Hymns and homilies (selections)

1. In wisdom let us hearken to Death, O my beloved: how he accuses us for our weeping, and for our mourning.—2. R., To thee be praise Who cameth down, to follow Adam: and foundest Adam and also in the children of Adam.—3. And rightly perhaps he says, "Ye slay: without mercy and lo! ye weep, as though merciful."—4. Ye have made me as a cruel one, O ye murderers: for ye slay one another, without my help!—5. While Death was but desiring to come, the sword came before him: let us see then against whom cries out, the blood of the slain.—6. Against you cry out the strangled, who were suffocated: for it shames me of the rope, of their strangulations.—7. They take away from me even my rest, for without me: how could the strangled and the slain, enter Sheol?—8. Lo! your infants are cast out, as those in Egypt: your sons have ye sacrificed to demons, O demoniacs!—9. While Death was but desiring to taste, of your corpses: Cain refreshed me beforehand, with blood of man.—10. While I was but desiring to wait patiently, till Adam should die: before I had power ye gave me power, over your bodies.—11. Cain with his sword overthrew, the gate of Sheol: for it was closed and before the time, he first opened it.—12. He by treading made the way of Sheol, without my help: for in the way ye have trodden out for me, lo! I walk therein.—13. Nine hundred years I sat and waited, for Adam to die: but Cain not even a day, endured his brother.—14. Robbers upon the highways, are worse than I: I am slumbering while they, are watching to slay.—15. Lo! your slaughtered in the graves, and your murdered in your ways; and your strangled upon your stakes!—16. "If I rebelled against my lord, yea and slew him: who was he that slew these here," said Jehu.—17. And if I Death have taken, your departed: the strangled, the slain, and the slaughtered, who was it slew them?—18. Ye are Satan to each other, and the Evil One is abhorred: ye are pestilence to each other, and Death is blamed!—19. Your own will to you is Satan, yea and a murderer: but of Death and of Satan, all men complain.—20. Poison of Death ye give also to drink, each to other: lo! how many Deaths have ye, beside me.—21. Wiles, stratagems, yea and snares, sword and poison: how many Deaths from you and in you, lo! are there born.—22. The judge in the judgment-hall, is a second Death: he slays for secret reward, but I for naught.—23. I have seen bribery and marvelled at it, that ran and outran me: how many slain does bribery, slay, and none perceives!—24. I am ashamed that so unskilfully, I conduct myself: if I take even one corpse, all men perceive it.—25. In the houses weeping and in the streets, also wailing: and even unto the gates of Sheol, they groan over me.—26. Groan over yourselves that ye are thus hateful, and ye hate me: Sheol henceforth shall groan over you, O murderers!—27. With torture, scourging and fire, yea with stoning: ye put to death the sons of men, and ye are proud!—28. I am more modest than you and merciful, also reverent: for with reverence I bear away, your departed.—29. On the bed I deal gently, with him that is sick: and quietly I lay him to sleep, for but a while.

