Hymn XXVII (Carmina Nisibena XXVII)

Nineteen stanzas in which the personified Church speaks as the bride of Christ. The hymn weaves three biblical types into a single sustained argument. The hemorrhaging woman of Mark 5:25-34 (stanzas 1-5) is the primary type: twelve years the physicians treated her and failed, exposing her shame; but she was modest and drew near to Christ's garment alone, and the garment that covers all became her physician. The Church then asks: you covered the passing woman, but your betrothed you have exposed (stanza 4). Leah of Genesis 29 (stanzas 6-9) becomes the counter-type: she was ugly, but you made her beautiful; her eyes were dim but her children were fair. The Church reverses this: I, my Lord, am beautiful — you are fair — yet my children disgrace me. Stanza 8 poses the devastating question: you alone and your mother are without blemish; from between these two beauties, whom do my children resemble? Stanzas 9-14 turn to the Synagogue's adultery with the golden calf, the Apostle's betrothal of the Church as a pure virgin (2 Cor 11:2), and the Lamb who was judged and did not speak. The final movement (stanzas 15-19) is anti-Arian polemic: humans were called 'brood of serpents' not by nature but by deeds; likewise they were called 'gods' not in being but by grace; God gave himself as kinsman, and to cut off that kinship is to make yourself kin to a slave. The doxology praises God's 'mingling' with humanity — not kinship with creatures but with his own self.

I.

For a physician it is easy, my Lord,
to sever the limbs,
but it is not easy for him
to fasten them again in their place.
For you, my Lord, both are easy,
for you are God.

II.

Twelve years the physicians treated
that woman whose blood flowed —
they laid her bare but did not help.
If they had healed, it would have been her shame alone;
how much more the shame
that they did not heal.

III.

As much as they exposed her,
she was modest — and you healed her.
For she was covered when she drew near,
to your garment, not to your body.
The garment that covers all
became a physician to her.

IV.

How much more will you cover
your Church, my Lord, who is now laid bare?
Even wayfarers
turned aside and saw her shame.
The passing woman you covered,
but your betrothed you have exposed.

V.

My wound's duration does not compare
to that delay —
mine is but six years,
half the years of hers.
You healed a new affliction
when you healed the old.

VI.

And if I became somewhat hateful,
you loosened and left me.
How hateful to you, my Lord,
is the man who despises his wife because she is ugly!
Love my ugliness, and teach him
to love his spouse.

VII.

Leah, who was ugly —
you are the one who made her beautiful.
Her eyes were dim,
but her children were very fair.
But I, my Lord — you are fair,
yet my children disgrace me.

VIII.

You alone and your mother
are more beautiful than all —
no blemish in you, my Lord,
and no stain in your mother.
From between these two beauties,
whom do my children resemble?

IX.

Your Father, when he took
the hated Synagogue —
she who committed adultery with that calf —
hated her offspring,
for they are stamped in his image,
impressed with the likeness of a stranger.

X.

Behold, it is in his mystery
that they call upon the faithful —
upon Moses and the prophets
who called at all times.
You, my Lord, know
what they did to you.

XI.

The Apostle betrothed me to you, my Lord,
as a pure virgin.
The calf of my fathers
I hated, my Lord, and loved you.
Let not my children pierce —
lambs piercing their own brothers.

XII.

They are from the Lamb
who was judged and did not speak,
was slaughtered and did not cry out,
was crucified and did not murmur —
and alive he returned, laboring
to give life to his killers.

XIII.

It was not Adam who bore you —
he who transgressed without right,
and whose son, without judgment,
killed his brother freely.
You are children of the Spirit
and offspring born of water.

XIV.

I shall tell you also of my own children:
they stoned me and I did not rage,
they crucified me and I did not cry out,
they burned me and I did not curse.
Against that Lord of yours they shed his blood,
and against your mother they rebelled.

XV.

"Brood of serpents" —
human beings were called so,
not by their natures
but by their deeds,
for the viper's venom surpasses
the bitterness of mere freedom.

