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Miracles of the Hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'

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Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

The 'Miracles of the Hymn ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa' is an anonymous Ethiopic hagiographic collection that recounts miracles attributed to the liturgical hymn 'God is King' in the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition. The work survives in Geʿez manuscripts and is edited in betmas:LIT7584TaameraMah. It likely reinforced the hymn's devotional status, though its date and provenance remain uncertain. The text presents numbered miracle narratives, each introduced by a formulaic heading, and includes references to figures such as Abba Sinoda (Shenoute), linking the collection to Coptic monastic liturgy. No earlier Greek or Arabic Vorlage is attested.

This collection is significant as a rare hagiographic work focused on a liturgical hymn rather than a saint, illustrating the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition's veneration of liturgical texts. It provides insight into medieval Ethiopian devotional practices and the perceived miraculous power of hymnody. The work's links to Coptic monasticism (via Abba Sinoda) and its potential connections to other Ethiopic miracle collections (e.g., Taʾammǝra Māryām) merit further study. It also highlights the need for critical editions and comparative analysis of Ethiopic hagiographic literature.

Historical context

The work is undated, but its terminus post quem is the composition of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa', which is used in Ethiopian Orthodox liturgy. The hymn's origins are obscure, but it likely emerged within the medieval Ethiopian Christian tradition, possibly after the 13th century when Geʿez hymnody flourished. The collection survives in Ethiopic manuscripts, with the source edition based on betmas:LIT7584TaameraMah. No critical apparatus or stemma is provided, and the relationship to other Ethiopic miracle collections (e.g., Taʾammǝra Māryām) is unexamined. The mention of Abba Sinoda (d. 466 CE) suggests a link to Coptic monasticism, but this does not date the text. The work was likely transmitted in monastic scriptoria, possibly in the Ethiopian highlands, and its anonymous authorship reflects common hagiographic practice. The edition does not specify a date or place of composition, and the text's liturgical context suggests it was used to promote devotion to the hymn.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

