Hymn XXX (Carmina Nisibena XXX)

Twenty-two stanzas with refrain — a didactic wisdom hymn developing the vessel metaphor to explore the battle between truth and corruption in the human soul. The hymn opens with a wheat-and-chaff simile (stanza 1), then holds up Moses and Daniel as exemplary vessels: doves who grew shrewd among serpents (Matt 10:16), trained in Egypt and Babylon yet shedding all that was impure. They were crafty yet pure, shrewd yet simple — they saw the good and clothed themselves in it, they saw the evil and stripped it off (stanza 4). From stanza 7, the hymn turns dark: who has ever seen wolves become teachers to gentle lambs? The Evil One's strategy is laid bare across six stanzas (8-13): he chose pure and holy vessels and poured into them his dregs, mixing his bitterness with sweetness, his darkness with light, his falsehood within truth, his evil with grace — calculating that even if the pure ones cast out the dregs, the taste and stench of his teaching would remain. His goal: to cut off the hope of the people so they would not look toward return. But the vessels of nature could not be defiled (stanza 14): their Lord claimed them, and the palm of a hand — Daniel 5's handwriting on the wall — came and purified them. Those who went out in contempt returned in splendor; those who went out in blasphemy were adorned with praise (stanza 16). The hymn's closing movement (17-22) traces the battle through to a prayer: the vessels filled with truth proclaimed their truths and convicted the Evil One; those filled by their own will with falsehood were overturned and drained until the Evil One grew weary of refilling them. The final stanza addresses God as Potter: 'Blessed are you, our Maker, who became our Potter! Vessels of thought you made us from dust. Let not dust be filled in us instead of the treasure of truth.'

Refrain: Glory to your Lordship.

I.

And just as wheat, when it is fully ripe,
sheds the chaff that is not fit
to be mixed with it —
so the righteous shed
whatever did not profit.

II.

Moses and Daniel —
skilled and wise,
doves that grew shrewd
among serpents:
one was trained in Egypt,
the other in the midst of Babylon.

III.

One left behind the arts of the sorcerers,
the other those of the Chaldeans.
The wisdom that is by nature
they united to simplicity —
like the light
that is kin to the pupils of the eye.

IV.

They were crafty yet pure,
shrewd yet simple;
transparent and discerning,
skilled and innocent.
They saw the good and clothed themselves in it;
they saw the evil and stripped it off.

V.

And like a man who does not walk
on a road he does not know,
they did not know
the way of darkness.
In one alone they were versed:
the way of light.

VI.

Toward evil — children;
toward desire — abstaining.
Toward pride — youths;
toward lament — perfect.
Driven toward radiance,
and chaste toward purity.

VII.

Who has ever seen
that wolves became teachers to gentle lambs,
serpents to doves,
and hawks to sparrows —
that they might learn
their ways?

VIII.

It is the Evil One, my brothers, who mixed
his bitterness with sweetness,
his darkness with light,
his falsehood within truth,
his evil with grace,
and his iniquity with righteousness.

IX.

He chose for himself vessels —
pure and holy —
and poured into them his dregs;
he filled them with his filth:
the learning of sorcerers
and the word of the Chaldeans.

X.

He delayed and lingered
with his dregs amid purity,
so that all the more he might accustom
truth to darkness,
and lead astray and trample
truth within falsehood.

XI.

He calculated that if it should seem
entirely profit —
though it is in truth loss —
the dregs and filth of his teaching
would drip from the mouths
of the children of truth.

XII.

And he calculated that even if
the pure ones rebel and cast out the dregs
he poured in — the accursed thing —
it is not possible
that no taste or stench
of his teaching would remain in them.

XIII.

Thus by deceit he defiled
the vessels of ministry,
so that, once defiled,
they could not be purified —
that he might cut off the hope of the people,
so they would not look toward return.

XIV.

And he was put to shame in both:
the vessels that by nature
he could not defile,
for their Lord claimed them —
and that palm of a hand
came and purified them.

XV.

Its writing was an outpouring,
and its interpretation also —
a refining in the furnace.
And by the hand of Daniel
they were scoured and purified,
they shone and were renewed.

XVI.

Those who went out in contempt
returned and entered in splendor.
Those who went out in blasphemy
were adorned with praise.
For the children of error were converted
and praised the Lord of all.

XVII.

The vessels of nature
reproved the one who is without nature.
The vessels of freedom
reproved him by their will.
Vessels filled with truth
poured forth their truths.

