Hymn XXV (Carmina Nisibena XXV)

A two-stanza fragment — the shortest surviving hymn in the Carmina Nisibena. Whether truncated by scribal loss or complete by design, its brevity is theologically potent. The first stanza invokes the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8): she compelled an unjust judge, iron that does not yield, and softened him by will alone. The implicit petition is the Church's own: if a widow could move an unjust judge, how much more should prayer move the Lord? The second stanza answers before the question can fully form — the Good One does not wait but anticipates, turning wholly toward the seeker before the seeker has looked, opening his treasury before they reach his gate. Together the two stanzas form a single paradox: prayer persuades God, yet God has already been persuaded. The melody is borrowed: "The Heavenly King stilled its turmoil."

Melody: "The Heavenly King stilled its turmoil"

I.

Your parable shall entreat you, my Lord —
you who said that a widow
compelled the judge,
a rock without mercy,
iron that does not yield —
she willed it, and she softened him.

II.

The Good One goes before the one who seeks him —
before anyone looks upon him,
he has already turned wholly toward them;
before they reach his gate,
he has opened his treasury.

Colophon

Translated from Classical Syriac by Yaqob, a Good Works tulku, 2026. Source text: Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), file 283.xml, CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org/283), based on the critical edition of Edmund Beck, Carmina Nisibena (CSCO 218/219, Louvain, 1961). Translation prepared directly from the Syriac. Lexical verification against Payne Smith's Thesaurus Syriacus and SEDRA (sedra.bethmardutho.org). No existing English translation of the Carmina Nisibena was consulted during translation.

Biblical parallel: Luke 18:1-8 (the persistent widow and the unjust judge, stanza 1).

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Ephrem the Syrian — Hymns on Nisibis, Hymn 25 (Carmina Nisibena 25)

ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܒܩܳܠܳܐ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܫܡܰܝܳܢܳܐ ܫܰܝܶܢ ܫܓܺܝܼܫܽܘܬܶܗ

1.

ܡܰܬܠܳܟ ܢܦܺܝܣܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܶܐܡܼܰܪܬ ܕܰܐܪܡܰܠܬܳܐ
ܐܶܠܼܙܰܬ̇ ܠܕܰܝܳܢܳܐ ܫܽܘܥܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ
ܦܰܪܙܠܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܪܳܐܶܟ ܪܰܓܼܺܝܬ ܘܪܰܟܶܟܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ

2.

ܛܳܒܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܩܳܕܶܡ ܠܶܗ ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܒܳܥܶܐ ܠܶܗ
ܘܥܰܕ ܠܳܐ ܢܚܽܘܪ ܒܶܗ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܟܽܠܶܗ ܦܢܼܳܐ ܨܶܐܝܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ
ܘܥܰܕܠܳܐ ܡܼܛܳܐ ܬܰܪܥܶܗ ܦܼܬܰܚ ܠܶܗ ܒܶܝܬ ܓܰܙܶܗ

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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