by Ephrem the Syrian
Hymn 44 of the Carmina Nisibena marks a new movement in Ephrem's great Nisibene cycle. Where the Death-Drama hymns (CN 35–42) staged the cosmic drama of Christ's descent into Sheol, and CN 43 catalogued the holy dead as witnesses to resurrection, CN 44 turns to argument: a sustained theological refutation of body-soul dualism. The target is the Manichaean and dualist claim that the body is the soul's prison, corruption through and through, unworthy of resurrection. Ephrem's counter-argument is built on a single comparison: the animal versus the human.
Animals are wholly corruptible. They labor without hope, run without wage, suffer without promise — and their souls perish with their bodies. But the human being is different: God breathed into him, compelled his body to lend its fast to righteousness, called him to a crown and a promise. The beast's defrauded labor is the negative image of the human's rewarded suffering. And the serpent's curse at Eden is the clinching proof: animals are slaughtered without curse; the serpent was cursed for harming the human body. Therefore the human body is not mere corruption.
The hymn ends with the blemished old man — lingering, useless to the dualists' eye, yet unkilled by any hand. His survival teaches the body's preciousness to its Fashioner; his death will reveal the glory of Paradise; his resurrection will crown both.
Melody (ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ): ܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ (Beth bar qāleh — second melody of the post-Death-Drama series)
1.
The Good One fashioned the body
to teach the erring
how great is the work of his hands —
standing forever.
The Just One breathed a soul
to teach how much greater it is
than that of the beasts,
into which he did not breathe.
For the one without the breath
its mouth is still and dumb;
but the one into whose mouth he breathed —
its mouth also speaks.
Refrain: Soul and body, Lord, may they rejoice in your resurrection!
2.
Weigh the human being
together with the beasts
on the scales of understanding,
and see with your mind
how the cattle
are the portion of corruption —
wholly passing away
in every regard —
so too humanity
is a treasure held in keeping:
wholly in resurrection
the portion of life.
3.
Look again at the composition
of the beasts themselves —
it is wholly consistent,
whole in every thing:
all equal in this,
that all of it is without hope.
This rebukes the erring ones
who divided
the nature of the human being —
which is one — placing it
half under hope
and half without hope.
4.
Witness to our reward
is the defrauded cattle —
whose labor is without hope,
whose running is without wage,
whose suffering is without promise,
all of it without resurrection —
teaching the human being,
and so convincing him:
the two under one yoke —
their running is for the crown,
their labor is for promise,
their suffering is for glory.
5.
Behold, two arguments
hang on the weak one:
to argue for the running
of the defrauded beasts,
and to argue for the wage
owed to the human,
and to argue that they were created
without injustice —
that counsel was given to the human.
— — —
Garden and Gehenna —
and to the beasts he gave abundantly
rest without debt.
6.
Look again at the beasts —
they were not compelled
to lend anything to God,
and so cannot say they are defrauded.
But the body was compelled
to lend its fast to righteousness.
If it has no resurrection,
it is defrauded —
and louder than the blood of Abel,
its silence within the earth
cries out for its redemption
before the One who repays all.
7.
Kill a beast and learn
that none will call you to account —
for its soul is transient
with that body,
and nothing in it
has come to resurrection.
This is the word that dissolves all dispute:
as the beasts —
whose souls are like their bodies —
so our body is destined
to live in the mystery of our soul.
8.
Scripture for the discerning,
nature for the unbelievers —
both teach that the transient
is preserved for its season,
what does not pass away
is kept forever,
and what kills it
is itself killed.
The serpent's undoing argues
that even what it slew
is fixed in permanence forever —
victorious in all things:
the serpent that deceived — and was undone.
9.
For look: birds and fish and beasts
are slaughtered by blessing
and by it again they are eaten;
by it grain is reaped,
by it fruit is gathered —
and none is cursed for slaughtering
or gathering.
But if the body of the human being
is mere corruption —
who then is cursed, or is the curse:
the serpent and the killer?
10.
Grain that dried and fell,
fruit that grew bland before harvest —
these rebuke the farmer
who delayed and did not reap,
who did not thresh and separate
the grain from the straw.
According to their argument, then,
he should be rebuked —
the one who does not kill
the old man whose savor has gone bland,
to release his soul
from its heavy bond.
11.
And all who are left alive —
old men who serve no purpose —
— — —
through them the Good One teaches
truth to the liars:
that even though the sword
would be a rest for the old man,
the young man who harms him
is himself harmed.
It corrupts youth
which would corrupt old age —
that we might learn how beloved
the body is to its Fashioner.
12.
An old man burdened with every blemish,
bearing all sorrows —
everyone awaits his death,
and yet none kills him.
For even though his death is desired,
his killing is greatly feared.
