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Syriac · Other · mid-4th century

Nisibis 59

Ephrem the Syrian · syriac

BothSourceEnglish
JSON Dossier
machine-draft · no human review 2 passages · 415 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

Nisibis 59 is a madrāšā (teaching hymn) by Ephrem the Syrian, composed in Syriac in the mid-4th century, likely after the Persian cession of Nisibis in 363. The poem reflects on the city's loss and incorporates penitential themes. It survives in multiple manuscripts, the earliest from the 6th century, with fluid transmission and variant stanza orders. The text is presented without translation or commentary, limiting accessibility for non-Syriac readers. It was later used in East Syriac Rogation of the Ninevites and West Syriac Feast of the Church of Edessa liturgies.

Nisibis 59 is significant as a late work of Ephrem, reflecting his response to historical trauma and his theological themes of penance and eschatology. It illustrates the fluid transmission of Syriac hymnody and its adaptation into later liturgical traditions. The poem's penitential focus connects it to broader Christian traditions of communal lament and the Harrowing of Hell motif.

Historical context

Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373 CE) composed Nisibis 59 in the mid-4th century, likely after the Roman-Persian treaty of 363 that ceded Nisibis to the Sasanian Empire. The poem belongs to the madrāšā genre, a didactic hymn form used in Syriac Christian communities. Ephrem was a deacon and theologian in Nisibis and later Edessa, writing in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic. The work reflects the trauma of Nisibis's loss and the community's penitential response. The Syriac text survives in manuscripts from the 6th century onward, with variations in stanza order and wording, indicating a fluid transmission. It was later incorporated into East Syriac liturgical cycles for the Rogation of the Ninevites and West Syriac hymnaries for the Feast of the Church of Edessa, showing its enduring liturgical use.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

