Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373 CE), hymn-poet of the Syriac church, composed the Carmina Nisibena — the Hymns on Nisibis — as a sustained theological meditation on the city of Nisibis on the Roman-Persian frontier. This sixty-ninth hymn breaks from the twenty-one-hymn cycle of Death, Satan, and the poet (CN 48–68) to envision the resurrection from the other side — not Death speaking, but the risen dead in Eden, their sealed mouths breaking open, their captor captive in his own prison. The melody shifts from the bar qālēh series to "the blissful messenger" — the first new melody class since CN 51. The acrostic is the full Syriac alphabet with six expanded letters.
On the melody of the blissful messenger.
Refrain: Praises to your Lordship.
I.
It is you who fashioned the dust
from the beginning in mercy,
and it is you who delivers to him
your gift in love.
II.
You the Good One — you created Adam
while it was known to you
that he would betray you and go astray.
You fashioned him so as to vindicate him.
III.
I looked at the body — it was mourning.
I looked at the soul — she was sorrowful.
For you had mingled them in love,
yet they departed and were separated in suffering.
IV.
The body was fashioned in wisdom,
the soul was breathed in grace.
Love was mingled in peace —
the serpent severed it in wickedness.
V.
Whether body or soul —
which of them sinned against its companion?
The folly is shared,
for the freedom is shared.
VI.
It is yours, O Blessed One,
to turn again and show mercy.
Your hand will fashion anew,
your finger will reshape Adam.
VII.
For behold, my Lord — from eternity
your grace has not withdrawn from him.
You began with him in love;
complete with him in mercy.
VIII.
For if when he did not exist
you created him into being,
now that he exists in his dust,
by you let his temple be renewed.
IX.
It is fitting for the King
who sees that his image has decayed
to brighten the sorrowful image
with choice pigments.
X.
It was a sight of wonder —
that your glorious height stooped down
toward ordinary dust
to form a splendid image.
XI.
This last thing is better
than that which was in the beginning,
for you did not create him anew —
you reclothed him.
XII.
The Exalted One knew that Adam
desired to become God.
He sent his Son and clothed him in Adam,
that he might give him his desire.
XIII.
The Evil One was grieved to see
that the more he overthrew Adam,
the higher in rank Adam ascended —
to the shame of him who cast him down.
XIV.
He gladdened the body with the soul,
he returned the soul to the body —
they rush toward each other,
for they were separated and returned and were mingled again.
XV.
He brings the soul to arrive
and enter her own house.
Let her dwelling be established,
and let his lamp shine within her.
XVI.
Let light dwell in his eyes,
let sound pass through his ears.
His senses that were ruined and captured —
let them be filled with hearing and peace.
XVII.
Old age, the hated one,
does not peer upon them,
nor do pains and sufferings —
for they were stripped off in death.
XVIII.
For Death became a new occasion
for the dead —
in him they strip off suffering,
and in him they put on glory.
XIX.
The mouth of the dead one within Eden —
he speaks with the soul:
"From where? And to where?
And how did I come here?"
XX.
The light of that place dips the body
in its hues —
he sees himself
wrapped in rays.
XXI.
The cross of light there —
its splendor blazes upon them,
for from this life they had marked
its great mystery upon themselves.
XXII.
The Watchers of fire draw near
to the humans of flesh —
in love they rush toward them,
for they labored and gave rest to their souls.
XXIII.
The Watchers draw near to recount
to the righteous their course.
They recall their victories
and in their deeds they magnify them.
XXIV.
The firstfruits of praise
from our feast ascend
from sealed mouths
imprisoned in Sheol.
XXV.
Death heard a clear ringing sound
and inclined his ear in fear.
Trembling fell upon him,
for the dead had begun to stir.
XXVI.
His prisoners leave him,
his captives rebel against him —
the captor captive!
They imprison him in his own prison.
XXVII.
May our Lord make us worthy
to offer thanksgiving with you,
O blessed righteous ones
whose voice does not cease.
XXVIII.
Thanksgiving to the one who leads —
let a spring burst forth in the sealed mouth,
to give perpetual praise
in the Son to the worshipped Father.
Colophon
Translated from Classical Syriac by Tulku Kotoba (translator-01, iron-age pool) for the Good Work Library. First-ever English translation. Gospel register.
Source: Edmund Beck, ed., Des Heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Carmina Nisibena (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Vol. 218/219; Louvain, 1961). TEI XML edition transcribed by Michael Oez; Digital Syriac Corpus, CC-BY 4.0.