16 commentary units 3 structure3 term3 background3 reception3 caution1 parallel 1 derived notes 5 open questions 3 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • limitThe 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.
  • registerRegister: hagiography in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 3 narrative.
  • caution1 passage(s) are fragmentary in the source; the English bridges each break and says so in the note.
  • sourceSource edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
LIT7584TaameraMah:1 · narrativehigh
Source
The following incipits and division into texparts are based on . Introduction ንጽሕፍ፡ ኃይለ፡ ወተአምረ፡ ዘኮነ፡ በማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ። በረከተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ አምላክነ፡ ንጉሠ፡ ነገሥት፡ ወእግዚአ፡ አጋዕዝት፡ የሀሉ፡ ምስለ፡ ኵልነ፡ ውሉደ፡ ጥምቅት፡ ለዓለመ፡ ዓለም፡ አሜን። First miracle ፩ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወሀሎ፡ ፩ብእሲ፡ ቅሲስ፡ ዓቢይ፡ ሊቀ፡ ካህናት፡ እምዓበይተ፡ ሰብአ፡ ኢትዮጵያ፡ ዘያፈቅር፡ ማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወኢያጸርዕ፡ ባቲ፡ ዘምሮ፡ መዓልተ፡ ወሌሊተ፡ Second miracle ፪ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ይቤ፡ ፩ብእሲ፡ ቀሲስ፡ መነኮስ፡ እንዘ፡ ይነግራ፡ ዕበያ፡ ወክብራ፡ ለማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ። ወሶበ፡ ኮነ፡ ሕማመ፡ ብድብድ፡ አዘዘ፡ ንጉሥ፡ ከመ፡ ይትመሐለሉ፡ በተቀንዮ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ። Third miracle ፫ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ስምዓ፡ ኮነ፡ ፩ዲያቆን፡ ምሉዓ፡ ልቡና፡ ወጥበብ፡ ወምሉዓ፡ መንፈስ፡ የዋህ፡ ወትሑት፡ ወይቤ፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎኩ፡ አሐተ፡ ዕለተ፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ አመ፡ ፳ወ፩ለጥር፡ በዕለተ፡ በዓላ፡ ለእግዝእትነ፡ ማርያም፡
English
Let us write the power and the miracle that occurred through the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. May the blessing of God, our Lord, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, be with all of us, the children of baptism, forever and ever. Amen. First miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. There was a man, a great priest, a chief of priests from among the nobles of the people of Ethiopia, who loved the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa' and did not cease singing it day and night. Second miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And again, a certain priest-monk said, while telling of the greatness and glory of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa': When a plague of illness occurred, the king commanded that they be healed by the prostration of 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. Third miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And again, it was heard that there was a deacon, full of understanding and wisdom, and full of a gentle and humble spirit, and he said: While I was one day in the church on the twenty-first of Ṭǝrr, on the feast day of our Lady Mary.
LIT7584TaameraMah:2 · narrativehigh
Source
Fourth miracle ፬ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ስምዓ፡ ኮነ፡ ፩መነኮስ፡ በእንተ፡ ዕበያ፡ ወክብራ፡ ለማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወይቤ፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎኩ፡ በኀዘነ፡ ልብ፡ በእንተ፡ ሕማመ፡ ብድብድ፡ ዘኮነ፡ በውእቱ፡ ጊዜ። Fifth miracle ፭ተኣምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ይቤ፡ ፩እምካህናት፡ ወእንዘ፡ ንትቀነይ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወሶበ፡ በጻሕነ፡ ኀበ፡ ውዳሴ፡ ለአባ፡ ሲኖዳ፡ ርእሰ፡ መነኮሳት፡ ነሥአኒ፡ ንስቲት፡ ንዋም፡ Sixth miracle ፮ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ይቤ፡ ፩እምካህናት፡ ወእንዘ፡ ይትቀነዩ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ አስተርአየኒ፡ ቀስተ፡ ደመና፡ ብሩህ፡ መልዕልተ፡ ርእሶሙ፡ ለካህናት። Seventh miracle ፯ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ይቤ፡ ፩ካህን፡ ዓቢይ፡ ወእንዘ፡ ሀሎኩ፡ ውስተ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ በእንተ፡ ሕማመ፡ ብድብድ። ከመ፡ ያዕትት፡ እግዚአብሔር፡
English
Fourth miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And it is wondrous: a monk heard concerning the greatness and glory of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa', and he said, "While I was in sorrow of heart because of the severe illness that occurred at that time..." Fifth miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. One of the priests said, "While we were chanting the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa', and when we had finished up to the praise of Abba Sinoda, the head of the monks, a slight drowsiness took me." Sixth miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. One of the priests said, "While they were chanting the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa', a bright rainbow appeared above the heads of the priests." Seventh miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And it is wondrous: a great priest said, "While I was in the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa' because of a severe illness, how God would heal...
LIT7584TaameraMah:3 · narrativehigh
Source
Eigth miracle ፰ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ርኢኩ፡ በአሐቲ፡ ሌሊት፡ እንዘ፡ እትቀነይ፡ ማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ በቤተ፡ ክርስቲያን፡ ምስለ፡ ካህናት፡ እንዘ፡ ይቀውም፡ ማእከሌነ፡ ፩ብእሲ፡ ዘይለብስ፡ ብርሃነ። Ninth miracle ፱ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ስምዑ፡ ንነግረክሙ፡ ተአምሪሁ፡ ለማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ዘአርአዮ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ለ፩ብእሲ፡ ወውእቱ፡ ጥቀ፡ ያፈቅሮ፡ ለማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ Tenth miracle ፲ተአምር፡ ዘማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወካዕበ፡ ስምዑ፡ ንንግርክሙ፡ ተአምሪሃ፡ ለእግዝእትነ፡ ድንግል፡ በ፪ኤ፡፡ [fol. 232r] ማርያም፡ ዘገብረት፡ ተአምረ፡ ወመንክረ፡ በማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ። ወሀሎ፡ ፩ብእሲ፡ ዘያፈቅር፡ ማኅሌተ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ነግሠ፡ ወሀሎ፡ ዘያነብብ፡ ለለዕለቱ፡
English
Eighth miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And it is wondrous: I saw in one night, while I was praying the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa' in the church with the priests, while a man who wears light stood in our midst. Ninth miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. Hear, we shall tell you his miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa', which God showed for a man, and he greatly loved the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. Tenth miracle of the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And it is wondrous: hear, we shall tell you her miracle of our Lady the Virgin Mary, which she performed a miracle and wonder through the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'. And there was a man who loved the hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa', and there was one who recited it daily.
Citation. Tergwame, “Miracles of the Hymn 'ʾƎgziʾabǝḥer nagśa'”, LIT7584TaameraMah:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/LIT7584TaameraMah#s1
Colophon. Source: betmas · licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0026 · generated 2026-11-15.