by Ephrem the Syrian

The Carmina Nisibena (CN) are Ephrem's funeral hymns for Nisibis, written around 363 CE after the city's cession to Persia. Following the Death-Drama series (CN 35–42), Hymn XLIII shifts from the voices of Death and the Evil One to a direct meditation on the power dwelling in the bodies of the righteous. The hymn is a litany of the holy dead: Joseph, Moses, Elisha, Ezekiel, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Elijah, Enoch, and Noah — each named as a witness to the resurrection of the body. Running beneath the litany is a sustained theological argument: the body is not a prison but a garment; not a liability but a robe of the Beloved; not a casualty of death but a vessel being refined.

The ʿŌnitā (congregational refrain) — "May the body of the righteous who believed in you not be held in contempt" — is the community's response addressed to Christ: a resurrection plea. Marked once in the source after stanza 1; liturgically it would have been sung after each. Three major sections are marked by ܀܀܀ breaks in the source text.

Melody (ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ): ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܒܰܝܰܐܘ ܒܡܽܘܠܟܳܢܳܐ (To the tune of "Consoled in the Kingdom")

1.

Joseph was a wall
for his own soul in the midst of peace.
Moses carried his bones
to be his camp's rampart —
a wall in the wilderness
for that people
who died in their idols
through the open land.
The dead bones he carried
to stand instead of the living:
incense of propitiation,
advocate of reconciliation.

Refrain (ʿŌnitā): May the body of the righteous who believed in you not be held in contempt.

2.

Joseph in the inner chamber
saw the All-Seeing One —
in the very place where a man supposes
there is none to see him.
He bound himself in his youth
with the cords of chastity.
Moses carried his bones
to refute that people
who openly welcomed
the daughters of Midian —
to condemn the fornicators
by the bones of the glorious one.

3.

Moses left the living
and ran toward the dead.
Workers of sin had walked among them
and the people's breaches multiplied —
a vineyard whose hedge was broken open,
left bare for trampling.
But that blessed scion,
that sacred cutting,
slipped in deep among the vines,
stole in and drew her out
from the house of ruins —
a blessing for the house of the nations.

4.

The bones of Elisha
sowed hope in Sheol.
The power hidden in those bones
was consoling the dead.
Death saw the corpse
that stirred and trembled.
Who has seen such a wonder of astonishment:
a dead man, snatched from Death's own mouth,
who seized bodies and revived them —
the buried one escorting the buried home?

5.

Sheol had counted out its treasury,
the storehouses holding all our bodies.
Its gates and all its bars
it had fastened tight and trusted.
Never had it seen a bone stir —
then the voice of Ezekiel came upon it.
The bones began to move and seek
one another, and joined themselves together.
At their joining, Sheol was shaken
and Sheol came undone.

6.

Death, at the sound of those bones,
fled and hid in its crevices.
It sickened at the sight of the dead —
it had counted them all as finished.
It called out and commanded Sheol,
cutting off her inheritance and hope.
In its trembling, Death drew up its will;
in that shaking it confessed:
"I am only a passer-by,"
and wrote, "I am a pauper" —
the deposit destined to be returned
to the One who gave it.

7.

The dead rose to life;
the buried returned to those who buried them;
the prostrate to those who walk;
the silent to those who speak.
David, from his tomb, guarded his city for Hezekiah.
The bones interceded for Josiah —
they would not touch that old man.
With bones they shielded his bones:
the man who had deceived and caused death and burial,
yet believed, repented, and was saved.

8.

For if that old man deceived the innocent
and believed that one who strays
is killed and saved through him —
what a wonder: even as he killed him
he believed he would take refuge in him.
Who has seen such a wonder
in the midst of Sheol —
— — —
the killed one guarding his killer in the grave?
How much more shall they be kept, my brothers —
the ones slain in Christ.

9.

Again — Elisha placed his sick hands
upon the strong hands of the king
who came down to visit him.
"Seize strength and shoot
the arrow of salvation."
Marvel at the illness of the skilled:
the one who seeks healing
for the body of those who visit him —
he visits those who visit him.
Count me worthy of their deeds.

10.

Their very illness gave strength to kings.
Their three names
helped six hundred thousand.
Let our adversary, Satan,
have his mouth stopped by them —
my advocates are good and swift,
eloquent and many,
able in the court of judgment
to silence the accuser
and spare the guilty.

11.

Let us marvel at them, my brothers:
their weapon is silence.
In silence they plead with him —
the One who hears the silent.
The silence of discernment
is prayer to the All-Knowing.
My advocates are hired for little,
yet greatly they strive.
With weeping they testify for me,
with tears they plead for me —
the tears I poured out
upon their graves.

12.

Let us run to their graves
to live by their deaths.
The bones of Elisha
testify for their bones —
that life was given through them.
Death feared and learned
and began to honor, within Sheol,
the bones of the righteous,
to refute the deniers
who did not believe in the resurrection —
for even Sheol perceives it.