12 commentary units 2 sense2 scripture2 background2 structure2 caution1 term1 parallel 0 derived notes 4 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-313:1 · narrativemedium
Source
ܚ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ ܗܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܥܺܝܪܬܰܢ ܬܳܒܰܥ ܬܰܘ ܢܶܫܡܰܥ ܨܰܥܪܶܗ ܘܢܶܚܕܶܐ ܕܚܰܕܺܝ ܒܨܰܥܪܰܢ ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܡܰܪܥܺܝܬܳܟ ܕܒܳܟ ܐܶܫܬܰܥܒܰܕܘ̱ ܐܳܦ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܬܚܶܬܝ̱ ܪ̈ܶܓܠܶܝܗ̇ ܢܶܬܬܠܽܘܢ ܒܺܝܫ̈ܶܐ ܬܰܩܢܳܐܺܝܬ ܘܰܐܢ̱ܬ ܗܳܦܟܳܐܺܝܬ ܗܳܦܟܳܐܺܝܬ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܫܶܡܥܽܘܢ ܒܩܰܝܣܳܐ ܙܩܰܦܬܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܥܰܠ ܟܽܠܗܶܝܢ ܫܶܬܩܰܬ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܰܨܠܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܙܒܰܢܝ̱ ܫܶܡܥܽܘܢ ܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܡܽܘܡܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܕܗܳܟܰܢ ܙܽܘܩܦܽܘܢܳܢܝ̱ ܐܶܠܽܘ ܟܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܠܛܽܘܢܺܝ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܠܳܐ ܡܰܟܪܳܐ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܥܝܳܛܶܗ ܕܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܒܺܝܫ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܠܺܝ ܡܶܢ ܓܺܗܰܢܳܐ ܨܰܥܪܶܗ ܕܡܳܪܰܢ ܠܳܐ ܐܶܡܪܶܬ ܪܰܒ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܡܝ̱ ܕܶܐܬܩܽܘܠ ܘܐܶܦܰܚܶܡ ܚܰܫܶܗ ܥܰܡ ܫܽܘܢܳܩܳܟ ܬܪ̈ܶܥܣܰܪ ܟܽܘܪ̈ܣܰܘܳܢ ܡܼܰܬܩܰܢ ܠܰܬܪ̈ܰܥܣܰܪܬܶܗ ܕܒܶܬܪ̈ܶܥܣܰܪ ܫܰܒ̈ܛܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܗ̱ܽܘ ܡܶܬܚܰܝܰܒ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܚܶܒܠܳܐ ܕܡܳܓܶܢ ܬܶܬܠܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܐܳܘ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܕܰܬܠܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܚܒܳܠܳܐ ܒܝܰܩܺܝܪ ܗܰܘ ܬܰܠܡܺܝܕܳܟ ܛܳܟ ܬܶܣܬܰܦܰܩ ܒܰܚܢܳܢܳܐ ܗܳܝ ܓܺܗܰܢܳܐ ܘܰܬܦܽܘܫ ܒܳܗ̇ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܒܰܠܚܽܘܕܳܝܟ ܥܰܡ ܫܰܡ̈ܳܫܰܝܟ ܣܰܓܺܝ̈ܐܺܢ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ ܠܰܘ̈ܛܳܬܳܟ ܘܰܟܡܳܐ ܐܶܚܫܽܘܒ ܗܳܐ ܣܳܟܳܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܠܰܘ̈ܛܳܬܳܟ ܥܰܠ ܗܰܕܳܡ̈ܰܝܟ ܢܕܰܩܪܽܘܢܳܟ ܒܺܝ̈ܫܶܐ ܒܢܽܘܪܳܐ ܕܐܰܒܐܫܰܬ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܢܶܬܥܰܕܠܽܘܢ ܒܳܟ ܕܰܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܠܟܳܐ ܐܺܝܬܺܝܬܰܢ ܢܶܬܓܪܽܘܢ ܒܳܟ ܚܰܛ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܘܛܳܟ ܢܰܒܐܶܫ ܠܳܟ ܠܽܘܚܳܡܗܽܘܢ ܡܶܢ ܫܽܘܢܳܩܳܐ ܕܗܳܝ ܓܺܗܰܢܳܐ ܢܶܗܘܽܘܢ ܠܳܟ ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܬܰܡܳܢ ܟܽܠ ܣ̈ܳܛܳܢܺܝܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܗܘܺܝܬ ܠܗܽܘܢ ܗܳܪܟܳܐ ܚܰܕ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܀܀܀
English
Behold, his voice: Death from Satan is awake, seeking. Come, hear his cry and rejoice that he rejoices in the cry of the persecuted one. To you, praise from your flock who were enslaved by you. Both Death and Satan are beneath her feet. The wicked will be confounded, truly, and you, contrariwise. Contrariwise, for Simon, you crucified on a tree. Over all, Death was silent, who had demanded a price for him. Simon was a sign, that thus your crucifixion. If the envious were for my benefit, I would not be late. The counsel of Death is evil to me from Gehenna. The cry of the Lord I did not utter; it is great from my mouth. That I might fall and consider his pain with your street. Twelve thrones he established for his twelve, for among the twelve tribes you are the one who is condemned. The destruction of Magi will be hung for you, or Satan, whom destruction hung for him, that heavy one, your disciple. You will be struck in the face, that Gehenna, and you will remain in it alone with your deacons. Many are your curses, and how many I consider. Behold, the end of all your curses upon your members. And your reproach, wicked ones, in the fire that you burned them. They will be hung on you, that for nothing you brought them here. Sinners will be dragged on you, and you will be burned. Their struggle from the street of that Gehenna, and they will be for you a sign there, all the Satans, as you were for them here, one Satan.
dsc-313:2 · narrativemedium
Source
ܥܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܢܶܣܒܽܘܢ ܢܶܫܕܽܘܢܳܟ ܟܰܕ ܡܶܬܕܰܟܪܶܝܢ ܕܰܠܡܳܪܗܽܘܢ ܒܳܟ ܡܶܢ ܪܰܘܡܳܐ ܠܥܽܘܡܩܳܐ ܫܕܰܐܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܢܶܪܗܰܛ ܟܽܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܠܪܶܓܡܳܟ ܟܰܕ ܠܳܐ ܛܳܥܶܝܢ ܕܒܳܟ ܗܽܘ ܪܗܶܛ ܥܰܡܳܐ ܦܰܩܪܳܐ ܠܡܶܪܓܰܡ ܠܰܒܪܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܺܝܢ ܪܰܘܩܳܐ ܕܚܶܡܬܳܐ ܕܒܳܟ ܪܰܩܘ ܠܶܗ ܠܗܰܘ ܕܰܒܪܽܘܩܶܗ ܦܬܰܚ ܣܰܡܝܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܠܳܟ ܠܶܫܳܢ ܐܳܦ ܟܽܠ ܠܽܘܛܳܢ ܕܒܳܟ ܓܰܕܶܦܘ̱ ܥܰܠ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܦܬܰܚ ܦܽܘܡ̈ܶܐ ܣܟܺܝܪ̈ܶܐ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܕܬܳܒܰܥ ܠܥܰܠܺܝܒܽܘܬܰܢ ܟܰܕ ܫܰܬܺܝܩܳܐ ܘܰܓܪܺܝ ܒܶܗ ܒܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܠܒܺܝܫܳܐ ܕܗܽܘ ܢܦܰܠ ܒܶܗ ܢܝܰܒܶܒ ܐܰܚ̈ܰܝ ܒܽܐܘܫ̈ܰܥܢܶܐ ܒܰܕܡܽܘܬ ܓܶܕܥܽܘܢ ܕܟܰܕ ܗܽܘ ܡܝܰܒܶܒ ܪܕ̈ܽܘܦܶܐ ܢܦܰܠܘ̱ ܒܰܚܕ̈ܳܕܶܐ
English
Awake, O ones, take up stones and cast them, while you remember that for your Lord, from the height to the depth you cast him. And every man runs to your stoning, while not erring, that in you runs the people, the flesh, to stone the son. For you, evil one, from every mouth, spittle of wrath, that in you they spat upon him whose spittle opened the blind. For you, evil one, from you to the tongue, and every curse, that in you they blasphemed against him who opened the mouths of the mute. Blessed is he who pursues your victory while silent, and runs in him through death to the evil one who fell in him. He wails, my brothers, in the sounds of the afflicted, in the likeness of your cutting, that while he wails, the persecuted fell upon one another.
Citation. Tergwame, “Nisibis 59”, dsc-313:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/dsc-313#s1
Colophon. Source: syriac · licence: CC BY 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0018 · generated 2026-11-15.