Nisibis 75

By his voice The day of the binding is a bitter day. It is a day of trembling, a day of weeping. Behold, my Lord, the binding: behold, my Lord, the day that cut and took members from the living body. His brothers and his sisters weep for you, my Lord. It is the day that makes the elders bow down in their shame, that death might break the staff of old age. In you, my Lord, they are supported. It is the day that again took the only son from his mother and severed the arm that supported her. You, my Lord, support her. It is the day in which fathers buried and separated, and left their children orphans and destitute. You, my Lord, the Great One, are their refuge. It is again the day that a brother separates from his brother, and one is lacking from the company, and the fingers are few. In you, my Lord, they are filled. It is the day of his daughter.

The elder parted his eye, and his eye was blinded, for in it he used to see his sons, the bright ones. It is the day that parted the man from his rib, and the earth was stripped, for it has no head of a body until again it sees him. It is the day that parted the wife from her house, and the rock also poured out, for its order perished. Show your kingdom. It is the day that parted the dead, the hearer, from silence, and a disturber enters her, good for the hearing. By your voice she will be calmed. It is the day that trained eyes for weeping and hands for dancing and mouth for wailing. In you, my Lord, it is gathered. It is the day that calls forth abundant weeping, which enters and knocks, woe filling its mouth. By your goodness it is shown. It is the day that separates the friend from his companion. The two oxen that were separated from the yoke of equality, by your love they will be mingled. It is the day that separated sins and brides, and instead of that dance, dancing came to her. Make your wedding feast joyful. It is the day that abolishes the truth of betrothals, and instead of a cry, the grave prepares for her. Show your cry. It is the day that separated the daughter and the sister, and carried them off like doves from their dwelling place. Place them in your paradise. It is the day that separated the girl from her mother, and the bosom was saddened, for it has no nipple until she is raised again.

The day that parted many wrongdoers, and the vine mourned and grieved, the cluster that was plucked in your treasury was adorned. The Only-begotten, when he passed by, the branches were shaken, that they might know concerning him the fruit that was hidden from him. To you, my Lord, praise was offered to his embrace. To death in the midst, between the living and the living, he placed what taught you, that your death was lost. Take from him and from him of the body the images that come in order, whose steps and whose burdens he completed. The whole man in his grief and in his mourning is nourished. Give him, my Lord, a place where he may divide his sorrow, that in all things he may be praised. He is troubled and cast down, who quickly will be wise. Not so is the good man troubled and hasty. Blessed is he who endures all. Disturb the confessors and place fruits before penalties, and children before wombs, and fair is your weeping who delays the reviver of all. Let our sorrow be confounded, that it may see our destined ones, and with all our beloved ones make a feast for the perfecter of all, who warms and revives all.