Through his lowliness we learn
how glorious he is,
and how honored he was
when he was in Paradise,
and how great his glory will be
when he rises and is raised.
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 44 known to exist. Blood Rule acknowledged: English derived directly from Classical Syriac throughout; no existing English translation consulted.
Notes on this hymn: CN 44 follows the Death-Drama series (CN 35–42) and the relic-meditation of CN 43, but shifts to direct theological argument: a refutation of body-soul dualism, most likely targeting Manichaean anthropology. The central device is a sustained contrast between animals (wholly corruptible, without hope of resurrection) and human beings (whose nature the dualists wrongly split — placing body outside hope and soul within it). Ephrem argues the beast's defrauded labor is the negative proof of human bodily resurrection: the animal runs, labors, suffers, and dies without reward; the human body runs and labors and suffers with a soul — two under one yoke — toward a crown. The beast witnesses the promise even as it is cheated of it.
The hymn pivots twice, marked by ܀܀܀ breaks in the source: within stanza 5 (Garden/Gehenna pivot — from the two-argument structure to the beasts' rest without moral debt) and within stanza 11 (reductio refuted — from the dualists' implied obligation to kill old men, to the actual effect of such killing on youth). The reductio of stanza 10 is Ephrem at his sharpest: if the body is mere straw weighing down the soul's grain, then the farmer who leaves grain on the stalk past harvest should be rebuked — and so should anyone who fails to kill their aged parents to liberate their souls. The absurdity collapses the dualist premise.
Key translation decisions: ܦܰܓܪܳܐ (pagrā) rendered "body" throughout. ܛܳܒܳܐ / ܟܺܐܢܳܐ ("the Good One / the Just One") as divine titles — Syriac parallelism pairs them across the opening stanza to describe the same God acting in two modes: fashioning the body, breathing the soul. ܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ (nuḥāmā) "resurrection" — appears in the refrain and throughout. ܒܥܺܝܪܳܐ (bʿīrā) "cattle / livestock" used for the working domestic animal being compared to humanity; ܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ (ḥaywātā) "beasts / animals" used more broadly. ܓܽܘܥܠܳܢ (guʿlān) "redemption / ransom" in stanza 6 — the body's silence cries for its ransom before God. The structural pivots ܀܀܀ rendered as — — — following CN 40/43 precedent.
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 44 (Carmina Nisibena 44)
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ
1.
ܛܳܒܳܐ ܓܒܼܰܠ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ
ܕܢܰܠܶܦ ܠܛܳܥܰܝ̈ܳܐ
ܟܡܳܐ ܪܰܒ ܥܒܳܕ ܐܺܝ̈ܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܘܰܠܥܳܠܡܺܝܢ ܩܰܝܳܡ
ܟܺܐܢܳܐ ܢܦܼܰܚ ܢܰܦܫܳܐ
ܕܢܰܠܶܦ ܟܡܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ
ܡܶܢ ܗܳܝ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܢܦܼܰܚ
ܗܳܝ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܠܳܐ ܢܦܺܝܚܳܐ
ܦܽܘܡܳܗ̇ ܫܠܶܐ ܘܰܚܼܪܰܫ
ܘܗܳܕܶܐ ܕܰܢܦܰܚ ܦܽܘܡܶܗ
ܦܽܘܡܳܗ̇ ܐܳܦ ܡܰܠܳܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܢܰܦܫܳܐ ܘܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܢܶܚܕܽܘܢ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܟ
2.
ܬܩܽܘܠܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܠܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
ܥܰܡܗܶܝܢ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܒܟ̈ܰܦܶܐ ܕܒܽܘܝܳܢܳܐ
ܘܰܚܙܳܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܪܶܥܝܳܢܳܐ
ܕܰܐܝܟܰܢ ܕܗܼܺܝ ܒܥܺܝܪܳܐ
ܡܢܳܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܚܽܘܒܳܠܳܐ
ܘܥܳܒܽܘܪܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܟܽܠܳܗ̇
ܒܟܽܠ ܐܶܣܟܺܝܡ
ܗܳܟܰܢ ܐܳܦ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ
ܣܺܝܡܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܢܽܘܛܪܳܐ
ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ
ܡܢܳܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܚܰܝܽܘܬܳܐ
܀܀܀
3.
ܚܽܘܪ ܬܽܘܒ ܒܪܽܘܟܳܒܳܐ
ܕܺܝܠܗܶܝܢ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܘܰܚܙܳܝ ܕܫܰܠܶܡ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܠܝܳܬܶܗ ܒܟܽܠܡܶܕܶܡ
ܟܽܠܶܗ ܫܘܶܐ ܒܗܳܕܶܐ
ܕܟܽܠܶܗ ܕܠܳܐ ܣܰܒܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܕܢܰܟܶܣ ܠܛܳܥܰܝ̈ܳܐ
ܕܦܰܠܓܽܘܗ̱ܝ
ܟܝܳܢܶܗ ܕܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
ܕܟܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܫܘܶܐ ܣܳܡܽܘܗ̱ܝ
ܦܰܠܓܶܗ ܬܚܶܝܬ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ
ܘܦܰܠܓܶܗ ܕܠܳܐ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ
4.