1. Lo! Death, the King of silence, complains, my brethren: that we have filled his abode with the wailing, of Hope cut off.—2. R., To Him be great praise Who comest down, to us here below: and suffered and rose again and in His Body, raises our bodies!—3. While we weep like madmen, at the gates of Sheol: hearken what Death says, reproaching us.—4. It shames me, says Death, that ye, have overcome me: the half of Sheol suffices not, to contain your slain.—5. For alien corpses together, lie heaped in Sheol: there are two divisions there, the dead, the slain.—6. Whereas I should complain that ye have wronged me, lo! ye are weeping: ye have burst the gate of Sheol, and done me hurt.—7. For ye are like unto an infant, which while yet weeping: laughs again as ye also, over your dead.—8. For there is no discretion in your mourning, and no understanding: in your laughter—for to me ye seem like, to a weaned babe.—9. One hour weeping and wailing, and after a little: both jesting and wantonness, as of children.—10. For ye are unable to become, perfect men: that weep not yea and laugh not, as the discreet.—11. Touching your books we are grieved, that they have toiled over them: who should read them unto you, even the divine Scriptures.—12. The readers are crying aloud, for ye are deaf: this their crying proves concerning you, that ye are as stocks.—13. For since the reader and the interpreter, are crying aloud: your ears therefore are heavy, or else your hearts.—14. For if there were with you an ear, open to persuasion: it were meet to hear little, and to do much.—15. But because its hearing is closed, whoso knocks at it: the voice returns back to him, who sent it forth.—16. There is no crying with me of mine, I am not deaf: none that reads or interprets for me, I am not dull.—17. The breath that is from Him commands me, sons the God of truth: and with the command there follows, also the fulfilment.—18. With me is no holding back, no turnings aside: I wot no arrow even, could outstrip me.—19. But your voices are scorned by me, when ye are weeping: over the graves of your departed, in the cutting off of hope.—20. Were it possible or permitted, when ye are weeping: I would go forth and tell you, to your faces.—21. "I am endeavouring to give, an account of the death: and your voices disturb me, that I err in my count."—22. Ye nations, let not your understanding, become childish: like that nation whose intelligence, was never great.—23. In which prudence bestows not itself, as in a fool: for its thoughts are darkness, without discernment.—24. For your infants and your sons, in the resurrection: they shall be foremost to come forth, as the first fruits—25. Then after them shall come the just, as victorious: last shall come forth the sinner, as put to shame.—26. For although in the twinkling of an eye, they be quickened: yet is it in order that their ranks, come forth from Sheol.—27. Prophets come forth and Apostles, and holy Fathers: following them in due array, according to command.—28. Lo! that which now is sown, in random mixture: is yielded back in great order, as garden-herbs.—29. For though one in the sowing, should mix all seeds: that which is earlier than its fellow, prevents its fellow,—30. And not as their going down was confused, so disordered shall be: their coming up from the earth, for its order is fixed.—31. Lo! I have been against myself, in what I have said: for secret things which ye comprehended not, from me ye have learned.—32. Instead of the tears that profit not, which are at the tomb: pour them forth in your prayer, in the midst of the Church.—33. For to the dead there is profit in these, and likewise to the living: weep not with a weeping that afflicts, both dead and living!

1. Who shall weigh the recompense of Abraham? whom I marvelled at when he bound, his only son.—2. R., To thee be glory, Voice that bringest to life the dead in Sheol: and they have come up as preachers, of His Son Who quickens all!—3. At that time I came forth in haste, to see the marvel: how that his knife was drawn out, against his beloved.—4. I gathered my manifold memories, from all quarters: and I collected my spirit to marvel, at that illustrious one.—5. How therefore can ye read, that great story? ye have despised the reading of it, in your very ears.—6. The sword of Jephthah rebukes, him that laments: his daughter was to him a mirror of life from the dead.—7. She gave herself for her father, so commend ye: your life to the Father of all, in the hope of your end.—8. In the womb then did ye not make trial, of a mystery of Sheol? yet in Sheol ye had more rest, than in the womb.—9. It is stubborn in you to stand up against, my mighty will: for lo! to succour them I take away, your departed.—10. By the king of Moab who slew, his son with his hands: he is put to shame who laments, for the departed one.—11. He was a profane man, lo! according, to what you read: but ye are doctors and teachers, as ye suppose.—12. He endured, but ye are furious, in your mourning: against the will of the Lord of all, while ye are weeping.—13. I fear however to let pass, the story of Job: through this feeble mouth of mine, for I am unworthy.—14. So in like manner I turn aside, from mention of their bones: though I praise Him who granted, that they should come to me.—15. Dishonour not your members, by your sins: for in Sheol the bones are despised, of evildoers.—16. Whenever I see the body of one of the evil: I trample on it and curse, even his memory.—17. But wherever I see a bone, of one of the just; I set it apart and honour it, and do it worship.—18. Ye feeble ones understand not, all my ordinances: with you orders are confused, for ye are blind.—19. It is Moses alone that I know, to have honoured like me: the bones of that Joseph whom I magnify.—20. But Moses did such honour, to one pure body: but I to the body and the bones, of all the righteous.—21. Brightly shine the bones of Prophets, and of Apostles: a lamp to me in darkness, are all the righteous.—22. I worship Him Who lightens for me, the darkness of Sheol: the splendour of Moses who was so great, was as the sun to me.

