Ode XI
The eleventh Ode — the paradise vision, the most celebrated in the collection. It traces a complete arc of transformation: the heart is circumcised and its hidden flower appears; the Most High exposes the speaker's inmost self and fills it with love; speaking waters approach the lips from the inexhaustible spring; the speaker drinks and is intoxicated — but this intoxication, uniquely, does not cloud the mind: "my intoxication was not without knowledge, but I abandoned vanities." Folly is stripped off like a garment. The Lord clothes the speaker in light. The speaker becomes the earth itself, and the Lord the sun upon it. Paradise opens: trees planted in God's land shed their bitterness, workers of good turn from evil to sweetness, and the vast garden holds nothing idle — everything is full of fruits. The Ode is the clearest statement in the collection that divine inebriation is the opposite of delusion: you get drunk on the living water and see more clearly, not less.
This is a Good Works Translation from the Syriac, following the gospel register.
1.
My heart was circumcised and its flower appeared, and grace sprouted in it,
and it bore fruits for the Lord.
2.
For the Most High circumcised me by his Holy Spirit, and laid bare my inward parts toward him,
and filled me with his love.
3.
And his circumcision became my salvation, and I ran in the way, in his peace,
in the way of truth.
4.
From the beginning to the end,
I received his knowledge.
5.
And I was established upon the rock of truth,
where he had set me.
6.
And speaking waters drew near to my lips,
from the spring of the Lord, without grudging.
7.
And I drank and was intoxicated,
from living waters that do not die.
8.
And my intoxication was not without knowledge,
but I abandoned vanities.
9.
And I turned toward the Most High, my God,
and was enriched by his gift.
10.
And I cast folly down upon the earth,
and stripped it off and threw it from me.
11.
And the Lord renewed me with his garment,
and possessed me by his light.
12.
And from above he gave me rest without corruption,
and I became like the earth that sprouts and rejoices in its fruits.
13.
And the Lord was like the sun
upon the face of the earth.
14.
He enlightened my eyes,
and my face received the dew.
15.
And my soul was refreshed
by the sweet fragrance of the Lord.
16.
And he brought me to his Paradise,
where the wealth of the Lord's delight is.
17.
And I worshipped the Lord for his glory.
18.
And I said: Blessed are they, O Lord, who are planted in your land,
and who have a place in your Paradise.
19.
And they grow in the growth of your trees,
and they have turned from darkness to beauty.
20.
[…]
…who do good works,
and turn from evil to your sweetness.
21.
And the bitterness of the trees was turned from them,
when they were planted in your land.
22.
[…]
…and an eternal memorial for your faithful servants.
23.
For the place is vast in your Paradise, and there is nothing idle in it,
but everything is full of fruits.
24.
Glory to you, O God, the delight of Paradise eternal. Hallelujah.
Colophon
The Odes of Solomon, Ode 11. 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.
Partial lacunae in stanzas 20 and 22, marked with ellipsis. Note on stanza 2: the Syriac kulyātā ("kidneys, reins") is the Semitic seat of deep emotion and conscience, rendered here as "inward parts." Note on stanza 6: mayyā mallālē, "speaking waters" — the waters are literally articulate, alive with voice, not merely flowing. Note on stanza 8: the key theological claim of the Ode — divine intoxication is the opposite of delusion; it strips away folly rather than adding to it.
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 XI
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.
ܐܶܬܓܙܰܪ ܠܶܒܝ ܘܶܐܬܚܙܺܝ ܥܽܘܦܳܝܶܗ܆ ܘܺܝܥܼܳܬ ܒܶܗ ܛܰܝܒܽܘܬܳܐ܆
ܘܰܥܒܰܕ ܦܺܐܪ̈ܶܐ ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ.
2.
ܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܓܰܙܪܰܢܝ ܒܪܽܘܚܶܗ ܩܰܕܺܝܫܳܐ܆ ܘܰܓܠܼܳܐ ܠܘܳܬܶܗ ܟܽܘ̈ܠܝܳܬܝ܆
ܘܰܡܠܳܢܝ ܡܼܶܢ ܚܽܘܒܶܗ.
3.
ܘܰܗܘܳܬ ܠܺܝ ܓܙܽܘܪܬܶܗ ܠܦܽܘܪܩܳܢܳܐ܆ ܘܪܶܗܿܛܶܬ ܒܽܐܘܪܚܳܐ ܒܰܫܠܳܡܶܗ܆
ܒܽܐܘܪܚܳܐ ܕܰܫܪܳܪܳܐ.
4.
ܡܼܶܢ ܪܺܝܫܺܝܬܳܐ ܘܰܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܠܰܐܚܪܳܝܬܳܐ܆
ܢܶܣܒܶܬ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܶܗ.