XVIII.

And the vessels that were again filled
by their own will with falsehood —
they were overturned and emptied,
poured out and drained.
The Evil One grew weary of repairing
and refilling them.

XIX.

Moses overturned them ten times
in the midst of Egypt;
Daniel too
overturned them in the midst of Babylon.
Our Lord broke them
and made them chaff.

XX.

The vessels, children of truth —
by force he filled them;
but they emptied themselves.
And instead of the bitterness he poured,
sweet love and truth
they poured into themselves again.

XXI.

But we, whom our Savior
poured his truth into and filled —
the vessel overturned itself
and was poured out by its own will,
and turned and filled its bosom
with dregs and strife.

XXII.

Blessed are you, our Maker,
who became our Potter!
Vessels of thought
you made us from dust.
Let not dust be filled in us
instead of the treasure of truth.

Colophon

Translated from Classical Syriac by Yaqob, a Good Works tulku, 2026. Source text: Digital Syriac Corpus (DSC), CC BY 4.0 (syriaccorpus.org), 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: Matt 10:16 (wise as serpents, innocent as doves, stanza 2); Daniel 1 (Daniel trained in Babylon, stanzas 2-3); Exodus 7-12 (Moses and the ten plagues, stanza 19); Daniel 5:5-28 (the handwriting on the wall, stanzas 14-15); Daniel 3 (the furnace, stanza 15); Jeremiah 18:1-6 / Romans 9:21 (God as Potter, stanza 22); Genesis 2:7 (vessels from dust, stanza 22).

Stanza 1 presents textual difficulty in the first hemistich of the Syriac; the translation follows the evident sense of the wheat-and-chaff simile. The "palm of a hand" in stanza 14 is the same phrase used in Daniel 5:5 for the mysterious hand that wrote on the wall at Belshazzar's feast — Ephrem connects the handwriting that judged Babylon with the purification of the defiled temple vessels.

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 30 (Carmina Nisibena 30)

ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܳܐ (melody indicator): ܘ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ

1.

ܘܰܐܝܟܰܢ ܕܰܚ̈ܛܶܐ ܒܶܪܝ̱ ܡܰܐܕܰܬܓܡܰܪ ܫܰܠܚܳܝܗ̱ܝ
ܠܥܽܘܪܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܙܳܕܶܩ ܕܰܗܘܼܳܐ ܚܠܺܝܛ ܒܗܶܝܢ
ܗܳܟܰܢ ܫܠܼܰܚܘ̱ ܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܠܳܐ ܥܰܕܰܪ
ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܡܳܪܽܘܬܳܟ

2.

ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܘܕܳܢܺܝܐܶܝܠ ܡܗܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܘܚ̈ܰܟܺܝܡܶܐ
ܝܰܘ̈ܢܶܐ ܕܶܐܬܥܪܰܡ ܒܰܝܢܳܬ ܚܘ̈ܰܘܳܬܳܐ
ܚܰܕ ܐܶܬܪܕܺܝ ܒܡܶܨܪܶܝܢ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܢܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܒܳܒܶܠ

3.

ܫܒܼܰܩ ܚܰܕ ܕܚ̈ܰܠܳܫܶܐ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܢܳܐ ܕܟܰܠܕ̈ܳܝܶܐ
ܚܶܟܡܬܳܐ ܕܒܰܟܝܳܢܳܐ ܫܰܘܬܶܦܘ̱ ܠܫܰܒܪܽܘܬܳܐ
ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬ ܢܰܗܺܝܪܳܐ ܐ̱ܚܝܳܢܳܐ ܕܒ̈ܳܒܳܬܳܐ

4.

ܨܢܺܝܥܺܝܢ ܒܪܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܥܪܺܝܡܺܝܢ ܦܫܺܝܛܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ
ܫܦܶܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܘܦܳܪܽܘܫܺܝܢ ܡܗܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܘܬܰܡܺܝܡܺܝܢ
ܚܙܰܘ ܛܳܒܬܳܐ ܠܰܒܫܽܘܗ̇ ܚܙܰܘ ܒܺܝܫܬܳܐ ܫܰܠܚܽܘܗ̇

5.

ܘܰܐܝܟ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܪܕܳܐ ܒܽܐܘܪܚܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܝܳܕܰܥ
ܠܳܐ ܝܳܕܥܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܠܳܗ̇ ܠܽܐܘܪܚܶܗ ܕܚܶܫܽܘܟܳܐ
ܒܰܚܕܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܦܣܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܐܽܘܪܚܶܗ ܕܢܰܗܺܝܪܳܐ

6.

