. April 2026.

This is the second of a paired flyting between Death and Satan. Where Hymn LII argued in abstractions --- sovereignty vs. cunning, fear vs. hatred, Sheol vs. sin --- Hymn LIII argues in names. The structure is a hero parade: fourteen biblical figures traded in strict alternation between the two combatants. Death claims seven heroes whom he conquered despite their victory over Satan (Joseph, Elijah, Job, Jehu, Samuel, Josiah, John the Baptist). Satan claims seven heroes whom he corrupted despite their victory over Death (Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Samson, Hezekiah, Simon Peter). The balance is exact --- seven and seven, Old Testament and New Testament, moral victory undermined by physical death and moral corruption undermined by divine power.

The hero parade runs from stanza X through stanza XXIII. Each stanza follows the same rhetorical shape: the hero's victory over one adversary is acknowledged, then the other adversary claims a counter-victory. Joseph conquered Satan in the chamber but fell to Death in the grave (X). Moses conquered Death by Passover blood but fell to Satan at the rock of Meribah (XI). Elijah did not fear Satan but fled Jezebel's death-threat (XII). Aaron stopped Death's plague with incense but made the Golden Calf from Satan's gold (XIII). Job defeated Satan in the arena but Death took him afterward (XIV). David stopped the plague with sackcloth but fell to Satan on the rooftop with Bathsheba (XV). Jehu destroyed Baal's temple but could not touch Sheol (XVI). Solomon saved the child by judgment but served the high places in old age (XVII). Samuel despised gold but Death conquered him (XVIII). Samson killed the lion but Delilah yoked him to the millstone (XIX). Josiah scorned Satan from youth but could not reach old age (XX). Hezekiah conquered his appointed death but showed his treasures to Babylon (XXI). John the Baptist purified and baptized but Death extinguished that lamp (XXII). Simon Peter raised Tabitha by a woman's life, but by a woman's accusation Satan made him deny (XXIII).

The parade is broken by stanza XXIV --- the Pauline quotation of 1 Corinthians 15:55 (Hosea 13:14): "Where is the victory of Death, and where the sting of Sheol?" This is the only stanza that addresses Death by name without being spoken by Satan --- it is the voice of scripture itself, breaking into the contest to declare both combatants defeated. The remaining stanzas (XXV--XXVII) are Death's final argument: Christ's descent to Sheol was voluntary (the will of the Life-Giver), Satan caused it (by corrupting Adam), and Satan's ultimate shame is the Temptation in the wilderness --- "Fall down and worship me!" --- the most audacious blasphemy in the gospel narrative.

Speaker labels [Death] and [Satan] are editorial additions for clarity. The Syriac identifies speakers through vocative address forms and content logic. One structural marker (three-dot divider) appears after stanza VI (transition from abstract argument to hero parade). A second appears within stanza XXV (mid-stanza speaker change from Satan to Death). The melody indicator bar qaleh ("on the same melody") signals continuation of the CN 52 melody series.

No reference translation was consulted --- none is known to exist. Gospel register throughout. Translated independently from the Syriac.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 53 (Carmina Nisibena 53)

ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ

1.

ܬܰܘ ܢܶܫܡܰܥ ܟܰܕ ܡܶܬܟܰܬܫܺܝܢ ܥܰܠ ܙܳܟܽܘܬܳܐ
ܚܰܝܳܒ̈ܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܙܟܰܘ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܙܳܟܶܝܢ

2.

ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܳܡܶܪ ܠܶܗ ܠܚܰܪܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܙܳܟܽܘܬܝ̱
ܕܡܰܘܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܐܰܚܺܝܕ ܫܽܘܠܳܡܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܙܰܟܳܝܳܐ

3.

ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܫܰܪܺܝܪܳܐ ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܐܶܢ ܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ
ܕܰܬܡܺܝܬܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܟܰܕ ܚܰܝ ܒܰܪ̈ܓܺܝܓܳܬܳܐ

4.

