Ode VI
The sixth Ode — one of the most powerful in the collection, moving from intimate musical metaphor to cosmic flood. The Spirit moves through the odist's body as wind through a harp: the strings speak, he speaks by love. Then the image explodes outward: a stream goes forth and becomes a great river that sweeps the whole earth, cannot be dammed by human art, fills everything, and quenches all thirst. The ministers of the living drink refresh the parched, raise the failing, seize souls back from death. The Ode is a single crescendo from individual instrument to universal flood.
This is a Good Works Translation from the Syriac, following the gospel register.
1.
As the wind moves through the harp
and the strings speak,
2.
so the Spirit of the Lord speaks through my members,
and I speak by his love.
3.
For he destroys whatever is alien,
and everything belongs to the Lord.
4.
For so it was from the beginning,
and shall be to the end.
5.
That nothing should stand against him,
and nothing should rise up to oppose him.
6.
The Lord multiplied his knowledge,
and was zealous that these things should be known
which by his grace were given to us.
7.
And his praise he gave us for his name;
our spirits praise his Holy Spirit.
8.
For a stream went forth and became a great and broad river.
It swept away everything, and shattered, and brought it to the Temple.
9.
And the restraints of men could not hold it back,
nor even the arts of those who dam up waters.
10.
For it came upon the face of the whole earth,
and filled everything.
11.
And all the thirsty upon earth drank,
and thirst was quenched and extinguished.
12.
For from the Most High the drink was given.
13.
Blessed therefore are the ministers of that drink,
who are entrusted with his waters.
14.
They refreshed the parched lips,
and the will that was failing they raised up.
15.
And souls that were near departing
they seized back from death.
16.
And limbs that had fallen
they straightened and raised up.
17.
They gave strength to their coming,
and light to their eyes.
18.
For everyone recognized them in the Lord, and they lived by the living waters forever. Hallelujah.
Colophon
The Odes of Solomon, Ode 6. 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.
🌲
Source Text: The Odes of Solomon — Ode VI
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.
ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܡܗܰܠܟܳܐ [ܪܽܘܚܳ]ܐ ܒܩܺܝܬܼܳܪܳܐ܆ ܘܡܶܢ̈ـܷܐ ܡܡܰܠ̈ـܠܳܢ܆
2.
ܗܳܟܰܢܳܐ ܡܰܡܠܠܴܐ ܒܗܰܕܳܡܱ̈ܝ ܪܽܘܚܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ ܘܡܰܡܠܶܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܒܚܽܘܒܶܗ.
3.
ܡܰܘܒܶܕ ܗ̱ܽܘܼ ܓܶܝܪ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܢܽܘܟܪܳܝ܆ ܘܟܽܠܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܡܳܪܝܰܐ ܗ̱ܘܼ.
4.
ܗܳܟܰܢܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܗܘܼܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܒܪܺܝܫܺܝܬ܆ ܘܰܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܠܰܐ̄ܚܪܳܝܬܳܐ.
5.
ܕܠܴܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܣܰܩܽܘܒܠܴܐ܆ ܘܠܴܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܢܩܽܘܡ ܠܩܽܘܒܠܶܗ.
6.
ܐܰܣܓܺܝ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܶܗ ܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ ܘܛܰܢ ܕܢܶܬܝ̈ܰܕܥܳܢ ܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܕܰܒܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܶܗ ܐܶܬܺܝܗܶܒ ܠܰܢ.
7.
ܘܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܶܗ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܠܰܢ ܠܰܫܡܶܗ܆ ܪ̈ܽܘܚܳܬܰܢ ܠܪܽܘܚܶܗ ܩܰܕܺܝܫܳܐ ܡܫܰܒ̈ܚܳܢ.
8.
ܢܦܰܩ ܓܶܝܪ ܬܰܦܳܐ ܘܰܗܘܳܐ ܢܰܗܪܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܘܦܰܬܝܳܐ܆ ܓܪܰܦ ܓܶܝܪ ܟܽܠܡܶܕܶܡ ܘܰܫܚܰܩ ܘܰܐܝܬܺܝ ܠܗܰܝܟܠܴܐ.
9.
ܘܠܴܐ ܐܶܫܟܰܚܘ ܟܠܳܐܘܽܗܝ (ܟܶܠ̈ܝܳܢܶܐ ܕܰܒ̈ܢܰܝ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ)܆ ܘܳܐܦ ܠܴܐ ܐܽܘܡܳܢ̈ܘܳܬܗܽܘܢܿ ܕܗܿܶܢܽܘܢܿ ܕܟܳܠܶܝܢ ܡܰܝܴ̈ܐ.
10.
ܐܶܬܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܥܰܠ ܐܰܦܱ̈ܝ ܟܽܠܳܗܿ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ܆ (ܘܰܡܠܴܐ ܟܽܠܡܶܕܶܡ.)
11.
(ܘܶܐܫܬܺܝܘ ܟܽܠܗܽܘܢܿ ܨܗ̈ܰܝܳܐ ܕܥܰܠ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ)܆ ܘܨܰܗܝܳܐ ܐܶܫܬܪܺܝ ܘܰܕܥܶܟ.
12.
ܡܼܶܢ ܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܶܬܺܝܗܶܒ ܡܰܫܬܝܳܐ.
13.
ܛܽܘܒܰܝܗܽܘܢܿ ܗܳܟܺܠ ܠܰܡܫܰܡ̈ܫܳܢܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܗܰܘܿ ܡܰܫܬܝܳܐ܆ ܗܳܢܽܘܢܿ ܕܶܐܬܗܰܝܡܰܢܘ ܡܰܘ̈ܗ̱ܝ.
14.
ܐܰܢܺܝܚܘ ܣܶܦ̈ܘܳܬܳܐ ܝܰܒܺܝ̈ܫܳܬܳܐ܆ (ܘܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܐ ܕܰܡܫܰܪܰܝ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܐܰܩܺܝܡܘ.)
15.
(ܘܢܰܦ̈ܫܳܬܳܐ ܘܰܕܩܰܪ̈ܺܝܒܳܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܝ̈ ܠܡܶܦܰܩ܆ ܡܼܶܢ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܐܶܚܰܕܘ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ.)
16.
ܘܗܰܕܶܡܷ̈ܐ ܕܢܰܦܺܝܠܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ܆ (ܘܰܬܪܰܨܘ ܘܰܐܩܺܝܡܘ).
17.
ܝܰܗ̱ܒܘ ܚܰܝܠܴܐ ܠܡܶܐܬܺܝܬܗܽܘܢ܆ ܘܢܽܘܗܪܳܐ ܠܥܰܝ̈ܢܰܝܗܽܘܢܿ.
18.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܟܽܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܐܶܫܬܰܘܕܰܥ ܐܶܢܽܘܢܿ ܒܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ ܘܰܚܝܰܘ ܒܡܰܝܴ̈ܐ ܚܰܝܷ̈ܐ ܕܰܠܥܳܠܰܡ. 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.
🌲