ܠܘܳܬ ܒܺܝܫܬܳܐ ܫܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܘܳܬ ܪܶܓܬܳܐ ܚܣ̈ܺܝܠܶܐ
ܛ̈ܠܳܝܶܐ ܠܪܳܡܽܘܬܳܐ ܓܡܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܘܳܠܺܝܬܳܐ
ܛܰܪ̈ܩܶܐ ܠܙܰܗܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܢܰܟ̈ܦܶܐ ܠܕܰܟܝܽܘܬܳܐ

7.

ܡܰܢܽܘ ܚܙܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܕܺܐܒ̈ܶܐ ܕܪ̈ܰܒܳܢܶܐ
ܗܘܰܘ ܠܶܐܡܪ̈ܶܐ ܢܰܟ̈ܦܶܐ ܠܝܰܘ̈ܢܶܐ ܚ̈ܘܰܘܳܬܳܐ
ܘܰܠܨܰܦܪܳܐ ܢ̈ܶܨܶܐ ܕܢܺܐܠܦܽܘܢ ܥܝ̈ܳܕܰܝܗܽܘܢ

8.

ܒܺܝܫܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܚܼܠܰܛ ܐܰܚܰܝ̈ ܡܶܐܪܬܶܗ ܒܚܰܠܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܘܚܶܫܟܶܗ ܒܢܰܗܺܝܪܳܐ ܘܙܺܐܦܶܗ ܒܓܰܘ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ
ܘܒܶܝܫܬܶܗ ܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܥܰܘܠܶܗ ܒܟܺܐܢܽܘܬܳܐ

9.

ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܓܒܳܐ ܗܘܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܕܟܰܝ̈ܳܐ ܘܩܰܕܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ
ܘܰܢܣܼܰܟ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܬܶܛܪܶܗ ܣܝܳܢܶܗ ܡܠܳܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܝܽܘܠܦܳܢ ܚܰܪ̈ܳܫܶܐ ܘܡܺܐܡܪܳܐ ܕܟܰܠܕ̈ܳܝܶܐ

10.

ܘܰܐܓܰܪ ܘܰܐܘܚܰܪ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܬܰܛܪܶܗ ܒܕܰܟܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܰܐܟܒܰܪ ܢܥܺܝܕ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܥܰܡܶܗ ܕܚܶܫܽܘܟܳܐ
ܘܢܶܛܥܶܐ ܘܢܳܕܶܫ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܫܪܳܪܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܫܽܘܩܪܳܐ

11.

ܘܰܪܢܳܐ ܕܶܐܢ ܬܶܗܘܶܐ ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܕܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ
ܟܰܕ ܗܼܺܝ ܕܚܽܘܣܪܳܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܰܗܘܼܳܐ ܡܕܺܝܠ ܬܶܛܪܶܐ
ܣܝܳܢܳܐ ܕܝܽܘܠܦܳܢܶܗ ܒܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ

12.

ܘܰܪܢܳܐ ܕܶܐܢ ܗܼܽܘ ܕܡܰܪܕܽܘ ܫ̈ܦܰܝܳܐ ܘܰܫܕܰܘ ܬܶܛܪܶܐ
ܕܰܢܣܰܟ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܚܰܪܡܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܫܟܚܳܐ ܕܠܰܓܡܳܪ
ܠܳܐ ܢܦܽܘܫ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܛܰܥܡܳܐ ܘܗܰܘܦܳܐ ܕܝܽܘܠܦܳܢܶܗ

13.

ܗܳܟܰܢ ܢܟܶܠ ܛܰܘܶܫ ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܬܶܫܡܶܫܬܳܐ
ܕܡܶܟܽܝܠ ܕܶܐܬܛܰܘܰܫܘ̱ ܠܳܐ ܡܨܶܝܢ ܕܢܶܬܕܰܟܽܘܢ
ܕܢܶܦܣܽܘܩ ܣܒܰܪ ܥܰܡܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܢܚܽܘܪ ܠܦܽܘܢܳܝܳܐ

14.

