Hymn XL (Carmina Nisibena XL)
Eight stanzas in which Satan boasts before his servants, delivering an intellectual self-portrait — a confession not of weakness but of strategy. The hymn stands as the first of a pair (XL–XLI) in which Satan speaks without interruption from Death, breaking the dialogue format of the preceding cycle. Satan claims he is self-taught — grinding his own mind without a teacher, he armed himself with everything and seized the crown over humanity (stanza 1). He clothed his hatreds in the Pharisees: Wrath rained arrows, Insolence despised the Son of Mary, Blasphemy picked up stones — and the Physician entered the house of the sick, only to have the sick turned against their own healer (stanza 2). When accusations failed, Satan took refuge in questions — but his falsehood was refuted, his labor became chaff, and the word of truth winnowed it in every direction (stanza 3). The impulse within the human being hisses like a serpent at every hour, breeding desires of death — the commandment can only delay it; love alone breaks the hidden sting (stanza 4). Satan then mocks human foolishness with devastating precision: a man mends the flaws in his vessels while a moth is hidden in his limbs; he sews the tears in his garments while a tear is made in his mind; his house is brighter than his heart; his door is locked and his silver guarded — but his mouth is open and the treasure of his thought is stolen (stanza 5). The same fool sows good seed in his field while sowing weeds in his heart; his mind is a vine from the vineyards of Sodom (stanza 6). Satan teaches Chaldean arts and Egyptian illusions — by truths he is received, then falsehoods are believed (stanza 7). Finally, he reveals his divine permission: he is a furnace for testing — the faithful like Job are polished, the deceitful like Saul exposed (stanza 8). The refrain throughout is: "Blessed is he who came and abolished the deceits of sin."
Melody: Same melody (VI)
I.
The Evil One perceived his great humiliation
and boasted of himself before his servants.
His words were grand as he persuaded them and said:
"The knowledge that I possess —
a little of it is from nature,
but the greater part — all of it — is from learning.
I was my own master,
and I ground my mind — without a teacher I learned all.
I armed myself with everything
and seized the crown I desired over humanity."
Response: Blessed is he who came and abolished the deceits of sin.
II.
"In the Pharisees
my hatreds clothed themselves,
to do battle with him —
with that Son of Mary.
Wrath like a bow rained arrows;
Insolence despised him;
[...text damaged...]
Licentiousness rushed upon him;
Oppression oppressed him.
Envy and Jealousy, in rage,
fought against him — and Blasphemy picked up stones.
The Physician entered the house of the sick,
and I provoked the sick to battle against their healer."
III.
"Since he did not fall under accusation,
in questions I took refuge.
I multiplied provocations and saw
that my falsehood was refuted,
my shamelessness exposed,
my stubbornness despised.
In the exchanges of debate
I was hiding — wherever I argued with him,
all my labor became chaff,
and his word of truth winnowed it in every direction."
IV.
"I saw that he is a champion
and a lord of power —
yet by craft, within the human being,
[the creeping thing outside terrifies it —]
his impulse is entangled within.
At every hour his jealousy hisses like a serpent;
it begets desires of death,
yet from a cup it trembles.
The commandment, instead of a root-remedy, can only delay it —
[the burning that strikes unto destruction.]
Love alone can break
the hidden and bitter sting of the tongue."
V.
"Who is more foolish than the human being,
who cares more for his dwelling than for his soul?
The flaws in his vessels he mends every day,
while a moth is hidden in his limbs.
The tears in his garments he sews,
while a tear is made in his mind.
His house is brighter than he is,
and dark is his heart.
His senses wander and his windows overflow;
his door is locked and his silver guarded —
but his mouth is open, and the treasure of his thought is stolen."
VI.
"His beast more than himself
the fool honors;
he tends to its needs
more than to his soul.
Good seeds he sows in his field;
in his heart he sows weeds.
Open and profligate is his mind,
yet on the hedges of vineyards he labors.
He collects and plants saplings,
while his mind is a vine from the vineyards of Sodom.
The wild ass he keeps from his crops,
but the swine of the thicket grazes on his thoughts."
VII.
"A furnace I brought for the sons of men,
and through me their minds are tested.
Therefore I am permitted to weave deceit.
Chaldean arts I teach;
through truths I am received,
and then falsehoods are believed.
In Egypt I seized their eyes —
illusions I showed;
they thought it was real when it was not.
By seizing the eyes I teach sorcerers
things that do not exist in heaven."