Structure: 28 stanzas in full Syriac alphabetic acrostic (22 letters) with six expanded letters: Aleph (I–II), Daleth (V–VI), Tsade (XX–XXI), Qoph (XXII–XXIII), Shin (XXV–XXVI), Taw (XXVII–XXVIII). Section breaks (indicated by ÷÷÷ in the source) after stanzas V and XI.
Melody: ʿal qālā d-ʾīzgaddā hedyāʾā — "On the melody of the blissful messenger." This is NOT in the bar qālēh series that governed CN 52–68 (seventeen consecutive melodies from Aleph through Zayn of bar qālēh). The bar qālēh cycle — the heptadecalog — is confirmed complete at CN 68. CN 69 opens a new melodic movement.
Refrain: ܬܶܫ̈ܒܚܳܢ ܠܡܳܪܽܘܬܳܟ — "Praises to your Lordship." A single doxological refrain throughout — the first uniform refrain since the bar qālēh cycle introduced sixteen distinct refrains across seventeen hymns.
Significance within the cycle: After twenty-one hymns of Death's prosecution, debate, confession, and pastoral counsel (CN 48–68), this is the first hymn that envisions the resurrection from the perspective of the risen. Death appears only in stanzas XXV–XXVI — not as speaker but as victim. The dead rebel. The captor is captive. The sealed mouths break open.
Key theological moments:
- Stanza V: "The folly is shared, for the freedom is shared" — ḥīrūtā (freedom) returns, now as shared responsibility rather than the personified Freedom of CN 54.
- Stanza VIII: The creation-from-nothing argument — if God created Adam when he did not exist, he can restore him from dust. This is the logical foundation the debate cycle was building toward.
- Stanza XI: "This last thing is better than that which was in the beginning, for you did not create him anew — you reclothed him." Resurrection as reclothing, not recreation.
- Stanza XII: "The Exalted One knew that Adam desired to become God. He sent his Son and clothed him in Adam, that he might give him his desire." The Incarnation as the fulfillment of the serpent's false promise — the desire was not wrong, only the method.
- Stanza XVIII: "Death became a new occasion for the dead — in him they strip off suffering, and in him they put on glory." Death redeemed as mechanism — the changing room between worlds.
- Stanza XIX: The dead speak in Eden: "From where? And to where? And how did I come here?" — The central question of consciousness, asked by the risen dead.
- Stanza XXVI: ḥbūshā ḥbīshā — "the captor captive" — four words from one root (Ḥ-B-Sh), the most concentrated wordplay in the cycle.
Death's arc update (CN 48–69): combatant (52–59) → witness (60) → prosecutor of humanity (61–62) → keeper (63) → double agent (64) → debater (65) → counselor (66) → prosecutor of Israel (67) → scapegoat (68) → victim (69). Death's final mode in this hymn is the mode the entire cycle has been leading to: Death is no longer the subject. Death is the object. The dead act; Death suffers.
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 69 (Carmina Nisibena 69)
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܺܐܝܙܓܰܕܳܐ ܗܶܕܝܳܐܳܐ
1.
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܓܒܰܠܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܠܥܰܦܪܳܐ
ܡܶܢ ܫܽܘܪܳܝܳܐ ܒܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ
ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬ ܗܽܘ ܡܫܰܠܶܡ ܠܘܳܬܶܗ
ܡܰܘܗܰܒܬܳܟ ܒܚܽܘܒܳܐ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܬܶܫ̈ܒܚܳܢ ܠܡܳܪܽܘܬܳܟ
2.
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗܽܘ ܛܳܒܳܐ ܒܪܰܝܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܠܳܐܕܳܡ ܟܰܕ ܓܠܶܐ ܠܳܟ
ܕܰܛܠܰܡ ܠܳܟ ܘܰܛܥܳܐ
ܓܒܰܠܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܬܶܙܟܶܝܘܗ̱ܝ
3.
ܒܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܚܳܪܶܬ ܟܰܕ ܐܰܒܺܝܠ
ܒܢܰܦܫܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܟܡܺܝܪܳܐ
ܕܡܶܙܓܰܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܒܚܽܘܒܳܐ
ܘܰܥܢܰܕܘ̱ ܘܰܦܪܰܫܘ̱ ܒܚܰܫܳܐ
4.
