Hymn XVI (Carmina Nisibena XVI)
Hymn XVI is the mirror hymn — the first hymn of the Nisibene cycle to subordinate historical narrative almost entirely to theological argument. The organizing metaphor is the mirror (ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ): a congregation whose surface has gone dark with stains is one in which opacity (ܬܽܘܟܳܐ) has taken hold — it cannot adorn the beautiful or correct the ugly, for it shows neither. The mirror never compels: and neither does Grace. The Law used cajolery and rod for humanity's youth, appropriately, without robbing freedom — the child needs the rod. But to revert to childishness in maturity is to come again under the law that loves slaves. Compulsion's adornment is borrowed; it is not the soul's own. God's real desire is the self-adornment of a free person from their own soul — therefore, with the same discernment with which he gave compulsion in its time, he removed it in its time of exchange, and replaced it with humility. Humility is what wisdom requires. The final movement applies the mirror's developmental logic to the three bishops: God weighed the city's age and gave each father the appropriate instrument — Jacob's era: fear; Vologeses' era: awe; Abraham's era: sweetness and solid food. The congregation confesses it disturbed the sequence and now, in the time when it should have sweetened, asks again for children's compulsion. The refrain knits the whole: the bishop is the one who polished our mirror.
I.
In this defective mirror —
if its clarity is darkened,
if its surface has stains —
the filth upon it becomes
a covering before those who look.
Refrain: Blessed who polished our mirror.
II.
Beauty is not adorned in it;
neither is defect reproduced.
It is all opacity to the beautiful,
whose beauties may not be traded
as adornments for profit.
III.
Defects are not uprooted in it,
nor do adornments increase.
The defect that remained is opacity;
what is not beauty is loss —
opacity met loss.
IV.
Our mirror, if it is darkened,
is all the joy of the ugly
whose blemishes are not exposed.
But if it is polished and bright,
our freedom to adorn ourselves is given back.
V.
Opacity dragged its loss upon both —
upon the ugly and the beautiful:
the beautiful were not crowned,
nor were the ugly adorned.
Opacity has divided the mirror.
VI.
The mirror never compelled by force
the one who looks in it.
Nor did the grace that came
upon the justice of the Law
acquire the compulsion of the Law.
VII.
Justice was the adornment of compulsion
fitted to youth —
for humanity was young,
and it adorned it through compulsion
without depriving it of its freedom.
VIII.
[Cajolery and rod were used
by justice toward youth:
when its rod struck and stirred,
insolence was restrained;
its cajolery won over the thoughts.]
IX.
[lacuna] — that it may adorn itself today, brothers —
to be a child in another hope
in the time of a mature mind
is to become one without mind.
X.
For in the rank of perfection
to descend to childishness
is to come under the law that loves slaves —
where it grows bold, it strikes;
where it relaxes, it beats.
XI.
All the adornment of compulsion
is not lasting — it is borrowed.
But this is great to God:
that a person adorn themselves from their own soul.
Therefore he removed the compulsion.
XII.
Just as discerningly in its time
he gave compulsion,
so discerningly
he removed it in its season of exchange.
Humility is what is required.
XIII.
As much as it is fitting for youth
to run under the rod —
just so it is deeply hateful
that wisdom be enslaved,
that compulsion be its master.
XIV.
See then, as if in proper order,
even God arranged my generations —
by the shepherds who were given me,
by the teachers he appointed me,
and by the fathers he numbered for me.
XV.
They were weighed together with their times,
the helps fitting their ministries:
the one that requires fear,
the one that demands encouragement,
and the one that calls for humility.
XVI.
He walked my measures in a balance:
for my youth he appointed fear;
for my young adulthood, awe;
and for my wisdom and discernment
he appointed and gave them humility.
XVII.
In the insolence and the stage of youth,
my nurturer was fearsome to me —
his rod kept me from captivity,
his fear from corruption,
and his awe from indulgence.
XVIII.
Another father was given for my young adulthood
which still lingered in me from youth:
in him there was a hardness
for the hardness that was in me from age —
and in him there was humility.
XIX.
