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Syriac · Other · mid-4th century

Nativity 15

Ephrem the Syrian · syriac

BothSourceEnglish
JSON Dossier
machine-draft · no human review 2 passages · 463 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

Nativity 15 is a madrāšâ (teaching hymn) by Ephrem the Syrian, part of his Nativity cycle likely composed in Edessa during the mid-4th century. The hymn employs Syriac wordplay, typological imagery, and dialogic structure to celebrate Christ's birth, contrasting the magi's gifts with the speaker's poverty. It survives in Syriac manuscripts from the 5th–6th centuries and was incorporated into East and West Syriac liturgical traditions. The English translation smooths over some Syriac rhetorical effects, and the original melody indications are lost.

Nativity 15 exemplifies Ephrem's poetic theology, using Syriac wordplay and typology to articulate Christ's unique birth. It reflects the development of Syriac hymnody and its integration into liturgical practice, influencing both East and West Syriac traditions. The hymn's dialogic structure and typological references (e.g., Tamar, Jacob) connect it to Ephrem's broader exegetical and doctrinal works, highlighting his role in shaping early Christian thought in the Syriac-speaking world.

Historical context

Ephrem the Syrian (ca. 306–373 CE) composed his madrāšê in Nisibis and later Edessa, where he moved after the Persian cession of Nisibis in 363. This hymn belongs to his Nativity cycle, likely from the Edessene period (post-363). The Syriac text survives in multiple manuscripts, the earliest from the 5th–6th centuries, and was critically edited by Edmund Beck in CSCO 186–187. The hymns were used in East Syriac and West Syriac liturgies for Christmas and the Feast of the Nativity. The community was Syriac-speaking Christian, with strong ascetic and typological traditions. The genre is madrāšâ, a stanzaic hymn with acrostic structure and melody indications (qālē), now lost. The work relates to Ephrem's broader corpus of hymns on Christ's incarnation and typology.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

10 commentary units 2 term2 scripture2 background2 structure2 caution 1 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.
  • scripture1 scriptural phrase match(es) noted: Luke 1:28.
  • sourceSource edition: syriac — CC BY 4.0