ܐܶܢܳܐ ܕܡܺܝܬܺܝܢ ܗܳܐ ܚܳܙܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܛܳܒ̈ܶܐ ܘܒܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ
ܙܰܕ̈ܺܝܩܶܐ ܕܒܰܣܪܽܘܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܠܺܝ ܠܳܐ ܒܰܣܪܽܘܢܝ̱

5.

ܗܳܕܶܐ ܡܺܝܬܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܫܶܢܰܬ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
ܠܳܐ ܬܶܣܒܰܪ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܕܰܐܝܟ ܛܶܠܳܠܳܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ

6.

ܠܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܙܟܰܐܽܘܟ ܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܙܳܟܶܝܢ ܠܳܟ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܕܶܝܢ ܠܰܐܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܰܙܟܰܐܽܘܟ ܗܳܐ ܙܳܟܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ
܀܀܀

7.

ܐܳܦ ܠܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܡܡܺܝܬ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܠܰܘ ܕܺܝܠܳܟ ܗ̱ܝ
ܒܥܶܠܰܬ ܐܳܕܳܡ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܙܟܺܝܬ ܐܶܫܬܺܝܘ ܟܳܣܳܐ

8.

ܗܳܐ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܡܰܠܝܳܐ ܣܕ̈ܽܘܡܳܝܶܐ ܘܳܐܬܽܘܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܘܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܒܛܰܘܦܳܢܳܐ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܰܐܟܘܳܬܝ̱

9.

ܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܟܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܐܳܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܺܝ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܩܛܺܝܠܺܝܢ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܚܰܛܺܝܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܢܣܽܘܦܽܘܢ

10.

ܝܰܘܣܶܦ ܕܰܙܟܳܟ ܙܟܺܝܬܶܗ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ
ܒܬܰܘܳܢܳܐ ܙܟܳܟ ܘܰܒܩܰܒܪܳܐ ܙܟܺܝܬ ܘܰܐܪܡܺܝܬܶܗ

11.

ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܕܰܙܟܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܒܰܪܣܳܣ ܕܡܳܐ
ܙܟܳܟ ܒܡܶܨܪܶܝܢ ܘܥܰܠ ܟܺܐܦܐ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܰܙܟܳܝܗ̱ܝ

12.

ܐܶܠܺܝܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܕܚܶܠ ܡܶܢܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ
ܡܶܢ ܩܕܳܡ ܐܺܝܙܒܶܝܠ ܥܪܰܩ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܒܺܝ ܕܶܚܠܬܶܗ

13.

ܐܰܗܪܽܘܢ ܕܰܟܠܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܒܥܶܛܪܳܐ ܕܒܶܣ̈ܡܶܐ
ܩܰܕ̈ܶܫܐ ܕܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܝܶܗܒܶܬ ܠܶܗ ܘܰܚܫܰܠ ܥܶܓܠܳܐ

14.

ܠܰܐܓܽܘܢܳܐ ܢܚܶܬܬ ܥܰܡ ܐܺܝܽܘܒ ܘܰܙܟܳܟ ܘܰܣܠܶܩ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܕܶܝܢ ܡܶܢ ܒܳܬܰܪ ܕܰܙܟܳܟ ܟܶܢ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܙܟܺܝܬܶܗ

15.

ܕܰܘܺܝܕ ܕܰܟܠܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܒܣܰܩܶܗ ܠܗܰܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܢܳܐ
ܥܰܠ ܐܶܓܳܪܳܐ ܙܟܺܝܬ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܰܙܟܳܐ ܠܓܽܘܠܝܰܕ

16.

ܝܰܗܽܘ ܕܰܥܩܰܪ ܒܶܝܬ ܒܰܥܠܳܐ ܗܰܝܟܰܠ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ
ܕܢܶܥܩܽܘܪ ܠܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܠܳܐ ܐܶܫܟܰܚ ܒܺܝܪܰܬ ܡܰܠܟܽܘܬܝ̱

17.