13.

For there is nothing
that has died to give life to all —
except that Death
of which the Lord came and said:
"I have never desired
the death of the sinner."
And for the Lord of all
it is simple —
it is fitting to give life:
the death of freedom,
dying by one's own will;
the death that comes by sin.

14.

For even the body itself —
the vessel of its own life —
was killed in the beginning, in Paradise,
when she dissolved its dominion,
the hedge of the Law.
The Just One did not will
to make her reign by force —
this free and sovereign one
who broke the Law by her own will
and by her own will died.

15.

Sleep is greatly beloved
to the one who is weary.
To the one who fasts and keeps vigil,
death itself is beloved.
Sleep of nature does not kill those who sleep.
Nor did Sheol kill —
and yet it kills.
Sleep is for pleasure;
even Sheol is for resurrection —
against that second death
which has no remedy.

16.

The sleep of biers has never weighed down
one who slept and slumbered
and will soon waken again.
Nor did Sheol oppress them, my brothers.
See — sleep is the veil over Sheol:
the morning awakens the sleepers;
the Voice raises the dead.
Only the death of freedom —
in whose hands hope has been cut off.

17.

This one who seems, as it were, at rest —
fitting in his justice —
gave the body in his grace,
surrendered to our will:
that we the spirit might live,
and he will raise the body.
For when worms devour it,
and the beasts feed —
both the eaten and the eaters return to earth,
and their dust is separated as through a furnace
in the resurrection.

18.

For if it pleases the craftsman
to smelt and cast again
the gold buried in the earth —
he separates and draws it out
through the furnace —
how much more will the Creator
purify the body in the resurrection?
His furnace separates everything:
he filters and casts aside
the dust of the beasts.

19.

For behold, in the thought
of our Maker,
the dust of the human being
was distinctly inscribed.
He took Adam's dust
and fashioned him —
so too the dust of humanity
is written and inscribed
in his knowledge.
He alone raises it.
See the beginning:
it witnesses to the end.

20.

Even copper, which passes away,
is distinct within its ore.
Before it is smelted out
it is visible to its craftsman.
And if it returns and falls back into the earth,
resting within it again —
how much more to the All-Knowing
is all distinct?
Every dust knows its own kind.
And greater than all of them
is the dust of the human being:
it is the robe of his Beloved.

21.

The body is clothed by the Firstborn —
spread out in his glory.
The deathless Bridegroom adorns
his guests in that garment.
Let them be like his garment.
Bodies are your garments —
let them be glorified.
He was bound, that man
whose body had been stained.
Look at your wedding feast:
my stains are in your radiance.

22.

See then how many dwelling-places
the body has entered and come out of:
into the womb at his birth,
into the tomb at his resurrection,
into the pit of the beasts — and conquered;
into the furnace.
The fish that swallowed him
returned him.
He walked on the sea,
flew and soared through the air,
sat at the right hand,
crowned with glory.

23.

Who imprisoned him?
Who bound him?
What space could contain him?
Even the womb he did not spare —
in the birth-pangs he burst forth and came out
and left her.
She has been dry of him:
he came upon her no more.
How much more will he lay waste to Sheol —
his bringing-out, his resurrection!

24.

He teaches the faithful —
the ascent of Elijah:
that both ascended together in it,
both of them in the chariot,
body and soul,
to that dwelling above.
He did not strip off his body
and cast it anywhere.
The men who went out to seek
and did not find him declared:
he ascended wholly in the body,
for he was holy in the body.

25.

And even his dust, Elijah teaches —
it separated and remained behind,
borrowed and passing.
Reproached, it separated and fell,
for it is a garment of time —
to intercede for the body that was snatched up,
that its existence had been a garment of truth
which accompanied its garments.
The dust separated and fell;
the body flew and ascended.

26.

Even the Jordan cast restraints
upon its own flowing:
the waters folded upon themselves,
each flood bearing the other.
It forsook its course —
the habit of its nature —
and ran against its nature, backward,
to intercede, winding and rising by command:
the body among the victorious ones
flies to the heights and ascends.

27.

But if it is fitting that Noah's body rise —
the body that has dissolved —
how much harder to hold Enoch,
whose body was not dissolved!
The dead, in the mystery of Enoch,
teach us that we are alive to him.
In Moses and in Elijah who appeared:
refute the deniers —
those who are buried are alive,
those who remain shall fly.
Count me worthy of your coming.

Colophon

Good Works Translation. Translated from Classical Syriac by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, April 2026, with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic). Source text: Edmund Beck, ed., Carmina Nisibena (Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, Vol. 218/219; Louvain: Secrétariat du CorpusSCO, 1961); TEI transcription by Michael Oez, Digital Syriac Corpus, University of Oxford / Brigham Young University / Vanderbilt University (CC-BY 4.0). No prior English translation of CN 43 known to exist. Blood Rule acknowledged: English derived directly from the Classical Syriac throughout; no existing English translation consulted.

Notes on this hymn: CN 43 follows the Death-Drama series (CN 35–42) but shifts register entirely. Where the Death-Drama staged the voices of Death, Sheol, and the Evil One, CN 43 is a first-person meditation: Ephrem speaks as the church, cataloguing the holy dead as a treasury of intercessors and a proof of resurrection. Three major sections are marked by ܀܀܀ breaks in the source: (1) Stanzas 1–5, the heroes of faith — Joseph, Moses, Elisha, Ezekiel's dry bones; (2) Stanzas 6–8 with an internal ܀܀܀ break within stanza 8, covering Death's terror and the wonder of the killed protecting the killer; (3) Stanzas 9–16, the saints as advocates and a theology of bodily death vs. the "second death" of free will. A resurrection coda (stanzas 17–27) develops the craftsman/furnace/dust metaphors, ending with Elijah's ascent, the Jordan's reversal, and the mystery of Enoch and Noah.

The ʿŌnitā — "May the body of the righteous who believed in you not be held in contempt" — is marked once in the source after stanza 1; liturgically it recurred after each. The melody indicator ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܒܰܝܰܐܘ ܒܡܽܘܠܟܳܢܳܐ ("To the tune of 'Consoled in the Kingdom'") names an actual melody title — unlike the earlier Death-Drama indicators (ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ, "son of its own tune"), which are more generic.

Key translation decisions: ܦܰܓܪܳܐ (pagrā) rendered "body" throughout — it carries both "body" and "corpse" in Syriac; the ambiguity is part of Ephrem's theology. ܣܢܺܐܓܪܳܐ / ܣܢܺܐܓܪ̈ܰܝ (snīgrā/snīgrāy) as "advocate/advocates" — Greek loanword συνήγορος (synēgoros), defense counsel in a court of law. ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ ("the death of freedom") in stanzas 15–17 is the voluntary, willful spiritual death — the "second death" — as distinct from bodily death, consistently called "sleep." The ܀܀܀ break within stanza 8 is represented as — — — following the CN 40 precedent.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 43 (Carmina Nisibena 43)

ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܒܰܝܰܐܘ ܒܡܽܘܠܟܳܢܳܐ

1.

ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܝܰܘܣܶܦ
ܠܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܒܓܰܘ ܫܰܝܢܳܐ
ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܛܥܶܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܕܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܠܡܰܫܪܺܝܬܶܗ
ܫܽܘܪܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܕܰܒܪܳܐ
ܕܰܚܙܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܠܗܰܘ ܥܰܡܳܐ
ܕܡܺܝܬ ܗܽܘ ܒܰܦܬܰܟܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܠܰܒܪܶܝܗ
ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܛܥܶܢ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ
ܕܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܚܠܳܦ ܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ
ܦܺܝܪܡܳܐ ܕܚܽܘܣܳܝܳܐ
ܣܢܺܐܓܪܳܐ ܕܬܰܪܥܽܘܬܳܐ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܠܳܐ ܢܶܬܛܰܠܰܡ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܕܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܗܰܝܡܶܢܘ̱ ܒܳܟ

2.

ܝܰܘܣܶܦ ܒܬܰܘܢܳܐ
ܚܙܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܚܳܙܶܐ ܟܽܠ
ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܕܣܰܒܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܕܚܳܙܶܐ ܠܶܗ
ܐܰܪܡܺܝ ܒܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܶܗ
ܦܓܽܘ̈ܕܶܐ ܕܢܰܟܦܽܘܬܳܐ
ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܛܥܶܢ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܕܰܢܒܰܣܪܽܘܢ
ܠܥܰܡܳܐ ܕܓܰܠܝܳܐܺܝܬ
ܫܰܒܚܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܒܢ̈ܳܬ ܡܳܕܶܝܢ
ܩܰܛܪܰܓ ܠܙܰܢܳܝ̈ܶܐ
ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܢܰܨܺܝܚܳܐ

3.

ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܫܒܰܩ ܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ
ܪܗܶܛ ܠܶܗ ܠܘܳܬ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ
ܦܳܥ̈ܠܶܐ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܥܰܡܶܗ
ܘܰܣܓܰܘ ܬܽܘܪ̈ܥܳܬܶܗ ܕܥܰܡܳܐ
ܟܰܪܡܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܰܬܪܰܥ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܣܝܳܓܶܗ ܠܕܺܝܽܘ̈ܫܶܐ
ܗܳܝ ܕܶܝܢ ܛܽܘܛܺܝܬܳܐ
ܒܪܺܝܟܬܳܐ
ܥܶܙܝܰܬ ܒܓܰܘ ܓܽܘܦܢ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܓܶܢܒܰܬ ܘܰܐܦܰܩܬܳܗ̇
ܡܶܢ ܒܶܝܬ ܚܪ̈ܽܘܒܶܐ
ܒܽܘܪܟܬܳܐ ܠܒܶܝܬ ܥܰܡ̈ܡܶܐ

4.

ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܶܐܠܺܝܫܰܥ
ܣܰܒܪܳܐ ܙܪܰܥܘ̱ ܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ
ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܕܰܟܣܶܐ ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ
ܠܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܡܒܰܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܚܙܳܐ ܠܡܺܝܬܶܐ
ܕܰܪܚܶܫ ܘܶܐܣܬܰܪܰܕ
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܚܼܙܳܐ ܚܶܙܘܳܐ
ܕܦܶܠܳܐܬܳܐ
ܕܡܺܝܬܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܡ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܫܠܰܕܶܐ ܚܛܰܦ ܘܰܐܚܺܝ
ܩܒܺܝܪܳܐ ܠܩܳܒܽܘܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܠܒܰܝܬܳܐ ܡܰܠܘܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ

5.

ܡܶܫܰܬ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܓܰܙܳܗ̇
ܐܰܘܨܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܰܝܢ
ܬܰܪ̈ܥܶܝܗ̇ ܘܳܐܦ ܡܽܘܟܠܶܝ̈ܗ̇
ܫܪܪܬ ܘܶܐܬܬܰܟܠܰܬ
ܠܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܚܙܳܬ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܓܰܪܡܳܐ ܕܰܪܚܶܫ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܩܳܠܶܗ ܕܚܰܙܩܺܝܐܶܝܠ ܐܬܘܗܗ̇
ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܪܚܰܫܘ̱ ܘܰܒܥܰܘ̱
ܚܰܕ ܠܚܰܕ ܘܶܐܬܪܰܟܰܒܘ̱
ܒܪܽܘܟܒܗܽܘܢ ܥܶܦܰܬ
ܗܺܝ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܘܶܐܫܬܰܪܝܰܬ
܀܀܀

6.

ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܩܳܠ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ
ܒܢܶܩ̈ܥܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܥܪܰܩ ܘܰܛܫܳܐ
ܐܶܬܟܪܶܗ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ
ܣܒܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܰܐܘܦܺܝ ܠܶܗ
ܩܼܪܳܐ ܦܰܩܕܳܗ̇ ܠܰܫܝܽܘܠ
ܘܰܐܘܪܬܳܗ̇ ܦܣܰܩ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ
ܐܰܨܰܚ ܕܺܝܬܩܳܐ
ܒܙܰܘܰܥܬܶܗ
ܐܰܘܕܺܝ ܕܥܳܒܽܘܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܘܰܐܟܬܶܒ ܕܡܶܣܟܺܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܕܰܥܬܺܝܕ ܕܓܽܘܥܠܳܢܳܐ
ܢܶܦܢܶܐ ܠܝܳܗܽܘܒܶܗ

7.

ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܠܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ ܩܳܡܘ̱
ܩܒܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܰܩܒܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ
ܪ̈ܡܰܝܳܐ ܠܗ̈ܶܠܟܶܐ
ܫܠܰܝ̈ܳܐ ܠܡ̈ܰܠܳܠܶܐ
ܕܰܘܺܝܕ ܠܚܶܙܰܩܝܳܐ
ܒܩܰܒܪܶܗ ܢܼܛܰܪ ܟܰܪܟܶܗ
ܘܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܠܝܽܘܫܺܝܳܐ
ܐܰܦܺܝܣܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ
ܘܠܳܐ ܩܰܪܶܒܘ̱ ܠܗܰܘ ܣܳܒܳܐ
ܒܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܢܛܰܪܘ̱ ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܕܰܢܟܼܰܠ ܩܼܛܰܠ ܘܰܩܒܼܰܪ
ܘܗܰܝܡܶܢ ܛܦܰܣ ܘܰܦܠܰܛ

8.

ܐܶܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܗܰܘ ܣܳܒܳܐ
ܐܰܛܥܺܝܗ ܠܬܰܡܺܝܡܳܐ
ܘܗܰܝܡܶܢ ܕܡܳܐ ܕܰܣܼܛܳܐ
ܡܶܬܩܛܰܠ ܘܦܳܠܶܛ ܒܶܗ
ܬܶܡܗܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܟܰܕ ܩܰܛܠܶܗ
ܗܰܝܡܶܢ ܕܢܶܛܦܽܘܣ ܒܶܗ
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܚܼܙܳܐ ܬܶܗܪܳܐ
ܒܓܰܘ ܫܝܽܘܠ
ܩܛܺܝܠܳܐ ܠܩܳܛܽܘܠܶܗ
܀܀܀
ܒܩܰܒܪܳܐ ܡܢܰܛܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܟܡܳܐ ܢܶܛܪܽܘܢ ܐܰܚ̈ܰܝ
ܩܛܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܕܒܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ

9.