ܣܳܗܕܳܐ ܠܦܽܘܪܥܳܢܰܢ
ܒܥܺܝܪܳܐ ܕܡܶܬܛܰܠܡܳܐ
ܕܥܰܡܠܳܗ̇ ܕܠܳܐ ܣܰܒܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܘܪܶܗܛܳܗ̇ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܰܓܪܳܐ
ܘܚܰܫܶܗ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܽܘܠܟܳܢ
ܘܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܕܠܳܐ ܢܽܘܚܳܡ
ܕܢܰܠܶܦ ܠܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
ܕܬܶܛܦܺܝܣ
ܕܰܬܪ̈ܶܝܢ ܒܚܰܕ ܢܺܝܪܳܐ
ܪܶܗܛܗܽܘܢ ܕܟܽܘܠܳܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܥܰܡܠܗܽܘܢ ܕܡܽܘܠܟܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܘܚܰܫܗܽܘܢ ܕܢܰܨܺܝܚܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
5.
ܗܳܐ ܕܶܝܢ ܬܪ̈ܶܝܢ ܫܰܪ̈ܒܺܝܢ
ܡܶܬܬܰܠܝܳܢ ܒܚܰܠܳܫܳܐ
ܕܰܢܦܺܝܣ ܥܰܠ ܪܶܗܛܳܐ
ܛܠܺܝܡܳܐ ܕܚ̈ܰܝܘܳܬܳܐ
ܘܕܰܢܦܺܝܣ ܥܰܠ ܐܰܓܪܳܐ
ܡܠܺܝܟܳܐ ܕܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
ܘܕܰܢܦܺܝܣ ܕܠܳܐ ܥܽܘܠ
ܒܶܪܝܳܢ
ܕܰܡܠܶܟ ܠܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ
܀܀܀
ܓܰܢܬܳܐ ܘܓܺܗܰܢܳܐ
ܘܰܐܣܓܺܝ ܠܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܢܝ̈ܳܚܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܚܰܘ̈ܒܶܐ
6.
ܚܽܘܪ ܬܽܘܒ ܒܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܬܐܶܠܶܨ ܘܰܐܘܙܶܦ
ܡܶܕܶܡ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ
ܕܢܺܐܡܰܪ ܕܡܶܬܛܰܠܡܳܢ
ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܐܰܠܺܝܨ ܕܰܐܘܙܶܦ
ܨܰܘܡܶܗ ܠܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳܐ
ܘܶܐܢ ܠܰܝܬ ܠܶܗ ܢܽܘܚܳܡ
ܐܶܬܛܠܶܡ
ܘܛܳܒ ܡܶܢ ܕܡܶܗ ܕܗܳܒܶܝܠ
ܫܶܬܩܶܗ ܒܓܰܘ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ
ܓܳܥܶܐ ܥܰܠ ܓܽܘܥܠܳܢܶܗ
ܩܕܳܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܰܦܪܰܥ ܟܽܠ
7.
ܩܳܛܽܘܠ ܚܰܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܺܝܠܶܦ
ܕܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܕܩܳܛܶܠ ܠܳܟ
ܕܥܳܒܽܘܪܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܢܰܦܫܳܗ̇
ܥܰܡܶܗ ܕܗܰܘ ܦܰܓܪܳܐ
ܘܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܒܳܗ̇ ܡܶܕܶܡ
ܕܐܶܬܳܐ ܠܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ
ܡܶܠܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܟܽܠ ܚܶܪܝܳܢ
ܫܪܳܝܳܐ
ܕܰܐܝܟܰܢ ܕܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܕܢܰܦܫܗܶܝܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܰܝܗܶܝܢ
ܗܳܟܰܢ ܥܬܺܝܕ ܦܰܓܪܰܢ
ܕܢܺܚܳܐ ܒܪܳܙ ܢܰܦܫܰܢ
8.
