Nisibene Hymn 14: The Three Pastors

Under the three pastors

there were many shepherds;

the one mother who was in the city

had daughters in every region.

Since Wrath has destroyed her dwellings,

Peace will build up her churches.

Refrain: Blessed be he who chose out those three!

The kindly labor of the first

bound up the land in her affliction;

the bread and wine of the next

healed the city when she was broken;

the sweet speech of the last

sweetened our bitterness in affliction.

The first tilled the land with his labor;

he rooted the briars and thorns out of her;

the next fenced her round about;

he made a hedge for her of those who were saved;

the last opened his Lord’s granary

and sowed in her the words of her Lord.

The first priest, by means of a fast,

closed the doors of people’s mouths;

the second priest, for the captives,

opened the mouths of the purse;

but the last pierced the ears

and fastened in them the ornament of life.

Aaron stripped the earrings

from the ears and made a calf.

That lifeless calf, in secret,

pierced and slaughtered the camp;

those who had fashioned his horns

he ripped open with his horns.

But our priest, who was the third,

pierced the ears of the heart,

and fastened there the earrings he had fashioned

from the nails that were fixed in the cross

on which his Lord was crucified

and gave life to his fellow men.

The fire brought forth a son to Death;

Death feeds on all bodies;

the son of Death, who outdid Death,

fed on the souls of men.

The calf left his fodder,

for people’s minds were food for him.

To the first Tree, the one that killed,

to it grace brought forth a son.

O Cross, offspring of the Tree,

who fought against your own father!

The Tree was the fountain of death;

the Cross was the fountain of life.

The son that was born to Death:

all mouths were opened to curse him.

He devoured bodies and souls

and multiplied the disgrace of his father.

But the Cross took away the reproach

of its father, that first Tree.

The two sons were just like

the two mothers that bore them.

The calf that the fire brought forth,

the fire consumed in the midst of the people;

the Cross, the offspring of grace,

handed out good gifts to all creation.

O my tongue, hold your peace, and be silent about the stories of the Cross that press to be told!

For my mind has suddenly conceived,

and see, the pangs of labor strike it;

it conceived these among the last,

and they strive to become the firstborn.

The babies struggled in the womb;

the elder hurried to come out;

the younger, wanting the birthright,

laid his hand on his heel;

what he did not get by birth

he got by the bowl of stew.

In the same way these later stories,

see, they make light of the earlier ones,

so that they may come out themselves and take the birthright.

Let us bring out the story of our fathers,

for see, the stories of the Cross

are the firstborn of all creatures.

For if that which has no beginning

is the first of all created things,

its stories too are the firstborn,

for they are older than all creatures.

Let the stories of you, O my Lord, give way,

so that we may tell of your ministers!

The first, in rank of teaching:

his eloquence was as his rank;

the next, who was second in rank:

his interpretation rose to the height of his rank;

the last, who was third in rank:

his eloquence was as great as he was.

The first, in his simple words,

gave milk to his infants;

the next, in his plain sayings,

gave food to his children;

the third, in his perfect sayings,

gave solid food to those of his who were full-grown.

She too, the daughter of instruction,

climbed from rank to rank

along with her teachers and fathers.

A young child she was with the first; a simple girl she was with the next;

she came to full age with the third.

The first, dealing with her as a child,

loved her and taught her to fear;

the next, as with a young woman, rebuked her and made her glad;

the third, as with one fully instructed,

was a pleasant comfort to her.

Even the Most High, with the daughter of Jacob,

gave coaxing and the rod to her childhood;

and in her willfulness and full age

gave her a share in the sword and the Law;

and according to her discipline and instruction

he came to her in mildness and pleasantness.

The first, who begot the flock,

carried her infancy in his bosom;

the next, of cheerful face,

cheered her childhood with song and made it glad;

the last, grave of face,

see, he guards her chastity in her youth.

The first priest, who begot her,

gave milk to her infancy;

the next priest interpreted

and gave food to her childhood;

the third priest nourished her

and gave solid food to her full age.

The wealthy father who was first

laid up treasures for her childhood;

the next, for her maturity,

multiplied provisions for her journey;

the third, the good olive tree,

multiplied oil in her vessels.

When she comes before him who is rich,

she will show the treasure of the first;

when she comes before the Savior, she will show those saved by the next;

when she goes out to meet the Bridegroom,

she will show the oil of her lamps.

Before him who rewards the weary and toilworn,

she will offer the labor of the first;

before him who loves cheerful givers,

she will show the almsgiving of the next;

before him who judges teachings,

she will offer the discourse of the last.

And I, the sinner, who have tried to be

the disciple of these three:

when they see that he of the third day

has closed the door of his chamber,

may these three pray him for me

to keep the door open a little while for me!

May the sinner press in and enter,

rejoicing and fearing to behold!

May the three masters call in

their one disciple in their grace!

May he gather up under the table

the crumbs that are full of life!