ܬܽܘܒ ܣܳܡ ܐܶܠܺܝܫܰܥ
ܐܺܝܕ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܟܪ̈ܺܝܗܳܬܳܐ
ܥܰܠ ܐܺܝܕ̈ܶܐ ܚܠܺܝ̈ܡܳܬܳܐ
ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܕܰܢܚܶܬ ܣܰܥܪܶܗ
ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܩܢ̈ܰܝ ܘܰܫܕ̈ܰܝ
ܓܶܐܪܳܐ ܕܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܳܐ
ܠܡܶܬܗܰܪ ܒܟܽܘܪܗܳܢܳܐ
ܕܟܶܫܪ̈ܶܐ
ܕܢܶܒܥܶܐ ܗܽܘ ܕܚܽܘܠܡܳܢܳܐ
ܠܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܕܣܳܥܽܘܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܠܣܽܘܥܪܳܢܗܽܘܢ ܐܰܫܘܳܢܝ̱
ܣܳܥܰܪ ܠܣܳܥܽܘܪ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ

10.

ܟܽܘܪܗܳܢܗܽܘܢ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ
ܠܡ̈ܰܠܟܶܐ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ
ܬܠܳܬܳܐ ܫܡܳܗܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ
ܠܫܶܬܡܳܐܐ ܐܰܠܦܺܝ̈ܢ ܥܰܕܰܪܘ̱
ܒܥܶܠܕܰܪܝ̱ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ
ܒܗܽܘܢ ܢܶܣܬܟܰܪ ܦܽܘܡܶܗ
ܕܣܢܺܐܓܪ̈ܰܝ ܛܳܒܺܝ̈ܢ
ܘܡܰܚܨܦܺܝܢ
ܡܠܺܝ̈ܠܺܝܢ ܘܣܰܓܺܝ̈ܐܺܝܢ
ܘܰܡܨܶܝܢ ܕܒܶܝܬ ܕܺܝܢܼܳܐ
ܢܫܰܗܽܘܢ ܒܥܶܠ ܕܺܝܢܼܳܐ
ܘܢܺܚܽܘܢ ܠܚܰܝܳܒܳܐ

11.

ܢܶܬܗܰܪ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܐܰܚ̈ܰܝ
ܕܗܽܘ ܙܰܝܢܗܽܘܢ ܫܶܬܩܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܒܫܶܬܩܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܦܺܝܣܺܝܢ ܠܶܗ
ܠܫܳܡܰܥ ܠܫܰܬܺܝܩ̈ܶܐ
ܫܶܬܩܳܐ ܕܦܽܘܪܫܳܢܳܐ
ܨܠܽܘܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܠܝܳܕܰܥ ܟܽܘܠ
ܒܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܡܶܬܰܐܓܪܺܝܢ
ܣܢܺܐܓܪ̈ܰܝ
ܘܰܣܓܺܝ ܗܽܘ ܡܶܫܬܰܚܩܺܝܢ
ܒܒܶܟܝܳܐ ܫܚܺܝܕܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ
ܒܕܶܡ̈ܥܶܐ ܐܰܓܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ
ܕܐܫܶܦܥܶܬ ܥܰܠ ܩܰܒܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ

12.

ܢܶܪܗܰܛ ܠܩܰܒܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܢܺܚܶܐ ܒܡ̈ܰܘܬܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܶܐܠܺܝܫܰܥ
ܣܳܗܕܺܝܢ ܠܓܰܪ̈ܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܚܰܝ̈ܶܐ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܚܶܠ ܘܺܝܠܶܦ
ܘܰܫܪܺܝ ܡܝܰܩܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܒܓܰܘ ܫܝܽܘܠ
ܠܓܰܪ̈ܡܶܐ ܕܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ
ܕܰܢܟܶܣ ܠܟܳܦܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܚܰܫܘ̱ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ
ܕܳܐܦ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܪܓܺܝܫܳܐ ܒܶܗ

13.

ܠܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܺܝܬ ܡܶܕܶܡ
ܕܡܺܝܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܠܡܰܚܶܐ ܟܽܠ
ܐܶܠܳܐ ܐܶܢ ܗܰܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ
ܕܝܰܡܳܐ ܥܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܨܛܒܺܝ ܡܶܡܬܽܘܡ
ܒܡܰܘܬܶܗ ܕܚܰܛܳܝܳܐ
ܘܟܰܕ ܟܽܠ ܠܡܳܪܳܐ ܟܽܠ
ܦܫܺܝܩ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܥܛܰܠ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܰܡܰܚܳܝܽܘ
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܡܺܝܬܶܐ ܒܨܶܒܝܳܢܶܗ
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܒܰܚܛܳܗܶܐ

14.