VIII.
"By my swiftness I flew and saw,
and was first to report to whoever divined.
Those who were deceived by me counted me a prophet.
But there are times when I am bold
and ask that for a little while
hidden things be revealed to me —
that through me the faithful might be tested,
like Job,
and the deceitful exposed, like Saul.
There are those whose brass I laid bare,
and those whose truth I polished — and they were praised."
Colophon
Translated from Classical Syriac by Bardaisan, a Good Works tulku, 2026. Source text: Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), file 298.xml, CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org/298), based on the critical edition of Edmund Beck, Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219, Louvain, 1961). Translation prepared directly from the Syriac. Lexical verification against Payne Smith's Thesaurus Syriacus and SEDRA (sedra.bethmardutho.org). No existing English translation of the Carmina Nisibena was consulted during translation.
This hymn is Satan's intellectual self-portrait — a confession not of weakness but of strategy. It is the first of two consecutive hymns (XL–XLI) in which Satan speaks without interruption from Death, breaking the dialogue format of the preceding cycle (XXXV–XXXIX). What distinguishes Hymn XL is its psychological penetration: Satan is not merely a cosmic adversary but a theologian of the human condition. His description of the evil impulse hissing like a serpent within the human being (stanza 4) draws on the rabbinic concept of the yetzer ha-ra, and his observation that the commandment can only delay while love alone can cure is a theological insight Ephrem attributes to the enemy himself — a characteristic device in which truth is spoken by the one who fears it most. The domestic metaphors of stanza 5 — the moth in the limbs, the tear in the mind, the stolen treasure of thought — are among the most vividly observed passages in the Carmina Nisibena, and the "vine from the vineyards of Sodom" (stanza 6, from Deuteronomy 32:32) extends Ephrem's characteristic botanical imagery into moral psychology. Textual damage is present in stanzas 2, 4, and 7 (indicated by ܀܀܀ in Beck's edition); bracketed lines in stanza 4 represent Beck's editorial reconstructions.
Biblical parallels: Matthew 23 (Pharisees, stanza 2); John 10:31–33 (picking up stones, stanza 2); Matthew 6:19–20 (moth and treasure, stanza 5); Deuteronomy 32:32 (vine of Sodom, stanza 6); Exodus 7–8 (Egyptian sorcery, stanza 7); Job 1–2 (testing the faithful, stanza 8); 1 Samuel 28 (Saul and the medium, stanza 8).
Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 40 (Carmina Nisibena 40)
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܘ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ
1.
ܐܶܪܓܶܫ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ
ܒܫܰܦܠܶܗ ܪܰܒܳܐ
ܘܫܳܒܗܳܪ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ
ܩܕܳܡ ܦܰܠܳܚ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܡ̈ܶܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܪܰܘܪܶܒ ܟܰܕ ܐܰܦܺܝܣ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ
ܕܺܝܕܰܥܬܳܐ ܠܰܡ ܕܩܳܢܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ
ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܕܰܟܝܳܢܳܐ
ܘܣܽܘܓܳܐܗ̇ ܘܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܕܝܽܘܠܦܳܢܳܐ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܠܰܩܢܽܘܡܝ̱ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܪܰܒܳܐ
ܘܫܶܚܩܶܬ ܡܰܕܰܥܝ̱ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܰܠܦܳܢܳܐ ܝܶܠܦܶܬ ܟܽܠ
ܙܶܝܢܶܬ ܢܰܦܫܝ̱ ܒܟܽܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ
ܘܕܰܒܪ̱ܬ ܒܳܗ̇ ܟܠܺܝܠܳܐ ܕܰܨܒܺܝܬ ܒܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܒܪܺܝܟ ܕܶܐܬܼܳܐ ܘܒܳܛܶܠ ܢ̈ܶܟܠܶܐ ܕܰܚܛܺܝܬܳܐ
2.
ܒܰܦܪܺܝܫܳܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܠܶܒܫܰܬ ܣ̈ܶܢܝܳܬܝ̱
ܕܰܐܩܪܶܒ ܥܰܡܶܗ
ܕܗܰܘ ܒܰܪ ܡܰܪܝܰܡ
ܚܶܡܬܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܩܶܫܬܳܐ ܓܺܐܪ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܛܪܰܬ
ܡܰܪܚܽܘܬܳܐ ܨܳܥܰܪܬܶܗ
܀܀܀
ܘܰܣܥܳܬ ܥܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܦܰܩܪܽܘܬܳܐ
ܘܰܥܫܰܩܬܶܗ ܛܳܠܽܘܡܽܘܬܳܐ
ܚܣܳܡܳܐ ܘܛܰܢܳܢܳܐ ܒܪܽܘܓܙܳܐ
ܢܳܨܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܘܓܽܘܕܳܦܳܐ ܟܺܐܦ̈ܶܐ ܫܩܰܠ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܐܳܣܝܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܩܳܡ ܒܶܝܬ ܡܰܪ̈ܥܶܐ
ܘܓܶܪܝܰܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܰܟܪ̈ܺܝܗܶܐ ܒܬܰܟܬܽܘܫܶܗ
3.
ܕܠܳܐ ܢܳܦܶܠ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܬܚܶܝܬ ܡܰܪܫܽܘܬܳܐ
ܒܫ̈ܺܐܝܠܳܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܡܶܬܓܰܘܰܣ ܗܘܺܝܬ
ܐܰܣܓܺܝܬ ܓܰܪܺܝܬ ܥ̈ܶܠܠܳܬܳܐ ܘܰܚܙܺܝܬ
ܕܶܐܬܟܰܣܶܣܬ ܠܳܗ̇ ܕܰܓܳܠܽܘܬܝ̱
ܘܶܐܬܝܰܕܥܰܬ ܠܳܗ̇ ܚܨܺܝܦܽܘܬܝ̱
ܘܶܐܬܒܰܣܪܰܬ ܠܳܗ̇ ܣܪܽܘܒܽܘܬܝ̱
ܒܗ̈ܶܦܟܳܬܳܐ ܕܚܶܪܝܳܢܳܐ
ܡܶܣܬܰܬܰܪ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܟܽܠ ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܕܕܰܪܫܰܬ ܥܰܡܶܗ
ܗܳܘܶܐ ܠܶܗ ܟܽܠܶܗ ܥܡܰܠܝ̱ ܐܰܝܟ ܥܽܘܪܳܐ
ܘܕܳܪܬܶܗ ܡܶܠܰܬ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܠܟܽܠ ܓܰܒܺܝ̈ܢ
4.
ܚܶܙܝܰܬ ܕܰܐܬܠܺܝܛܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܘܡܳܪܳܐ ܚܰܝܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܒܽܐܘܡܳܢܽܘܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܒܓܰܘ ܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
[ܘܡܰܕܚܶܠ ܠܳܗ̇ ܪܰܚܫܳܐ ܕܰܠܒܰܪ]
ܝܳܨܪܶܗ ܒܓܰܘ ܡܶܬܥܰܘܩܰܕ
ܟܽܠܫܳܥ ܛܰܢܳܢܶܗ ܢܨܰܦ ܐܰܝܟ ܚܶܘܝܳܐ
ܐܰܪ̈ܓܺܝܓܳܬܳܐ ܕܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܡܰܘܠܶܕ
ܘܡܶܢ ܐܶܫܬܳܐ ܡܶܬܩܰܢܰܛ
ܦܽܘܩܕܳܢܳܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܥܶܩܪܳܐ ܡܨܶܐ ܕܢܰܫܗܶܝܘܗ̱ܝ
[ܠܡܽܘܝܳܩܳܐ ܕܰܡܚܶܐ ܠܰܐܒܕܳܢ]
ܚܽܘܒܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܬܳܒܰܪ ܠܶܗ
ܠܥܽܘܩܣܶܗ ܟܰܣܝܳܐ ܘܡܰܪܺܝܪܳܐ ܕܠܶܫܳܢܳܐ
5.
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܰܣܟܶܠ
ܡܶܢ ܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
ܕܛܳܒ ܡܶܢ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ
ܕܥܽܘܡܪܶܗ ܝܺܨܶܦ
ܡܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܒܰܥܝܳܒܶܗ ܣܳܥܰܪ ܟܽܠܝܽܘܡ
ܘܰܟܣܳܐ ܣܳܣܳܐ ܒܗܰܕܳܡ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܣ̈ܶܕܩܶܐ ܕܰܒܢܶܚ̈ܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܚܳܐܶܛ
ܘܰܥܒܺܝܕ ܣܶܕܩܳܐ ܒܪܶܥܝܳܢܶܗ
ܒܰܝܬܶܗ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܢܰܗܺܝܪ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܘܚܶܫܽܘܟ ܠܶܒܶܗ ܫܳܥ ܪ̈ܶܓܫܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܘܫܳܛܶܦ ܟܰܘ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܐܰܚܺܝܕ ܬܰܪܥܶܗ ܘܰܢܛܺܝܪ ܟܶܣܦܶܗ
ܬܪܺܝܥ ܦܽܘܡܶܗ ܘܰܓܢܺܝܒ ܓܰܙܳܐ ܕܡܰܚܫܰܒܬܶܗ
6.
