by Ephrem the Syrian
The tenth and final hymn of Ephrem the Syrian's Death-Drama series (Carmina Nisibena 35–42). The Evil One speaks throughout — bewildered by the relic-power he cannot comprehend, from Thomas's bones in Edessa to the Power coiled in Elisha's grave "like a serpent." Beck CSCO 218/219.
1.
The Evil One wailed:
where now is there left
for me to flee
from the righteous?
I urged Death to kill the apostles
that I might escape their lashes —
but in their deaths
I am lashed more sharply still.
He was cut down in India;
yet to Edessa he preceded me.
I went there — he was there.
Here and there I found him
and was undone.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
2.
The merchant bore the bones —
or did the bones carry him?
For they traded with one another,
each serving the other well.
For me, either way is loss.
That casket of Iscariot —
who will show me now how I drew power from it?
The casket of Thomas has killed me:
the hidden Power that dwells in it torments me.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
3.
The chosen Moses
bore bones in faith
as a treasure and a gain.
And if the great prophet believed
that there is power in bones,
the merchant believed rightly —
and rightly is he named: the merchant.
He traded, and his store grew great,
and has stripped me bare.
His treasure was opened in Edessa
and enriched the great city with mercies.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
4.
At this treasure
the storehouses marveled —
for small it was,
her store at first.
So long as no one drew from it,
little was the seeking of its wealth.
But when the crowds thronged in
and plundered and seized its gifts —
the more it is plundered, the more its wealth grows,
for a spring that is sealed:
the more one draws from it, the more it flows —
it runs great and overflows.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
5.
And this is plain to see —
Elisha too was a spring
for a thirsty people,
and because the thirsty would not draw from him
his flow ran thin.
But when Naaman drew from him
he poured out healing —
spring into spring:
he cast him in the river and the leprosy was cleansed.
Jesus, the sea of helps,
sent the blind man to Siloam, and he was healed.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
6.
Gehazi struck the dead
with the staff —
he could not
raise the child.
Yet how did the glorified one
ascend through a mere ghost?
We mocked in Sheol — in Saul too —
for the one demon he had summoned,
two went up instead and mocked him.
From Elisha's bones I learned —
and from Samuel's — that if bones revive the dead,
no ghost of the departed
can prevail against the living and holy bones.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
7.
How much I sought
to understand this —
and he who gives all
would not give it to me.
For if demons could be stirred
from the bones of a pagan priest,
or a Magian, a sorcerer,
a Chaldean, a diviner —
even I would know.
I have been deceived on both sides in mockery:
either I must slander the apostles,
or pass off my own as their equals.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
8.
The hosts of demons —
behold, stripped bare.
The companies of devils
bear lashes,
when none openly brandishes a rod.
Demons cry out from pain
when none has bound or shackled them —
the spirits hang suspended and bound.
This is the awesome judgment
that rests and is still,
that spends no labor even in questioning:
one Power that suffices for all this —
lo, it dwells in Elisha's bones like a serpent.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
9.
He gave judgment
to his twelve
that they might judge
the twelve tribes.
If the apostles are prepared
to judge the great sons of Abraham,
is it not all the more so
that they judge the demons now?
Otherwise the crucifiers might suppose
that at the judgment to come
they may look to our own case —
crying "they are worse than we"
before the apostles,
judges of the nations.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
10.
For a wolf was
the apostle Saul —
I raised him
on the blood of the lambs.
He grew strong and became the wolf alone.
Near Damascus, suddenly, the wolf became a lamb.
He himself declared that angels
the apostles are prepared to judge —
for he called the priests "angels," as it is written.
And if they hold such power:
woe to the demons
from the lashes of their bones.
Refrain: Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones.
Colophon
Good Works Translation. Translated from Classical Syriac by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026, with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic). Good Works Library.
Source: Edmund Beck, ed. Des Heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219; Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1961), public domain; Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML transcription by Michael Oez (CC-BY 4.0).
Carmina Nisibena Hymn XLII is the tenth and final hymn of Ephrem's Death-Drama series (CN 35–42). The Evil One speaks throughout all ten stanzas. The argument moves from the particular — Thomas martyred in India, his relics "preceding" the Evil One to Edessa and everywhere — through typological precedents: Moses carrying Joseph's bones (Ex 13:19), the Naaman healing (2 Kings 5), Gehazi's failed staff (2 Kings 4), Elisha's bones reviving the dead (2 Kings 13:21), the witch of Endor and the ghost of Samuel (1 Sam 28). The theological center is stanza 8: one Power rests silent in Elisha's bones "like a serpent" — awesome judgment that requires no effort. The final stanza turns on Paul: raised by the Evil One as a wolf on martyrs' blood, converted on the road to Damascus, he became the apostle who declared that the saints will judge angels (1 Cor 6:3). The refrain — "Blessed is the Power that dwells in the glorious bones" — is spoken from the Evil One's own perspective throughout, a confession of defeat.
