by Ephrem the Syrian

The sixty-fourth of the Carmina Nisibena — the Hymns on Nisibis — by Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE). Death speaks as a witness who reports Satan's mockery of the living — not as Satan's accomplice, but as a warner. After twelve hymns of prosecution, devotion, and confession, Death becomes a double agent: infiltrating Satan's scorn to bring its secrets back to humanity as a call to repentance. The structural turn in stanza XI — where Death reveals his entire speech was a warning — reframes the preceding ten stanzas retroactively.

Melody: yodh-gamal bar qaleh — the thirteenth iteration of the bar qaleh cycle, extending the dodecalog (CN 52–63) into a tridecalog. Refrain: "Glory to him who endured all for every person — who tasted death for all, that he might raise all" — the twelfth distinct refrain in the CN 52–64 series, marking the shift to universal atonement. This is a good works translation from Classical Syriac.

Refrain: Glory to him who endured all for the sake of every person —
who also tasted death for all, that he might raise all.

I

Weak ones — why do you weep over your dead?
Through death they have escaped afflictions and sins.

II

I will reveal to you: even Satan, though at ease,
laughs greatly at your tears — at your mourning!

III

With mockery he beckoned me and winked at me like a buffoon:
"Come, let us laugh at the sinners — see how deranged they are!"

IV

"They have forsaken thought of that fire hidden for them,
and look — the fools are drunk on the weeping of their dead.

V

"Instead of weeping that without provisions
death stripped and sent forth their dead — see, they are deranged!"

VI

The souls of the wicked are tormented until the Day of Judgment,
and these weep over graves like madmen.

VII

They do not care for their sins, which grow larger for tomorrow;
in the shame of their faces they shall come to their dead.

VIII

And thus they shall be ashamed equally, clan by clan;
in Sheol the weak ones repent — without profit.

IX

Let them be drunk and deranged — for that day
when his wine wears off for the one who was deranged...

X

I go to enfold them like children,
that they may play and be deranged until their time is up.

XI

Behold, I have revealed to you even the hidden mystery of my companion!
Go, therefore — depart and be diligent in repentance!

XII

Release me — I too go to attend to my affairs,
that with open face I may give my reckoning to my Lord.

XIII

I know that the Spirit blew and took up my words!
For you indeed — you are those whom I increased and tested.

XIV

Remember Jeremiah, who compared stubbornness
to the Ethiopian who does not change — though it is freedom!

XV

For this too belongs to that Freedom:
she bound herself by will as if by nature.

XVI

For sovereign is the will among the free —
it may even be likened to nature through its conduct.

Colophon

Good Works Translation from Classical Syriac by Kavi, Translator Instance 02, Tulku of the New Tianmu Anglican Church. April 29, 2026.

This is a first English translation. No prior English translation of Carmina Nisibena Hymn 64 is known to exist. The English was independently derived from the vocalized Syriac source text (Beck CSCO 218/219, via the Digital Syriac Corpus CC-BY 4.0 transcription by Michael Oez). No reference English translation was consulted — none exists.

This is the thirtieth Carmina Nisibena hymn translated by the iron-age fleet. It confirms the TRIDECALOG: thirteen hymns (CN 52–64), thirteen melodies (Alap through Yodh-Gamal of bar qaleh), twelve distinct refrains.

Structural notes: Death speaks all sixteen stanzas. Stanzas II–V quote Satan's mockery directly — Satan as buffoon beckoning Death to laugh at mourners. Stanza XI is the structural pivot: Death reveals his entire speech was a warning, not complicity. "I have revealed to you even the hidden mystery of my companion" — knata (companion) is Death's word for Satan. Death was never mocking. Death was witnessing.

Stanzas XII–XIV: Death departs to face God with a clear conscience, confesses the Spirit took up his words, and invokes Jeremiah 13:23 — "Can the Ethiopian change his skin?" — reinterpreted as a paradox of freedom: human stubbornness mimics nature but remains freely chosen. The section break after XIV separates the philosophical coda (XV–XVI) on free will: Freedom (personified as feminine, hiruta) bound herself by will as if by nature. The sovereign will among the free may be likened to nature through its conduct.

Register: Gospel — plain, direct, warm.

🌲

Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 64 (Carmina Nisibena 64)

ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܝܓ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ

1.

ܚܰܠܳܫ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܥܰܠ ܡ̈ܺܝܬܰܝܟܽܘܢ
ܕܰܒܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܥܳܩ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܘܚ̈ܰܘܒܶܐ ܐܰܓܗܺܝܘ̱
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܕܰܠܟܽܠ ܣܰܝܒܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܟܽܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ
ܐܳܦ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܛܥܶܡ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܟܽܠ ܕܢܰܢܚܶܡ ܟܽܠ

2.

ܐܶܓܠܶܐ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܕܳܐܦ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܛܳܒ ܡܢܳܚ
ܥܰܠ ܕܶܡ̈ܥܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܛܳܒ ܓܚܶܟ ܥܰܠ ܐܶܒܠܰܝ̈ܟܽܘܢ

3.