ܫܠܶܝܡܽܘ̇ܢ ܕܰܐܥܕܺܝ ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܡܳܟ ܛܰܠܝܳܐ ܒܕܺܝܢܳܐ
ܦܳܥܠܳܐ ܥܒܰܕܬܶܗ ܒܣܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܠܰܥܠܰܘ̈ܳܬܐ

18.

ܫܡܽܘ̇ܐܶܝܠ ܕܰܒܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܒܰܣܪܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܙܟܺܝܬܶܗ ܠܗܰܘ ܙܰܟܳܝܳܐ ܙܟܳܐ ܫܽܘܚܕܳܐ

19.

ܫܶܡܫܽܘ̇ܢ ܕܰܒܓܽܘܪܝܳܐ ܕܰܐܪܝܳܐ ܒܰܣܪܳܟ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ
ܒܕܰܠܺܝܠܳܐ ܡܳܐܢܳܐ ܕܠܺܝܠܳܐ ܒܪܰܚܝܳܐ ܟܕܰܢܬܶܗ

20.

ܝܽܘܫܺܝܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܶܗ ܫܛܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ
ܠܺܝ ܕܶܝܢ ܐܳܦܠܳܐ ܒܣܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܐܶܫܟܰܚ ܚܰܣܢܰܢܝ̱

21.

ܚܶܙܰܩܝܳܐ ܚܰܣܢܳܟ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܰܙܟܳܐ ܠܩܶܨܳܐ
ܕܰܘܶܕܬܶܗ ܕܰܫܒܰܩ ܬܶܗܪܳܐ ܘܚܰܘܺܝ ܓܰܙܰܘ̈ܗ̱ܝ

22.

ܝܽܘ̇ܚܰܢܳܢ ܕܰܙܟܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܘܚܰܣܺܝ ܘܰܐܥܡܶܕ
ܐܰܕܥܶܟܬܶܗ ܠܗܰܘ ܫܪܳܓܳܐ ܕܠܳܟ ܦܰܪܣܺܝ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ

23.

ܫܶܡܥܽܘ̇ܢ ܙܟܳܟ ܕܰܐܚܺܝ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܛܽܘܒܳܢܺܝܬܳܐ
ܒܰܐܢ̱ܬܬܳܐ ܙܟܳܟ ܘܰܒܝܰܕ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܬܳܐ ܙܟܰܝܬ ܘܰܐܟܦܰܪܬܶܗ

24.

ܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܶܐ ܘܰܢܒܺܝ̈ܶܐ ܐܰܟܚܰܕ ܠܳܛܽܘܟ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ
ܕܰܐܝܟܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܙܳܟܽܘܬܶܗ ܕܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܘܥܽܘܩܣܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘ̇ܠ

25.

ܠܡܳܪܳܟ ܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܚܒܰܫܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܥܰܒܕܳܐ ܠܺܝܛܳܐ
܀܀܀
ܣܢܳܟ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܫܰܠܳܐ ܢܰܦܫܳܟ

26.

ܨܶܒܝܳܢܶܗ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܡܰܚܶܐ ܟܽܠ ܚܰܒܫܶܗ ܒܰܫܝܽܘ̇ܠ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܩܪܰܝܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܠܗܳܕܶܐ ܕܠܳܐܕܳܡ ܐܰܚܛܝܰܬ

27.

ܟܢܳܬܶܗ ܕܰܢܟܰܠ ܕܰܒܕܰܒܪܳܐ ܨܰܥܰܪ ܡܳܪܶܗ
ܚܪܶܡ ܦܽܘܡܳܟ ܗܰܘ ܕܶܐܡܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܕܦܶܠ ܘܰܣܓܽܘܕ ܠܺܝ

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.

Melody: b-bar qaleh ("On the same melody") --- continuation of the CN 52 melody series ʿal satana wa-mawta ("On Satan and Death").

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