ܒܥܺܝܪܶܗ ܡܶܢܶܗ
ܡܰܘܪܶܒ ܣܰܟܠܳܐ
ܕܝܳܨܶܦ ܕܺܝܠܶܗ
ܛܳܒ ܡܶܢ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ
ܙܰܪ̈ܥܶܐ ܛܳܒ̈ܶܐ ܙܪܰܥ ܒܳܗ̇ ܒܰܐܪܥܶܗ
ܒܠܶܒܶܗ ܙܪܰܥ ܙܺܝ̈ܙܳܢܶܐ
ܬܪܺܝܥܳܐ ܘܫܳܕܝܳܐ ܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܶܗ
ܘܒܰܣ̈ܝܳܓܶܐ ܕܟܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܠܳܐܶܐ
ܡܰܓܒܳܐ ܘܢܳܨܶܒ ܢܶܨ̈ܒܳܬܳܐ
ܟܰܕ ܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܶܗ ܓܦܶܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܡܶܢ ܓܽܘ̈ܦܢܶܝܗ̇ ܕܣܳܕܽܘܡ
ܥܶܪܕܳܐ ܟܽܠܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܙܰܪܥܶܗ
ܘܰܪܥܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܚܙܺܝܪܳܐ ܕܥܶܒܳܐ ܠܡܰܚܫܰܒܬܶܗ
7.
ܟܽܘܪܳܐ ܐܰܝܬܺܝ
ܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ
ܘܒܺܝ ܡܶܬܒܰܚܪܺܝܢ
ܪ̈ܶܥܝܳܢܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܒܰܕܓܽܘܢ ܫܰܠܺܝܛ ܠܺܝ ܕܶܐܓܕܽܘܠ ܙܺܐܦܳܐ
ܟܽܠܕܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܡܰܠܶܦ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ
ܒܫܰܪ̈ܺܝܪܳܬܳܐ ܕܶܐܣܬܰܩܒܰܠ
ܐܶܬܗܰܝܡܶܢ ܕܰܓ̈ܳܠܳܬܳܐ
ܒܓܰܘ ܡܶܨܪܶܝܢ ܐܶܚܕܶܬ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ
ܩܰܠܡܳܐ ܚܰܘܺܝܬ ܣܰܒܰܪܘ̱ ܕܺܐܝܬܶܝܗ̇ ܟܰܕ ܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬܶܝܗ̇
ܒܶܐܚܰܕ ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܐ ܡܰܠܶܦ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܡܳܠܽܘ̈ܫܶܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܒܰܫܡܰܝܳܐ
܀܀܀
8.
ܒܝܰܕ ܩܰܠܺܝܠܽܘܬܝ̱
ܛܳܣܶܬ ܘܰܚܙܺܝܬ
ܘܩܰܕܡܰܬ ܚܘܺܝܬܳܐ
ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܰܩܨܶܡ
ܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܰܛܥܰܘ ܒܺܝ ܢܒܺܝܳܐ ܚܰܫܒܽܘܢܝ̱
ܐܺܝܬ ܕܶܝܢ ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܕܡܰܚܨܶܦ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ
ܘܫܳܐܶܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܰܠܡܶܠܶܐ ܫܳܥܳܐ
ܢܶܬܓܰܠܝܳܢ ܠܺܝ ܟܰܣ̈ܝܳܬܳܐ
ܕܢܶܬܒܰܚܪܽܘܢ ܒܺܝ ܫܰܪ̈ܺܝܪܶܐ
ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬ ܐܺܝܽܘܒ ܐܳܦ ܙܺܐܦܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܫܳܐܽܘܠ
ܐܺܝܬ ܕܓܰܠܝܳܬܶܗ ܠܢܰܚܫܶܗ
ܘܺܐܝܬ ܕܡܰܪܩܬܶܗ ܠܰܫܪܳܪܶܗ ܘܶܐܬܩܰܠܰܣ
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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