ܐܳܦ ܓܶܝܪ ܗܽܘ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ
ܡܳܐܢܳܐ ܕܚܰܝܘܳܬܳܗ̇
ܗܺܝ ܩܛܰܠܬܶܗ ܗܘܳܬ
ܒܪܺܝܫܺܝܬ ܒܦܰܪܕܰܝܣܳܐ
ܕܰܫܪܳܬ ܒܫܽܘܠܛܳܢܳܗ̇
ܣܝܳܓܶܗ ܕܢܳܡܽܘܣܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܨܒܼܳܐ ܟܺܐܢܳܐ
ܕܰܐܡܠܟܳܗ̇
ܕܢܶܥܨܳܝܗ̇ ܒܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ
ܠܗܳܕܶܐ ܡܫܰܠܰܛܬܳܐ
ܕܰܫܪܳܬ ܠܨܶܒܝܳܢܶܗ
ܘܡܺܝܬܰܬ ܒܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܗ̇

15.

ܣܰܓܺܝ ܗܽܘ ܚܰܒܺܝܒܳܐ
ܫܶܢܬܳܐ ܠܡܰܢ ܕܠܳܐܶܐ
ܘܰܠܡܰܢ ܕܨܳܐܶܡ ܘܫܳܗܰܪ
ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܪܚܽܘܡܶܗ ܗܽܘ
ܠܳܐ ܩܳܛܠܳܐ ܠܕܰܡ̈ܟܶܐ
ܫܶܢܬܳܐ ܕܒܰܟܝܳܢܳܐ
ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܩܶܛܠܰܬ
ܘܩܳܛܠܳܐ
ܫܶܢܬܳܐ ܕܒܽܘܣܳܡܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
ܐܳܦ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܕܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
ܠܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܗܰܘ ܬܶܢܝܳܢܳܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܠܶܗ ܦܽܘܪܣܳܐ

16.

ܠܳܐ ܟܺܝܡܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ
ܫܶܢܬܳܐ ܕܥܰܪ̈ܣܳܬܳܐ
ܥܰܠ ܡܰܢ ܕܢܳܡ ܘܰܕܡܼܶܟ
ܕܬܽܘܒ ܡܶܬܬܥܺܝܪ ܒܰܥܓܰܠ
ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܟܶܡܰܬ
ܐܰܘ ܟܺܝܡܳܐ ܐܰܚ̈ܰܝ
ܗܳܐ ܫܶܢܬܳܐ ܠܰܫܝܽܘܠ
ܡܟܰܣܶܐ
ܕܨܰܦܪܳܐ ܡܥܺܝܪ ܕܰܡ̈ܟܶܐ
ܘܩܳܠܳܐ ܡܩܺܝܡ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ
ܡܰܘܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܒܺܐܝܕ̈ܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܦܣܼܰܩ ܣܰܒܪܶܗ
܀܀܀

17.

ܗܳܢܳܐ ܕܗܳܐ ܟܶܐܡܰܬ
ܥܛܶܠ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܶܗ
ܝܰܗܒܶܗ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ
ܟܰܕ ܕܰܠܺܝܠ ܠܨܶܒܝܳܢܰܢ
ܕܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܚܢܰܢ ܢܺܚܶܐ
ܘܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܢܢܰܚܶܡ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܕܟܰܕ ܢܶܐܟܠܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܪܰܚܫܳܐ
ܘܚܰܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܠܰܐܪܥܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܬܦܢܶܝܢ
ܐܰܟܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܘܳܐܟܽܘ̈ܠܶܐ
ܘܡܶܬܦܪܶܫ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܒܟܽܘܪܳܐ
ܥܰܦܪܗܽܘܢ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ

18.

ܐܶܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܬܶܫܦܰܪ ܠܶܗ
ܗܳܕܶܐ ܠܽܐܘܡܳܢܳܐ
ܕܢܶܫܚܽܘܩ ܘܢܶܫܕܶܐ ܬܽܘܒ
ܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ
ܦܪܰܫ ܘܰܫܩܰܠ ܠܶܗ
ܡܶܢܳܗ̇ ܒܓܰܘ ܟܽܘܪܳܐ
ܟܡܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܒܳܪܽܘܝܳܐ
ܢܨܰܠܠܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ
ܠܦܰܓܪܐ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ
ܒܟܽܘܪܶܗ ܡܰܦܪܶܫ ܟܽܠ
ܟܰܕ ܡܓܶܝܠ ܘܫܳܕܶܐ ܠܶܗ
ܠܥܰܦܪܳܐ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ

19.

ܗܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܶܗ
ܕܺܝܠܶܗ ܕܰܥܒܽܘܕܳܢ
ܡܰܦܪܰܫ ܪܫܺܝܡ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܳܗ̇
ܥܰܦܪܶܗ ܕܒܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ
ܦܪܰܫ ܫܩܼܰܠ ܥܰܦܪܶܗ
ܕܳܐܕܳܡ ܘܓܰܒܠܶܗ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܗܳܟܰܢ ܦܪܺܝܫ ܘܰܪܫܺܝܡ
ܒܡܰܕܥܶܗ
ܥܰܦܪܳܗ̇ ܕܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ
ܘܠܶܗ ܗܼܽܘ ܡܩܺܝܡ ܒܰܠܚܽܘܕ
ܘܰܚܙܰܘ ܠܫܽܘܪܳܝܳܐ
ܕܣܳܗܶܕ ܠܫܽܘܠܳܡܳܐ

20.

ܢܚܳܫܳܐ ܕܥܳܒܽܘܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܦܪܺܝܫ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܒܓܰܘ ܥܰܦܪܶܗ
ܘܰܩܕܳܡ ܕܢܶܫܬܰܠܰܚ
ܡܶܬܚܙܶܐ ܠܽܐܘܡܳܢܶܗ
ܘܶܐܢ ܦܼܢܳܐ ܢܦܼܰܠ ܒܰܐܪܥܶܗ
ܕܢܺܝܚ ܗܽܘ ܒܓܰܘܳܗ̇ ܬܽܘܒ
ܟܡܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܠܝܳܕܰܥ ܟܽܠ
ܦܪܺܝܫ ܟܽܠ
ܟܽܠ ܥܦܰܪ ܠܓܶܢܣ̈ܳܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܘܡܶܢ ܟܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܪܰܒ ܠܶܗ
ܥܰܦܪܶܗ ܕܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
ܕܶܐܣܛܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܚܰܒܺܝܒܶܗ

21.

ܠܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܥܛܺܝܦ ܒܽܘܟܪܳܐ
ܦܪܺܝܣܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܶܗ
ܚܰܬܢܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܳܐܶܬ
ܒܗܳܝ ܐܶܣܛܠܳܐ ܡܦܰܪܶܓ
ܙܡ̈ܺܝܢܶܐ ܒܶܐܣܛܰܠܗܽܘܢ
ܠܗܳܝ ܐܰܣܛܠܶܗ ܢܶܕܡܽܘܢ
ܦܰܓܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܒܽܘܫܰܝ̈ܟܽܘܢ
ܢܦܰܪܓܽܘܢ
ܕܰܦܟܪܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܗܰܘ ܓܰܒܪܳܐ
ܕܦܰܓܪܶܗ ܡܟܰܬܰܡ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܚܽܘܪ ܒܡܶܫܬܽܘܬܳܟ
ܟܽܘܬܡ̈ܳܬܝ̱ ܒܙܰܠܺܝܩ̈ܰܝܟ

22.

ܚܙܰܘ ܕܶܝܢ ܟܡܳܐ ܥܽܘܒܺܝ̈ܢ
ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܨܪܳܐ ܘܰܢܦܰܩ
ܠܟܰܪܣܳܐ ܒܡܰܘܠܳܕܶܗ
ܠܩܰܒܪܳܐ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܶܗ
ܠܓܽܘܒܳܐ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܙܟܼܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܠܰܐܬܽܘܢܳܐ
ܢܽܘܢܳܐ ܕܒܰܠܥܶܗ ܬܽܘܒ
ܦܰܢܝܶܗ
ܗܰܠܶܟ ܒܓܰܘ ܝܰܡܳܐ
ܘܰܦܼܪܰܚ ܘܛܳܣ ܒܳܐܐܰܪ
ܝܺܬܶܒ ܥܰܠ ܝܰܡܺܝܢܳܐ
ܡܟܰܠܰܠ ܒܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܳܐ

23.

ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܰܚܒܰܫ ܠܶܗ
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܶܐܣܰܪ ܠܶܗ
ܐܰܝܢܰܘ ܟܰܝ ܥܽܘܒܳܐ
ܕܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܡܣܰܝܒܰܪ ܠܶܗ
ܐܶܢ ܗܽܘ ܕܥܰܠ ܟܰܪܣܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܚܳܣ ܕܺܝܠܶܕܬܶܗ
ܒܚܶܒܠܰܘ̈ܗ̱ܝ ܬܼܪܰܥ ܘܰܢܦܰܩ
ܘܰܐܪܦܝܳܗ̇
ܘܗܳܐ ܨܶܕܝܳܐ ܡܶܢܶܗ
ܕܠܳܐ ܬܽܘܒ ܦܢܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܠܳܗ̇
ܟܡܳܐ ܢܶܚܪܒܶܝܗ̇ ܠܰܫܝܽܘܠ
ܡܰܦܩܶܗ ܘܢܽܘܚܳܡܶܗ

24.