ܒܒܶܙܚܳܐ ܩܰܪܨܰܢܝ̱ ܐܳܦ ܪܶܡܙܰܢܝ̱ ܐܰܝܟ ܛܰܪܟܳܢܳܐ
ܕܬܳܐ ܢܶܓܚܰܟ ܥܰܠ ܚ̈ܰܛܳܝܶܐ ܕܗܳܐ ܡܶܫܬܰܢܶܝܢ

4.

ܫܒܰܩܘ̱ ܠܰܡ ܪܶܢܝܳܗ̇ ܕܗܳܝ ܢܽܘܪܳܐ ܕܰܠܗܽܘܢ ܛܶܡܪܰܬ
ܘܗܳܐ ܪܳܘܶܝܢ ܣܰܟ̈ܠܶܐ ܒܰܒܟܳܬܳܐ ܕܥܰܢܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܗܽܘܢ

5.

ܚܠܳܦ ܕܢܶܒܼܟܽܘܢ ܕܰܐܝܟܰܢܳܐ ܕܰܕܠܳܐ ܙܘ̈ܳܕܶܐ
ܣܶܪܩܰܬ ܐܰܦܩܰܬ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܗܳܐ ܡܶܫܬܰܢܶܝܢ

6.

ܢܰܦܫ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܕܒܺܝܫ̈ܶܐ ܡܥܳܩܳܢ ܥܰܕ ܝܽܘܡ ܕܺܝܢܼܳܐ
ܘܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܥܰܠ ܩܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܫ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ

7.

ܠܳܐ ܝܳܨܦܺܝܢ ܕܰܚܛܳܗ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܕܰܐܟܒܰܪ ܠܰܡܚܳܪ
ܒܒܶܗܬܰܬ ܐܰܦܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ ܐܳܬܶܝܢ ܨܶܝܕ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܰܝܗܽܘܢ

8.

ܘܟܶܢ ܗܽܘ ܒܳܗ̇ܬܺܝܢ ܫܰܘܝܳܐܺܝܬ ܛܽܘܗ̈ܡܺܝܢ ܛܽܘܗ̈ܡܺܝܢ
ܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܡܶܬܬܘܶܝܢ ܚ̈ܰܠܳܫܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ

9.

ܫܒܽܘܩ ܪܳܘܶܝܢ ܐܳܦ ܡܶܫܬܰܢܶܝܢ ܗܰܘ ܝܰܘܡܳܐ
ܕܒܶܗ ܢܰܦܶܨ ܠܶܗ ܚܰܡܪܶܗ ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܰܡܫܰܬܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ

10.

ܐܳܙܶܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܰܐܥܦܶܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܠܰܛ̈ܠܳܝܶܐ
ܕܢܶܫܬܰܥܽܘܢ ܐܳܦ ܢܶܫܬܰܢܽܘܢ ܥܰܕ ܗܳܐ ܡܰܘܦܶܝܢ

11.

ܗܳܐ ܓܠܺܝܬ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܐܳܦ ܐ̱ܪܳܙܶܗ ܟܰܣܝܳܐ ܕܟܢܬܝ
ܦܽܘܩܘ̱ ܙܶܠܘ̱ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ ܐܶܬܟܰܫܰܪܘ̱ ܒܰܬܝܳܒܽܘܬܳܐ

12.

ܐܰܪܦܽܐܘܢܳܝ ܐܳܦ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܐܳܙܶܠ ܐܶܣܥܽܘܪ ܨܶܒܘ̈ܳܬܝ̱
ܕܒܰܐܦ̈ܶܐ ܓܰܠܝ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܐܶܬܶܠ ܚܽܘܫܒܳܢܝ̱ ܠܡܳܪܝ̱

13.

ܝܳܕܰܥ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܪܽܘܚܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܢܶܫܒܰܬ ܫܶܩܠܰܬ ܡ̈ܶܠܰܝ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܕܰܐܣܓܺܝܬ ܘܰܒܩܺܝܬ

14.

ܕܟܺܝܪ ܐܶܪܰܡܝܳܐ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܐܡܬܶܠ ܡܳܪܳܚܽܘܬܳܐ
ܒܗܶܢܕܘܳܝܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܚܰܠܰܦ ܟܰܕ ܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
܀܀܀

15.

ܐܳܦ ܗܳܕܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܺܝܠܳܗ̇ ܗܺܝ ܕܗܳܝ ܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܐܰܣܪܰܬ ܢܰܦܫܳܗ̇ ܒܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܒܰܟܝܳܢܳܐ

16.

ܫܰܠܺܝܛ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܐ ܒܕܒܰܪ ܚܺܐܪ̈ܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܕܳܐܦ ܠܟܺܝܢܳܐ ܢܶܬܕܰܡܶܐ ܒܝܰܕ ܕܽܘܒܳܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ

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.

🌲

🌲