Hymn V (Carmina Nisibena V)
Hymn IV was the city's voice in siege — bold, pentacolon, urgent. Hymn V is something stranger: a harvest meditation twisted through the machinery of divine wrath. The city still speaks, but now she speaks of grain and vine, of axes and roots, of blossoms killed by frost. Ephrem moves between registers without warning — theological axiom, pastoral prayer, moral warning, agrarian lament — and ties them all together at the end with a single impossible image: every axe that strikes tastes its own grief. The wrath that disciplines is not without compassion. The instrument of punishment suffers alongside the punished. This is the theological claim the agricultural frame was building toward from the first stanza.
I.
Sound forth in your grace the news of salvation —
our hearing has become a passage of crossing,
now matched against the minds filled with reports of terror.
Refrain: Praises to your victory — glory to your sovereignty.
II.
Comforted by profits small and slight
were those who traded harm for their labors:
in the season of gain they inherited loss.
III.
It is plain: the wrath took its place in the middle of the land,
dividing harm and profit in its anger —
some it ravaged suddenly; some it suddenly spared.
IV.
To teach that He is able to discipline in every way —
He saw that my pursuers were terrifying before my eyes
and laid me low before my children, that my beloved might be struck.
V.
See — He taught me to fear Him and no man,
for when there was none to strike us, His wrath commanded suddenly;
every man stretched himself down while He scourged him.
VI.
And the Babylonian too, who had scourged all kings —
when he presumed that none could harm him,
God made him scourge himself with his own hands.
VII.
His glory and his mind departed together, suddenly —
in frenzy he cast off his garments and wandered in the waste;
he first drove himself, and then his own servants drove him.
VIII.
He showed to all the kings he had captured and brought low
that it was not by his own strength he had conquered —
the power that disciplined him had driven them all.
IX.
I bore and stood, Lord — the blows of my redeemers.
You were able in grace to have bettered through wounds;
you were able in justice to have disciplined through helpers.
X.
The day the army came up against Samaria —
its plenty and luxury, its treasuries and possessions —
they left slack, abandoned and fled; her pursuers crowned her.
XI.
My beloved crowned me; my redeemers came to me —
by the sin of my inhabitants, my helpers struck me —
and gave me to drink from my own vines the cup of comfort.
XII.
The ear of grain and the vine — preserve them, Lord, in your grace;
let the vine of the vineyard comfort the farmer,
let the grain of the plowman gladden the worker.
XIII.
The ear of grain and the wineskin companion each other —
wine gladdens the harvesters in the field,
and bread strengthens the laborers in the vineyard.
XIV.
Both together can comfort my sorrows;
but a third is greater still —
to confess that she escaped suddenly through grace.
XV.
Whoever would preserve himself through grace —
if he goes and sulks over the loss of his possessions,
he has defrauded the grace of the One who spared him.
XVI.
He willed it — an exchange of something for something:
He damaged goods and left possessions behind,
He ruined our plantings in exchange for our souls.
XVII.
Let him fear to grumble, lest the wrath wake again
and abandon possessions to strike the owners —
that at the end he may learn the mercy of the beginning.
XVIII.
Let him learn: against whom is it right to grumble?
Learn that it is not against the One who disciplines —
but against your own will that sinned and was struck.
XIX.
Let him release his grudge and turn to prayer —
if the owner dies, his possessions vanish with him,
and while he lives he does nothing but track his losses.
XX.
May comforts increase in mercies to my inhabitants —
may survivor and remnant be comforted within the wrath,
and the grief of destruction be lost among those who remain.
XXI.
Balance and enlarge, Lord, the fruits the wrath has ripened —
liken me to the sick who escaped the pestilence,
let me carry in weakness the grief of the many.
XXII.
Along with my words, Lord, I recall it is the month
when the blossom-frost has sickened the vine and it has fallen into illness;
may it come to healing and be a comfort.
XXIII.
They escaped the pestilence that carried off their brothers —
the voiceless vines weep before them,
pruned and laid low, the trees they loved.
