ት Tergwame Greek · Coptic · Ethiopic · Syriac · Armenian · Georgian · Latin

Syriac · Other · mid-4th century

Nisibis 61

Ephrem the Syrian · syriac

BothSourceEnglish
JSON Dossier
machine-draft · no human review 3 passages · 598 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

This madrāšâ (teaching hymn) attributed to Ephrem the Syrian was composed in Nisibis during the mid-4th century, likely between 350 and 363. It survives in a single sixth-century Syriac manuscript (BL Add. 14,571) and shows signs of scribal reordering. The poem dramatizes a lament by Death, employing prosopopoeia and typological allusions to Genesis and Exodus. Later incorporated into the East Syriac liturgical cycle for the Feast of the Nicene Fathers, it was repurposed as a doctrinal hymn. The edition follows the manuscript order without emendation and does not record variant readings from later excerpt manuscripts.

This madrāšâ exemplifies Ephrem’s use of dramatic personification and typological exegesis to address theological themes such as death, sin, and redemption. Its later liturgical reuse demonstrates how early Syriac poetry was adapted for doctrinal purposes in the East Syriac tradition. The work also provides insight into the Nisibene Christian community’s response to political crisis.

Historical context

Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373) composed this madrāšâ in Nisibis during the final decade before the city’s cession to the Sasanian Empire in 363. The work reflects the Syriac-speaking Christian community’s experience of repeated sieges and political upheaval. The madrāšâ genre, a strophic hymn with refrains, was used for catechetical and liturgical instruction. The text survives in a single sixth-century manuscript (BL Add. 14,571), indicating a narrow transmission. Its later inclusion in the East Syriac liturgical cycle for the Feast of the Nicene Fathers shows its adaptation from a local occasional composition to a broader doctrinal hymn. The manuscript’s reordering and lack of full collation with later excerpt witnesses caution against assuming the original sequence or textual stability.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

17 commentary units 3 term3 background3 caution2 scripture2 parallel2 structure2 sense 0 derived notes 6 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: other in classical Syriac; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 3 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: syriac — CC BY 4.0

