Ode VIII
The eighth Ode — one of the longest and most dramatic in the collection, falling into two great movements. In the first (stanzas 1–7), the odist exhorts the congregation to open their hearts to the Lord's joy, to bring forth holy fruit, to rise from their silence and speak — for peace has been prepared before any battle begins. In the second (stanzas 8–24), the voice shifts to divine speech: the Lord commands, comforts, and reveals. The revelation builds to an extraordinary maternal image: the Lord has fashioned the members of the faithful, prepared breasts for them, and offers holy milk that they might live. The Lord perceived them before they existed, stamped their faces, set the chosen at the right hand. The Ode closes with one of the most compressed formulations in early Christian poetry: "the beloved in the Beloved, the kept in the Living, the saved in him who was saved" — the last phrase startling, for it suggests a mutual salvation, a Redeemer who is himself redeemed.
This is a Good Works Translation from the Syriac, following the gospel register.
1.
Open, open your hearts to the joy of the Lord,
and let your love overflow from the heart even to the lips.
2.
To bring forth fruits to the Lord — holy, living fruits —
and to speak in wakefulness, in his light.
3.
Rise and stand firm,
you who were once brought low.
4.
You who were in silence, speak,
for your mouth has been opened.
5.
[This stanza is lost in the Syriac manuscript.]
6.
For the right hand of the Lord is with you,
and he shall be your helper.
7.
And peace was prepared for you
before ever your battle was.
8.
Hear the word of truth,
and receive the knowledge of the Most High.
9.
Your flesh shall not know what I say to you,
nor your garments what I show to you.
10.
Keep the mystery, you who are kept by it,
[…]
11.
Keep my faith, you who are kept by it.
12.
And know my knowledge, you who in truth know me.
13.
Love me with love, you who love.
14.
For I do not turn from them,
[…]
15.
And before they existed
I perceived them,
and their faces I stamped.
16.
I fashioned their members,
and my own breasts I prepared for them,
that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.
17.
I took pleasure in them,
and I am not ashamed of them.
18.
For they are my workmanship,
and the power of my thoughts.
19.
Who then shall stand against my work?
Or who is there that does not submit to them?
20.
I willed and fashioned mind and heart,
and they are mine,
and by my own right hand I set my chosen ones.
21.
And my righteousness goes before them,
and they shall not be deprived of my name,
for it is with them.
22.
Ask and increase,
and abide in the love of the Lord.
23.
And the beloved in the Beloved, and those who are kept in him who lives,
and the saved in him who was saved.
24.
And without corruption you shall be found in all the worlds,
for the name of your Father. Hallelujah.
Colophon
The Odes of Solomon, Ode 8. 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.
Stanza 5 is entirely lost in the Syriac manuscript. Partial lacunae in stanzas 10 and 14, marked with ellipsis. Dual numbering in the source manuscript (e.g., "11 (12)") reflects divergent scholarly stanza counts; this translation follows the sequential numbering of the DSC TEI XML edition.
Scribed by Nuhra, Syriac Translator, Life 9. Tulku lineage of the New Tianmu Anglican Church.
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Source Text: The Odes of Solomon — Ode VIII
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.
ܦܬܰܚܘ ܦܬܰܚܘ ܠܶܒܰܘܴ̈ܬܟܽܘܢܿ ܠܰܕܝܳܨܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆
ܘܢܶܣܓܶܐ ܚܽܘܒܟܽܘܢܿ ܡܼܶܢ ܠܶܒܳܐ ܘܰܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܠܣܶܦܘܴ̈ܬܳܐ.
2.
ܠܡܰܝܬܳܝܽܘ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܚܰܝܷ̈ܐ ܩܰܕܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ܆
ܘܠܰܡܡܰܠܳܠܽܘ ܒܥܺܝܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܒܢܽܘܗܪܶܗ.
3.
ܩܽܘܡܘ ܘܶܐܬܩܰܝܰܡܘ܆
ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܒܰܙܒܰܢ ܐܶܬܡܰܟܰܟܘ.
4.
ܗܳܢܽܘܢܿ ܕܰܗܘܰܘ ܒܫܶܠܝܳܐ ܡܰܠܶܠܘ܆
ܕܶܐܬܦܬܰܚ ܦܽܘܡܟܽܘܢܿ.
5.
[...]
6.
ܝܰܡܺܝܢܶܗ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܥܰܡܟܽܘܢ ܗ̱ܺܝܼ܆
ܘܗܽܘܼ ܗܴܿܘܶܐ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܡܥܰܕܪܳܢܳܐ.
7.