XXIV.
The earth seeks the shoots of its plantings —
the roots weep to the workers and make them weep;
beauty spread and gave shade, and they cut it in an hour.
XXV.
The axe came near and cut — and cut the laborer too;
cutting for the trees, grief for the laborer —
every axe that strikes tastes its own grief.
Colophon
Carmina Nisibena V — translated from Classical Syriac by the fourteenth session of the DSS Translator lineage, 2026-03-23. Translation independently derived from the Digital Syriac Corpus base text (Beck/DSC, CC-BY 4.0). McVey's Paulist edition not consulted. Lexical verification against Payne Smith's Thesaurus Syriacus and Costaz's Dictionnaire syriaque–français. The Blood Rule holds.
Meter: Tricolon stanzas — three bicola per stanza (6 cola total), each colon roughly heptasyllabic. A shift from the 6-line heptasyllabic format of Hymns I–III and the pentacolon stanzas of Hymn IV. The congregational refrain (ʿunīthā) appears after stanza I: ܬܶܫܒܚ̈ܳܢ ܠܙܳܟܽܘܬܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܡܳܪܽܘܬܳܟ = "Praises to your victory — glory to your sovereignty."
Voice and structure: The hymn moves through three registers without strict division. Stanzas I–VIII are theological axiom (the wrath divides, God disciplines kings); IX–XI are the city's personal testimony; XII–XIV are petition for grain and vine with a meditation on the three comforts; XV–XIX are moral warning against grumbling (the theological crux: direct your complaint against your own will, not God's); XX–XXV are the harvest lament — survivors, silent vines, the blossom-frost, the axe. The final stanza is the theological summit: every axe that strikes tastes its own grief. Divine discipline is not without cost to the One who disciplines.
Key translation choices: ܐܰܫܡܰܥ (stanza I) = D-stem imperative of ܫܡܰܥ — "cause to be heard / sound forth." ܡܰܫܡܰܥܬܰܢ = "our hearing/channel of hearing" — here rendered as "passage of crossing" (ܐܽܘܪܚܳܐ ܕܡܰܥܒܰܪܬܳܐ), a road of crossing; hearing as a ford between terror and salvation. ܟܰܠܠ (stanza X) = "to crown" — the city of Samaria paradoxically crowned by the siege that brought her down: infamous/renowned through affliction. ܣܡܳܕܪܳܐ (stanza XXII) = blossom-frost; the cold snap that kills the flowers before fruit can set — a seasonal image placing the hymn in early spring after a late frost. ܢܳܪܓܳܐ (stanza XXV) = axe; the word carries woodcutting and battlefield connotations alike. ܛܥܶܡ ܚܰܫܶܗ = "tastes its own grief" — an extraordinary image: the axe that strikes experiences something of the suffering it inflicts. In Ephrem's theology, divine wrath is not indifferent; it participates in the cost of discipline.
Note on stanza count: The Brahmin orders estimated Hymn V as "shorter (12–15 stanzas)." The DSC source contains 25 stanzas. Hymn IV similarly exceeded estimates. The Brahmin note on pace should be understood as referring to the range within the cycle, not individual hymns.
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 5 (Carmina Nisibena 5)
1.
ܐܰܫܡܰܥ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ ܛܶܒܳܐ ܕܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܳܐ
ܕܰܗܘ̈ܳܬ ܡܰܫܡܰܥܬܰܢ ܐܽܘܪܚܳܐ ܕܡܰܥܒܰܪܬܳܐ
ܕܰܫܘܳܗ̇ ܠܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܰܢ ܛܶܒ̈ܶܐ ܕܣܽܘܪܳܕܳܐ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ (Response/Refrain):
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܬܶܫܒܚ̈ܳܢ ܠܙܳܟܽܘܬܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܡܳܪܽܘܬܳܟ
2.