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
dsc-315:1 · narrativemedium
Source
ܝ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ ܒܒܽܘܝܳܢܳܐ ܠܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܢܶܫܡܰܥ ܐܳܘ ܚܰܒܺܝ̈ܒܰܝ ܕܰܡܩܰܛܪܶܓ ܠܰܢ ܥܰܠ ܒܟܝܳܢ ܘܥܰܠ ܝ̈ܺܠܠܳܬܰܢ ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܕܰܢܚܶܬܬ ܒܳܬܰܪ ܐܳܕܳܡ ܘܶܐܫܟܰܚ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܳܐܕܳܡ ܘܳܐܦ ܒܶܗ ܠܝ̈ܰܠܕܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܕܳܐܕܳܡ ܘܰܒܙܶܕܩܳܐ ܐܰܟܒܰܪ ܐܶܡܰܪ ܕܰܩ̈ܛܺܝܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܕܠܳܐ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܶܐ ܘܗܳܐ ܕܶܡ̈ܥܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܳܢܶܐ ܥܒܰܕܬܽܘܢܳܢܝ̱ ܐܰܝܟ ܣܳܪܽܘܚܳܐ ܐܳܘ ܩ̈ܳܛܽܘܠܶܐ ܩܳܛܠܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܰܚ̈ܕܳܕܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܒܶܠܥܳܕܝ̱ ܥܰܕ ܒܳܥܶܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܢܺܐܬܶܐ ܩܰܕܡܶܗ ܣܰܝܦܳܐ ܢܶܚܙܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܢ ܓܳܥܶܐ ܕܡܳܐ ܕܰܩ̈ܛܺܝܠܶܐ ܥܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܓܳܥܶܝܢ ܚܢܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܕܰܐܠܺܝܨܺܝܢ ܗ̱ܘܰܘ ܢܶܟܦܶܬ ܠܺܝ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܰܚܒܳܠܳܐ ܕܚܽܘܢܩ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܥܰܠܝ̱ ܦܳܣܩܺܝܢ ܐܳܦ ܫܰܦܠܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܡܶܢ ܒܶܠܥܳܕܝ̱ ܚܢܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܘܰܩܛܺܝ̈ܠܶܐ ܐܰܝܟܰܢ ܥܰܠܘ̱ ܠܳܗ̇ ܠܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܥܰܘܠܰܝ̈ܟܽܘܢ ܗܳܐ ܡܶܫܬܕܶܝܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܒܡܶܨܪܶܝܢ ܒܢܰܝ̈ܟܽܘܢ ܠܫܺܐܕ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܒܰܚܬܽܘܢ ܐܳܘ ܫܺܐܕ̈ܳܢܶܐ ܀܀܀
English
O the son of his voice! In the lamentation for Death, hear, O my beloved ones, who contend against me concerning weeping and concerning my wailings, O congregation: to you is the glory, for you descended after Adam and found Adam, and in him also his children, the children of Adam. And rightly did he say, "Your slain are without mercy, and behold, your tears are like mercies." You have made me like a murderer or like slayers; you yourselves kill one another without me, until Death desires that the sword come before him. For he saw upon what the slain cry out; upon you cry out the strangled who were oppressed. And I was bent over by the destruction of your necks; upon me they cut also the lowliness that is without me—the strangled and the slain, as if upon her, upon Sheol. Your iniquities are cast forth as in Egypt; in your midst, to the demons of your sin or to the demons of the abyss.
dsc-315:2 · narrativemedium
Source
ܥܰܕ ܒܳܥܶܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܢܶܛܥܰܡ ܒܰܫ̈ܠܰܕܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܩܳܐܶܝܢ ܫܰܪܚܰܢܝ̱ ܩܰܕܡܳܐܺܝܬ ܒܰܕܡܳܐ ܕܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܥܰܕ ܒܥܳܐ ܕܶܐܓܰܪ ܪܽܘܚܝ̱ ܕܰܢܡܽܘܬ ܐܳܕܳܡ ܩܕܳܡ ܫܽܘܠܛܳܢܝ̱ ܫܠܰܛܬܽܘܢܳܢܝ̱ ܥܰܠ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܥܰܩܪܶܗ ܩܳܐܶܝܢ ܒܣܰܝܦܶܗ ܠܬܰܪܥܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܐܰܚܺܝܕ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܘܰܩܕܳܡ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܩܕܳܡ ܦܰܬܚܶܗ ܥܡܰܠ ܕܪܺܝܫܳܗ̇ ܐܽܘܪܚܳܐ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܡܶܢ ܒܶܠܥܳܕܝ̱ ܒܽܐܘܪܚܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܰܕܪܰܫܬܽܘܢ ܠܺܝ ܗܳܐ ܪܳܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܬܫܰܥܡܳܐܐ ܫ̈ܢܺܝܢ ܝܶܬܒܰܬ ܩܰܘܝܰܬ ܠܳܐܕܳܡ ܕܰܢܡܽܘܬ ܩܳܐܶܝܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܝܰܘܡܳܐ ܫܰܒܩܶܗ ܠܰܐܚܽܘܗ̱ܝ ܓܰܝ̈ܳܣܶܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܐܽܘܪ̈ܚܳܬܳܐ ܒܺܝܫ̈ܺܝܢ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܡܶܢܝ̱ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܕܳܡܶܟ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܘܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܥܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܠܰܡܩܰܛܳܠܽܘ ܗܳܐ ܚܪ̈ܺܝܒܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܒܩܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ ܘܰܩܛܺܝ̈ܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܒܽܐܘܪ̈ܚܳܬܳܐ ܘܰܚܢܺܝ̈ܩܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܥܰܠ ܣܟܝ̈ܟܘܢ ܐܶܢ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܶܪܕܶܬ ܥܰܠ ܡܳܪܝ̱ ܠܰܡ ܘܩܰܛܠܬܶܗ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܩܳܛܶܠ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܗܳܠܶܝܢ ܐܳܡܰܪ ܝܰܗܽܘ ܘܶܐܢ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܒܰܪ̣ܬ ܠܥܰܢܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܚܢܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܩ̈ܛܺܝܠܶܐ ܘܚܰܪ̈ܺܝܒܶܐ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܩܳܛܶܠ ܀܀܀
English