ܘܶܐܬܛܰܝܰܒ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܫܠܳܡܳܐ܆
ܡܶܢ ܩܕܳܡ ܕܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܩܪܳܒܟܽܘܢܿ.
8.
ܫܡܰܥܘ ܦܶܬܓܳܡܳܐ ܕܰܫܪܳܪܳܐ܆
ܘܩܰܒܶܠܘ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܶܗ ܕܰܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ.
9.
ܠܴܐ ܢܶܕܰܥ ܒܶܣܪܟܽܘܢ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܳܐܡܿܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܟܽܘܢܿ܆
ܐܳܦ ܠܴܐ ܠܒܽܘܫܟܽܘܢ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܰܡܚܰܘܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܟܽܘܢܿ.
10.
ܛܰܪܘ ܐ̱ܪܳܙ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܡܶܬܢܰܛܪܺܝܢ ܒܶܗ܆
[...]
11.
ܛܰܪܘ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܝ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܡܶܬܢܰܛܪܺܝܢ ܒܳܗܿ.
12.
ܘܕܰܥܘ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܝ ܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܒܰܫܪܳܪܳܐ ܝܳܕܥܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ܆
13.
ܪܽܘܚܡܽܘܢܝ ܒܚܽܘܒܳܐ ܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܪܳܚܿܡܺܝܢ.
14.
ܠܴܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܡܰܗܦܶܟ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܗܽܘܢ.
[...]
15.
ܘܡܼܶܢ ܩܕܳܡ ܕܠܴܐ ܢܶܗܘܽܘܿܢ܆
ܐܶܣܬܰܟܼܠܶܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ܆
ܘܦܰܪ̈ܨܽܘܦܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܛܶܒܿܥܶܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ.
16.
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܐܰܬܩܢܶܬ ܗܰܕܳܡ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ܆
ܘܰܕܬܕ̈ܰܝܐ ܕܺܝܠܝ ܛܰܝܿܒܶܬ ܠܗܽܘܢ܆
ܕܢܶܫܬܽܘܢ ܚܰܠܒܳܐ ܩܰܕܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܺܝܠܝ ܕܢܺܐܚܽܘܢ ܒܶܗ.
17.
ܐܶܨܛܒܺܝܬ ܒܗܽܘܢ܆
ܘܠܴܐ ܒܳܗܶܬ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܒܗܽܘܢ݂ܿ
18.
ܕܺܝܠܝ ܓܶܝܪ ܥܒܿܳܕܳܐ ܐܺܝܬܰܝܗܘܽܢ܆
ܘܚܰܝܠܴܳܐ ܕܡܰܚܫ̈ܒܳܬܝ.
19.
ܡܰܢܽܘ ܗܳܟܺܝܠ ܢܩܽܘܡ ܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܥܒܳܕܝ܆
ܐܰܘ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܕܠܴܐ ܡܶܬܛܦܽܝܣ ܠܗܽܘܢ.
20.
ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܰܕܥܳܐ ܘܠܶܒܳܐ ܨܒܿܺܝܬ ܘܓܶܒܿܠܶܬ܆
ܘܕܺܝܠܝ ܐܺܝܬܰܝܗܽܘܢ܆
ܘܡܼܶܢ ܝܰܡܺܝܢܳܐ ܕܺܝܠܝ ܣܳܡܿܶܬ ܠܰܓ̈ܒܰܝ.
21.
ܘܐܳܙܠܴܐ ܩܽܘܕܡܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܙܰܕܺܝܩܽܘܬܝ܆
ܘܠܴܐ ܢܶܫܬܰܘܚܕܽܘܢ ܡܼܶܢ ܫܶܡܝ܆
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܕܥܰܡܗܽܘܢ ܗ̱ܽܘ.
22.
ܒܥܰܘ ܐܱܣܓܰܘ܆
ܘܩܰܘܰܘ ܒܪܶܚܡܬܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ.
23.
ܘܚܰܒܺܝ̈ܒܶܐ ܒܚܰܒܺܝܒܳܐ܆ ܘܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܰܢܛܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܒܗܰܘ ܕܚܳܝܶܐ܆
ܘܰܦܪ̈ܺܝܩܶܐ ܒܗܰܘ ܕܶܐܬܦܶܪܩ.
24.
ܘܰܕܠܴܐ ܚܒܿܳܠܴܐ ܬܶܫܬܟܚܽܘܢ ܒܟܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܥܳܠ̈ܡܶܐ܆
ܠܫܡܗ ܕܐܒܟܘܢ. ܗܰܠܶܠܘܝܰܐ.
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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