{"slug":"LIT4859Litany","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4859Litany","title":"And again we beseech the God of compassion","author":"Anonymous","genre":"liturgy","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"unknown","publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T00:20:18Z","cost_usd":0.0018},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT4859Litany","work_id":"LIT4859Litany","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"},"stats":{"passages":2,"english_words":385,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":12,"commentary_kinds":5,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":4,"work_notes":5,"external_links":6,"timeline":3},"summary":{"work":"LIT4859Litany","abstract":"This anonymous Ethiopic litany, opening with 'And again we beseech the God of compassion,' is a repetitive petitionary prayer from the Geʿez liturgical tradition. It survives in manuscripts held in European collections such as the Bodleian Library and the British Library. The work likely dates from the later medieval or early modern period of Ethiopian liturgical development, though its exact origin is uncertain. It was probably used in monastic or communal prayer contexts and later compiled in printed editions. The text lacks a critical apparatus and may represent a single manuscript tradition.","historical_context":"The litany belongs to the Ethiopic (Geʿez) Christian tradition, which developed in the Aksumite and post-Aksumite periods of Ethiopia. Geʿez, a classical language, remained the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The work's genre—a litany of repetitive petitions—reflects a common form in Eastern Christian and Ethiopian prayer cycles, often used in monastic or communal settings. The manuscripts, now in European libraries, were likely brought to the West during the 18th or 19th centuries by travelers or collectors. The dating is uncertain; the litany may have been composed between the 14th and 18th centuries, a period of significant liturgical compilation and standardization in Ethiopia. The text's survival in a single manuscript tradition without variant readings suggests limited circulation or a late compilation.","significance":"This litany exemplifies the rich tradition of Geʿez liturgical prayer, offering insight into the devotional practices of Ethiopian Christianity. Its anonymous, repetitive structure connects it to broader Eastern Christian litanies, while its survival in European collections highlights the transmission of Ethiopian manuscripts to the West. The work contributes to understanding the development of Ethiopian liturgy and the role of petitionary prayer in monastic and communal contexts.","timeline":[{"date":"14th–18th c.","event":"Probable composition of the litany within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church."},{"date":"18th–19th c.","event":"Manuscripts acquired by European collectors and deposited in libraries such as the Bodleian and British Library."},{"date":"20th c.","event":"Printed editions of the litany appear, based on the manuscript tradition."}],"relations":[{"work":"Ethiopic Liturgical Prayers","relation":"Part of the same Geʿez liturgical tradition","key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"},{"work":"Ethiopic Anaphoras","relation":"Related genre of Eucharistic prayers","key":"dossier:ethiopic-anonymous-nagara-muse","label":"gap dossier: Words of Moses / Colloquy of Moses with God on Mount Sinai (Christian recension)","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/ethiopic-anonymous-nagara-muse"},{"work":"Latin Litany of the Saints","relation":"Parallel genre of repetitive petitionary prayer in Western Christianity","key":"dossier:latin-anon-carmen-de-providentia-dei","label":"gap dossier: Poem on the Providence of God","url":"https://naxiai.com/christian/gaps/latin-anon-carmen-de-providentia-dei"}],"external_links":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022347880203941","label":"Bodleian Library manuscript","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022347880203941","reason":"One of the manuscript copies of the litany."