While Death desires to taste your corpses, Cain cries out, “My firstborn son, by the blood of Abel!” While he desires to rent my soul, which is like Adam’s, before my tyranny, your tyrant over your bodies, Cain cries out with his sword at the gate of Sheol. For he was holding it, and before the sacrifice, before its opening, the labor of its head, the way of Sheol, from me alone. For on the path you taught me, behold, Abel runs. Seven hundred years sat, waited for Adam, who is like me. Cain, moreover, does not leave even a day for his brother. Robbers on the evil ways fled from me. Abel sleeps, Abel, and you wake to kill him. Behold, your ruins in tombs and your slain on the roads, and your strangled on your crosses. If Abel rebelled against my Lord, why did he kill him? Why does the killer flee from these? says Yahqo. And if Abel, Death, who is the daughter of your destined ones, the strangled, the slain, and the ruins, why does the killer flee?
dsc-315:3 · narrativemedium
Source
ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܠܰܚܕ̈ܳܕܶܐ ܘܰܣܩܺܝܪ ܒܺܝܼܫܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܢܳܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܠܰܚܕ̈ܳܕܶܐ ܘܰܥܕܺܝܠ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܟܽܘܢ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܣܳܛܳܢܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܘܳܐܦ ܩܳܛܽܘܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܘܡܶܢ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܘܡܶܢ ܣܳܛܳܢܳܐ ܩܰܒܶܠ ܟܽܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܣܰܡܳܐ ܕܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܡܰܫܩܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܬܽܘܒ ܠܰܚܕ̈ܳܕܶܐ ܟܡܳܐ ܡ̈ܰܘܬܶܝܢ ܗܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܠܟܽܘܢ ܡܶܢ ܒܶܠܥܳܕܝ̱ ܢܶܟ̈ܠܶܐ ܟܡܺܐܢ̈ܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܦ̈ܰܚܶܐ ܣܰܝܦܳܐ ܘܣܰܡܳܐ ܟܡܳܐ ܡܰܘ̈ܬܺܝܢ ܡܶܢܟܽܘܢ ܘܒܳܟܽܘܢ ܗܳܐ ܡܶܬܝܰܠܕܺܝܢ ܕܰܝܳܢܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܒܶܝܬ ܕܺܝܢܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܕܰܬܪ̈ܶܝܢ ܗܰܘ ܩܳܛܶܠ ܒܰܐܓܪܳܐ ܟܰܣܝܳܐ ܘܶܐܢܳܐ ܡܰܓܳܢ ܚܙܺܝܬܶܗ ܠܫܽܘܚܕܳܐ ܘܬܶܗܪܶܬ ܒܶܗ ܕܰܪܗܶܛ ܩܕܳܡܰܢܝ̱ ܟܡܳܐ ܩ̈ܳܛܠܺܝܢ ܩܳܛܶܠ ܫܽܘܚܕܳܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܡܰܪܓܶܫ ܢܶܟܦܶܬ ܠܺܝ ܕܗܶܕܝܽܘܛܳܐܺܝܬ ܡܶܬܕܰܒܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܚܕܳܐ ܫܠܰܕܳܐ ܐܶܢ ܕܒܰܪ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܟܽܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܡܰܪܓܶܫ ܒܒ̈ܳܬܶܐ ܒܶܟܝܳܐ ܘܰܒܫܽܘ̈ܩܶܐ ܐܳܦ ܡܰܪܩܽܘܕܬܳܐ ܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܕܥܰܠ ܬܰܪ̈ܥܶܝܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܥܘܶܝܢ ܥܠܰܝ ܥܘܰܘ ܥܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܕܰܟܡܳܐ ܣܳܢܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܘܠܺܝ ܣܳܢܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܫܝܽܘܠ ܡܶܟܺܝܠ ܬܰܥܘܶܐ ܥܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܐܳܘ ܩ̈ܳܛܽܘܠܶܐ ܒܣܶܪܩܳܐ ܢܶܓܕܳܐ ܘܢܽܘܪܳܐ ܘܳܐܦ ܒܪܶܓܡܳܐ ܡܡܺܝܬܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܠܰܒܢܰܝ̈ܢܳܫܳܐ ܘܰܚܬܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܢܳܟܶܦ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܡܶܢܟܽܘܢ ܐܳܦ ܪܳܚܡܳܢ ܐܳܦ ܡܝܰܩܰܪ ܒܺܐܝܩܳܪܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܒܰܪ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܠܥܰܢܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܥܰܠ ܥܰܪ̈ܣܳܬܳܐ ܡܫܰܕܶܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܟܰܪܝܶܗ ܘܢܺܝܚܳܐܺܝܬ ܡܰܕܡܶܟ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܶܗ ܫܢܰܬ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ
English
Satan, you slay one another, and the evil one is hired. Deaths, you slay one another, and Death is still. Your desire for you is Satan, and it is also a murderer. From Death and from Satan, every man receives. The poison of Death, you again give to one another to drink. How many deaths you have, apart from me! Snares, hidden nets, sword and poison— how many deaths from you and in you are born! The judge within the house of judgment is Death for both. He kills by secret wages, and man is deceived. I saw the market and was amazed at it, that it runs before me. How many killers does the market kill, and no man perceives! I thought that man is conducted in a simple manner. One corpse, if it be of a man, every man perceives. In houses, weeping, and in streets, also in the dancing-place, until upon the gates of Sheol they cry out against me. Cry out against yourselves, that how many you err, and me you err! Sheol, then, will cry out against you, or the murderers. In vain, thread and stone and also a sling— you put to death the living, and you are insolent. Man is bent from you, also a friend, also a kinsman. For in honor of a man, to your future ones, upon bridal beds, man entices the wife of his friend, and sweetly puts him to sleep at the hour of the banquet.
Citation. Tergwame, “Nisibis 61”, dsc-315:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/dsc-315#s1
Colophon. Source: syriac · licence: CC BY 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0023 · generated 2026-11-15.