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Syriac · Other · mid-4th century

Nisibis 56

Ephrem the Syrian · syriac

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machine-draft · no human review 2 passages · 488 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

Nisibis 56 is a madrāšâ (metrical teaching) by Ephrem the Syrian, composed in 7–8 syllable couplets. It belongs to his first Nisibene cycle (c. 350–363), likely before Nisibis was ceded to Persia in 363. The Syriac text survives in a single 6th-century manuscript with lacunae and scribal corrections in stanzas 4–7. Later incorporated into the West Syriac Fenqitho for the feast of the Nicene Fathers, it reflects Ephrem's catechetical and polemical style, addressing themes of creation ex nihilo, martyrdom under Shapur II, and rhetorical attacks on death and evil.

Nisibis 56 exemplifies Ephrem's poetic theology, blending exegesis, polemic, and pastoral care. It illuminates 4th-century Syriac Christianity's response to persecution and doctrinal formation, and its later liturgical use demonstrates the enduring authority of Ephrem's madrāšê in West Syriac tradition.

Historical context

Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373) composed the Nisibene madrāšê while serving as a deacon and teacher in Nisibis, a city on the Roman-Persian frontier. The first Nisibene cycle dates from c. 350 to 363, a period of Sasanian persecution under Shapur II and Roman military pressure. Nisibis was ceded to Persia in 363 after Emperor Jovian's treaty, a traumatic event that shaped Ephrem's later move to Edessa. The madrāšâ form, with its couplet meter, was used for catechetical and polemical instruction in Syriac-speaking Christian communities. The text survives in a single 6th-century manuscript, with variant traditions not collated in the edition; Beck's CSCO apparatus provides stemmatic details. Its later inclusion in the West Syriac Fenqitho for the feast of the Nicene Fathers shows ongoing liturgical use.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

12 commentary units 2 term2 scripture2 background2 structure2 caution1 parallel1 sense 0 derived notes 5 open questions 2 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: other in classical Syriac; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 2 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: syriac — CC BY 4.0

