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Syriac · Other · mid-4th century

Nisibis 62

Ephrem the Syrian · syriac

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machine-draft · no human review 4 passages · 674 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

Nisibis 62 is a memra (verse homily) from the Nisibene cycle traditionally attributed to Ephrem the Syrian, composed in Syriac during the mid-4th century, likely before 363 CE. The poem personifies Death as a hunter and laments the heaped corpses of the dead and slain, evoking the sieges of Nisibis. It survives in early manuscripts (5th–6th c.) and was later used in East Syriac liturgy for the Fast of Nineveh. The modern title is editorial; manuscript colophons do not number the memre uniformly, and some passages may be composite or interpolated.

Nisibis 62 exemplifies Ephrem’s poetic theology, blending biblical imagery (Sheol, personified Death) with contemporary war trauma. It is a key witness to Syriac hymnody and the development of penitential and eschatological themes in East Syriac liturgy. The memra’s survival in early manuscripts and its later liturgical use demonstrate its enduring influence on Syriac Christian spirituality and monastic reading practices.

Historical context

Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306–373 CE) composed the Nisibene memre while living in Nisibis (modern Nusaybin, Turkey), a frontier city of the Roman Empire repeatedly besieged by the Sasanian Persians. The memre reflect the trauma of these sieges, especially the 363 CE Persian campaign under Shapur II, which ended with the city’s cession to Persia. Ephrem’s community was Syriac-speaking, with strong ties to the early Syriac Christian tradition and Jewish-Christian exegetical methods. The text survives in multiple Syriac manuscripts, the earliest from the 5th–6th centuries, and was transmitted through East Syriac monastic and liturgical circles. The edition follows a critical text from the oldest witnesses, with variant readings noted. Later Armenian translations and Syriac scholia sometimes reorder or expand the memre, but are excluded here.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

24 commentary units 5 term4 background4 structure3 sense3 scripture3 caution1 parallel1 reception 0 derived notes 6 open questions 4 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: 4 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: syriac — CC BY 4.0