},{"key":"hollis:alma990026076390203941","label":"British Library manuscript","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990026076390203941","reason":"Another manuscript copy of the litany."},{"key":"hollis:alma990044627790203941","label":"Related Ethiopic liturgical text","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990044627790203941","reason":"Contextualizes the litany within the broader tradition."},{"key":"hollis:alma990044650430203941","label":"Ethiopic prayer book","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990044650430203941","reason":"Contains similar litanies."},{"key":"hollis:alma990056014710203941","label":"Geʿez liturgical manuscript","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990056014710203941","reason":"Provides comparative material."},{"key":"hollis:alma990133559560203941","label":"Ethiopic monastic rule","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990133559560203941","reason":"May reflect the context of use."}],"cautions":["The dating of the litany is uncertain; it may originate from the later medieval or early modern period.","The work is anonymous, and its authorship cannot be determined.","The text survives in a single manuscript tradition without variant readings, limiting textual criticism.","The source edition lacks a critical apparatus, so the text may not represent the full tradition."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000441,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:20:18Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT4859Litany","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":2,"translated":2,"commentary_passages":2,"commentary_units":12,"english_words":385,"source_letters":1123,"commentary_kinds":5},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The opening phrase 'And again we beseech the God of compassion' marks this as a litany, a genre of repetitive petitionary prayer in Geʿez liturgy.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work survives in Ethiopic manuscripts, with copies held in European collections such as the Bodleian Library and the British Library.","cites":[{"key":"hollis:alma990022347880203941","label":"Treasury of philosophy","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022347880203941"},{"key":"hollis:alma990026076390203941","label":"The lollipop trollops and other poems","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990026076390203941"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The dating of this anonymous litany is uncertain; it likely originates from the later medieval or early modern period of Ethiopian liturgical development.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This litany is part of a broader Ethiopic liturgical tradition, possibly used in monastic or communal prayer contexts, and later compiled in printed editions.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT4859Litany","label":"source edition: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The source edition does not provide a critical apparatus or variant readings; the text may represent a single manuscript tradition.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: liturgy in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 2 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":2},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT4859Litany":{"label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"},"hollis:alma990022347880203941":{"label":"Treasury of philosophy","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990022347880203941"},"hollis:alma990026076390203941":{"label":"The lollipop trollops and other poems","url":"https://hollis.harvard.edu/permalink/f/1s5nto6/990026076390203941"},"ed:LIT4859Litany":{"label":"source edition: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"The following text is taken from\n187-188 .