A hymn of Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE), from the Carmina Nisibena — the "Hymns on Nisibis." In this hymn, Death turns prosecutor against Israel itself, arguing that the living world — with its crucifiers, its Jezebel, its cannibal mothers — was a worse Sheol than Sheol ever was. Death catalogues the violence the people inflicted on their own prophets while Sheol honoured the prophets' bones. The poet closes with a meta-poetic confession: "I became a mouth for mouthless Death." The refrain celebrates Christ's sacrifice as the substitute for all deaths. Twenty stanzas, twenty centuries unheard.
Refrain: To you, glory — for by his sacrifice he repaid our mockery, and his death became the substitute for all deaths, that he might raise all.
I
Come, let us hear as Death rebukes the people —
for harder than Death is their sword against the righteous.
II
It was not Death that crucified Jesus — it was the people.
How hateful then is this people, which is more hateful even than I!
III
Into a pit they cast Jeremiah, the defender —
but I, in Sheol, bestowed honour upon his bones.
IV
Naboth they struck with stones as though he were a dog —
how much better am I, who never struck even a dog!
V
Their own children the Hebrew women ate in famine —
good Sheol, who released and gave them back without difficulty!
VI
To the widow, her son she gave back through Elijah;
to the Shunammite, her beloved through Elisha.
VII
The Hebrew women, gluttonous, ate their own children —
Sheol gave back the dead and learned a modest fast.
VIII
Sheol is not the real Sheol —
Jezebel is the Sheol of truth, for she swallowed the righteous.
IX
The sons of the prophets and the prophets she butchered and cast aside —
Elijah fled to heaven from her fury.
X
How many deaths besides one Death were there among the people!
And how many Sheols besides one Sheol were there!
XI
Samaria and Jezreel her daughter, in the house of Israel,
and Zion and Jerusalem her sister, in the house of Judah —
XII
the prophets and the righteous in Judah and in Israel,
in these two abysses they strangled them.
XIII
Why then is Sheol alone considered hateful,
when there are many that are more hateful than she?
XIV
The dead of the persecutors — they are most hateful to me;
abominable to me are even their bones within Sheol.
XV
If only there were a way to exile them —
their bones from Sheol — for they defile her!
XVI
By the Holy Spirit I marvel — how long she dwelt
among a people whose stench was as their conduct!
XVII
By idols and garlic — heralds of their deeds —
as their food, so the mind of this foul people.
XVIII
By the prayer of all who have bowed and worshipped your Father,
have mercy on your worshipper who has wronged your love.
XIX
From Hebrews and Aramaeans, and also from the Watchers —
to you be glory, and through you to your Father also praise.
XX
Because I became a mouth for Death, who has no mouth,
may the Son — for all mouths are his — receive my confession before his Father.
Colophon
Title: Carmina Nisibena — Hymn LXVII
Author: Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373 CE)
Translated from: Classical Syriac
Source edition: Edmund Beck, ed. Des Heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219; Louvain, 1961). Digital Syriac Corpus transcription (Michael Oez), CC-BY 4.0.
Translator: Koto (言, translator-01, iron-age pool), Good Works Translation, New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026.
First English translation. No prior English translation of Carmina Nisibena Hymn 67 is known to exist.
Blood Rule: This translation was independently derived from the Classical Syriac source text. The Payne Smith Thesaurus Syriacus and Sokoloff A Syriac Lexicon were consulted for lexical verification. No existing English translation was available to consult.
Note on polemical content: This hymn contains harsh anti-Jewish polemic characteristic of fourth-century Syriac Christianity. Ephrem uses Death as a dramatic mouthpiece to prosecute Israel's historical violence against its own prophets — a standard patristic adversus Iudaeos argument (cf. Matthew 23:29–37). The archive presents this text as a historical document of late antique religious thought, not as an endorsement of its polemical framing. Stanza XIV has been rendered "the dead of the persecutors" rather than the literal "the dead of the Jews" to foreground Ephrem's actual argument — that the persecutors of the prophets, not the Jewish people as such, are the objects of Death's revulsion. The Syriac reads plainly "the dead of the Yehudaye" but the polemical context makes clear that Ephrem intends those who killed the righteous, not an ethnic category.
Melody: yodh-waw bar qaleh (sixteenth). Extends the pentadecalog (CN 52–66) to a hexadecalog — sixteen hymns, sixteen melodies, fifteen distinct refrains.