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
dsc-316:1 · narrativemedium
Source
ܝܐ ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ ܗܳܐ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܕܫܶܬܩܳܐ ܩܰܒܶܠ ܐܰܚ̈ܰܝ ܕܡܰܠܺܝܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܐܰܬܪܶܗ ܐܺܝܠܳܠܬܳܐ ܕܰܦܣܰܩ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ: ܠܳܟ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܕܰܢܚܶܬ ܨܶܝܕ ܬܰܚ̈ܬܳܝܶܐ ܘܚܰܫ ܘܶܐܬܢܰܚܰܡ ܘܰܒܦܰܓܪܶܗ ܢܰܚܶܡ ܦܰܓܪ̈ܰܝܢ ܕܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܚܢܰܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܫ̈ܢܰܝܳܐ ܒܬܰܪ̈ܥܶܝܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܫܡܰܥ ܐܰܝܠܶܝܢ ܐܶܡܰܪ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܟܐܳܐ ܒܰܢ ܢܶܟܦܰܬ ܠܺܝ ܐܶܡܰܪ ܡܰܘܬܳܐ ܕܟܺܝܬܽܘܢܳܢܝ̱ ܦܰܠܓܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܠܳܐ ܡܠܶܐ ܠܰܩ̈ܛܺܝܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܫ̈ܠܰܕܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܢܽܘܟܪ̈ܳܝܳܬܳܐ ܟܫܶܝܢ ܒܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܬܰܪ̈ܬܶܝܢ ܡ̈ܢܰܘܳܢ ܐܺܝܬ ܬܰܡܳܢ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܩ̈ܛܺܝܠܶܐ ܚܠܳܦ ܕܶܐܩܒܽܘܠ ܕܥܶܠܒܬܽܘܢܳܢܝ̱ ܗܳܐ ܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܫܚܰܩܬܽܘܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܬܰܪܥܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܘܰܐܠܙܳܬܽܘܢܳܢܝ̱ ܀܀܀
English
O son of his voice, Behold, Death, the king of silence, receives the brothers. His realm, filled with lamentation, has cut off hope. A twisted thing: to you, great praise, that descended to hunt the lower ones, And felt and grew hot, and in his body heated our bodies. Those who weep, he shut in like bolts in the gates of Sheol. “Hear those,” said Death, as he stood at the gate. “They have bent to me,” said Death, “of your kindred.” Half of Sheol is not filled with your slain. For corpses are heaped in mounds in Sheol. Two kinds of dead are there: the dead and the slain. Instead of receiving your kindred, behold, they weep, your kindred. Sheol’s gate has ground up your kindred and crushed your kindred.
dsc-316:2 · narrativehigh
Source
ܠܝܰܠܽܘܕܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܳܡܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܗܰܘ ܕܥܰܕ ܒܳܟܶܐ ܓܚܶܟ ܠܶܗ ܬܽܘܒ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܳܐܦ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܥܰܠ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܠܳܐ ܛܰܥܡܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܰܐܒ̈ܺܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܘܠܳܐ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܳܐ ܠܓܽܘܚ̈ܟܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܠܚܰܣܺܝܠܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܕܳܡܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܠܺܝ ܚܕܳܐ ܫܥܳܐ ܒܶܟܝܳܐ ܘܶܐܠܺܝܳܐ ܘܒܳܬܰܪ ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܐܳܦ ܫܳܥܝܳܐ ܘܙܰܠܺܝܠܽܘܬܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܛ̈ܠܳܝܶܐ ܠܳܐ ܡܨܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܡܶܗܘܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܫܰܠܡ̈ܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܒܳܟܝܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܳܐ ܓܽܘܚܟܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܛܥܡ̈ܢܐ ܥܰܠ ܣܳܦܪ̈ܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܟܰܪܝܳܐ ܠܰܢ ܕܰܫܚܶܩܘ̱ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܠܟܰܬܳܒ̈ܶܝܗ̇ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܽܘܬܳܐ ܕܰܠܟܽܘܢ ܢܶܩܪܽܘܢ ܩܳܪ̈ܽܘܝܶܐ ܡܰܩܥܳܐ ܩܳܥܶܝܢ ܕܽܘ̈ܓܶܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܗܺܝ ܩܥܳܬܳܐ ܡܦܺܝܣܳܐ ܥܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܕܥܶܪ̈ܕܶܐ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܕܩܳܪܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܳܦ ܕܡܶܬܰܪܓܶܡ ܡܩܳܥܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܩܳܥܶܝܢ ܐܶܕ̈ܢܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܟܰܝ ܝܰܩܺܝܪ̈ܳܢ ܐܰܘ ܠܶܒ̈ܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܐܶܠܽܘ ܓܶܝܪ ܐܺܝܬ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܐܶܕܢܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܦܺܝܣܳܐ ܠܡܶܫܡܰܥ ܩܰܠܺܝܠ ܙܳܕܶܩ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܣܰܓܺܝ ܠܡܶܥܒܰܕ ܕܰܣܟܺܝܪܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܕܶܝܢ ܡܶܫܡܰܥܬܳܐ ܡܳܐ ܕܢܳܩܶܫ ܒܳܗ̇ ܗܰܘ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܥܛܰܦ ܠܶܗ ܨܶܝܕ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܡܫܰܕܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܀܀܀
English
For the hunter resembles you, that one who until now weeps, He laughed again, as if also you laughed at your dead. For there is no taste for your mourners, and no sense For your mockers; for that hunter resembles you to me. One hour of weeping and wailing, and after a little, Also laughter and mockery, like children. For you cannot be a complete mourner, Without weeping and without mockery, like tastes. Upon your scribes, a bitter woe, that they have forgotten their eyes, The books of divinity that they have read to you. The readers cry out, "The frogs croak," for you, That cry is a placating cry over you, that you are frogs. For he who reads and he who interprets, that one croaks. Your ears, are they heavy, or your hearts? For if there were an ear, that which is placated, To hear a little, it would be fitting, and much to do, For it is deaf, then, the hearing, when it strikes against it, That voice turns aside towards the one who sent it.
dsc-316:3 · narrativemedium
Source
ܠܳܐ ܐܺܝܬ ܩܥܳܬܳܐ ܨܶܐܕܰܝ ܕܺܝܠܝ̱ ܠܰܘ ܕܽܘܓܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܠܳܐ ܕܩܳܪܶܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܕܡܶܬܰܪܓܶܡ ܠܰܘ ܥܳܛܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܗܰܘܦܳܐ ܕܡܶܢܶܗ ܦܩܰܕ ܠܺܝ ܕܰܐܳܠܗ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ ܘܥܰܡ ܦܽܘܩܕܳܢܳܐ ܗܰܠܶܟ ܠܶܗ ܘܳܐܦ ܣܽܘܥܪܳܢܳܐ ܠܰܝܬ ܠܘܳܬܝ̱ ܡܰܐܝܳܢܽܘܬܳܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܟܽܘܪ̈ܟܶܐ ܣܳܒܰܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܳܐܦ ܠܳܐ ܓܶܐܪܳܐ ܡܨܶܐ ܩܳܕܶܡ ܠܺܝ ܒܣܺܝܪܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ ܕܶܝܢ ܩ̈ܳܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܡܳܐ ܕܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܥܰܠ ܩܰܒܪ̈ܶܐ ܕܥܰܢܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܒܰܦܣܳܩ ܣܰܒܪܳܐ ܐܶܠܽܘ ܫܰܠܺܝܛ ܐܰܘ ܡܰܦܰܣ ܟܰܕ ܒܳܟܶܝܢ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܢܳܦܶܩ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܕܰܠܟܽܘܢ ܐܶܬܶܠ ܥܰܠ ܐܰܦܰܝ̈ܟܽܘܢ ܕܶܐܢܳܐ ܥܳܡܶܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܶܠ ܚܽܘܫܒܳܢ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܘܰܡܕܰܘܕܶܝܢ ܠܺܝ ܩ̈ܳܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܕܰܐܛܥܶܐ ܚܽܘܫܒܳܢܝ̱ ܐܰܢ̱ܬܽܘܢ ܥܰܡ̈ܡܶܐ ܠܳܐ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܛܰܠܳܐ ܡܰܕܥܟܽܘܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܗܰܘ ܥܰܡܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܡܬܽܘܡ ܣܽܘܟܳܠܶܗ ܕܠܳܐ ܢܰܒܶܗ ܒܶܗ ܒܽܘܝܳܢܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܒܣܰܟܠܳܐ ܚܶܫܽܘܟܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܓܶܝܪ ܡܰܚܫܰܒܬܶܗ ܡܶܢ ܦܽܘܪܫܳܢܳܐ ܥܰܘ̈ܠܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܘܰܒ̈ܢܰܝܟܽܘܢ ܒܢܽܘܚܳܡܳܐ ܗܶܢܽܘܢ ܢܳܦܩܺܝܢ ܩܰܕܡܳܝܰܬ ܐܰܝܟ ܪܺܝܫܺܝܬܳܐ ܒܳܬܪܗܽܘܢ ܕܶܝܢ ܙܰܕܺܝ̈ܩܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܙܰܟ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܀܀܀