5.
ܘܐܷܫܬܰܪܪܶܬ ܥܰܠ ܫܽܘܥܳܐ ܕܰܫܪܳܪܳܐ܆
ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܕܗܽܘ ܐܰܬܩܢܰܢܝ.
6.
ܘܡ̈ܰܝܳܐ ܡܱ̈ܠܳܠܶܐ ܩܪܶܒܘ ܠܣܶܦ̈ܘܳܬܝ܆
ܡܼܶܢ ܡܰܒܽܘܥܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܕܠܴܐ ܚܣܳܡ.
7.
ܘܶܐܫܿܬܺܝܬ ܘܰܪܘܺܝܬ܆
ܡܼܶܢ ܡ̈ܰܝܳܐ ܚ̈ܰܝܶܐ ܕܠܴܐ ܡܿܳܝܬܺܝܢ.
8.
ܘܪܳܘܝܽܘܬܝ ܠܴܐ ܗܘܳܬ ܕܠܴܐ ܝܺܕܰܥܬܳܐ܆
ܐܶܠܴܐ ܫܶܒܩܶܬ ܣܪ̈ܺܝܩܳܬܳܐ.
9.
ܘܶܐܬܦܢܺܝܬ ܠܘܳܬ ܡܪܰܝܡܳܐ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ܆
ܘܥܶܬܪܶܬ ܒܡܰܘܗܰܒܬܶܗ.
10.
ܘܫܶܒܩܶܬ ܠܫܳܛܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܫܰܕܝܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ܆
ܘܰܫܠܰܚܬܳܗܿ ܘܰܫܕܺܝܬܳܗܿ ܡܶܢܝ.
11.
ܘܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܚܰܕܬܰܢܝ ܒܰܠܒܽܘܫܶܗ܆
ܘܰܩܢܳܢܝ ܒܢܽܘܗܪܶܗ.
12.
ܘܡܼܶܢ ܠܥܶܠ ܐܰܢܺܚܰܝܢܝ ܕܠܴܐ ܚ̈ܒܳܠ܆
ܘܰܗܘܺܝܬ ܐܰܝܟ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ ܕܫܳܘܚܳܐ ܘܪܳܘܙܳܐ ܒܦܺܐܪ̈ܶܝܗ.
13.
ܘܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܫܶܡܫܳܐ܆
ܥܰܠ ܐ̈ܰܦܶܝܗ ܕܰܐܪܥܳܐ.
14.
ܥ̈ܰܝܢܰܝ ܐܰܢܗܼܰܪ܆
ܘܦܰܪܨܽܘܦܝ ܩܼܰܒܶܠ ܛܰܐܠܴܐ.
15.
ܘܶܐܬܒܰܣܡܰܬ ܢܶܫܡܰܬܝ܆
ܒܪܺܝܚܶܗ ܒܰܣܺܝܡܳܐ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ.
16.
ܘܰܐܘܒܠܳܢܝ ܠܦܰܪܕܰܝܣܶܗ܆
ܐܰܝܟܳܐ ܕܥܽܘܬܪܳܐ ܕܒܽܘܣܳܡܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܝܳܐ.
17.
ܘܣܶܓܕܶܬ ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܡܶܛܽܠ ܬܶܫܒܽܘܚܬܶܗ.
18.
ܘܐܷܡܪܶܬ ܕܛܽܘܒܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܡܳܪܝܳܐ܆ ܠܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܳܢܨܺܝܒܺܝܢ ܒܰܐܪܥܳܟ܆
ܘܗܳܢܽܘܢ ܕܺܐܝܬ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܐܰܬܪܳܐ ܒܦܰܪܕܰܝܣܳܟ.
19.
ܘܝܴ̈ܿܥܶܝܢ ܒܡܰܘܥܺܝܬܳܐ ܕܺܐܝ̈ܠܳܢܰܝܟ܆
ܘܫܰܢܺܝܘ ܡܼܶܢ ܚܶܫܽܘܟܳܐ ܫܰܦܺܝܪܺܝܢ܆
20.
[...]
ܕܥ̈ܳܒܕܶܝܢ ܥ̈ܒܳܕܶܐ ܛ̈ܳܒܶܐ܆
ܘܗܳܦܟܺܝܢ ܡܼܶܢ ܒܺܝܫܽܘܬܳܐ ܠܒܰܣܺܝܡܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܺܝܠܳܟ.
21.
ܘ̱ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣
ܡܳܐ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣
22.
[...]
ܘ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣
23.
ܣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣
ܐ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣
24.
ܫ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣
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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