Stanza 2 opens with a two-line lead followed by a structural pivot in the Syriac (the merchant/bones paradox); rendered here as a stanza break. The structural marker at the opening of stanza 5 signals a thematic bridge from the treasure/spring metaphor to its scriptural examples. The structural marker at the close of stanza 7 marks the conclusion of the Evil One's frustrated inquiry. Melody indicator: eighth in the CN Death-Drama series.
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Source Text
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܚ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ
1.
ܐܰܝܠܶܠ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ
ܕܠܰܐܝܟܳܐ ܡܶܟܺܝܠ
ܐܺܝܬ ܠܺܝ ܕܶܐܥܪܽܘܩ
ܡܶܢ ܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ
ܠܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܓܶܪܝܶܬ ܕܶܐܩܛܽܘܠ ܠܰܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܶܐ
ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܐܓܗܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܢܶܓܕܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ
ܒܡ̈ܰܘܬܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܝܰܬܺܝܪ ܗܳܫܳܐ
ܡܶܬܢܰܓܰܕ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܩܰܫܝܳܐܺܝܬ
ܫܶܠܚܳܐ ܕܩܰܛܠܶܗ ܒܗܶܢܕܽܘ
ܠܽܐܘܪܗܳܝ ܩܰܕܡܰܢܝ̱ ܗܳܪܟܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܟܽܠܶܗ ܐܳܦ ܬܰܡܳܢ
ܐܶܙܰܠ̱ܬ ܠܬܰܡܳܢ ܬܰܡܳܢ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܗܳܪܟܳܐ ܘܬܰܡܳܢ ܐܶܫܟܰܚܬܶܗ ܘܶܐܬܟܰܡܪܶܬ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܒܪܺܝܟ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܕܰܫܪܶܐ ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܢܰܨ̈ܺܝܚܶܐ
2.
ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܛܥܶܢ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܗܰܘ ܬܰܓܳܪܳܐ
܀܀܀
ܐܰܘ ܕܰܠܡܳܐ ܟܰܝ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܛܰܥܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܗܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܰܚ̈ܕܳܕܶܐ ܐܶܬܬܰܓܰܪܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ
ܘܠܺܝ ܡܳܐ ܠܺܝ ܕܥܰܕܰܪܘ̱ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ
ܐܳܦ ܐܶܬܥܰܕܰܪܘ̱ ܚܰܕ ܡܶܢ ܚܰܕ
ܕܠܺܝ ܒܬܰܪ̈ܬܰܝܗܶܝܢ ܚܽܘܣܪܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܗܰܘ ܓܠܽܘܣܩܳܡܶܗ ܕܰܣܟܰܪܝܽܘܛܳܐ
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܢܚܰܘܶܝܢܝ̱ ܕܡܶܢܶܗ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܩܳܢܶܐ ܗܘܺܝܬ
ܓܠܽܘܣܩܳܡܶܗ ܕܬܽܐܘܡܰܐ ܩܰܛܠܰܢܝ̱
ܕܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܟܰܣܝܳܐ ܕܰܫܪܶܐ ܒܶܗ ܡܫܰܢܶܩ ܠܺܝ
3.
ܓܰܒܝܳܐ ܡܽܘܫܶܐ
ܛܥܼܶܢ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ
ܒܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ
ܐܰܝܟ ܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ
ܘܶܐܢ ܗܽܘ ܕܰܢܒܺܝܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܗܰܝܡܶܢ
ܕܺܐܝܬ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܥܽܘܕܪܳܢܳܐ
ܫܰܦܺܝܪ ܗܰܝܡܶܢ ܬܰܓܳܪܳܐ
ܘܫܰܦܺܝܪ ܫܡܶܗ ܬܰܓܳܪܳܐ
ܗܳܢ ܬܰܓܳܪܳܐ ܐܶܬܬܰܓܰܪ
ܘܺܝܪܶܒ ܘܰܐܡܠܶܟ ܣܺܝܡܬܶܗ ܣܰܓܺܝ ܡܶܣܟܺܢܬܳܢܝ̱
ܣܺܝܡܬܶܗ ܒܽܐܘܪܳܗܝ ܐܶܬܦܰܬܚܰܬ
ܘܰܐܥܬܰܪܬܶܗ ܠܟܶܪܟܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܒܥܽܘܕܪ̈ܳܢܶܐ
4.