English
No cry of my hunt is there, not of the diver; No caller and no interpreter, not of the idle. The turn of his time commanded me to go to the truth, And with the commandment he walked, and also the order. There is no help for me, nor rolls; I think that even a sword cannot come before me. Your voices are broken for me when you weep Over the graves of your dead, in the cutting off of hope. If it were permitted or possible, when you weep I would go out to give you over your faces. I am a laboring diver, that I might bring thought of the dead, And your voices lead me astray, that my thought might err. You peoples, let not your mind be a lamb, Like that people which was not great, the support of its thought, That did not understand in it by trial, as in a fool. For darkness is its thought from the separation. For your wrongs and your evils in fever First go out like a beginning; After you, the righteous like victors.
dsc-316:4 · narrativemedium
Source
ܐ̱ܚܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܢܳܦܩܺܝܢ ܚܰܛ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܒܶܗܝ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܐܳܦܶܢ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܰܪܦܳܦ ܥܰܝܢܳܐ ܚܰܝܶܝܢ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܒܛܶܟܣܰܐ ܗ̱ܘ ܢܳܦܩܺܝܢ ܣܶܕܪ̈ܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܡܶܢܳܗ̇ ܕܰܫܝܽܘܠ ܢܳܦܩܺܝܢ ܢܒܺܝ̈ܶܐ ܘܰܫ̈ܠܺܝܚܶܐ ܘܰܐܒܳܗ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܒܳܬܪܗܽܘܢ ܒܶܐܣܟܺܝܡ ܐܶܣܟܺܝܡ ܐܰܝܟ ܦܽܘܩܕܳܢܳܐ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܕܗܳܫܳܐ ܒܠܺܝܠܳܐܺܝܬ ܗܳܐ ܡܶܙܕܰܪܥܶܝܢ ܒܛܶܟܣܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܡܶܬܦܢܶܝܢ ܐܰܝܟ ܙܳܪ̈ܥܽܘܢܶܐ ܟܰܕ ܓܶܝܪ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܢܶܚܠܽܘܛ ܢܶܙܪܽܘܥ ܟܽܠ ܙܳܪ̈ܥܽܘܢܺܝܢ ܐܰܝܢܳܐ ܕܒܳܟܰܪ ܡܶܢ ܚܰܒܪܶܗ ܠܚܰܒܪܶܗ ܩܕܳܡ ܘܠܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܒܠܺܝܠ ܡܚܰܬܗܽܘܢ ܗܳܟܰܢ ܫܓܺܝܫ ܡܰܣܩܗܽܘܢ ܡܶܢܳܗ̇ ܕܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܰܛܟܰܣ ܠܶܗ ܗܳܐ ܗܘܺܝܬ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܠܽܘܩܒܰܠ ܢܰܦܫܝ̱ ܒܰܐܝܠܶܝܢ ܕܶܐܡܪܰܬ ܕܟܰܣ̈ܝܳܬܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܰܕܪܶܟܬܽܘܢ ܡܶܢܝ̱ ܐܺܝܠܶܦܬܽܘܢ ܚܠܳܦ ܕܶܡ̈ܥܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ ܕܰܠܘܳܬ ܩܰܒܪܳܐ ܐܰܫܦܰܥܘ̱ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ ܒܰܨ̈ܠܰܘܳܬܳܐ ܒܓܰܘ ܥܺܕ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܕܰܠܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܒܗܶܝܢ ܝܽܘܬܪܳܢܳܐ ܐܳܦ ܠܚ̈ܰܝܶܐ ܠܳܐ ܬܶܒܟܽܘܢ ܒܶܟܝܳܐ ܕܰܡܥܺܝܩ ܡܺܝ̈ܬܶܐ ܘܚ̈ܰܝܶܐ
English
The last ones go out, the sinners like beasts. For he also goes out with the staff of life, but not. In order he goes out, their ranks from Sheol. The prophets and apostles and fathers go out. After them, in a schema, a schema, like a command. Now, of this hour, in the night, they are being sown. In a great order they are being gathered like seeds. For when he made haste, he mixed, he sowed all the seeds. Which one asked his companion before his companion? And not as in the night are their descents here disturbed. Their ascents from the earth which was ordered for him. Behold, I was a tree opposite myself in the things that were said. The hidden things which I did not attain, I learned from you. Instead of tears which are of no profit at the tomb, pour out prayers in the churches. For the dead in them there is profit, and also for the living. Do not weep a weeping that is deep for the dead and the living.
Citation. Tergwame, “Nisibis 62”, dsc-316:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/dsc-316#s1
Colophon. Source: syriac · licence: CC BY 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0029 · generated 2026-11-15.