Ephraim: The Nisibene Hymns
Nisibene Hymn 17: Abraham, Bishop of Nisibis
Allow even my lowliness, O Lord,
to cast its farthing into your treasury,
like the merchant of our flock,
who made his talent of your teaching grow,
and has departed and entered your harbor.
I will speak of the shepherd,
under him who has become head of the flock,
who was disciple of the Three
and has become our fourth master.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has made him our comfort!
In one love I will make them shine,
and I will weave them as a crown,
the splendid blossoms and the fragrant flowers
of the teacher and of his disciple,
who remained after him like Elisha;
for the horn of his election, and he was consecrated and became head,
and he was exalted and became master.
Refrain: Blessed be he who made him chief!
And those in heaven rejoiced for the flock,
that by the pastor whom they fed, they feed it;
the dwelling of the shepherds under him rejoiced,
because they saw the succession of their ranks.
He took him and set him as a mind
in the midst of the great body of the church,
and his members came around him
to buy from him life, teaching, new bread.
Refrain: Blessed be he who made him their treasury!
He chose him from the multitude of shepherds,
because he had given proof of his steadfastness;
time tested him in the midst of the flock,
and length of days tried him like a crucible;
because he gave proof in his own person,
he made him a wall for many.
Let your fasting be armor for our country,
your prayer a shield for our city;
let your censer purchase reconciliation.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has hallowed your sacrifices!
The pastor who has been parted from his flock
fed them on spiritual pastures,
and with his exalted staff
defended them from secret wolves.
Fill the place of your master,
which thirsts for the sound of his melody;
set yourself up as a pillar
in the city of the trembling people;
hold her up with your prayers.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has made you our pillar!
He has handed on the Hand to his disciple,
the Throne to one who is worthy of it,
the Key to one who is proved faithful,
the Flock to one who has excelled.
To your hand belongs the laying on of hands,
to your offering propitiation,
and to your tongue consolation.
May peace adorn your dominion,
both the watchmen within and the congregations outside.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has chosen you for rejoicing!
May your teaching abound in deeds more than in words!
Saying few words, work our land with labor,
so that by much tilling the scanty seed may grow rich;
may the increase of the old seed come among us thirtyfold,
and your new seed sixtyfold.
Refrain: Blessed be he who multiplies a hundredfold!
The wrath that was against you ceases,
because peace flows over you entirely;
the jealousy against you is quenched,
for your love blazes out hour by hour.
You have broken the string of envy,
so that it may strike no one in secret;
to slander that confounds your ear does not turn,
for open truth pleases you.
Refrain: Blessed be he who adorned your members!
You will give counsel in the midst of your people,
like Jethro among the Hebrews;
you will go along wholly with the one
who counsels you for your good;
you will flee wholly from the one
who counsels you otherwise.
Rehoboam will be a sign to you:
you will choose counsels of profit,
you will refuse counsels of envy.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has counseled comfort!
The gift that has been given you
flew down from on high and came.
You shall call it by a man’s name;
you shall not carry it in another power,
lest perhaps Satan in his cunning
should come to its place, supposing
that human beings have given it to you,
so that this freeborn gift should serve in bondage to man.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has handed down his gift!
Your master is painted in your person;
see, his likeness is on you entirely;
parted from us, he is one with us.
In you we will see those three,
the excellent ones who are parted from us.
You will be a wall to us like Jacob,
full of tenderness like Babu,
and a treasury of speech like Valgesh.
Refrain: Blessed be he who in one has painted them!
I too, the refuse of the flock,
have not held back anything that was fitting:
I have painted the likeness of these two
in the colors of these two,
so that the sheep may see their adornment
and the flock their beauties.
And I, who have become a lamb gifted with speech,
will give you praise, O God of Abraham,
in the posture of Abram.
Refrain: Blessed be he who has made me his harp!