Hymn XX (Carmina Nisibena XX)

Hymn XX is the name hymn — seven stanzas turning on the single question of whose name the congregation bears. Ephrem opens by addressing the bishop as a virgin who has become a bridegroom, summoned to reclaim the wife of his youth from the many attachments of her childhood and bring her mind home to know whose she is. Two quick pastoral parables follow — the farmer against the tangled tares, the new shepherd counting the blood-bought flock — before the hymn fastens on its true subject: the name of Christ set upon the congregation like a brand upon livestock and a name upon a sealed document. Schismatics who call congregations by their own names are thieves and forgers. The apostle Paul burned against this — not against false names only, but against true ones too; not in the name of the Rock, not in the name of his own — those who truly betrothed her placed only the bridegroom's name upon her. The false ones resemble each other in the same way. Against this the hymn sets the prophets and apostles as a single consistent witness: both named the flock by God's name alone, not by their own. The final doxology is unbroken: Blessed is he by whose name we were sanctified.

I.

O virgin who became a bridegroom,
incline your mind a little
toward the wife of your youth —
cut off the companions that were hers
in her childhood toward the many;
rebuke her and gather her mind
that she may know whose she is,
and through you be zealous and love
Christ, the true bridegroom.
Blessed is he who betrothed her to his Only-Begotten.

II.

Be zealous, O farmer, against the tares
that have spread and tangled among the wheat —
the thicket is open to uprooting,
for from neglect comes its growing.
If the seed takes a little air,
it sprouts and overcomes it.
Three farmers have sown it;
in three measures let it come:
in thirty and sixty and a hundred.
Blessed is he who enriches your harvests.

III.

A new shepherd is bound
to visit his flock for the first time —
to know how many their number is
and see what their need is.
This is the flock that was purchased
with the blood of that great Shepherd of shepherds.
Call and pass each lamb in his name,
the pasture whose name is written
and whose count is in the Book of Life.
Blessed is he who demands its number.

IV.

Behold, your Lord's betrothed is with you —
guard her from every harm,
and from those who have corrupted
and called congregations by their own names.
The name of her betrothed is set upon her:
let her not commit fornication with another name,
for she was not baptized in a human name.
In the names in which she was baptized let her give thanks —
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Blessed is he in whose name she was called.

V.

The apostle, her betrother, burned with zeal for her
lest she be corrupted by names —
not by false names only,
but not even by true ones:
not by the Rock, not by his own —
those who truly were her betrothers.
They placed the name of her betrothed upon her.
The false ones, like fornicators,
placed their own names on the flock.
Glory to your name, our Creator.

VI.

The brand mark of livestock, brothers,
no one corrupts openly;
a name on a sealed document
no one adds to or alters.
Who corrupts the brand is a thief;
who changes the name is a forger.
Christ's name was changed —
the names of forgery are set
upon the congregations that were corrupted.
Blessed is he who called his flock by his name.

VII.

Look at the prophets and the apostles —
how they resemble one another:
the prophets set God's own name
upon the flock of God,
and the apostles set the name of Christ
upon the church of the Anointed.
The false ones resemble each other —
congregations called by their names,
congregations that have fornicated through them.
Blessed is he by whose name we were sanctified.

Colophon

Translated from Classical Syriac by a Good Works tulku, 2026. Source text: Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), file 277.xml, CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org/277). Translation prepared directly from the Syriac. Lexical verification against Payne Smith's Thesaurus Syriacus and Costaz's Dictionnaire syriaque-français. Biblical parallels identified: Matt 13:24–30 (tares among wheat, stanza 2); Matt 13:8 (thirtyfold, sixtyfold, hundredfold, stanza 2); John 10:3 (shepherd calling each lamb, stanza 3); Rev 17:8 (Book of Life, stanza 3); 1 Cor 1:12–13 (of Paul, of Cephas — not by the Rock, not by his own, stanza 5). Stanza 5's doxology (ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܰܫܡܳܟ ܒܳܪܽܘܝܰܢ — Glory to your name, our Creator) is structurally unique; all other stanzas use the ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ (Blessed is he) form. No existing English translation of the Carmina Nisibena consulted during translation.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 20 (Carmina Nisibena 20)

ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܡܶܢܶܗ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ

1.