When I rose above the stages
of youth and young adulthood,
the first fear passed away,
the second awe passed away —
and the sweet shepherd gave.
XX.
Lo — for my perfection, his food;
for my wisdom, his interpretations;
for my stillness, his humility;
for my restfulness, his sweetness;
and for my chastity, his honorableness.
XXI.
[Blessed who as by a scale
weighed and gave me fathers —
against my times, my helps;
against my ailments, my medicines;
against my beauties, my adornments —
XXII.
For we ourselves troubled the succession
and the beautiful fitting order;
in the time of our slackness
we ask for the hardness
that presses on us as on children.]
Colophon
Carmina Nisibena XVI — translated from Classical Syriac by 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: quinticolon stanzas — five cola per stanza. Melody: ܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ (melody 2 "Bar Qaleh" — same melody as Hymn XIV). Refrain (ʿunīthā): ܒܪܺܝܟ ܕܡܰܪܩܳܗ̇ ܠܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܰܢ — Blessed who polished our mirror — ܡܰܪܩ (to polish/buff metal) ties the doxology directly to the hymn's opening image; the bishop is the mirror-polisher. Textual notes: Stanza 8 ends with a closing bracket in the Beck/DSC edition, indicating the final line is uncertain or reconstructed. Stanza 9 opens with a lacuna marker (------) representing a missing first colon; the surviving four cola begin mid-sentence. Stanzas 21–22 are fully bracketed — probable Beck reconstructions from damaged manuscript tradition. All brackets are preserved in translation.
Voice and structure: Theological argument, shifting from communal to autobiographical voice at stanza XIV. Four movements: (I) The mirror argument (I–V) — the congregation as bronze mirror: if darkened, it fails both beautiful and ugly; opacity harms all equally; the refrain names the bishop as the one who restores the mirror's function. (II) Grace, Law, and compulsion (VI–VIII) — the mirror never compels; Grace upon Law does not inherit Law's coercive mode; Justice used cajolery and rod for humanity's youth appropriately, preserving freedom. (III) The transition from compulsion to humility (IX–XIII) — to revert to childishness in maturity is to come under the slave-law again; compulsion's adornment is borrowed, not the soul's own; God's real desire is voluntary self-adornment; he therefore discerningly removed compulsion in its time of exchange and replaced it with humility — what wisdom requires. (IV) The three bishops as developmental pedagogy (XIV–XXII) — Nisibis speaks in first person: God weighed and gave her fathers proportionate to each stage — Jacob with his rod instilling fear for youth; a second father with hardness and humility for young adulthood; the sweet shepherd Abraham giving food, interpretations, and sweetness for maturity; the congregation confesses that it disturbed the beautiful succession and now in its slackness asks for the compulsion it should have outgrown.
Key translation choices: ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ (I) = mirror — the polished metal mirror of antiquity; as a metaphor for the congregation, its reflective surface either shows the soul's true state (polished) or hides it (clouded); the bishop's function is ܡܰܪܩ, polishing. ܬܽܘܟܳܐ (II–V) = opacity/cloudiness — the technical term for a mirror surface that has lost reflective capacity; also carries moral connotation of murkiness and spiritual confusion. ܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ (VI–XIII) = compulsion — the coercive mode of Law's enforcement; contrasted with ܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ (freedom); appropriate for children, hateful for the wise. ܫܐܺܝܠ (XI) = borrowed — adornment under compulsion is on loan (ܫܐܺܝܠ = borrowed/lent); it is never truly the person's own; only freely chosen conduct belongs to the soul. ܡܰܪܩ (refrain) = polish/buff — from the root ܡܪܩ (to polish, scour, refine metal); the same root appears in refining fire and metal-working; the bishop "polished it" (the mirror of the congregation). ܣܽܘܪܳܕܳܐ (XVI–XVII) = fear (the fearsome, dread-inducing quality of Jacob's rod) — distinct from ܕܽܘܚܳܠܳܐ (XVII–XIX), which is the awe-reverence appropriate to young adulthood; Ephrem uses both words in the same stanza (XVI) to mark the developmental transition. ܒܰܣܺܝܡ (XIX–XX) = sweet/sweetness — Abraham's characteristic throughout the cycle; his gifts to maturity are food (ܡܶܐܟܽܘܠܬܳܐ), interpretations (ܬܽܘܪ̈ܓܳܡܶܐ), humility (ܡܰܟܺܝܟܽܘܬܳܐ), sweetness (ܒܰܣܺܝܡܽܘܬܳܐ), honorableness (ܝܰܩܺܝܪܽܘܬܳܐ) — five gifts to five capacities (perfection, wisdom, stillness, restfulness, chastity).