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
dsc-563:1 · narrativemedium
Source
ܒܰܪ ܩܳܠܶܗ ܒܳܟ ܐܶܫܪܶܐ ܘܰܬܟܺܝܠܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܒܳܟ ܐܶܫܠܰܡ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܐܶܦܬܰܚ ܦܽܘܡܝ ܘܐܰܢܬ ܡܠܺܝ ܦܽܘܡܝ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܐܰܪܥܳܐ ܘܐܰܢܬ ܐܰܟܳܪܳܐ ܙܪܽܘܥ ܒܺܝ ܩܳܠܳܟ ܙܳܪܰܥ ܢܰܦܫܶܗ ܒܟܰܪܣܳܐ ܕܐܶܡܝ ܥܽܘܢܺܝܬܳܐ : ܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ ܘܒܐܺܝܕܳܟ ܠܐܰܒܽܘܟ ܒܝܽܘܡ ܡܰܘܠܳܕܳܟ ܒܺܝ ܬܰܗܺܝܪ̈ܳܢ ܟܽܠ ܢܰܟ̈ܦܳܬܳܐ ܒܢ̈ܳܬ ܥܶܒܪ̈ܳܝܶܐ ܘܰܒܬܽܘ̈ܠܳܬܳܐ ܒܢ̈ܳܬ ܪ̈ܺܫܳܢܶܐ ܒܳܟ ܗܽܘ ܚܣܺܝܡܳܐ ܒܰܪܬ ܡܶܣܟܺܢ̈ܶܐ ܒܳܟ ܗܽܘ ܛܰܢܺܝܢܳܐ ܒܰܪܬ ܚ̈ܰܠܳܫܶܐ ܡܰܢ ܝܰܗܒܳܟ ܠܺܝ ܒܰܪ ܥܰܬܺܝܪܳܐ ܕܰܣܢܳܐ ܥܽܘܒܳܐ ܕܥܰܬܺܝܪ̈ܳܬܳܐ ܡܰܢܽܘ ܢܰܓܕܳܟ ܨܶܝܕ ܡܶܣ̈ܟܺܢܶܐ ܕܝܰܘܣܶܦ ܣܢܺܝܩ ܘܐܶܢܳܐ ܨܪܺܝܟܳܐ ܛܥܶܢܘ ܬܶܓܳܪ̈ܰܝܟ ܘܐܰܝܬܺܝܘ ܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܠܒܶܝܬ ܡܶܣܟܺܢ̈ܶܐ ܚܙܳܬ ܡܓܽܘܫ̈ܶܐ ܣܓܺܝ̈ ܩܺܝ̈ܢܳܬܳܗܿ ܒܩܽܘܪ̈ܒܳܢܰܝܗܽܘܢ ܕܗܳܐ ܣܳܓܽܘ̈ܕܰܝܟ ܚܕܺܝܪ̈ܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ ܐܳܦ ܩܽܘܪ̈ܒܳܢܰܝܟ ܟܪ̈ܺܝܟܺܝܢ ܠܺܝ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܗܽܘ ܥܽܘܠܳܐ ܕܥܰܒܕܳܗܿ ܠܐܶܡܶܗ ܟܶܢܳܪ ܩܳܠܰܘ̈ܗܝ ܘܰܕܟܶܢܳܪܳܐ ܠܡܳܪܶܗ ܚܳܐܰܪ ܠܳܟ ܚܳܐܰܪ ܦܽܘܡܝ ܢܕܺܝܠ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܟ ܠܶܫܳܢ ܐܶܡܳܟ ܘܰܕܝܶܠܦܶܬ ܒܳܟ ܒܰܛܢܳܐ ܚܰܕܬܳܐ ܢܺܐܠܰܦ ܒܳܟ ܦܽܘܡܝ ܝܰܠܕܳܐ ܚܰܕܬܳܐ ܕܫܽܘܒܚܳܐ ܚܰܕܬܳܐ ܘܐܶܢ ܥ̈ܛܠܳܬܳܐ ܠܳܟ ܠܳܐ ܥ̈ܛܠܳܢ ܕܰܦܫ̈ܺܝܩܳܢ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ ܕܒܰܛܢܳܟ ܥܽܘܒܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܙܽܘܘܳܓܳܐ ܘܰܕܠܳܐ ܙܰܪܥܳܐ ܟܰܪܣܳܐ ܝܺܠܶܕܬܳܟ ܦܫܺܝܩ ܗܽܘ ܠܦܽܘܡܳܐ ܕܢܰܦܪܶܐ ܘܢܰܣܓܶܐ ܫܽܘܒܚܳܟ ܪܰܒܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܥܫܺܝܩܳܐ ܐܢܳܐ ܘܰܛܠܺܝܡܳܐ ܐܢܳܐ ܘܰܦܨܺܝܚܳܐ ܐܢܳܐ ܡܠܶܝܢ ܐܶܕܢܰܝ̈ ܚܶܣܕܳܐ ܘܒܶܙܚܳܐ ܘܰܙܥܽܘܪ ܗܽܘ ܠܺܝ ܟܡܳܐ ܕܐܶܣܰܝܒܰܪ ܕܪ̈ܶܒܽܘ ܥܳܩ̈ܳܢ ܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܪ̈ܕܰܦ ܚܰܕ ܒܽܘܝܳܐܳܟ ܘܰܕܡܶܢܳܟ ܒܶܪܝ ܠܳܐ ܒܣܺܝܪܳܐ ܐܢܳܐ ܐܰܦܰܝ̈ ܓܠܶܝܢ ܘܕܰܥܫܺܝܩܳܐ ܐܢܳܐ ܒܶܛܢܶܬ ܝܶܠܕܶܬ ܕܶܝܢ ܩܽܘܫܬܳܐ
English
The son of her voice, in you I set my hope and trust, O mouth; in you I entrust my mouth, I open my mouth, and you fill my mouth, O earth, and you are the farmer, sow in me your voice. He sowed himself in the womb of my mother, the righteous one. Glory to you, my Lord, and in your hand to your father on the day of your birth. In me are the bright ones, all the poor ones, the daughters of the Hebrews and the virgins, the daughters of the rich, in you is the sealed one, the daughter of the poor, in you is the mixed one, the daughter of the weak, give you to me, the son of the rich who made the righteous one, that of the rich