ܐܳܘ ܒܬܽܘܠܳܐ ܕܰܗܼܘܳܐ ܚܰܬܢܳܐ ܐܰܛܶܢ ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܳܟ
ܨܶܐܕܶܝܗ̇ ܕܰܐܢ̱ܬܰܬ ܛܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܟ ܬܶܦܼܣܽܘܩ ܢܳܩ̈ܦܼܶܐ ܕܰܗܘܰܘ ܠܳܗ̇
ܒܫܰܒܪܽܘܬܳܗ̇ ܨܶܝܕ ܣ̈ܰܓܺܝܐܶܐ ܟܼܐܺܝ ܒܳܗ̇ ܘܰܟܢܽܘܫ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܳܗ̇
ܕܬܶܕܰܥ ܕܡܰܢܝ ܘܰܕܡܰܢܝ ܒܳܟ ܬܶܬܚܰܦܰܛ ܐܳܦ ܬܰܚܶܒ
ܠܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܚܰܬܢܳܐ ܕܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܡܰܟܪܳܗ̇ ܠܺܝܚܺܝܕܶܗ

2.

ܛܰܢ ܐܰܟܳܪܳܐ ܒܙܺܝܙܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܣܰܪܥܶܦܘ̱ ܘܰܣܒܼܰܟܘ̱ ܒܶܝܬ ܚ̈ܶܛܶܐ
ܦܫܺܝܚ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܝܰܥܪܳܐ ܠܥܶܩܳܪܳܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܒܰܣܝܳܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܡܽܘܥܝܳܬܶܗ
ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܐܳܐܰܪ ܐܶܢ ܫܳܩܶܠ ܙܰܪܥܳܐ ܡܰܚܨܶܦ ܙܳܟܶܐ ܠܶܗ
ܕܰܐܟܳܪ̈ܶܐ ܬܠܳܬܳܐ ܙܰܪܥܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܰܬܠܳܬܳܐ ܐܰܥ̈ܦܺܝܢ ܢܺܐܬܶܐ
ܒܰܬܠܳܬܺܝܢ ܘܰܫܬܺܝܢ ܘܰܡܳܐܐ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܡܰܥܬܰܪ ܥ̈ܰܠܠܳܬܳܟ

3.

ܪܳܥܝܳܐ ܚܰܕܬܳܐ ܙܳܕܶܩ ܠܶܗ ܕܢܶܣܥܽܘܪ ܥܢܳܐ ܚܰܕܬܳܐܺܝܬ
ܘܢܶܕܰܥ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܗܰܘ ܡܶܢܝܳܢܳܗ̇ ܘܢܶܚܙܶܐ ܕܰܐܝܢܰܘ ܣܽܘܢܳܩܢܳܗ̇
ܥܢܳܐ ܗܳܝ ܕܰܙܒܺܝܢܳܐ ܒܰܕܡܶܗ ܕܗܰܘ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܕܪ̈ܳܥܰܘܳܬܳܐ
ܩܪܺܝ ܘܰܐܥܒܰܪ ܥܶܪܒܳܐ ܒܰܫܡܶܗ ܕܡܰܪܥܺܝܬܳܐ ܗܳܝ ܕܰܟܬܺܝܒ ܫܡܳܗ̇
ܘܚܽܘܫܒܳܢܳܗ̇ ܒܰܣܼܦܰܪ ܚ̈ܰܝܶܐ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܬܳܒܰܥ ܡܶܢܝܳܢܳܗ̇

4.

ܗܳܐ ܡܟܺܝܪܰܬ ܡܳܪܳܟ ܥܰܡܳܟ ܢܰܛܰܪܶܝܗ̇ ܡܶܢ ܟܺܠ ܢܶܟܝܳܢ
ܘܡܶܢ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܕܫܰܚܶܛܘ̱ ܘܰܩܪܰܘ ܟܢ̈ܽܘܫܳܬܳܐ ܒܰܫܡܳܗܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ
ܫܡܶܗ ܕܰܡܟܺܝܪܳܗ̇ ܣܺܝܡ ܥܠܶܝܗ̇ ܠܳܐ ܬܶܙܢܶܐ ܒܰܫܡܳܐ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܢܳܐ
ܕܠܳܐ ܥܶܡܕܰܬ ܒܰܫܡܳܐ ܕܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܒܰܫܡܳܗ̈ܶܐ ܕܥܶܡܕܰܬ ܬܰܘܕܶܐ
ܕܰܐܒܳܐ ܘܰܒܪܳܐ ܘܪܽܘܚ ܩܽܘܕܫܳܐ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܒܰܫܡܶܗ ܐܶܬܩ̇ܰܪܝܰܬ

5.