ܠܰܡܗܰܝ̈ܡܢܶܐ ܡܰܠܶܦ
ܡܰܣܩܶܗ ܕܶܐܠܺܝܳܐ
ܕܰܐܟܚܰܕ ܣܠܶܩܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܒܳܗ̇
ܬܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܒܡܰܪܟܰܒܬܳܐ
ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܢܰܦܫܳܐ
ܠܗܰܘ ܡܰܥܡܪܳܐ ܕܰܠܥܶܠ
ܘܰܕܠܳܐ ܫܠܰܚ ܦܰܓܪܶܗ
ܫܕܳܐ ܒܕܽܘܟ
ܓܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܢܦܼܰܩܘ̱ ܘܰܒܥܰܘ̱
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܫܟܚܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܐܰܠܶܦܘ̱
ܕܟܽܠܶܗ ܣܠܼܶܩ ܒܦܰܓܪ
ܕܩܰܕܺܝܫ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܦܰܓܪ

25.

ܘܳܐܦ ܗܼܽܘ ܥܰܦܪܶܗ ܬܽܘܒ
ܡܰܠܶܦ ܕܶܐܠܺܝܳܐ
ܕܶܐܬܦܪܶܫ ܘܦܳܫ ܡܶܢܶܗ
ܫܐܺܝܠܳܐ ܘܥܳܒܽܘܪܳܐ
ܘܶܐܬܟܣܶܣ ܦܼܪܰܫ ܘܰܢܦܼܰܠ
ܕܺܐܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܒܽܘܫ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ
ܕܰܢܦܺܝܣ ܥܰܠ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ
ܕܶܐܬܚܛܰܦ
ܕܰܗܘܳܝܶܗ ܠܒܽܘܫ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ
ܕܰܠܘܳܐ ܠܰܠܒܽܘ̈ܫܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܥܰܦܪܳܐ ܦܼܪܰܫ ܘܰܢܦܼܰܠ
ܘܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܦܼܪܰܚ ܘܰܣܼܠܶܩ

26.

ܐܳܦ ܝܽܘܪܕܢܳܢ ܐܰܪܡܺܝ
ܦܓܽܘ̈ܕܶܐ ܒܡܰܪܕܺܝܬܶܗ
ܢܰܦܫܗܽܘܢ ܬܟܰܣܘ̱ ܡܰܝ̈ܳܐ
ܚܰܕ ܠܚܰܕ ܛܥܶܢܘ̱ ܫܶܦܥܰܘ̈ܗ̱ܝ
ܫܰܒܩܳܗ̇ ܠܡܰܪܕܺܝܬܶܗ
ܫܪܺܝܬܳܐ ܕܒܰܟܝܳܢܶܗ
ܘܰܪܕܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܟܝܳܢܶܗ
ܠܒܶܣܬܪܶܗ
ܕܰܢܦܺܝܣ ܟܰܕ ܣܳܒܶܟ
ܘܣܳܠܶܩ ܒܦܽܘܩܕܳܢܳܐ
ܕܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܒܢܰܨ̈ܺܝܚܶܐ
ܠܪܰܘܡܳܐ ܦܼܳܪܚܳܐ ܘܰܣܼܠܶܩ

27.

ܐܶܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܥܼܛܰܠ ܕܰܢܩܽܘܡ
ܦܰܓܪܶܗ ܕܢܽܘܚ ܕܰܒܠܺܝ
ܣܰܓܺܝ ܥܣܶܩ ܕܰܚܢܽܘܟ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܫܬܪܺܝ ܦܰܓܪܶܗ
ܕܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܒܐ̱ܪܳܙ ܚܰܢܽܘܟ
ܐܰܠܦܰܢ ܕܚܰܝܰܝܢ ܠܶܗ
ܒܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܘܒܶܐܠܺܝܳܐ
ܕܶܐܬܚܙܺܝܘ
ܐܰܟܶܣ ܠܟܳܦܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ
ܕܚܰܝܰܝ̈ܢ ܕܡܶܬܩܰܒܪܺܝܢ
ܘܦܳܪܚܺܝܢ ܕܡܶܫܬܰܚܪܺܝܢ
ܐܰܫܘܳܢܝ̱ ܠܡܶܐܬܺܝܬܳܟ
[ܫܠܶܡ]

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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