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
dsc-310:1 · narrativemedium
Source
ܗ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ ܥܰܡ ܚܺܐܪܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܰܓܽܘܢܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܠܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܒܠܳܡܳܐ ܡܰܨܝܳܐ ܕܬܰܪܡܶܐ ܒܳܟ ܐܶܢ ܫܳܦܰܪ ܠܳܗ̇ ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ : ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܕܰܒܙܳܟܽܘܬܳܟ ܐܶܬܚܰܝܰܠܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ ܘܰܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܟ ܐܰܡܣܰܪܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ ܐܳܦ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܬܽܘܒ ܗܳܐ ܦܰܪܣܺܝܘ ܕܰܡܚܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܕܟܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܽܘܬܶܟܝ̱ ܢܽܘܪܳܟ ܒܩܶܢܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܪܳܓܶܫ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܥܰܢܺܝܕ̈ܶܐ ܠܳܟ ܛܽܘܠܩܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܀܀܀ ܗܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܘܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܟܪܶܙ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܽܘܬܶܟܝ̱ ܐܳܦ ܗܽܘ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܐܰܕܟܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܗܰܝܡܳܢܽܘܬܶܟܝ̱ ܐܶܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܕܰܠܩܽܘܒܠܶܟܝ̱ ܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܚܽܘܠܳܦܰܝܟܝ̱ ܗܳܕܶܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܪܳܕ̈ܽܘܦܶܐ ܗܘܰܘ ܟܳܪ̈ܽܘܙܶܐ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܰܘܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܐܳܘ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܰܐܝܟ ܪܰܒܰܝܬܳܐ ܢܳܛܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܓܰܙܰܝ̈ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܥܰܕ ܡܶܐܬܺܝܬܳܐ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܛܳܒ ܟܳܦܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܠܰܘ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܓܰܙܳܐ ܕܨܶܢܥܬܳܐ ܕܰܡܟܰܢܰܫ ܠܺܝ ܛܰܒܥܳܟ ܡܳܕܶܝܢ ܕܙܺܐܦܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܕܒܶܝܬ ܣܺܝ̈ܡܳܬܶܗ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܬܩܰܒܰܠ ܛܰܒܥܳܐ ܚܰܕ̱ܬܳܐ ܛܳܒܰܥ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܬܰܓܳܪ̈ܰܝ ܒܰܒܪܺܝܬܳܐ ܬܽܘܟܳܐ ܡܰܝܬܶܝܢ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܒܪܳܐ ܟܽܠ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܘܶܐܢܳܐ ܒܪܺܝܬ ܡܶܢ ܠܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܥܰܘܠܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܣܟܺܝܪ ܘܰܣܛܺܝܡ ܦܽܘܡܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܡܰܪܳܚ ܕܦܽܘܚܳܡܳܟ ܨܶܝܕ ܒܳܪܽܘܝܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܡܶܬܩܰܪܰܒ ܠܺܝ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܫܰܠܺܝܛ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܺܝ ܕܰܐܡܪܰܚ ܘܺܐܡܰܪ ܠܶܫܳܢܳܟ ܕܺܝܠܳܟ ܥܰܒܕܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܰܬܚܶܝܬ ܩܶܢܛܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܀܀܀
English
The son of his voice With freedom you have a wicked contest. Why does the one who casts at you wait, if it pleases her? The contest: praise for your victory was strengthened, sin, And by your fervor sin was handed over, even over death. Look again, they have spread out the weak; look, Death reminded the wicked one of your heroism. Your mountain in your nest, or death, and you did not perceive. The faith of the martyrs is your destruction. Behold, death and the wicked one proclaimed your heroism. Even the wicked one remembered your faith. If then those who were against you became your substitutes, This is great: that persecutors were heralds. Where does one confess, or the wicked one, that like a great one He guards the treasures of the king until the coming? Where does death well deny that he is not of God? This treasure of the little one that troubles me: Your stamp shows that he is a liar or a fool, Who is not received in the treasuries of God. A new stamp he stamps, or one in the likeness of a king. Behold, the merchants of creation bring profit. God created everything from nothing, And creation from nothing is a great wrong. Shut and stop your mouth, wicked one, how much you boast, For your fervor is aimed at the Creator; behold, it approaches. To me death is sovereign; to me who boasts and says, To your garment, your servant is he who is under the gnat.
dsc-310:2 · narrativemedium
Source
ܦܰܚܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܡܶܟܺܝܠ ܒܰܝܢܳܬܰܢ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܦܰܩܪܳܐܺܝܬ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܡܳܪܳܟ ܗܳܐ ܣܳܒܶܟ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܐܶܬܦܰܠܰܓܬ ܥܰܠ ܫܰܘܝܽܘܬܰܢ ܗܘܺܝ ܠܺܝ ܚܰܒܪܳܐ ܘܗܰܕܳܡܳܐ ܘܗܳܐ ܐܰܡܠܶܟܢ ܚ̱ܢܰܢ ܬܳܐ ܢܶܫܡܽܘܛ ܙܰܘܓܳܐ ܕܣܰܝ̈ܦܶܐ ܥܰܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܒܟܶܣܝܳܐ ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬ ܒܓܶܠܝܳܐ ܘܗܳܐ ܓܰܡܰܪܢܳܗ̇ ܚܛܺܝܬܳܐ ܘܰܫܝܽܘ̇ܠ ܝܰܗ̱ܒ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܠܰܬܪ̈ܰܝܢ ܕܶܐܢ ܗܽܘ ܠܰܡ ܕܶܐܬܦܰܠܰܓܬܽܘܢ ܐܶܬܛܰܠܰܩܬܽܘܢ ܚܙܰܘ ܡܰܝ̈ܳܐ ܕܶܐܢ ܐܶܬܒܰܕܰܪܘ ܘܐܳܦ ܐܶܫܬܰܦܰܠܘ̱ ܘܶܐܢ ܐܶܬܟܰܢܰܫܘ̱ ܐܶܬܥܰܫܰܢܘ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܳܐܦ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܐܶܬܦܰܠܰܓܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܘܦܺܝܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܚܰܠܳܫ̈ܶܐ ܘܶܐܬܡܰܙܰܓܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܡܠܶܟܬܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܚܰܣܺܝ̈ܢܶܐ ܚܽܘܒܳܐ ܠܣܰܓܺܝ̈ܐܶܐ ܢܳܣܶܟ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܠܟܽܘܪܳܐ ܘܥܳܒܶܕ ܚܰܕ ܓܽܘܫܡܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܕܰܠܟܽܠ ܙܳܟܶܐ ܒܶܗ ܚܶܟܡ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܘܨܶܢܥ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܘܥܽܘܫܢܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܨܰܠܡܳܐ ܕܶܐܫܬܺܝܢ ܐܰܡܺܝܢ ܪܰܒ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܣܰܓܝ ܐܶܬܪܰܥܰܘ ܢܶܟܢܽܘܫ ܢܺܐܙܰܠ ܥܰܠ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܓܒܳܐ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܕܳܐܘܶܐ ܠܰܝܬ ܦܪܽܘܣ ܕܰܢܚܽܘܒ ܡܶܢ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܡܰܠܶܠܘ̱ ܙܺܝ̈ܥܶܐ ܘܟܰܢܶܫܘ̱ ܘܶܐܬܰܘ ܀܀܀ ܝܰܘܡܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܢܶܟܢܽܘܫ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܨܶܝܕ ܓܺܗܰܢܳܐ ܒܰܚܢܳܢܳܟ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܐܶܣܓܽܘܕ ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܢܰܚܰܡ ܒܫܺܝܦܽܘܪܳܟ ܠܰܒܪܳܟ ܐܰܘܕܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܐܶܬܚܰܣܶܐ
English
A snare then, or a net, is your petition? For in your Lord, behold, you are weaving a garment of flesh. Death, why were you divided over your equality? Be a companion to me, a limb, and behold, I will counsel you, sin. Come, let us draw the pair of swords against your enmity. I in secret and you in the open, and behold, she is consumed. Sin and the underworld gave the king both to the two. Whether you were divided or scattered, See the waters: whether they were dispersed and also humbled, Or whether they were troubled and shaken, like you also. You were divided, you were added to, like weaklings, And you were mixed, you were counseled, like the prudent. Debt to many spreads like a fever, And makes one great body that conquers all. In it are wisdoms and cries, strength and perversity. From the image that was drunk, the master is very great. They were roused to pervert; go against that which is chosen. As much as it is fitting, there is no limit to the debt from the abyss. These spoke, the agitated, and they were troubled and came. Your day, my Lord, to pervert, turn to the hunt of Gehenna. By your righteousness, my Lord, I bow to you, when I am restrained. By your beauty, to your son, a guide, when he is hidden.
Citation. Tergwame, “Nisibis 56”, dsc-310:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/dsc-310#s1
Colophon. Source: syriac · licence: CC BY 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0019 · generated 2026-11-15.