An Admonition

On Mortification First Memrā of Mār Jacob the Teacher: On mortification. Stir up my voices for your praise, son of God, and let all my senses praise you with their songs. As your praise is fitting for my tongue from the beginning, and woe to him who ceases from your praise for a single moment! Do not, my Lord, cease from the service of your hymns, lest I be cut off from sorrow in a sorrowful place. The mouth of man is suited for the praise of divinity, and whoever desists from praise is idle and rebellious. The Creator placed in it, when he created it, voice and word that are moved to glorify. And thus every one who perceives that there is a Creator is obliged, as a gift, to give praise to the Lord who created him. Empty tales and vain words that are not seemly are not permitted to the mouth of man to serve with them. The Creator thus established it when he created it: the mouth for his praise, not for the vanity of empty things. Cry out with your throat and raise your voice like a trumpet; the Lord says to whoever desists from his praise. Your creation, O Lord, give me, that I may be aroused by your works, and as you created me, give me to stir for glorification. Give a heart with thoughts of holiness, and it will serve you, who are feared over the creatures.

Sanctify my tongue from all the worldly generations, and let your stirring become moved for praise. Behold, I have opened my mouth for you, filled it, my Lord, with glory as a confession, and let no vain speech pass through it that would make use of it. Stir up my voices over your gift, O one who fills the abyss, Son of God, while I confess over your praise. The end.