ܒܰܝܰܐ ܒܝܽܘܬܪ̈ܳܢܶܐ ܙܥܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ ܘܕܰܠܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ
ܠܰܐܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܶܐܬܬܰܓܰܪܘ̱ ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܒܥܰܡ̈ܠܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܒܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܕܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ ܝܰܪܬܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܚܽܘܣܪܳܢܳܐ
3.
ܓܰܠܝܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܗܽܘ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ ܡܰܨܰܥ ܘܩܳܡ ܒܰܐܪܥܳܐ
ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܘܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ ܒܚܶܡܬܳܐ ܡܰܦܠܶܓ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܐܺܝܬ ܕܰܐܚܪܒܳܗ̇ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝ ܘܺܐܝܬ ܕܰܐܚܬܪܳܗ̇ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝ̱
4.
ܕܢܰܠܶܦ ܕܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܗܽܘ ܪܳܕܶܐ ܒܟܽܠ ܦܽܘܪ̈ܣܺܝܢ
ܕܰܚܼܙܳܐ ܕܪ̈ܳܕܽܘܦܶܐ ܕܚܺܝܠܺܝܢ ܩܕܳܡ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܰܝ
ܦܰܫܛܰܢܝ̱ ܩܕܳܡ ܝܰܠܕ̈ܰܝ ܘܢܰܓܕܽܘܢܝ̱ ܚܰܒܺܝ̈ܒܰܝ
5.
ܗܳܐ ܐܰܠܦܰܢܝ̱ ܕܶܐܕܚܰܠ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܘܠܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ
ܕܟܰܕ ܠܰܝܬ ܕܡܰܚܶܐ ܠܰܢ ܪܽܘܓܙܶܗ ܦܩܼܰܕ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝ̱
ܘܟܽܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܡܬܼܰܚ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܘܗܼܽܘ ܠܶܗ ܡܢܰܓܶܕ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
6.
ܘܳܐܦ ܠܶܗ ܠܒܳܒܠܳܝܳܐ ܕܢܰܓܼܶܕ ܠܟܽܠ ܡ̈ܰܠܟܺܝܢ
ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܬܟܺܝܠ ܘܰܣܒܼܰܪ ܕܠܰܝܬ ܡܰܢ ܕܢܰܟܶܐ ܠܶܗ
ܥܼܰܒܕܶܗ ܕܗܼܽܘ ܒܺܐܝ̈ܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܢ̇ܢܰܓܶܕ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
7.
ܙܺܝܘܶܗ ܘܪܶܥܝܳܢܶܗ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝ̱ ܫܢܰܘ ܐܰܟܚܰܕ
ܘܒܰܣܒܶܣ ܫܼܕܳܐ ܢܰܚ̈ܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܘܰܢܦܼܰܩ ܦܗܼܳܐ ܒܕܰܒܪܳܐ
ܗܼܽܘ ܠܶܗ ܪܕܰܦ ܠܽܘܩܕܳܡ ܘܟܶܢ ܗܽܘ ܪܰܕܦܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܥܰܒܼ̈ܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ
8.
ܚܰܘܽܝ ܠܟܽܠ ܡ̈ܰܠܟܺܝܢ ܕܰܫܼܒܳܐ ܘܰܐܚܶܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܕܠܰܘ ܗܼܽܘ ܒܝܰܕ ܚܰܝܠܶܗ ܡܨܶܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܢܶܙܟܶܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܕܠܶܗ ܢܰܓܶܕ ܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܪܕܳܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
9.
ܛܶܥܢܶܬ ܘܩܳܡܶܬ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܢܶܓܕ̈ܶܐ ܕܦܳܪ̈ܽܘܩܰܝ
ܡܨܶܝܬ ܗܽܘ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܬܰܛܐܶܒ ܒܢܳܟܽܘ̈ܝܶܐ
ܡܨܶܝܬ ܗܽܘ ܒܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܬܰܪܕܶܐ ܒܥܳܕܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ
10.
ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܕܰܣܥܼܳܐ ܘܰܣܠܼܶܩ ܥܰܠ ܫܳܡܪܺܝܢ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ
ܣܰܒܥܳܐ ܘܦܽܘܢܳܩܳܐ ܓ̈ܰܙܶܐ ܘܩ̈ܶܢܝܳܢܶܐ
ܐܰܪܫܶܠܘ̱ ܫܒܰܩܘ̱ ܘܰܥܪܰܩܘ̱ ܟܰܠܠܳܗ̇ ܒܪ̈ܳܕܽܘܦܶܝܗ̇
11.
ܟܰܠܠܽܘܢܝ̱ ܚ̈ܰܒܺܝܒܰܝ ܘܣܰܥܪܽܘܢܝ̱ ܦܳܪ̈ܽܘܩܰܝ
ܒܥܰܘܠܳܐ ܕܥܳܡܽܘܪ̈ܰܝ ܢܰܓܽܘܢܝ̱ ܥܳܕܽܘܪ̈ܰܝ
ܐܰܫܩܳܢܝ ܡܶܢ ܓܽܘ̈ܦܢܰܝ ܟܳܣܳܐ ܕܒܽܘܝܳܐܳܐ
12.
ܠܫܶܒܠܳܐ ܘܠܰܓܦܶܬܳܐ ܛܰܪ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ
ܬܒܰܝܰܐ ܠܰܐܟܳܪܳܐ ܓܦܶܬܶܗ ܕܟܰܪܡܳܐ
ܬܚܰܕܶܐ ܠܦܰܠܳܚܳܐ ܫܶܒܠܶܗ ܕܶܐܟܳܪܳܐ
13.
ܠܳܘܝܳܢ ܚܕܳܐ ܠܰܚܕܳܐ ܗܳܝ ܫܒܳܠܳܐ ܘܣܰܬܳܐ
ܒܚܰܩܠܳܐ ܠܚܳܨ̈ܽܘܕܶܐ ܚܰܡܪܳܐ ܡܨܶܐ ܡܰܦܨܰܚ
ܒܟܰܪܡܳܐ ܠܦܰܠܳܚ̈ܶܐ ܠܰܚܡܳܐ ܡܚܰܝܶܠ ܬܽܘܒ
14.
ܡܰܨܝܳܢ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܰܝܗܶܝܢ ܕܰܢܒܰܝܐܰܢ ܥܳܩ̈ܳܬܝ̱
ܬܠܺܝܬܳܝܳܐ ܡܰܨܝܳܐ ܕܰܬܒܰܝܐܰܢ ܝܰܬܺܝܪ
ܕܰܐܘܕܶܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝܳܐ ܦܶܠܛܰܬ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ
15.
ܡܰܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܕܢܶܬܢܰܛܪܶܐ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ
ܐܶܢ ܐܳܙܶܠ ܕܢܶܬܪܥܰܡ ܒܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܕܩ̈ܶܢܝܳܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܛܰܠܡܳܗ̇ ܠܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܕܗܰܘ ܡܰܢ ܕܚܳܣ ܥܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ
16.
ܡܶܨܒܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܨܒܼܳܐ ܘܚܰܒܶܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܚܠܳܦ ܡܶܕܶܡ
ܚܰܒܶܠ ܠܩ̈ܶܢܝܳܢܶܐ ܘܰܫܒܼܰܩ ܠܩܶܢܝ̈ܳܢܶܐ
ܚܰܒܶܠ ܠܫ̈ܶܬܠܳܬܰܢ ܒܚܰܠܦܳܐ ܕܢܰܦܫ̈ܳܬܰܢ
17.
ܢܶܕܚܼܰܠ ܕܢܶܬܪܰܥܰܡ ܕܰܡ ܢܶܬܥܺܝܪ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܘܢܶܫܒܽܘܩ ܠܩܶܢܝ̈ܳܢܶܐ ܘܢܶܡܚܶܐ ܠܰܩ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ
ܕܢܺܐܠܰܦ ܒܫܽܘܠܳܡܳܐ ܚܢܳܢܶܗ ܕܫܽܘܪܳܝܳܐ
18.
