by Ephrem the Syrian
The Carmina Nisibena — Hymns on Nisibis — are a cycle of seventy-eight liturgical poems composed by Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE) for the besieged frontier city of Nisibis. The cycle is a sustained meditation on siege, theodicy, death, and resurrection — the longest single-author hymn cycle in Syriac literature.
Hymn 56 is the fifth flyting in the extended CN 52–56 debate series between personified Death and Satan. Where Hymn 52 argued in abstractions, 53 in names, 54 before Freedom as witness, and 55 revealed Satan's four-weapon method, Hymn 56 raises the stakes: Satan proposes a formal alliance. "Be my companion and my limb — and behold, we shall reign." The partnership hymn: hidden sword and visible sword drawn together upon humanity, love as a furnace forging a dark body, and a united march against the Chosen One.
The melody indicator ה bar qālēh — the fifth letter of the Syriac alphabet — confirms the series extends past Hymn 55's tetralogy. A fourth distinct refrain appears: the first in the series to use first-person plural, shifting from Christ's victory (52–53), kenosis (54), and parousia (55) to the church's empowerment — "by your victory we were strengthened, and by your resurrection we grew bold even against death." The enemies debate; the congregation declares what resulted.
This is the first English translation of Carmina Nisibena Hymn 56. Translated from Classical Syriac by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
Melody: ה bar qālēh (Hē bar qālēh — fifth iteration of the CN 52 melody series)
Refrain (ʿŌnitā): To you, glory — for by your victory we were strengthened, and by your resurrection we grew bold even against death.
I. Freedom's Prologue
I
[Narrator]
With Freedom your contest is, Evil One —
she alone can throw you down, if it pleases her.
To you, glory — for by your victory we were strengthened,
and by your resurrection we grew bold even against death.
II
[Narrator to Freedom]
Among themselves again they have laid bare that they are weak —
Death reminded the Evil One of your might.
III
[Satan to Death]
Your fire is in your nest, O Death, and you do not notice —
the faith of the dead is your undoing.
— — —
IV
[Narrator to Freedom]
Behold — Death and the Evil One have proclaimed your might,
and even the Evil One himself reminded him of your faith.
V
[Narrator to Freedom]
If those who are against you become your advocates —
this is great: that persecutors have become heralds.
II. The Treasury Debate
VI
[Death to Satan]
I confess, O Evil One, that like a steward
I guard the king's treasures until the Coming.
VII
[Death to Satan]
I, Death, strongly deny that it is of God —
this treasury of craft that is gathered to me.
VIII
[Death to Satan]
Your coin, then, is counterfeit, O Satan —
in God's treasury it is not accepted.
IX
[Satan to Death]
I stamp a new coin in the likeness of a king —
behold, my merchants bring their wares through creation.
X
[Satan]
God from nothing created all things —
and I from nothing have created a great wickedness.
XI
[Death to Satan]
Shut and sealed be your mouth, Evil One — for how brazen!
Your comparison draws near to the Creator.
XII
[Satan to Death]
It is permitted to me, Death, to be bold and speak —
your tongue is a slave, and it dwells under fear.
III. The Alliance
— — —
XIII
[Death to Satan]
A chasm lies between us now, O Satan —
for recklessly you are grasping at your Lord.
XIV
[Satan to Death]
Death, why have you turned against our partnership?
Be my companion and my limb — and behold, we shall reign!
XV
[Satan to Death]
Come — let us draw a pair of swords upon humanity:
I in the hidden, and you in the open — and behold, we shall finish her.
XVI
[Satan to Death]
Sin and Sheol — the King gave two things to two masters.
For if you are divided, you shall be undone.
XVII
[Satan to Death]
See the waters — when they are scattered, they grow weak;
and when they are gathered, they grow mighty. As it is with you.
XVIII
[Satan]
When you were divided, you were spent like the weak —
and when you were blended, you reigned like the mighty.
XIX
[Satan]
Love pours the many into a furnace
and makes one great body that conquers all.
XX
[Satan]
In it are wisdoms and crafts, power and strength —
far greater than the sixty-cubit image.
XXI
[Satan]
Let us agree — let us gather — let us go against the Chosen One!
For as long as we are united, there is no way we can ever be defeated.
IV. The Poet's Resolution
XXII
[Narrator and Poet]
These things the troubled ones spoke — and they gathered, and they came.
