Nisibene Hymns

¹ Lo! Death for us on Satan, inflicts vengeance: come let us hear his shame and rejoice, for he rejoiced in our shame.— 2. R., To You be glory from Your flock, from You: are subdued both Death and Satan, under Your Feet!— 3. D., Evil ones shall be hung upright, but you, head downward: for, reversely, you crucified Simon on the tree.— 4. S., Touching all else I am silent, Death, for my time wanes: Simon himself conjured me, “Crucify me thus.”— 5.

Were it the just that cursed me, I had not grieved: the curse of Death unto me, is worse than hell.— 6. D., The shame of our Lord I have not spoken of, it is too great for my mouth: that I should weigh and compare His Passion, with Your torment.— 7. Twelve judgment thrones shall He set, for His Twelve: for by the twelve tribes you, even you, shall be condemned.— 8. A halter unbought shall you hang you, O you Satan: as that Your disciple hung him, a halter for a price.— 9.

Haply yon hell in mercy, shall be emptied: and you shall dwell there alone, with Your ministers.— 10. Manifold are Your curses, and how shall I count them? Lo! The sum of all your curses, is on your members.— 11. The evil in the fire shall stab you, who made them evil: they shall upbraid you “why did you bring us here?”— 12. Sinners shall rail against you, and haply their threats: shall be worse to you than the torment, of yonder hell.— 13. These shall be unto you there, all of them Satans: as you have been to them here, the one Satan.— 14.

The Watchers shall seize and hurl you down, calling to mind: how through you men hurled their Lord, from the height to the depth.— 15. All men will run to stone you, not forgetting that through you the maddened people ran, to stone their Maker.— 16. On you, Evil One, from all mouths shall be, the spitting of wrath: for through you they spat on Him Whose spittle, gave sight to the blind.— 17. On you, Evil One, from all tongues, shall be all curses: for through you men blasphemed Him, Who opened dumb mouths.— 18. Blessed is He Who avenged our wrong, though in silence: and stirred up Death against the Evil One, to fall upon him!— 19. Sound we Hosannas, my brethren, as did Gideon: who when he sounded, the oppressors, fell on one another!