ܒܗܳܕܶܐ ܣܺܝܡܰܬ
ܓ̈ܰܙܶܐ ܬܶܗܪܰܬ
ܙܥܽܘܪܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ
ܓܰܙܳܗ̇ ܠܽܘܩܕܰܡ
ܘܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܫܩܰܠ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܡܶܢܳܗ̇
ܡܶܣܟܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܢܶܒܥܶܐ ܕܥܽܘܬܪܳܗ̇ ܟܰܕ ܕܶܝܢ ܟܰܪܟܽܘܗ̇ ܣܰܓ̈ܺܝܐܶܐ
ܘܰܒܙܽܘܗ̇ ܘܰܚܛܰܦܘ̱ ܝܽܘܬܪ̈ܳܢܶܝܗ̇ ܟܡܳܐ ܕܡܶܬܒܰܙܙܳܐ ܟܶܢ ܝܰܬܺܝܪ
ܣܳܓܶܐ ܥܽܘܬܪܳܗ̇ ܕܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܚܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܶܢ ܗܽܘ
ܕܗܶܡܰܣ ܒܶܗ ܟܶܢ ܗܽܘ ܝܰܬܺܝܪ ܡܶܬܬܪܰܥ
ܪܰܒܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܪܳܕܶܐ ܘܡܶܫ̇ܰܬܦܰܥ
5.
܀܀܀
ܓܰܠܝܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܗܳܕܶܐ
ܕܳܐܦ ܐܶܠܺܝܫܰܥ
ܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܒܥܰܡܳܐ ܨܰܗܝܳܐ
ܘܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܰܨܗ̈ܰܝܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܗܰܡܶܣܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܒܶܗ
ܠܳܐ ܣܶܓܝܰܬ ܗܘܳܬ ܡܰܪܕܺܝܬܶܗ
ܟܰܕ ܕܶܝܢ ܗܳܡܶܣ ܒܶܗ ܢܶܥܡܳܢ
ܐܰܫܦܰܥ ܘܶܐܫܰܕ ܚܽܘܠܡܳܢܳܐ
ܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܠܓܰܘ ܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ
ܫܰܩܠܶܗ ܘܰܫܕܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܕܰܒܢܰܗܪܳܐ ܠܓܰܪܒܶܐ ܕܰܟܺܝ
ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܕܥܽܘܕܪ̈ܳܢܶܐ
ܠܫܺܝܠܽܘܚܳܐ ܫܰܠܚܶܗ ܠܣܰܡܝܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܦܰܬܰܚ
6.
ܓܶܚܙܺܝ ܒܚܽܘܛܪܳܐ
ܡܰܚܶܐ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ
ܠܳܐ ܐܶܫܟܰܚ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܛܰܠܝܳܐ ܕܰܢܩܺܝܡ
ܘܰܐܝܟܰܢ ܒܙܳܟܽܘܪܳܐ ܣܠܶܩ ܢܰܨܺܝܚܳܐ
ܚܢܰܢ ܗܽܘ ܒܫܳܐܽܘܠ ܒܰܙܰܚܢܰܢ ܕܰܚܠܳܦ ܚܰܕ ܫܺܐܕܳܐ ܕܫܰܐܶܠ
ܬܪ̈ܶܝܢ ܫܺܐܕ̈ܺܝܢ ܣܠܶܩܘ̱ ܒܰܙܰܚܘ̱ ܒܶܗ
ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܶܐܠܺܝܫܰܥ ܐܺܝܠܰܦ
ܐܳܦ ܕܰܫܡܳܘܐܶܝܠ ܕܶܐܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܠܡܺܝܬܳܐ ܐܰܚܝܰܘ
ܠܳܐ ܡܨܶܐ ܙܟܽܘܪܳܐ ܡܺܝܬܳܐ
ܠܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ ܘܩܰܕܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ ܠܡܰܣܰܩܘ̱
7.
ܘܰܟܡܳܐ ܒܥܺܝܬܳܗ̇
ܠܗܳܕܶܐ ܒܥܳܬܳܐ
ܘܠܳܐ ܝܰܗܒܳܗ̇ ܠܺܝ
ܗܰܘ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܟܽܘܠ
ܕܶܐܠܽܘ ܡܶܬܬܙܺܝܥܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܫܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ
ܡܶܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܕܓܰܒܪܳܐ ܟܽܘܡܪܳܐ
ܐܰܘ ܕܰܡܓܽܘܫܶܐ ܘܚܰܪܫܳܐ
ܕܟܰܠܕܳܝܳܐ ܘܰܕܩܳܨܽܘܡܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܝܳܕܰܥ ܗܘܺܝܬ
ܕܰܕܒܶܙܚܳܐ ܗܘܳܬ ܒܰܬܪ̈ܶܝܢ ܓܰܒܺܝ̈ܢ ܡܰܛܥܳܐ ܗܘܺܝܬ
ܕܰܐܘ ܠܰܫܠܺܝܚ̈ܶܐ ܡܕܰܓܶܠ ܗܘܺܝܬ
ܐܰܘ ܠܰܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܰܝ ܒܰܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܶܐ ܡܕܰܡܶܐ ܗܘܺܝܬ
܀܀܀
8.