ܘܰܒܗܼܶܬ ܒܬܰܪ̈ܬܰܝܗܶܝܢ ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܒܰܟܝܳܢܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܐܶܬܡܨܺܝ ܛܰܘܶܫ ܕܡܳܪܗܽܘܢ ܬܒܰܥ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܕܗܳܝ ܦܶܣܬܳܐ ܕܺܐܝܕܳܐ ܐ̱ܬܳܬ ܕܰܟܝܰܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ

15.

ܟܬܳܒܳܗ̇ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܫܶܦܥܳܐ ܘܰܗܘܼܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܦܽܘܫܳܩܳܗ̇
ܨܰܪܦܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܟܽܘܪܳܐ ܘܒܺܐܕܳܐ ܕܕܳܢܺܝܐܶܝܠ
ܐܶܬܡܪܰܩܘ̱ ܘܶܐܬܕܰܟܺܝܘ ܘܰܫܦܼܰܪܘ̱ ܘܶܐܬܚܰܠܰܠܘ̱

16.

ܘܕܰܢܦܼܰܩܘ̱ ܒܫܺܝܛܽܘܬܳܐ ܦܢܰܘ ܥܰܠܘ̱ ܒܙܰܗܝܽܘܬܳܐ
ܕܰܢܦܼܰܩܘ̱ ܒܓܽܘܕܳܦܳܐ ܐܶܬܚܡܶܠܘ̱ ܒܩܽܘܠܳܣܳܐ
ܕܶܐܬܗܰܦܰܟܘ̱ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܛܽܘܥܝܰܝ ܘܫܰܒܚܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܠܡܳܪܶܐ ܟܽܠ

17.

ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܒܰܟܝܳܢܳܐ ܐܰܟܣܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܠܳܐ ܟܝܳܢܳܐ
ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܰܟܣܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܐ
ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܡܠܰܘ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܘܰܐܣܪܰܚܘ̱ ܫܪܳܪܰܝܗܽܘܢ

18.

ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܡܠܶܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܬܽܘܒ ܒܨܶܒܝܳܢܗܽܘܢ ܫܽܘܩܪܳܐ
ܐܶܬܟܦܺܝܘ ܘܶܐܣܬܰܦܰܩܘ̱ ܘܶܐܬܶܐܫܶܕܘ̱ ܘܶܐܣܬܰܪܰܩܘ̱
ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܠܐܺܝ ܕܢܰܬܼܩܶܢ ܘܡܶܕܪܺܝܫ ܕܢܰܡܠܶܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ

19.

ܡܽܘܫܶܐ ܥܣܰܪ ܙܰܒ̈ܢܺܝܢ ܟܦܳܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܒܓܰܘ ܡܶܨܪܶܝܢ
ܘܰܐܘܣܶܦ ܐܳܦ ܕܳܢܺܝܐܶܝܠ ܟܦܳܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܒܓܰܘ ܒܳܒܶܠ
ܡܳܪܰܢ ܬܼܒܰܪ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܘܥܽܘܪܳܐ ܥܼܒܰܕ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ

20.

ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܩܛܺܝܪܳܐ ܡܠܳܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ
ܘܗܼܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܣܰܦܶܩܘ̱ ܘܰܚܠܳܦ ܡܶܪܬܳܐ ܕܶܐܫܰܕ
ܚܽܘܒܳܐ ܚܰܠܝܳܐ ܘܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܗܼܶܢܽܘܢ ܒܗܽܘܢ ܢܣܼܰܟܘ ܬܽܘܒ

21.

ܚܢܰܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܕܦܳܪܽܘܩܰܢ ܫܪܳܪܶܗ ܢܣܼܰܟ ܘܰܡܠܳܢ
ܡܳܐܢܳܐ ܟܦܳܐ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܘܶܐܬܶܐܫܰܕ ܒܨܶܒܝܳܢܶܗ
ܘܰܗܼܦܰܟ ܡܠܳܐ ܥܽܘܒܶܗ ܬܶܛܪܳܐ ܘܚܶܪܝܳܢܳܐ

22.

ܒܪܺܝܟ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܥܳܒܽܘܕܰܢ ܕܰܗܘܰܝܬ ܓܳܒܽܘܠܰܢ
ܡܳܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܕܬܰܪܥܺܝܬܳܐ ܥܒܰܕܬܳܢܝ̱ ܡܶܢ ܥܰܦܪܳܐ
ܠܳܐ ܢܶܬܡܠܶܐ ܥܰܦܪܳܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܣܺܝܡܬܳܐ ܕܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ

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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