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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 16 (Carmina Nisibena 16)
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܒ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ
1.
ܒܗܳܕܶܐ ܥܕܺܝܠܳܐ ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ ܐܶܢ ܥܰܡܽܘܛܳܐ ܫܰܦܝܽܘܬܳܗ̇
ܕܺܐܝܬ ܟܽܘܬܡ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܒܰܩܢܽܘܡܳܗ̇ ܕܗܳܘܝܳܐ ܠܳܗ̇ ܨܳܐܬܳܐ ܕܰܥܠܶܝܗ̇
ܬܰܚܦܺܝܬܳܐ ܩܕܳܡ ܚ̈ܰܙܳܝܶܐ
2.
ܕܠܳܐ ܫܽܘܦܪܳܐ ܡܶܨܛܰܒܰܬ ܒܳܗ̇ ܘܠܳܐ ܡܽܘܡܳܐ ܡܶܬܟܰܐܰܪ ܒܳܗ̇
ܬܽܘܟܳܐ [ܗ̱ܝ ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܠܫܰܦܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܬܰܓܪܺܝܢ ܫܽܘܦܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܬܰܨ̈ܒܝܳܬܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܝܽܘܬܪ̈ܳܢܶܐ
3.
ܠܳܐ ܡܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܬܥܰܩܪܺܝܢ ܒܳܗ̇ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܨ̈ܶܒܬܶܐ ܣܳܓܺܝܢ ܒܳܗ̇
ܡܽܘܡܳܐ ܕܩܰܘܺܝ ܐܰܝܟ ܬܽܘܟܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܨܶܒܬܳܐ ܚܽܘܣܪܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܦܓܰܥ ܠܶܗ ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܒܚܽܘܣܪܳܢܳܐ
4.
ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܰܢ ܐܶܢ ܚܶܫܽܘܟܳܐ ܚܰܕܽܘܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܕܰܣܢ̈ܰܝܳܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܟܰܣܣܺܝܢ ܡܽܘܡܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ ܐܶܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܡܪܺܝܩܳܐ ܘܢܰܗܺܝܪܳܐ
ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܰܢ ܗܳܝ ܕܬܶܨܰܛܒܰܬ
5.
ܥܰܦ ܠܶܗ ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܒܚܽܘܣܪܳܢܳܐ ܠܰܣ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ ܘܰܠܫܰܦܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܫܰܦܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܐܶܬܟ̇ܰܠܠܰܘ ܘܳܐܦ ܠܳܐ ܣ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ ܐܶܨܛܰܒܰܬܘ̱
ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܦܶܠܓܰܬ ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ
6.
ܠܳܐ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܕܰܒܪ̱ܰܬ ܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܳܐ ܒܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ ܠܰܕܚܳܐܰܪ ܒܳܗ̇
ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܳܬ̤ ܥܰܠ ܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܶܗ ܕܢܳܡܽܘܣܳܐ
ܩܳܢܼܝܳܐ ܩܛܺܝܪܶܗ ܕܢܳܡܽܘܣܳܐ
7.
ܗܼܘܳܬ ܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܠܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܡܨܰܒܬܳܢܺܝܬܳܐ ܕܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ
ܕܛܰܠܝܳܐ ܗܘܳܬ ܓܶܝܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ ܨܰܒܶܬܬܳܗ̇ ܗܘܳܬ ܒܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ
ܟܰܕ ܠܳܐ ܓܶܠܙܰܬ ܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܗ̇
8.