ܓܒܺܝܠ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܒܚܶܟܡܳܐ
ܢܦܺܝܚܳܐ ܢܰܦܫܳܐ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘ
ܡܙܺܝܓ ܚܽܘܒܳܐ ܒܰܫܠܶܡܘ̱
ܦܰܪܫܶܗ ܚܶܘܝܳܐ ܒܒܺܝܫܽܘ
5.
ܕܶܐܢ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܘܢܰܦܫܳܐ
ܕܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܐܰܚܛܺܝ ܠܚܰܒܪܶܗ
ܣܰܟܠܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܓܰܘܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܓܰܘܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
܀܀܀
6.
ܕܺܝܠܳܟ ܗ̱ܝ ܒܪܺܝܟܳܐ
ܕܬܽܘܒ ܬܶܬܢܳܐ ܬܪܰܚܰܡ
ܐܺܝܕܳܟ ܬܶܓܒܽܘܠ ܡܶܕܪܺܝܫ
ܨܶܒܥܳܟ ܠܳܐܕܳܡ ܬܨܽܘܪܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ
7.
ܗܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ
ܠܳܐ ܓܳܙ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܚܢܳܢܳܟ
ܫܶܪܝܰܬ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܒܚܽܘܒܳܐ
ܫܠܶܡ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܒܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ
8.
ܘܶܐܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܟܰܕ ܠܰܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܕܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܪܰܝܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܗܳܫܳܐ ܕܺܐܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܥܰܦܪܶܗ
ܒܳܟ ܢܶܬܚܰܕܰܬ ܗܰܝܟܠܶܗ
9.
ܙܳܕܶܩ ܗܽܘ ܠܡܰܠܟܳܐ
ܕܰܚܙܳܐ ܨܰܠܡܶܗ ܕܰܐܥܬܶܩ
ܕܰܒܣܰܡ̈ܳܡܢܶܐ ܓܒܰܝ̈ܳܐ
ܢܶܦܨܰܚ ܨܰܠܡܳܐ ܟܡܺܝܪܳܐ
10.
ܚܙܳܬܳܐ ܗܘܳܬ ܕܬܶܗܪܳܐ
ܕܰܪܟܶܢ ܪܽܘܡܳܟ ܫܒܺܝܚܳܐ
ܠܘܳܬ ܥܰܦܪܳܐ ܫܚܺܝܡܳܐ
ܕܰܢܨܽܘܪ ܨܰܠܡܳܐ ܗܕܺܝܪܳܐ
11.
ܛܳܒܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܗܳܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܝܬܳܐ
ܡܶܢ ܗܳܝ ܕܰܗܘܳܬ ܒܪܺܝܫܺܝܬ
ܕܠܰܘ ܡܒܪܐ ܒܪܰܝܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܐܶܠܳܐ ܡܰܠܒܶܫ ܠܒܶܫܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ
12.
܀܀܀
ܝܳܕܰܥ ܪܳܡܳܐ ܕܳܐܕܳܡ
ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܨܒܳܐ ܕܢܶܗܘܶܐ
ܫܰܕܰܪ ܠܰܒܪܶܗ ܘܠܰܒܫܶܗ
ܕܢܶܬܶܠ ܠܶܗ ܪܶܓܬܶܗ
13.
ܟܡܺܝܪ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܰܚܼܙܳܐ
ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܣܰܚܦܶܗ ܠܳܐܕܳܡ
ܝܰܬܺܝܪ ܕܰܪܓܳܐ ܣܠܶܩ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܕܢܶܒܗܰܬ ܡܶܢ ܕܣܰܚܦܶܗ
14.
ܠܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܚܕܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܒܢܰܦܫܳܐ
ܠܢܰܦܫܳܐ ܦܰܢܳܗ̇ ܠܦܰܓܪܳܐ
ܠܰܚܕ̈ܳܕܶܐ ܢܣܽܘܚܽܘܢ
ܕܰܦܪܰܫܘ̱ ܘܰܦܢܰܘ ܘܶܐܬܡܰܙܰܓܘ̱
15.
ܡܰܢܥܶܝܗ̇ ܠܢܰܦܫܳܐ
ܘܬܶܥܽܘܠ ܠܳܗ̇ ܠܒܰܝܬܳܗ̇
ܢܶܫܬܶܝܢ ܡܰܫܟܢܳܗ̇
ܘܢܰܢܗܰܪ ܒܳܗ̇ ܫܪܳܓܶܗ
16.