1. O feeble ones, why weep ye, over your dead: who in death are at rest from sorrows and sins?—2. R., Glory to Him Who endured all, for the sake of all men: yea tasted death for the sake of all, to bring all to life—3. I reveal unto you, that even Satan, though much content: at your weeping, yet laughs much, at your mourning.—4. In mockery he winks at me and nods to me, as a jester: "Come let us laugh at sinners, for lo! they are mad."—5. Truly they have given up remembrance of that fire, which I have hidden for them: and lo! the fools are drunken with weeping, for their departed.—6. Instead of weeping as though, without provision: I had plundered and sent forth their dead, lo! they are mad.—7. The souls of the evil are to be afflicted, till the judgment day: and these weep over the graves, like to madmen.—8. They care not for their own sins, that haply to-morrow: they must go in shame of face, to join their dead.—9. And thus shall all be put to shame alike, family by family: in Sheol the wretches shall repent without avail.—10. Leave the drunken and the madman, until that day: wherein each shall shake off his wine wherewith he was maddened.—11. I will go to gather them, like children: that they may play the wanton and the madman, until they perish.—12. Lo! I have revealed to you the mystery, the secret of my comrade: go forth therefore, depart, amend, in repentance.—13. Leave me, I too will depart, I will see to my affairs: that with open face I may give my account to my Lord.—14. I know that the wind as it blew, has borne away my words: for ye are the same whom I, ofttimes have proved.—15. I remember Jeremiah how he, compared boldness: to the Indian who changes not his skin, though it is of freedom.—16. For this too belongs to it, even to freedom: that it binds itself by the will, as though by nature.—17. For so powerful is the will, in them that are free: that it may be likened to nature, through its workings.¹

1. Man, O Death, despise thou it not, that image of Adam: which like a seed is committed to earth, till the Resurrection.—2. R., To thee be glory Who didst descend and plunge, after Adam: and draw him out from the depths of Sheol, and bring him into Eden!—3. Death, I marvel at this seed, and at your words: for lo! after five thousand years, it springs not yet.—4. M., Its present state passes away, as winter does: and as a handful of corn it comes in the resurrection, to the garner of life.—5. D., That there is vintage-time, lo! I know, but I have not seen: the dead at any time sown, or yet reaped.—6. M., There is coming a reaping, O Death, that will leave thee bare: and the Watchers shall go forth as reapers, and make thee desolate.—7. D., When did I become husbandman, instead of vine-dresser? who has turned Sheol the wine-press, into a tilled field?—8. M., Does not the seed then teach thee, which decays and dies: and is cut off from hope, yet from the rain, recovers hope?—9. D., A dream have ye seen ye feeble ones, of life from the dead: for in waking time the resurrection, ye do not see.—10. M., Thy drowsiness hinders thee, that thou seest not: the multitudes of mysteries which cry aloud, of the resurrection.—11. D., I know that seeds come to life, but I have not seen: bones that grew in Sheol, and sprang and came up.—12. M., All thy discourse is like thyself, for lo! Ezekiel: has taught thee how in the valley, the dead come to life.—13. D., Trees have I seen how in summer, they put on their garments: but bones in their nakedness, are cast into Sheol.—14. M., Moses broke by his splendour, thy heart, O Death: the son of Adam has regained and put on, the glory of Adam.—15. D., Our law in Sheol is this, to keep silence: for you are words and for me deeds, O feeble ones.—16. M., How are the aged passed over if thou be vinedresser? He Who hindered thee from taking their lives, the same quickens all.—17. The babe in the womb confutes thee, which is as buried there: to me it proclaims life from the dead, but to thee despoiling.—18. The despised flower despises thee, for it is shut up and passed over: yet though lost it is not lost, but blossoms again.—19. The chick cries out from the egg, wherein it is buried: and the graves are rent by a Voice, and the body arises.—20. For a body too is the chick, that is in the egg: lo! its body to our body proclaims, the life from the dead.—21. With the locust thy plea is overthrown, and ended, O Death: for in coming forth from the dust it teaches, the life from the dead.—22. D., I had been content if already, the resurrection had been: for the day of resurrection had disturbed me less, than your judgments.—23. Merciful is the Son of the Highest, yea good and just: and will not harshly avenge on me, the death of Adam.—24. Have ye then no understanding, to perceive this: that your father laid on you, this retribution?