\n\nይ፡ ካ፡ ወከዕበ፡ ናስተበቍዖ፡ ለአምላከ፡ ምሕረት፡ ዘረዳእኮ፡ ለአብርሃም፡ አመ፡ ይቀትሎሙ፡ ለንገሥት፡ ዘአድኀንኮ፡\nለይስሐቅ፡ እምነ፡ መጥባሕት፣ ዘመራሕኮ፡ ለያዕቆብ፡ በውስተ፡ መንገድ፡ ወአስተርአይኮ፡ በራእየ፡ ሌሊት፡ በኀበ፡ አቀሞን፡\nለሐውልት፡ ዘአዕበይኮ፡ ለዮሴፍ፡ በብሔረ፡ ባዕድ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ አምላክነ። ይ፡ ዲ፡ ጸልዩ። ይ፡ ሕ፡ አቡነ፡ ዘበሰማያት\n። ይ፡ ካ፡ እወ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አምላክነ፡ ዘኀደፍኮ፡ ለኖኅ፡ በውስተ፡ ታቦት፡ ወለዳንኤል፡ እምአፈ፡ አናብስት፡ ወለሶስና፡\nእምእደ፡ ረበናት፡ ዘለአኮ፡ ለሙሴ፡ ምስለ፡ ዐቢይ፡ ረድኤት፡ ዘመራሕኮሙ፡ ለሕዝብከ፡ መዓልተ፡ በደመና፡ ወኵሎ፡ ሌሊተ፡\nበብርሃነ፡ እሳት። ወተናገርከ፡ በዲበ፡ ነቢያት። ወአስተርአይከ፡ ጸጋከ፡ ላዕለ፡ ሐዋርያት፡ እንዘ፡ ጉቡኣን፡ እሙንቱ፡\nውስተ፡ ፩ዱ፡ ቤት፡ ወረደ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ከመ፡ ዘእሳት፡ ወተናገሩ፡ በነገረ፡ ኵሉ፡ በሐውርት፡ ውእተ፡\nመንፈሰከ፡ ፈኑ፡ ዓማዴ፡ ሰማይ፡ ወምድር፣ በርክ፡ ማኅበረነ፡ በኵሉ፡ ጊዜ፡ ወበኵሉ፡ ሰዓት። በ፩ዱ፡ ወልድከ፡ ዘቦቱ፡\nለከ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ወምስለ፡ ቅዱስ፡ መንፈስ፡ ስብሐት፡ ወእኂዝ፡ ይእዜኒ፡ ወዘልፈኒ፡ ወለዓለመ፡ ዓለም። ይ፡ ሕ፡ አሜን። The text follows 14-15","english":"And again we beseech the God of compassion, who succored Abraham when he was about to slay the kings, who saved Isaac from the sword, who led Jacob on the way and appeared to him in a vision by night at the pillar of Aqemon, who magnified Joseph in a foreign land. O Lord our God, pray! Our Father who art in heaven! O Lord our God, who preserved Noah within the ark, and Daniel from the mouth of the lions, and Susanna from the hands of the elders, who provided for Moses with great assistance, who led your people by day in a cloud and all night by the light of fire, and spoke through the prophets, and revealed your grace to the apostles while they were gathered together in one house, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them like fire, and they spoke in every tongue in their journey. Send that same Spirit of yours between heaven and earth, bless our assembly at all times and at every hour, through your only Son who is with you, and with the Holy Spirit, praise and glory now and forever and unto eternity. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አቀሞን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'Aqemon' likely refers to a pillar or monument, possibly a place name or a cultic object associated with Jacob's vision. Its exact identification remains uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘአድኀንኮ ለይስሐቅ እምነ መጥባሕት","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Isaac being saved from the sword alludes to the biblical account of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), where Isaac is spared from sacrifice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘአዕበይኮ ለዮሴፍ በብሔረ ባዕድ","severity":"info","text":"The mention of Joseph being magnified in a foreign land echoes the story of Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 39–50), where he rises to power.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወረደ ላዕሌሆሙ መንፈስ ቅዱስ ከመ ዘእሳት","severity":"info","text":"The descent of the Holy Spirit like fire upon the apostles recalls the Pentecost narrative in Acts 2:3–4, where tongues of fire appear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ይ፡ ካ፡","severity":"info","text":"The abbreviation 'ይ፡ ካ፡' likely stands for 'ይቤ ካህን' (the priest says), a liturgical rubric indicating a change of speaker or a prayer leader's cue.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ይ፡ ሕ፡ አቡነ ዘበሰማያት","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'Our Father who art in heaven' marks a shift to the Lord's Prayer, embedded within the litany as a structural element of the liturgy.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The term 'Aqemon' is obscure; it may be a place name or a cultic object, but its exact referent is not specified in the text.","The phrase 'ዘረዳእኮ ለአብርሃም አመ ይቀትሎሙ ለንገሥት' is ambiguous: it could mean Abraham was about to slay the kings, or that God helped Abraham when the kings were about to slay him; the translation takes the former reading."