ܫܠܺܝܚܳܐ ܡܳܟܽܘܪܳܗ̇ ܛܰܢ ܒܳܗ̇ ܕܠܳܐ ܬܶܫܬܰܚܰܛ ܒܰܫܡܳܗ̈ܶܐ
ܠܰܘ ܒܰܫܡܳܗ̈ܶܐ ܙܺܐܦܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܐܳܦܠܳܐ ܒܫܰܪ̈ܺܝܪܶܐ
ܠܳܐ ܒܟܺܐܦܳܐ ܐܳܦܠܳܐ ܒܕܺܝܠܶܗ ܕܡܰܟܪ̈ܶܐ ܗܘܰܘ ܫܰܪ̈ܺܝܪܶܐ
ܫܡܶܗ ܕܰܡܟܺܝܪܳܗ̇ ܣܳܡܼܘ̱ ܥܠܶܝܗ̇ ܙܺܐܦܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܙܰܢܳܝ̈ܶܐ
ܫܡ̈ܳܗܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܣܳܡܼ̈ܘ̱ ܥܰܠ ܥܳܢܳܐ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܰܫܡܳܟ ܒܳܪܽܘܝܰܢ

6.

ܪܽܘܫܡܳܐ ܕܚ̈ܰܝܘܳܬܳܐ ܐܰܚܰܝ̈ ܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܡܚܰܒܶܠ ܓܰܠܝܳܐܺܝܬ
ܘܰܫܡܳܐ ܒܰܫܛܳܪܳܐ ܕܰܚܬܺܝܡ ܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܐܰܘܣܶܦ ܐܰܘ ܚܰܠܶܦ
ܕܰܣܪܰܚ ܪܽܘܫܡܳܐ ܓܰܢܳܒܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܘܕܰܫܡܳܐ ܡܚܰܠܶܦ ܙܺܐܦܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ
ܫܡܶܗ ܕܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܐܶܬܚܰܠܰܦ ܫܡܳܗ̈ܶܐ ܕܙܺܐܦܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܣܺܝܡܺܝܢ
ܠܰܟܢܽܘ̈ܫܳܬܳܐ ܕܶܐܫ̇ܬܰܚܰܛ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܕܰܩܪܳܐ ܠܥܳܢܶܗ ܒܰܫܡܶܗ

7.

ܚܽܘܪ ܒܰܢܒ̈ܺܝܶܐ ܘܒܰܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܶܐ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܳܡ̈ܝܳܢ ܠܰܚ̈ܕܳܕܶܐ
ܢܒ̈ܺܝܶܐ ܫܡܶܗ ܗܽܘ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܣܳܡܘ̱ ܥܰܠ ܥܳܢܶܗ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ
ܘܰܫܠܺܝ̈ܚܶܐ ܫܡܶܗ ܕܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܣܳܡܘ̱ ܥܰܠ ܥܺܕ̱ܬܶܗ ܕܰܡܫܳܚܳܐ
ܠܰܚ̈ܕܳܕܶܐ ܕܡܰܘ ܙܺܐܦܳܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܒܰܫܡܳܗ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܡܶܬܩܪܶܝܢ
ܟܢܽܘ̈ܫܳܬܳܐ ܕܰܒܗܽܘܢ ܙܰܢܺܝ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܒܰܫܡܶܗ ܐܶܬܩܰܕܫܰܢ

Source Colophon

Syriac text from the Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), file 277.xml. TEI edition CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org/277). Based on the critical edition of Edmund Beck, Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219, Louvain, 1961). Transcription by Michael Oez.

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