XVI.

Likewise, human beings
were called "gods" —
not in their own being
but by grace.
And for you, kinship
he made with her.

XVII.

It is a wonder that God
gave himself as kinsman to you,
and you cut off
from yourselves his kinship.
For if he is a creature,
then you have made yourselves kin to a slave.

XVIII.

To you, praises, my God,
who made our kinship
not with creatures
but with your own self.
Lord of all creation,
glory to your mingling!

XIX.

For it would not be a wonder
if we were joined with mere creatures,
for we share one servanthood.
Blessed is the Lord whose servants
he willed to be his kinsmen.

Colophon

Translated from Classical Syriac by Yaqob, a Good Works tulku, 2026. Source text: Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), file 285.xml, CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org/285), 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 parallels identified: Mark 5:25-34 (the hemorrhaging woman, stanzas 1-5); Genesis 29:17-35 (Leah, stanzas 6-7); Exodus 32 (the golden calf, stanza 9); 2 Cor 11:2 (betrothal of the Church as a pure virgin, stanza 11); Isaiah 53:7 (the silent Lamb, stanza 12); Genesis 3-4 (Adam's transgression and Cain's murder, stanza 13); Matt 3:7 and 23:33 (brood of serpents, stanza 15); Psalm 82:6 (you are gods, stanza 16).

Stanza 5 contains a dating clue: the Church's affliction (schism) has lasted six years when this hymn was composed, half the twelve years of the hemorrhaging woman's suffering. Stanzas 15-19 constitute an anti-Arian polemic on the kinship of God with humanity.

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 27 (Carmina Nisibena 27)

1.

ܠܳܐܣܝܳܐ ܦܫܺܝܩܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܢܶܦܣܽܘܩ ܠܗܰܕܳܡܶܐ
ܠܳܐ ܕܶܝܢ ܕܠܺܝܠܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܕܬܽܘܒ ܢܩܰܒܥܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܰܐܬܪܶܗ
ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܰܝܗܶܝܢ ܕܠܺܝܠܳܢ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ

2.

ܫ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܘܰܥܣܰܪ ܦܰܪܣܽܘܗ̇ ܐܳܣ̈ܰܘܳܬܳܐ
ܠܗܳܝ ܐܰܢܬܬܳܐ ܕܰܕܡܳܗ̇ ܦܰܪܣܺܝܘ ܘܠܳܐ ܥܰܕܰܪܘ̱
ܐܶܠܽܘ ܐܰܣܺܝܘ ܨܰܥܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܟܡܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܰܣܺܝܘ

3.

ܟܡܳܐ ܕܦܰܪܣܘܝܗ̇ ܗܼܶܢܽܘܢ ܢܰܟܶܦܬ ܘܰܐܣܺܝܬܳܗ̇
ܕܶܐܬܚܰܦܝܰܬ ܩܶܪܒܰܬ ܠܢܰܚܬܳܟ ܘܠܳܐ ܠܓܽܘܫܡܳܟ
ܠܒܽܘܫܳܐ ܡܢܰܟܶܦ ܟܽܠ ܐܳܣܝܳܐ ܗܘܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܳܗ̇

4.

ܟܡܳܐ ܟܺܝܬ ܬܢܰܟܶܦ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܠܥܺܕܬܳܟ ܕܗܳܐ ܙܳܠܰܬ
ܕܳܐܦ ܥܳܒܪ̈ܰܝ ܐܽܘܪܚܳܐ ܐܶܣܛܺܝܘ ܚܙܰܘ ܨܰܥܪܳܗ̇
ܠܥܳܒܽܘܪܬܳܐ ܢܰܟܶܦܬ ܘܠܰܡܟܺܝܪܬܳܟ ܦܰܪܣܺܝܬ

5.

ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܦܚܶܡ ܢܽܘܓܪܳܐ ܕܰܡܚܽܘܬܝ̱ ܠܗܰܘ ܢܽܘܓܪܳܐ
ܒܪ̱ܰܬ ܫܶܬ ܫܢܺܝ̈ܢ ܐܺܝܬܶܝܗ̇ ܦܶܠܓܽܘܬ ܫ̈ܢܶܝܗ̇ ܕܗܳܝ
ܟܺܐܒܳܐ ܕܚܰܕ̱ܬ ܐܰܣܳܐ ܕܰܐܣܺܝܬ ܥܰܬܺܝܩܳܐ

6.

ܘܶܐܢ ܕܶܐܣܬܰܢܺܝܬ ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܐܰܪܫܶܠܬ ܘܰܫܒܰܩܬܳܢܝ̱
ܐܰܝܟܰܢ ܣܢܶܐ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܫܳܛ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܬܶܗ ܕܣܰܢܝܳܐ
ܣܰܢܝܽܘܬܝ̱ ܪܚܰܡ ܘܰܐܠܶܦ ܕܢܰܚܶܒ ܠܒܰܪ̱ܬ ܙܰܘܓܶܗ

7.

ܠܺܠܝܳܐ ܕܣܰܢܝܳܐ ܗܘܳܬ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܕܰܐܫܦܰܪܬܳܗ̇
ܥܰܝ̈ܢܶܝܗ̇ ܢܣܽܝ̈ܣܳܢ ܗܘܰܝ ܘܝ̈ܰܠܕܶܝܗ̇ ܦܐܶܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܛܳܒ
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܕܦܰܐܝܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܝ̈ܰܠܕܰܝ ܡܓܰܢܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ

8.

ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܒܰܠܚܽܘܕ ܘܶܐܡܳܟ ܕܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܦܐܶܝܢ ܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܛܳܒ
ܕܡܽܘܡܳܐ ܒܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܘܠܳܐ ܟܽܘܬܡ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܒܶܐܡܳܟ
ܡܶܢ ܒܶܝܬ ܬܶܪ̈ܝܢ ܫܽܘܦܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܝ̈ܰܠܕܰܝ ܠܡܰܢ ܕܳܡܶܝܢ

9.

ܐܰܒܽܘܟ ܟܰܕ ܫܰܩܠܳܗ̇ ܠܰܟܢܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܣܢܺܝܬܳܐ
ܕܙܰܢܝܰܬ ܒܗܰܘ ܥܶܓܠܳܐ ܘܥܰܠ ܗܰܘ ܣܢܳܐ ܝܰܠܕܳܗ̇
ܕܟܶܐܡܰܬ ܒܛܽܘܦܣܶܗ ܗܽܘ ܛܒܺܝܥܺܝܢ ܕܢܽܘܟܪܳܝܳܐ

10.

ܗܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܪܳܙܶܗ ܗܽܘ ܕܩܳܪܶܝܢ ܠܫܰܪ̈ܺܝܪܶܐ
ܠܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܘܠܰܢܒ̈ܺܝܶܐ ܕܰܩܪܰܘ ܒܟܽܠ ܙܰܒ̈ܢܺܝܢ
ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܝܳܕܰܥ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܡܳܢܳܐ ܥܒܰܕܘ̱ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܒܳܟ

11.

ܫܠܺܝܚܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܡܰܟܪܰܢܝ̱ ܠܰܒܬܽܘܠܬܳܐ ܕܟܺܝܬܳܐ
ܥܶܓܠܳܐ ܕܰܐܒ̈ܳܗܰܝ ܣܢܺܝܬ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܘܰܐܚܶܒܬܳܟ
ܠܳܐ ܢܕܰܩܪܽܘܢ ܝ̈ܰܠܕܰܝ ܥܶܪ̈ܒܶܐ ܠܰܐܚܰܝ̈ܗܽܘܢ

12.