ܢܺܐܠܰܦ ܕܥܰܠ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܙܳܕܶܩ ܕܢܶܬܪܰܥܰܡ
ܝܺܠܶܦ ܕܬܶܬܪܰܥܰܡ ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܪܳܕܽܘܝܳܐ
ܐܶܠܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܟ ܕܰܐܚܛܺܝܬ ܘܶܐܬܢܰܓܕܶܬ
19.
ܢܰܪܦܶܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܪܽܘܥܳܡܳܐ ܘܢܶܦܢܶܐ ܠܒܳܥܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܶܐܢ ܡܺܝܬ ܩܰܢܳܝܳܐ ܒܼܛܶܠ ܠܶܗ ܐܳܦ ܩܶܢܝܳܢܶܗ
ܘܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܗܼܽܘ ܩܰܝܳܡ ܥܳܩܶܒ ܠܰܐܒ̈ܕܳܬܶܗ
20.
ܢܶܣܓܽܘܢ ܒܽܘ̈ܝܳܐܶܐ ܒܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܠܥܳܡܽܘܪ̈ܰܝ
ܣܪܺܝܕܳܐ ܘܬܰܘܬܳܪܳܐ ܢܒܰܝܰܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܘܶܐܛܥܶܐ ܒܫܰܪܟܳܢܳܐ ܐܶܒܠܶܗ ܕܚܽܘܒܳܠܳܐ
21.
ܣܰܡܣܶܡ ܘܪܰܒܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܐܘܬܰܪ ܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܕܶܡܽܘ ܠܺܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܠܰܟܪ̈ܺܝܗܶܐ ܕܰܦܠܰܛܘ̱ ܒܡܰܘܬܳܢܳܐ
ܐܰܛܥܰܝܢܝ̱ ܒ̈ܕܰܠܺܝܠܶܐ ܚܰܫܳܐ ܕܣ̈ܰܓܺܝܐܶܐ
22.
ܥܰܡܳܗ̇ ܕܡܶܠܰܬܝ̱ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܥܶܗܕܶܬ ܕܳܐܦ ܝܰܪܚܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܕܰܣܡܳܕܪܐ ܡܪܰܥ ܠܶܗ ܘܰܢܦܰܠ ܒܟܽܘܪܗܳܢܳܐ
ܢܺܐܬܶܐ ܠܚܽܘܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܕܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܠܒܽܘܝܳܐܳܐ
23.
ܦܠܰܛܘ̱ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܡܰܘܬܳܢܳܐ ܕܰܕܒܰܪܘ̱ ܠܰܐܚܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ
ܓܽܘ̈ܦܢܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܒܶܟܝ̱ ܕܰܩܕܳܡܰܝܗܶܝܢ
ܓܕܺܝܕܺܝܢ ܪܡܶܝܢ ܪܳܒܰܬ ܐܺܝ̈ܠܳܢܶܐ ܪܚܽܘܡܰܝ̈ܗܶܝܢ
24.
ܨܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܢܶܨ̈ܒܳܬܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܒܳܥܝܳܐ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ
ܥܶܩܳܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܦܳܠܚ̈ܶܐ ܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܐܳܦ ܡܒܰܟܶܝܢ
ܫܽܘܦܪܳܐ ܦܪܰܣ ܘܰܐܛܶܠ ܘܩܰܦܠܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܚܕܳܐ ܫܳܥܳܐ
25.
ܩܪܶܒ ܢܳܪܓܳܐ ܘܰܦܣܰܩ ܘܦܰܣܩܶܗ ܠܦܰܠܳܚܳܐ
ܦܣܳܩܳܐ ܠܺܐܝܠܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܘܚܰܫܳܐ ܠܦܰܠܳܚܳܐ
ܟܽܠ ܢܳܪܓܳܐ ܕܰܡܚܰܘ ܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܛܥܶܡ ܚܰܫܶܗ
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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