women, make your glory, for the sake of the poor of Joseph who is needy, and my mouth is needy, carry your merchandise, and bring gold to the house of the poor. She saw the magi, many of her gifts, by their offerings, behold your worshippers, they are round about me, also your offerings, they are bound to me, blessed is the crooked one who made her mother a crown of her voices, and the crown to her Lord he looks, to you my mouth looks, until your will, to the lip of your mother and you learn in it, a new infant, learn in it my mouth, a new birth of glory, a new glory, and I have no delays for you, no delays, that the simple ones come, that in your womb the righteous one, without a spouse and without seed, the womb of your mother was simple for the mouth, that it may increase and multiply your great glory. Behold, I am oppressed and I am darkened, and I am joyful, my hands are full of grace and scorn, and it is small for me, as I endured the great afflictions, one can pursue your dove, and your blood in me, I am not a broken one, my face is revealed and I am oppressed, in your virgin mother, the truth.
dsc-563:2 · narrativemedium
Source
ܕܰܡܙܰܟܶܐ ܠܺܝ ܕܐܶܢܗܽܘ ܕܬܳܡܳܪ ܙܟܳܬ ܒܝܗܽܘܕܳܐ ܟܡܳܐ ܐܶܙܟܶܐ ܒܳܟ ܕܰܘܺܝܕ ܐܰܒܽܘܟ ܙܡܺܝܪܬܳܐ ܙܡܰܪ ܠܳܟ ܥܰܕܠܳܐ ܬܺܐܬܶܐ ܕܠܳܟ ܢܶܬܩܰܪܰܒ ܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܕܰܫܒܳܐ ܙܡܺܝܪܬܳܐ ܕܰܙܡܰܪ ܥܰܪܛܶܠܐܝܺܬ ܗܳܐ ܒܰܥܒܳܕܳܐ ܟܫܝܳܐ ܩܕܳܡܰܝܟ ܡܽܘܪܳܐ ܘܕܰܗܒܳܐ ܘܡܳܐܐ ܘܰܚܡܫܺܝܢ ܙܡܺܝܪ̈ܳܢ ܕܙܰܡܰܪ ܒܳܟ ܐܶܬܡܰܕܰܟ ܕܰܣܢܺܝܩܺܝܢ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܟܽܠ ܦܶܬܓܳܡ̈ܶܐ ܕܰܢܒܺܝܽܘܬܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܒܽܘܣܳܡܳܟ ܕܰܕܠܳܐ ܡܶܠܚܳܟ ܥܰܠ ܒܽܘܣܳܡܳܟ ܕܰܕܠܳܐ ܡܶܠܚܳܟ ܦܰܟܺܝ̈ܗܳܢ ܐܶܢܶܝܢ ܟܽܘܠ ܚܶܟ̈ܡܳܬܳܐ
English
who purifies me, that I may be cleansed, O Tamar, the victory of Judah—how shall I be victorious in you? David, your father, sang a song to you, before your coming, that you might be approached. The gold of Sheba, the song he sang, in a rustic manner, behold, in deed. A treasure of silver and gold before you, and a hundred and fifty songs he sang. In you I was cleansed, that the afflicted might be cleansed. All the words of virginity, upon your fragrance that has no salt, upon your fragrance that has no salt, the simple ones come, all the wisdoms.
Citation. Tergwame, “Nativity 15”, dsc-563:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/dsc-563#s1
Colophon. Source: syriac · licence: CC BY 4.0 · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0017 · generated 2026-11-15.