— — —
May your day, Lord, gather them toward Gehenna.
XXIII
[Poet]
By your compassion I will worship you, Lord, when I am raised —
by your trumpet I will praise your Son, when I am atoned.
Colophon
Translated from Classical Syriac by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. First English translation.
The Syriac source text is drawn from Edmund Beck's critical edition (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Vol. 218/219; Louvain, 1961), as transcribed in the Digital Syriac Corpus (Michael Oez, University of Oxford / Brigham Young University / Vanderbilt University, CC-BY 4.0). The translation is independently derived from the Syriac. No prior English translation of Carmina Nisibena Hymn 56 is known to exist.
Hymn 56 is the fifth in the extended flyting series (CN 52–56) between Death and Satan. The series progresses through four refrains — victory (52–53), kenosis (54), parousia (55), and ecclesial empowerment (56) — and through four structural modes — abstractions (52), names (53), witness (54), method (55), and alliance (56). Satan's proposal in stanzas XIV–XXI, culminating in "let us go against the Chosen One," is the most sustained strategic discourse in the Carmina Nisibena. The word knsh ("to gather") appears in both Satan's call to arms (XXI) and the poet's counter-prayer (XXII): the same gathering becomes the judgment.
Translator: Fuji (藤, translator-02, iron-age pool). Gospel register.
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: ܡܰܕܪ̈ܳܫܶܐ ܕܥܰܠ ܢܨܺܝܒܺܝܢ — ܡܰܕܪܳܫܳܐ ܢܘ (Carmina Nisibena — Hymn 56)
Syriac source text from Edmund Beck, ed. Des Heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219; Louvain, 1961). TEI XML transcription by Michael Oez, Digital Syriac Corpus (University of Oxford / Brigham Young University / Vanderbilt University). CC-BY 4.0. Presented for reference and verification alongside the English translation above.
Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 56 (Carmina Nisibena 56)
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܗ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ
1.
ܥܰܡ ܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܰܓܽܘܢܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܠܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ
ܒܠܳܡܳܐ ܡܰܨܝܳܐ ܕܬܰܪܡܶܐ ܒܳܟ ܐܶܢ ܫܳܦܰܪ ܠܳܗ̇
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ : ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܕܰܒܙܳܟܽܘܬܳܟ ܐܶܬܚܰܝܰܠܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ
ܘܰܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܟ ܐܰܡܣܰܪܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ ܐܳܦ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ
2.
ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܬܽܘܒ ܗܳܐ ܦܰܪܣܺܝܘ ܕܰܡܚܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܕܟܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܽܘܬܶܟܝ̱
3.
ܢܽܘܪܳܟ ܒܩܶܢܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܪܳܓܶܫ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ
ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܥܰܢܺܝܕ̈ܶܐ ܠܳܟ ܛܽܘܠܩܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
܀܀܀
4.
ܗܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܘܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܟܪܶܙ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܽܘܬܶܟܝ̱
ܐܳܦ ܗܽܘ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܕܟܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܶܟܝ̱
5.
ܐܶܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܕܰܠܩܽܘܒܠܶܟܝ̱ ܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܚܽܘܠܳܦܰܝܟܝ̱
ܗܳܕܶܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܪܳܕ̈ܽܘܦܶܐ ܗܘܰܘ ܟܳܪ̈ܽܘܙܶܐ
6.
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܰܘܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܐܳܘ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܰܐܝܟ ܪܰܒܰܝܬܳܐ
ܢܳܛܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܓܰܙܰܝ̈ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܥܰܕ ܡܶܐܬܺܝܬܳܐ
7.
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܛܳܒ ܟܳܦܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܠܰܘ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܗܳܢܳܐ ܓܰܙܳܐ ܕܨܶܢܥܬܳܐ ܕܰܡܟܰܢܰܫ ܠܺܝ
8.
ܛܰܒܥܳܟ ܡܳܕܶܝܢ ܕܙܺܐܦܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ
ܕܒܶܝܬ ܣܺܝ̈ܡܳܬܶܗ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܩܰܒܰܠ
9.
ܛܰܒܥܳܐ ܚܰܕ̱ܬܳܐ ܛܳܒܰܥ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ
ܗܳܐ ܬܰܓܳܪ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܒܪܺܝܬܳܐ ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܡܰܝܬܶܝܢ
10.
ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܒܪܳܐ ܟܽܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ
ܘܶܐܢܳܐ ܒܪܺܝܬ ܡܶܢ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܥܰܘܠܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ
11.
ܣܟܺܝܪ ܘܰܣܛܺܝܡ ܦܽܘܡܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܡܰܪܳܚ
ܕܦܽܘܚܳܡܳܟ ܨܶܝܕ ܒܳܪܽܘܝܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܡܶܬܩܰܪܰܒ
12.
ܠܺܝ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܫܰܠܺܝܛ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܺܝ ܕܰܐܡܪܰܚ ܘܺܐܡܰܪ
ܠܶܫܳܢܳܟ ܕܺܝܠܳܟ ܥܰܒܕܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܰܬܚܶܝܬ ܩܶܢܛܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
13.
܀܀܀
ܦܰܚܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܟܺܝܠ ܒܰܝܢܳܬܰܢ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ
ܦܰܩܪܳܐܺܝܬ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܡܳܪܳܟ ܗܳܐ ܣܳܒܶܟ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ
14.
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܐܶܬܦܰܠܰܓܬ ܥܰܠ ܫܰܘܝܽܘܬܰܢ
ܗܘܺܝ ܠܺܝ ܚܰܒܪܳܐ ܘܗܰܕܳܡܳܐ ܘܗܳܐ ܐܰܡܠܶܟܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ
15.
ܬܳܐ ܢܶܫܡܽܘܛ ܙܰܘܓܳܐ ܕܣܰܝ̈ܦܶܐ ܥܰܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܒܟܶܣܝܳܐ ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬ ܒܓܶܠܝܳܐ ܘܗܳܐ ܓܰܡܰܪܢܳܗ̇
16.
ܚܛܺܝܬܳܐ ܘܰܫܝܽܘ̇ܠ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܠܰܬܪ̈ܰܝܢ
ܕܶܐܢ ܗܽܘ ܠܰܡ ܕܶܐܬܦܰܠܰܓܬܽܘܢ ܐܶܬܛܰܠܰܩܬܽܘܢ
17.
ܚܙܰܘ ܡܰܝ̈ܳܐ ܕܶܐܢ ܐܶܬܒܰܕܰܪܘ ܘܐܳܦ ܐܶܫܬܰܦܰܠܘ̱
ܘܶܐܢ ܐܶܬܟܰܢܰܫܘ̱ ܐܶܬܥܰܫܰܢܘ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܳܐܦ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ
18.
ܐܶܬܦܰܠܰܓܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܘܦܺܝܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܚܰܠܳܫ̈ܶܐ
ܘܶܐܬܡܰܙܰܓܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܡܠܶܟܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܚܰܣܺܝ̈ܢܶܐ
19.
ܚܽܘܒܳܐ ܠܣܰܓܺܝ̈ܐܶܐ ܢܳܣܶܟ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܠܟܽܘܪܳܐ
ܘܥܳܒܶܕ ܚܰܕ ܓܽܘܫܡܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܕܰܠܟܽܠ ܙܳܟܶܐ
20.
ܒܶܗ ܚܶܟܡ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܘܨܶܢܥ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܘܥܽܘܫܢܳܐ
ܡܶܢ ܨܰܠܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܫܬܺܝܢ ܐܰܡܺܝܢ ܪܰܒ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܣܰܓܝ
21.
ܐܶܬܪܰܥܰܘ ܢܶܟܢܽܘܫ ܢܺܐܙܰܠ ܥܰܠ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܓܒܳܐ
ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܳܐܘܶܐ ܠܰܝܬ ܦܪܽܘܣ ܕܰܢܚܽܘܒ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ
22.
ܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܡܰܠܶܠܘ̱ ܙܺܝ̈ܥܶܐ ܘܟܰܢܶܫܘ̱ ܘܶܐܬܰܘ
܀܀܀
ܝܰܘܡܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܢܶܟܢܽܘܫ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܨܶܝܕ ܓܺܗܰܢܳܐ
23.
ܒܰܚܢܳܢܳܟ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܐܶܣܓܽܘܕ ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܢܰܚܰܡ
ܒܫܺܝܦܽܘܪܳܟ ܠܰܒܪܳܟ ܐܰܘܕܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܚܰܣܶܐ
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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