ܡܶܢ ܐܶܡܪܳܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܕܶܐܬܕܺܝܢ ܘܠܳܐ ܡܰܠܶܠ
ܐܶܬܢܼܟܶܣ ܘܠܳܐ ܒܰܓܶܢ ܐܶܙܕܩܶܦ ܘܠܳܐ ܪܰܛܶܢ
ܘܕܰܚܝܳܐ ܗܦܰܟ ܠܳܐܶܐ ܕܢܰܚ̇ܶܐ ܠܩ̈ܳܛܽܘܠܰܘܗܝ

13.

ܠܰܘ ܐܕܝܡ ܐܰܘܠܶܕܟܘܢ ܕܰܐܡܪܰܚ ܕܠܳܐ ܒܙܶܕܩܳܐ
ܘܰܒܪܶܗ ܕܠܳܐ ܒܕܺܝܢܼܳܐ ܡܰܓܳܢ ܩܛܰܠ ܐܰܠܚܽܘܗܝ
ܒܢܰܝ̈ܳܐ ܕܪܽܘܚܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܘܝ̈ܰܠܕܶܐ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܡ̈ܰܝܳܐ

14.

ܐܺܡܰܪ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܐܳܦ ܕܺܝܠܝ ܕܪܰܓܡܽܘܢܝ̱ ܘܠܳܐ ܪܶܓܙܶܬ
ܙܰܩܦܽܘܢܝ̱ ܘܠܳܐ ܨܰܚܺܝܬ ܐܰܘܩܕܽܘܢܝ̱ ܘܠܳܐ ܠܳܛܶܬ
ܠܗܰܘ ܡܳܪܟܽܘܢ ܕܰܡܰܘ ܘܰܠܶܐܡܟܽܘܢ ܡܰܪܰܘ

15.

ܝܰܠܕܳܐ ܕܰܚ̈ܘܰܘܳܬܳܐ ܐܶܬܩܪܺܝܘ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܗܘܼܳܐ ܒܰܟܝ̈ܳܢܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܒܰܥ̇ܒ̈ܳܕܰܝܗܽܘܢ
ܕܥܳܠܒܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܠܕܳܐܟܶܕܢܳܐ ܡܶܪܬܳܗ̇ ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ

16.

ܗܳܟܰܢ ܐܳܦ ܐܰܠܳܗ̈ܶܐ ܐܶܬܩܪܺܝܘ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܗܘܼܳܐ ܒܺܐܝܬܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ
ܠܟܽܘܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܐ̱ܚܝܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܥܶܒܕܶܬ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܥܰܡܳܗ̇

17.

ܬܶܗܪܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܚܰܝܶܢ
ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܦܣܰܩܬܽܘܢܳܗ̇ ܡܶܢܟܽܘܢ ܐ̱ܚܝܳܢܽܘܬܶܗ
ܕܶܐܢܗܼܽܘ ܕܰܒܪܺܝܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܥܰܒܕܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܐܬܚܰܝܰܢܬܽܘܢ

18.

ܠܳܟ ܬܶܫ̈ܒܚܳܢ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ̱ ܕܠܳܐ ܗܼܘܳܐ ܥܰܡ ܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܬܳܐ
ܥܒܰܕܬ ܠܰܢ ܐ̱ܚܝܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܥܰܡܳܟ ܕܺܝܠܳܟ
ܡܳܪܳܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܢ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܚܽܘܠܛܳܢܳܟ

19.

ܠܰܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܬܶܕܡܽܘܪܬܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܐܶܢ ܗܼܽܘ ܕܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܬܳܐ
ܡܳܬܚܺܝܢܰܢ ܐܰܟܚܰܕ ܕܰܚܕܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܥܰܒܕܽܘܬܳܐ
ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܡܳܪܳܐ ܕܥܰܒ̈ܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܐ̱ܚܝ̈ܳܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܨܼܒܳܐ ܕܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ

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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