ܫܕܳܠܳܐ ܘܫܰܒܛܳܐ ܐܶܚܕܰܬ ܗܘܳܬ ܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܨܶܝܕ ܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܡܳܐ ܕܰܡܚܳܬܳܗ̇ ܫܰܓܶܫܬܳܗ̇ ܫܰܒܛܳܗ̇ ܚܽܘܨܦܳܐ ܙܰܓܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ
ܫܕܳܠܳܗ̇ ܪܰܓܺܝ ܪ̈ܶܥܝܳܢܶܐ]
9.
------ ܕܢܶܨܛܰܒܰܬ ܝܰܘܡܳܢ ܐܰܚ̈ܰܝ
ܠܣܰܒܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܐ̱ܚܰܪܬܳܐ ܫܰܒܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܒܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܕܪܰܒܽܘܬ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܳܐ
ܗܳܘܶܐ ܠܶܗ ܗܽܘ ܕܠܳܐ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܳܐ
10.
ܒܕܰܪܓܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܰܓܡܺܝܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܢܚܼܶܬ ܠܶܗ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܺܝܠܽܘܕܽܘܬܳܐ
ܠܗܰܘ ܢܳܡܽܘܣ ܥܰܒ̈ܕܶܐ ܪܳܚܶܡ ܕܰܐܝܟܳܐ ܕܡܰܡܪܰܚ ܡܳܚܶܐ ܠܶܗ
ܘܰܐܝܟܳܐ ܕܡܰܦܨ̇ܰܚ ܩܳܦܰܚ ܠܶܗ
11.
ܟܽܠܶܗ ܨܶܒܬܶܗ ܕܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܫܰܪܺܝܪܳܐ ܕܰܫܐܺܝܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܗܳܕܶܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܠܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܢܶܨܛܰܒܰܬ̤
ܒܰܕܓܽܘܢ ܫܰܩܠܶܗ ܠܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ
12.
ܕܰܐܝܟܰܢܳܐ ܕܦܳܪܽܘܫܳܐܺܝܬ ܒܙܰܒܢܶܗ ܝܰܗܒܶܗ ܠܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ
ܗܳܟܰܢܳܐ ܦܳܪܽܘܫܳܐܺܝܬ ܫܰܩܠܶܗ ܒܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܕܰܚܠܳܦܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܡܰܟܺܝܟܽܘܬܳܐ ܡܶܬܒܰܥܝܳܐ
13.
ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܝܳܐܶܐ ܠܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܰܗܘܳܬ ܪܶܗܛܳܐ ܬܚܶܝܬ ܫܰܒܛܳܐ
ܣܢܳܐ ܣܰܓܺܝ ܕܰܬܚܶܝܬ ܫܰܒܛܳܐ ܬܶܫܬܰܥܒܰܕ ܚܰܟܺܝܡܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܰܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ ܡܳܪܳܐ ܢܗܶܐ ܠܳܗ̇
14.
ܚܽܘܪ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ ܐܰܝܟ ܛܰܟܶܣ ܐܳܦ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܝܽܘܒ̈ܳܠܰܝ
ܒܪ̈ܳܥܰܘܳܬܳܐ ܕܰܗܘܰܘ ܠܺܝ ܘܰܒܡ̈ܰܠܦܳܢܶܐ ܕܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܺܝ
ܘܒܰܐܒ̈ܳܗܶܐ ܕܡܰܢܺܝ ܠܺܝ
15.
ܕܰܬܩܺܝܠܺܝܢ ܥܰܡ ܙܰܒ̈ܢܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܥܽܘܕܪ̈ܳܢܶܐ ܕܶܐܣܟܺܡ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܒܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܙܳܕܶܩ ܕܽܘܚܳܠܳܐ ܘܒܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܚܳܫܰܚ ܠܽܘܒܳܒܳܐ
ܘܒܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܘܳܠܶܐ ܡܽܘܟܳܟܳܐ
16.