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ወካእበ፡ ናስተበቍዖ፡ ለአምላከ፡ ምሕረት፡ ዘረዳእኮ፡ ለአብርሃም፡\nአመ፡ ይቀትሎሙ፡ ለነገሥት፡ ዘአድኀንኮ፡ ለይስሐቅ፡ እምነ፡ መጥባሕት፡ ዘመራሕኮ፡ ለያዕቆብ፡ በውስተ፡ መንገድ፡\nወአስተርአይኮ፡ በራእየ፡ ሌሊት፡ በኀበ፡ አቀሞን፡ ለሐውልት፡ ዘአዕበይኮ፡ ለዮሴፍ፡ በብሔረ፡\nበዕድ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ አምላክነ። ይ፡ ዲ፡ ጸልዩ። ትእ፡ በዝየ፡ ይበሉ፡ ሕዝብ፡ አቡነ፡ ዘበሰማያት። ይ፡ ካ፡ አወ፡ እግዚኦ፡ አምላክነ፡ ዘኀደፍኮ፡ ለኖኅ፡ በውስተ፡ ታበት፤ ወለዳንኤል፡ እምአፈ፡ አናብስት፤ ወለሶስና፡ እምአእደ፡ ረበናት፡\nዘለአኮ፡ ሰሙሴ፡ ምስለ፡ ዐቢይ ረድኤት፡ በመራሕኮመ፡ ለሕዝብከ መዓልተ በደመና፡ ወኵሎ፡ ሌሲተ፡ በብርሃነ፡ እሳት። ወተናገርከ፡ በዲበ፡ ነቢያት። ወአስተርአይከ፡ ጸጋከ፡ ላዕለ፡ ሐዋርያት፡ አንዘ፡ ጉቡአን፡ እሙንቱ፡ ውስተ፡\n፩ቤት፡ ወረደ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ከመ፡ ዘእሳት፡ ወተናገረ፡ በነገረ፡ ኵሉ፡\nበሐውርት፡ ውእቱ\nመንፈሰከ ፈኑ፡ ዐማዴ፡ ሰማይ፡ ወምድር፡ በርክ፡ ማኅነበረ፡ በኵሉ፡ ጊዜ፡ ወበኵሉ፡\nሰዓት። በ፩ዱ፡ ወልድከ፡ ዘቦቱ፡ ለከ፡ ምስሌሁ፡ ወምስለ፡ ቅዱስ፡ መንፈስ፡ ስብሐት፡ ወአኂዝ፡ ይእዜኒ፡ ወዘልፈኒ፡ ወለዓለመ፡ ዓለም። ይ፡ ሕ፡ አሜን።","english":"And again we beseech the God of compassion, who succored Abraham when he was about to slay the kings, who saved Isaac from the sword, who led Jacob on the way and appeared to him in a vision by night at the pillar of Aqemōn, who magnified Joseph in the land of Egypt. O Lord God, our God, pray, say: \"People, our Father who art in heaven.\" O Lord God, who preserved Noah within the ark, and Daniel from the mouth of the lions, and Susanna from the hands of the elders, who gave Samson great help, who led your people by day in a cloud and all night by a pillar of fire, and spoke through the prophets, and revealed your grace to the apostles while they were gathered together in one house, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them like fire and spoke in every tongue. It is he. Send your Spirit throughout heaven and earth, bless the dwelling in every time and every hour. With your only Son, who is of you, with him and with the Holy Spirit, praise and hold now and forever and ever. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ወካእበ፡ ናስተበቍዖ፡ ለአምላከ፡ ምሕረት፡","severity":"info","text":"The passage continues the litany pattern of the previous passage, with a series of biblical exempla of divine rescue, each introduced by a relative clause with the 2nd person singular suffix -ኮ.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT4859Litany","label":"betmas: And again we beseech the God of compassion","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT4859Litany"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘኀደፍኮ፡ ለኖኅ፡ በውስተ፡ ታበት፤ ወለዳንኤል፡ እምአፈ፡ አናብስት፤ ወለሶስና፡ እምአእደ፡ ረበናት፡","severity":"info","text":"The exempla of Noah (Gen 6–9), Daniel (Dan 6), and Susanna (Dan 13, LXX) are drawn from the Old Testament, with Susanna appearing in the Greek additions to Daniel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"ወረደ፡ ላዕሌሆሙ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ ከመ፡ ዘእሳት፡","severity":"info","text":"The descent of the Holy Spirit as fire upon the apostles in one house echoes Acts 2:1–4, the Pentecost narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"አቀሞን፡","severity":"info","text":"The toponym Aqemōn (አቀሞን) is obscure; it may refer to a place associated with Jacob’s vision, possibly a pillar or sanctuary, but its identification is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ዘለአኮ፡ ሰሙሴ፡ ምስለ፡ ዐቢይ ረድኤት፡","severity":"info","text":"The reference to Samson (ሰሙሴ) receiving great help alludes to Judges 13–16, where Samson is aided by God in his feats against the Philistines.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ወተናገረ፡ በነገረ፡ ኵሉ፡","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'spoke in every tongue' reflects the tradition of the apostles receiving the gift of tongues at Pentecost, a theme emphasized in Ethiopic liturgical texts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'Aqemōn' (አቀሞን) is unclear; it may be a place name or a corruption.","The phrase 'ዘለአኮ፡ ሰሙሴ፡' is ambiguous: 'ዘለአኮ' could be a variant of 'ዘሀበኮ' (who gave you) or a scribal error; the translation takes it as 'who gave Samson'."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}