ܓܰܒ̈ܶܐ ܕܫܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ
ܗܳܐ ܡܶܣܬܰܪܩܺܝܢ
ܓܰܒ̈ܶܐ ܕܕܰܝ̈ܘܶܐ
ܢܶܓܕ̈ܶܐ ܛܥܺܝܢܺܝܢ
ܟܰܕ ܠܰܝܬ ܕܰܡܪܰܝܰܡ ܫܰܒܛܳܐ ܓܰܠܝܳܐܺܝܬ
ܫܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ ܓܳܥܶܝܢ ܡܶܢ ܟܺܐܒ̈ܶܐ
ܟܰܕ ܠܰܝܬ ܕܶܐܣܰܪ ܘܕܰܦܟܰܪ
ܪ̈ܽܘܚܶܐ ܬܰܠܝܳܢ ܘܰܦܟܺܝܪ̈ܳܢ
ܗܳܢܰܘ ܕܺܝܢܳܐ ܒܗܺܝܠܳܐ
ܕܰܡܢܳܚ ܘܫܳܠܳܐ ܕܳܐܦܠܳܐ ܒܫܽܘܐܳܠܳܐ ܥܡܰܠ
ܚܰܕ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܕܰܠܟܳܐ ܣܳܦܶܩ
ܗܳܐ ܫܪܳܐ ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܰܐܠܺܝܫܰܥ ܬܰܢܺܝܢܳܐ
9.
ܕܺܝܢܳܐ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ
ܠܰܬܪܥܶܣܰܪܬܶܗ
ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܢܕܽܘܢܽܘܢ
ܬܪ̈ܶܥܣܰܪ ܫܰܒ̈ܛܺܝܢ
ܘܶܐܢܗܼܽܘ ܕܠܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܐܰܒܪܳܗܳܡ ܪܰܒܳܐ
ܥܬܺܝܕܺܝܢ ܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܶܐ ܕܰܢܕܽܘܢܽܘܢ
ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܗܳܕܶܐ
ܕܰܠܫܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ ܢܕܽܘܢܽܘܢ ܗܳܫܳܐ
ܘܶܐܠܳܐ ܡܰܫܪܶܝܢ ܙܳܩ̈ܽܘܦܶܐ
ܠܕܰܝܢܼܳܐ ܕܰܥܬܺܝܕ ܒܕܺܝܢܰܢ ܕܺܝܠܰܢ ܢܶܬܒܰܩܽܘܢ
ܕܒܺܝܫ ܡܶܢܰܢ ܗܳܘܶܝܢ ܩܳܥܶܝܢ
ܩܕܳܡ ܫܠܺܝܚ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܝܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܫܰܪ̈ܒܳܬܳܐ
10.
ܕܰܐܒܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ
ܫܠܺܝܚܳܐ ܫܳܐܽܘܠ
ܘܒܰܕܡܳܐ ܕܥܶܪ̈ܒܶܐ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܪܰܒܺܝܬܶܗ
ܘܰܥܫܶܢ ܘܰܗܘܳܐ ܕܰܐܒܳܐ ܝܺܚܺܝܕܳܐ
ܨܶܝܕ ܕܪܰܡܣܽܘܩ ܕܶܝܢ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܠܝܳܐ ܕܰܐܒܳܐ ܠܥܶܪܒܳܐ ܐܶܫܬܰܚܠܰܦ
ܗܽܘ ܐܶܡܼܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܰܠܡܰܠܰܐܟ̈ܶܐ
ܥܬܺܝܕܺܝܢ ܫܠܺܝܚ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܢܕܽܘܢܽܘܢ
ܒܡܰܠܰܐܟ̈ܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܟܰܢܺܝ ܠܟܳܗ̈ܢܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܟܬܺܝܒ
ܘܶܐܢ ܗܽܘ ܕܗܳܟܰܢ ܫܰܠܺܝܛܺܝܢ
ܘܳܝ ܠܫܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܢܶܓܕ̈ܶܐ ܕܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ
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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