ܒܡܰܬܩܳܠܳܐ ܗܰܠܶܟ ܡܽܘܫ̈ܚܳܬܝ̱ ܠܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܝ̱ ܐܰܣܪܰܚ ܣܽܘܪܳܕܳܐ
ܐܳܦ ܠܰܥܠܰܝܡܽܘܬܝ̱ ܕܽܘܚܳܠܳܐ ܠܚܰܟܺܝܡܽܘܬܝ̱ ܘܰܠܦܳܪܽܘܫܽܘܬܝ̱
ܐܰܣܪܰܚ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܳܗ̇ ܡܽܘܟܳܟܳܐ
17.
ܒܚܽܘܨܦܳܐ ܘܕܰܪܓܳܐ ܕܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܡܪܰܒܝܳܢܳܐ ܕܚܺܝܠܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܺܝ
ܫܰܒܛܶܗ ܙܰܓܪܰܢܝ̱ ܡܶܢ ܫܶܒܝܳܐ ܘܡܶܢ ܣܽܘܪܚܳܢܳܐ ܣܽܘܪܳܕܶܗ
ܘܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܢܳܩܳܐ ܕܽܘܚܳܠܶܗ
18.
ܐܰܒܳܐ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܢܳܐ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܰܥܠܰܝܡܽܘܬܝ̱ ܕܺܐܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܺܝ ܡܶܢ ܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܐܺܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܶܗ ܡܶܢ ܩܰܫܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܺܐܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܺܝ ܡܶܢ ܣܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ
ܐܺܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܒܶܗ ܡܰܟܺܝܟܽܘܬܳܐ
19.
ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܥܰܠܺܝܬ ܡܶܢ ܕܰܪ̈ܓܶܐ ܕܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܰܥܠܺܝܡܽܘܬܳܐ
ܥܒܼܰܪ ܣܽܘܪܳܕܳܐ ܩܰܕܡܳܝܳܐ ܥܒܼܰܪ ܕܽܘܚܳܠܳܐ ܬܶܢܝܳܢܳܐ
ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܺܝ ܪܳܥܝܳܐ ܒܰܣܺܝܡܳܐ
20.
ܗܳܐ ܠܰܓܡܺܝܪܽܘܬܝ̱ ܡܶܐܟܽܘܠܬܶܗ ܘܰܠܚܰܟܺܝܡܽܘܬܝ̱ ܬܽܘܪ̈ܓܳܡܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܘܰܠܫܰܠܝܽܘܬܝ̱ ܡܰܟܺܝܟܽܘܬܶܗ ܘܰܠܢܺܝܚܽܘܬܝ̱ ܒܰܣܺܝܡܽܘܬܶܗ
ܘܰܠܢܰܟܦܽܘܬܝ̱ ܝܰܩܺܝܪܽܘܬܶܗ
21.
ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܰܐܝܟ ܕܒܰܡܣܰܐܬܳܐ ܬܰܩܶܠ ܘܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܺܝ ܐܰܒ̈ܳܗܶܐ
ܕܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܙܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܥܽܘܕܪ̈ܳܢܰܝ ܘܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܟܺܐܒ̈ܰܝ ܣܰܡ̈ܳܡܢܰܝ
[ܘܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܫܽܘܦܪ̈ܰܝ ܬܰܨ̈ܒܺܝܬܰܝ
22.
ܚܢܰܢ ܗܽܘ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ ܕܰܘܶܕܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܠܝܽܘܒܳܠܳܐ ܘܛܶܟܼܣܳܐ ܦܰܐܝܳܐ
ܕܰܒܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܕܰܪܡܺܝܣܽܘܬܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܒܳܥܶܝܢܰܢ ܩܰܫܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܬܶܟܼܐܶܐ ܒܰܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܒܰܛܠܳܝ̈ܶܐ]
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ (Refrain): ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܒܪܺܝܟ ܕܡܰܪܩܳܗ̇ ܠܡܰܚܙܺܝܬܰܢ
Source Colophon
Syriac text from the Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), file 273.xml. TEI edition CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org/273). Based on the critical edition of Edmund Beck, Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219, Louvain, 1961). Transcription by Michael Oez.
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