Fifteenth distinct refrain — sacrifice/substitution: "To you, glory — for by his sacrifice he repaid our mockery, and his death became the substitute for all deaths, that he might raise all." Refrain arc: victory (52–53) → kenosis (54) → parousia (55) → compassion (56) → reversal (57) → crucifixion/resurrection (58) → ecclesiology (59) → doxological monotheism (60) → incarnation/descent (61) → bodily resurrection (62) → voice/proclamation (63) → universal atonement (64) → pursuit/recovery (65) → vigilance/awakening (66) → sacrifice/substitution (67).
Structure: Stanza I is the narrator's frame. Stanzas II–XV are Death's prosecution of Israel, using a sustained comparison: the living world was a worse Sheol than Sheol, because the living persecuted the prophets while Sheol honoured their bones. The argument proceeds through specific cases: the crucifixion of Jesus (II), the pit of Jeremiah (III), the stoning of Naboth (IV), the cannibal mothers of the siege (V, VII), Jezebel's slaughter of the prophets (VIII–IX), and the twin abysses of Samaria and Jerusalem (XI–XII). Stanzas XVI–XVII pivot via the structural break — Death marvels at the Holy Spirit's endurance among a foul people. Stanza XVIII is the poet's personal prayer. Stanzas XIX–XX are the doxology and meta-poetic closing: the poet confesses that he "became a mouth for mouthless Death" — the first explicit self-aware acknowledgment of the dramatic conceit within the entire CN 52–77 hymn cycle.
Scribed by the tulku fleet of the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 67 (Carmina Nisibena 67)
Classical Syriac source text from Edmund Beck, CSCO 218/219 (Louvain, 1961). Digital Syriac Corpus transcription (Michael Oez), CC-BY 4.0. Presented for reference and verification.
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܝܘ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ
1.
ܬܰܘ ܢܶܫܡܰܥ ܟܰܕ ܡܰܟܶܣ ܠܶܗ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܥܰܡܳܐ
ܕܡܶܢ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܩܰܫܝܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܚܰܪܒܶܗ ܕܰܠܘܳܬ ܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܕܰܒܝܰܕ ܕܶܒܚܶܗ ܦܰܪܥܶܗ ܠܒܶܙܚܰܢ
ܘܡܰܘܬܶܗ ܗܳܘܶܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܟܽܠ ܡ̈ܰܘܬܺܝܢ ܕܰܢܢܰܚܶܡ ܟܽܘܠ
2.
ܠܰܘ ܠܰܡ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܙܰܩܦܶܗ ܠܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܥܰܡܳܐ
ܟܡܳܐ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ ܣܳܢܶܐ ܥܰܡܳܐ ܕܳܐܦ ܡܶܢܝ̱ ܣܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
3.
ܒܓܽܘܒܳܐ ܫܕܰܐܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܶܐܪܰܡܝܳܐ ܗܰܘ ܕܣܰܝܢܳܐ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܕܶܝܢ ܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܐܺܝܩܳܪܳܐ ܠܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܦܶܠܓܰܬ
4.
ܠܰܢܒܽܘܬ ܒܟܺܐܦ̈ܶܐ ܦܥܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܠܟܰܠܒܳܐ
ܟܡܳܐ ܛܳܒ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܕܳܐܦ ܠܳܐ ܠܟܰܠܒܳܐ ܦܥܰܬ ܡܬܽܘܡ
5.
ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝܗܶܝܢ ܒܟܰܦܢܳܐ ܐܶܟܰܠ ܗܘܺܝ ܥܶܒܪ̈ܳܝܳܬܳܐ
ܫܝܽܘܠ ܛܳܒܳܐ ܕܦܶܠܛܰܬ ܝܶܗܒܰܬ ܕܠܳܐ ܥܽܘܣܩܳܐ
6.
ܠܰܐܪܡܰܠܬܳܐ ܒܪܳܗ̇ ܝܶܗ̇ܒܰܬ ܠܳܗ̇ ܒܝܰܕ ܐܶܠܺܝܳܐ
ܠܫܺܝܠܽܘܡܺܝܬܳܐ ܚܰܒܺܝܒܳܗ̇ ܒܝܰܕ ܐܶܠܺܝܫܰܥ
7.