ܟܬܳܒ̈ܶܐ ܠܦܳܪ̈ܽܘܫܶܐ
ܟܝܳܢܳܐ ܠܟܳܦܽܘܪ̈ܶܐ
ܡܰܠܶܦ ܕܥܳܒܽܘܪܳܐ
ܡܶܬܢܰܛܰܪ ܡܠܶܐ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ
ܘܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܥܳܒܰܪ
ܠܥܳܠܰܡ ܕܢܽܘܛܳܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܘܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܩܳܛܶܠ ܠܶܗ
ܡܶܬܩܛܶܠ
ܫܪܳܝܶܗ ܡܦܺܝܣ ܕܳܐܦ ܗ̱ܽܘ
ܩܰܒܥܶܗ ܠܥܳܠܰܡ ܗܳܘܶܐ
ܐܰܬܠܺܝܛ ܒܟܽܠ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ
ܚܶܘܝܳܐ ܕܰܢܟܶܠ ܘܰܫܪܳܝܗ̱ܝ
9.
ܗܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܦܳܪܰܚܬܳܐ
ܘܢܽܘ̈ܢܶܐ ܘܚܰܝ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ
ܒܒܽܘܪܟܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܬܢܰܟܣܶܝܢ
ܘܒܳܗ̇ ܬܽܘܒ ܡܶܬܐܰܟܠܶܝܢ
ܒܳܗ̇ ܡܶܬܚܨܶܕ ܙܰܪܥܳܐ
ܒܳܗ̇ ܡܶܬܩܛܶܦ ܦܺܐܪܳܐ
ܘܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܠܺܝܛ ܕܢܰܟܼܶܣ
ܐܰܘ ܩܼܛܰܦ
ܘܶܐܢ ܗܽܘ ܕܚܽܘܒܳܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܦܰܓܪܶܗ ܕܒܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ
ܠܡܰܢ ܡܶܬܠܺܝܛ ܐܰܘ ܠܺܝܛ
ܚܶܘܝܳܐ ܘܩܳܛܽܘܠܳܐ
10.
ܙܰܪܥܳܐ ܕܥܳܦ ܘܰܢܬܰܪ
ܦܺܐܪܳܐ ܕܦܰܓ ܘܦܰܟܶܗ
ܪܺܝܫܺܝܢ ܠܦܰܠܳܚܳܐ
ܕܰܐܘܚܰܪ ܘܠܳܐ ܩܰܛܦܶܗ
ܘܠܳܐ ܐܰܫܠܚܶܗ ܘܦܰܪܫܶܗ
ܠܙܰܪܥܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܓܰܘ ܬܶܒܢܳܐ
ܙܳܕܶܩ ܐܰܝܟ ܡܶܠܰܬܗܽܘܢ
ܕܢܶܬܪܫܶܐ
ܐܰܝܢܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܩܳܛܶܠ
ܠܣܳܒܳܐ ܕܦܰܟܶܗ ܛܰܥܡܶܗ
ܕܢܶܫܪܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܗܳܝ ܢܰܦܫܳܐ
ܐܰܣܽܘܪܶܗ ܕܝܰܩܺܝܪܳܐ
11.
ܘܟܽܠܶܗ ܕܡܶܫܬܰܒܩܺܝܢ
ܣ̈ܳܒܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܚܫܰܚܘ̱
܀܀܀
ܕܢܺܠܰܦ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܛܳܒܳܐ
ܫܪܳܪܳܐ ܠܟܰܕܳܒ̈ܶܐ
ܕܟܰܕ ܛܳܒ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܣܰܝܦܳܐ
ܠܣܳܒܳܐ ܡܢܺܝܚܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܥܠܰܝܡܳܐ ܕܢܰܥܶܓ ܠܶܗ
ܡܶܬܢܰܥܰܓ
ܡܚܰܒܶܠ ܠܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܚܰܒܠܰܬ ܠܣܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܢܺܠܰܦ ܟܡܳܐ ܚܰܒܺܝܒ
ܦܰܓܪܳܐ ܠܓܳܒܽܘܠܶܗ
12.
ܣܳܒܳܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܡܽܘ̈ܡܺܝܢ
ܡܰܘܒܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܥܳܩ̈ܳܬܳܐ
ܠܡܰܘܬܶܗ ܡܣܰܟܶܐ ܟܽܠ
ܘܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܕܩܳܛܶܠ ܠܶܗ
ܕܟܰܕ ܛܳܒ ܪܚܺܝܡ ܡܰܘܬܶܗ
ܣܰܓܺܝ ܕܚܰܝܶܠ ܩܰܛܠܶܗ
ܕܢܺܠܰܦ ܒܫܺܝܛܽܘܬܶܗ
ܟܡܳܐ ܫܒܺܝܚ
ܘܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܡܝܰܩܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܟܰܕ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܒܦܰܪܕܰܝܣܳܐ
ܘܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܶܗ
ܡܳܐ ܕܩܳܡ ܘܶܐܬܢܰܚܰܡ
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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