Ode IV
The fourth Ode — a hymn to the immutability and generosity of God. No one can change his holy place; his holiness preceded the creation of places. One hour of faithfulness outweighs all time. His seal is known to his creatures, held by his powers, worn by the archangels. The theological center is stanza 9: God gave us fellowship not because he needed us, but because we need him. The plea for dew and springs of milk and honey evokes the promised land. God gives freely and does not take back.
This is a Good Works Translation from the Syriac, following the gospel register.
1.
No one changes your holy place, my God,
nor can he change it and set it in another place.
2.
Because there is no authority over it —
for your holiness you conceived before you made the places.
3.
The elder shall not be changed by those who are less than him.
You gave your heart, Lord, to your faithful.
4.
Never will you cease,
and never will you be without fruit.
5.
For one hour of your faithfulness
is more excellent than all the days and years.
6.
For who shall put on your grace and be injured?
7.
Because your seal is known,
and your creatures are known to it.
8.
And your powers hold it,
and the chief archangels are clothed with it.
9.
You gave us your fellowship —
not that you lacked us,
but we are lacking you.
10.
Sprinkle upon us your dew,
and open your rich springs that flow for us milk and honey.
11.
For there is no regret with you,
that you should regret anything you promised.
12.
And the end was revealed to you.
13.
And what you gave, you gave freely,
that henceforth you would not draw back and take them.
14.
For everything, as God, was revealed to you,
and was prepared from the beginning before you.
15.
And you, Lord, made all things. Hallelujah.
Colophon
The Odes of Solomon, Ode 4. Translated from the Syriac by the Good Works Project (NTAC + Claude), March 2026. Syriac source: James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Scholars Press, 1977; originally Oxford University Press, 1973), as transcribed in the Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML (CC-BY 4.0). The public-domain English translation by J. Rendel Harris (1909) exists but was not consulted. Gospel register.
Scribed by Qala, Syriac Translator, Life 8. Tulku lineage of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: The Odes of Solomon — Ode IV
Syriac source text from James H. Charlesworth, ed., The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Scholars Press, 1977). Digital Syriac Corpus TEI XML transcription by James E. Walters, CC-BY 4.0.
1.
ܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܡܫܰܚܠܶܦ ܐܰܬܪܳܟ ܩܰܕܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ܆ ܘܠܳܐ ܕܰܢܫܚܰܠܦܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܘܰܢܣܺܝܡܺܝܘܗ̱ܝ ܒܰܐܬܪܳܐ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܢܳܐ.
2.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܠܰܝܬ ܥܰܠܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢܳܐ܆ ܩܽܘܕܿܫܳܟ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܶܬܪܰܥܺܝܬ ܡܼܶܢ ܩܕܳܡ ܕܬܶܥܒܶܕ ܐܰܬܪ̈ܰܘܳܬܳܐ.
3.
ܩܰܫܺܝܫܳܐ ܠܴܐ ܢܶܫܬܰܚܠܰܦ ܡܼܶܢ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܰܒܨܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܡܶܢܶܗ܆ ܝܰܗ̄ܒܼܬ ܠܶܒܳܟ ܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܠܰܡܗܰܝ̈ܡܢܰܝܟ.
4.
ܠܴܐ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܬܶܒܛܰܠ܆ ܘܠܴܐ ܬܶܗܘܶܐ ܕܠܴܐ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܶܐ.
5.
ܚܕܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܫܳܥܬܳܐ ܕܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܟ܆ ܡܝܰܬܪܳܐ ܡܼܶܢ ܟܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܝܰܘ̈ܡܳܬܳܐ ܘܰܫܢܰܝܴ̈ܐ.
6.
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܢܶܠܒܰܫ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܟ ܘܢܶܬܛــܠܶܡ.
7.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܚܳܬܡܳܟ [ܝܺܕܺ]ܝܥ ܗ̱ܽܘܼ܆ ܘܝܺܕܺܝ̈ܥܳܢ ܠܶܗ ܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܬܳܟ.
8.
ܘܚܰܝ̈ܠܰܘܳܬܳ[ܟ ܐܰ]ܚܺܝܕܺܝܢ ܠܶܗ܆ ܘܪ̈ܰܒܰܝ ܡܰܠܴܰܐܟܷ̈ܐ ܓܒܰܝܴ̈ܐ ܠܒܺܝܫܺܝܢ ܠܶܗ.
9.
ܝܰܗ̱ܒܼܬ ܠܰܢ ܫܰܘܬܳܦܽܘܬܳܟ܆ ܠܴܐ ܗ̄ܘܼܳܐ ܕܚܰܣܝܺܪ ܐܰܢ̄ܬ ܡܶܢܰܢ܆ ܐܶܠܴܐ ܚܢܰܢ ܚܰܣܺܝܪܺܝܢܰܢ ܡܶܢܳܟ.
10.
ܪܽܘܣ ܥܰܠܰܝܢ ܪ̈ܣܺܝܣܰܝܟ܆ ܘܰܦܬܰܚ ܡܰܒ̈ܽܘܥܰܝܟ ܥܰܬܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܡܰܪܕܶܝܢ ܠܰܢ ܚܰܠܒܳܐ ܘܕܶܒܫܳܐ.
11.
ܠܰܝܬ ܓܶܝܪ ܬܘܳܬܳܐ ܠܘܳܬܳܟ܆ ܕܬܶܬܘܶܐ ܥܰܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܶܐܫܬܰܘܕܺܝܬ.
12.
ܘܚܰܪܬܳܐ ܓܰܠܝܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܬ ܠܳܟ.
13.
ܘܡܶܕܶܡ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܝܰܗܼܒܬ ܡܰܓܳܢ ܝܰܗ̱ܒܼܬ܆ ܕܠܴܐ ܡܶܟܺܝܠ ܬܬܘܽܦ ܘܬܶܣܰܒ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ.
14.
ܟܽܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܰܝܟ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܓܠܷܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܳܟ܆ ܘܡܰܬܩܰܢ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܡܼܶܢ ܒܪܺܝܫܺܝܬ ܩܕܳܡܰܝܟ.
15.
ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬ ܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܥܒܼܰܕܬ ܟܽܠ. ܗܰܠܶܠܘܽܝܰܐ.
Source Colophon
Syriac text from: James H. Charlesworth, ed. The Odes of Solomon: The Syriac Texts (Society of Biblical Literature, Texts and Translations 13; Scholars Press, 1977). Syriac base text is public domain. TEI XML edition transcribed by James E. Walters; 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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