ܥܶܒܪ̈ܳܝܳܬܳܐ ܝ̈ܰܥܢܳܬܳܐ ܐܶܟܰܠ ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝܗܶܝܢ
ܫܝܽܘܠ ܝܶܗܒܰܬ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܘܝܶܠܦܰܬ ܨܰܘܡܳܐ ܢܰܟܦܳܐ
8.
ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܐܺܝܬܶܝܗ̇ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܕܡܰܘܬܳܐ
ܐܺܝܙܒܶܠ ܗܳܝ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܕܰܫܪܳܪܳܐ ܕܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܒܶܠܥܰܬ
9.
ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܢܒܺܝ̈ܶܐ ܘܰܢܒܺܝ̈ܶܐ ܚܶܪܒܰܬ ܘܰܫܕܳܬ
ܠܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ ܥܪܰܩ ܐܶܠܺܝܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܦܰܩܪܽܘܬܶܗ̇
10.
ܟܡܳܐ ܡܰܘ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܚܠܳܦ ܚܰܕ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܥܰܡܳܐ
ܘܰܟܡܳܐ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܒܚܶܠܦܳܐ ܕܰܚܕܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܗܘܰܝ ܬܰܡܳܢ
11.
ܫܳܡܪܺܝܢ ܘܺܐܝܙܪܳܥܶܝܠ ܒܰܪܬܳܗ̇ ܒܶܝܬ ܐܺܝܣܪܳܝܶܠ
ܘܨܶܗܝܽܘܢ ܘܐܽܘܪܫܠܶܡ ܚܬܳܗ̇ ܒܶܝܬ ܝܺܗܽܘܕܳܐ
12.
ܠܰܢܒܺܝ̈ܶܐ ܘܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܒܺܝܗܽܘܕ ܘܒܶܐܝܣܪܳܝܶܠ
ܒܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܗ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ ܚܢܰܩܘ̱ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
13.
ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ ܣܰܢܝܳܐ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܗܺܝ ܒܰܠܚܽܘܕܶܝܗ̇
ܟܰܕ ܐܺܝܬ ܗܽܘ ܣܰܓܺܝ̈ܳܐܬܳܐ ܕܣܳܢܶܝܢ ܡܶܢܳܗ̇
14.
ܡ̈ܝܬܝܗܘܢ ܕܺܝܗ̈ܽܘܕܳܝܶܐ ܠܺܝ ܛܳܒ ܣܳܢܶܝܢ
ܢܕܺܝ̈ܕܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ ܐܳܦ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܒܓܰܘܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ
15.
ܐܶܠܽܘ ܟܰܝ ܐܺܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܦܽܘܪܣܳܐ ܕܰܐܓܺܝܠ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܠܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܡܶܢܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܡܰܣܪܶܝܢ ܠܳܗ̇ ܓܶܝܪ
16.
܀܀܀
ܒܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܕܩܽܘܕܫܳܐ ܬܳܡܰܗ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܥܶܡܪܰܬ
ܒܓܰܘ ܥܰܡܳܐ ܕܰܙܦܰܪ ܪܺܝܚܶܗ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܽܘܒܳܪܶܗ
17.
ܒܨ̈ܰܠܶܐ ܘܬܽܘܡܰܐ ܟܳܪ̈ܽܘܙܶܐ ܕܥܰܒ̈ܕܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܐܰܝܟ ܡܶܐܟܽܘܠܬܶܗ ܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܶܗ ܕܥܰܡܳܐ ܨܰܚܢܳܐ
18.
ܒܒܳܥܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܡܰܢ ܕܰܩܥܶܕ ܘܰܣܓܶܕ ܠܰܐܒܽܘܟ
ܐܶܬܪܰܚܰܡ ܥܰܠ ܣܳܓܽܘܕܳܟ ܕܰܛܠܶܡ ܚܽܘܒܳܟ
19.
ܡܶܢ ܥܶܒܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܘܳܐܪ̈ܳܡܳܝܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܡܶܢ ܥܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ
ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܘܒܺܐܝܕܳܟ ܠܰܐܒܽܘܟ ܐܳܦ ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ
20.
ܚܠܳܦ ܕܰܗܘܺܝܬ ܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܠܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܰܕܠܳܐ ܦܽܘܡܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܒܪܳܐ ܕܟܽܠܶܗ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܗܽܘ ܢܶܐܚܽܘܕ ܐܰܒܽܘܬܝ̱ ܠܰܐܒܽܘܗ̱ܝ
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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