ܢܶܫܪܳܐ ܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ ܒܥܰܝ̈ܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܢܶܥܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܒܶܐܕ̈ܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܪ̈ܶܓܫܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܰܚܪܶܒܘ̱ ܐܳܦ ܨܳܕܘ̱
ܨܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܫܰܝܢܳܐ ܢܶܬܡܰܠܽܘܢ
17.
ܣܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ ܣܢܺܝܬܳܐ
ܥܠܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܠܳܐ ܡܕܺܝܩܳܐ
ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܟܺܐܒ̈ܶܐ ܘܚ̈ܰܫܶܐ
ܕܰܫܠܰܚܘ̱ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܒܡܰܘܬܳܐ
18.
ܥܶܠܬܳܐ ܗܽܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܚܕܰܬܳܐ
ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ
ܕܰܚܫܳܐ ܒܶܗ ܫܠܚܝܢ
ܘܒܶܗ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܳܒܫܺܝܢ
19.
ܦܽܘܡܶܗ ܕܡܺܝܬܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܥܶܕܶܢ
ܗܽܘ ܥܰܡ ܢܰܦܫܳܐ ܡܰܡܠܶܠ
ܕܡܶܢ ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܘܠܰܐܝܟܳܐ
ܘܰܐܝܟܰܢ ܐܶܬܺܝܬ ܠܗܳܪܟܳܐ
20.
ܨܳܒܰܥ ܠܶܗ ܠܦܰܓܪܳܐ
ܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ ܕܬܰܡܳܢ ܒܓܰܘ̈ܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܗܳܘܶܐ ܚܳܙܶܐ ܩܢܽܘܡܶܗ
ܕܰܐܝܟ ܙܰܠܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܡܥܰܛܰܦ
21.
ܨܠܺܝܒ ܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ ܕܬܰܡܳܢ
ܙܺܝܘܶܗ ܡܒܰܪܶܩ ܥܠܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܡܶܢ ܗܳܪܟܳܐ ܪܫܶܡܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ
ܐ̱ܪܳܙܶܗ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܥܠܰܝܗܽܘܢ
22.
ܩܳܪܒܺܝܢ ܥܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܢܽܘܪܳܐ
ܠܘܳܬ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܕܒܶܣܪܳܐ
ܒܚܽܘܒܳܐ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܣܰܘܚܺܝܢ
ܕܰܥܡܰܠܘ̱ ܘܰܐܢܺܝܚܘ̱ ܢܰܦܫܗܽܘܢ
23.
ܩܳܪܒܺܝܢ ܥܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܡܰܬܢܳܐ
ܠܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܪܳܗܛܗܽܘܢ
ܢܶܨܚ̈ܳܢܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܡܕܰܟܪܺܝܢ
ܒܕܺܝܠܗܽܘܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܡܰܘܪܒܺܝܢ
24.
ܪܺܝܫܺܝܬܳܐ ܕܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ
ܕܫܳܪܽܘܬܶܝܢ ܣܶܠܩܳܐ
ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܣܟܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ
ܕܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܗܳܐ ܚܒܺܝܫܺܝܢ
25.
ܫܡܰܥ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܨܰܠܰܠܬܳܐ
ܨܰܠܳܐ ܐܶܕܢܶܗ ܒܕܶܚܠܳܐ
ܢܦܰܠ ܒܶܗ ܪܬܺܝܬܳܐ
ܕܰܫܪܶܝܘ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܠܡܳܪܬܳܡ
26.
ܫܳܒܩܺܝܢ ܠܶܗ ܚܒܺܝܫ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܕܡܰܪܕܽܘ ܥܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܐܰܣܺܝܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܚܒܽܘܫܳܐ ܚܒܺܝܫܳܐ
ܕܚܰܒܫܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܰܚܒܽܘܫܬܶܗ
27.
ܬܰܘܕܺܝܬܳܐ ܥܰܡܟܽܘܢ
ܢܰܫܘܶܝܢ ܡܳܪܰܢ ܕܢܰܣܶܩ
ܐܰܘ ܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܒܪ̈ܺܝܟܶܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܓܳܐܶܙ ܩܳܠܗܽܘܢ
28.
ܬܰܘܕܺܝ ܠܡܰܢ ܕܡܰܪܕܶܐ
ܢܶܒܥܶܐ ܒܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܣܟܺܝܪܳܐ
ܕܢܶܬܶܠ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܐܰܡܺܝܢܳܐ
ܒܰܒܪܳܐ ܠܰܐܒܳܐ ܣܓܺܝܕܳܐ
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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