Homily on Guria and Shamuna

Like a swift whirlwind, error snatched at them;

But, forasmuch as they were sheltered by the crucifixion, it hurt them not.

The Evil One set on all his dogs to bark, that they might bite them;

But, forasmuch as they had the cross for a staff, they put them all to flight.

But who is sufficient to tell of their contests,

Or their sufferings, or the rending asunder of their limbs?

Or who can paint the picture of their coronation,

How they went up from the contest covered with glory?

To judgment they went in, but of the judge they took no account;

Nor were they anxious what they should say when questioned.

The judge menaced them, and multiplied his words of threatening;

And recounted tortures and all kinds of inflictions, that he might terrify them.

He spoke great words, that by fright and intimidation,

By menaces too, he might incline them to sacrifice.

Yet the combatants despised the menaces, and the intimidations,

And the sentence of judgment, and all bodily deaths;

And they prepared themselves for insult and stripes, and for blows,

And for provocation, and to be dragged along, and to be burnt;

For imprisonment also, and for bonds, and for all evil things,

And for all tortures, and for all sufferings, rejoicing all the while.

They were not alarmed nor affrighted, nor dismayed,

Nor did the sharpness of the tortures bend them to sacrifice.

Their body they despised, and as dung upon the ground accounted they it:

For they knew that, the more it was beaten, the more would its beauty increase;

And, the more the judge increased his menaces to alarm them,

The more did they show their contempt of him, having no fear of his threats.

He kept telling them what tortures he had prepared for them;

And they continued telling him about Gehenna which was reserved for him.

By those things which he told them he tried to frighten them to sacrifice;

And they spoke to him about the fearful judgment yonder.

Truth is wiser than wise words,

And very hateful, however much it may be adorned, is falsehood.

Shamuna and Guria went on speaking truth,

While the judge continued to utter falsehood.

And therefore were they not afraid of his threatening,

Because all his menaces against the truth were accounted by them as empty sound.

The intercourse of the world they despised, they contemned and scorned, yea they abandoned;

And to return to it they had no wish, or to enter it again.

From the place of judgment they set their faces to depart

To that meeting-place for them all, the life of the new world.

They cared neither for possessions nor for houses,

Nor for the advantages of this world, so full of evil.

In the world of light was their heart bound captive with God,

And to “that” country did they set their face to depart;

And they looked to the sword, to come and be a bridge

To let them pass over to God, for whom they were longing.

This world they accounted as a little tent,

But that yonder as a city full of beauties;

And they were in haste by the sword to depart hence

To the land of light, which is full of blessing for those who are worthy of it.

The judge commanded to hang them up by their arms,

And without mercy did they stretch them out in bitter agony.

A demon's fury breathed rage into the heart of the judge,

And embittered him against the steadfast ones, inciting him to crush them;

And between the height and the depth he stretched them out to afflict them:

And they were a marvel to both sides, when they saw how much they endured.

At the old men's frame heaven and earth marvelled,

To see how much suffering it bore nor cried out for help under their affliction.

Hung up and dragged along are their feeble bodies by their arms,

Yet is there deep silence, nor is there one that cries out for help or that murmurs.

Amazed were all who beheld their contests,

To see how calmly the outstretched forms bore the inflictions laid upon them.

Amazed too was Satan at their spotless frames,

To see what weight of affliction they sustained without a groan.

Yea, and gladdened too were the angels by that fortitude of theirs,

To see how patiently it bore that contest so terrible that was.

But, as combatants who were awaiting their crowns,

There entered no sense of weariness into their minds.

Nay, it was the judge that grew weary; yea, he was astonished:

But the noble men before him felt no weariness in their afflictions.

He asked them whether they would consent to sacrifice;

But the mouth was unable to speak from pain.

Thus did the persecutors increase their inflictions,

Until they gave no place for the word to be spoken.

Silent was the mouth from the inflictions laid on their limbs;

But the will, like that of a hero, was nerved with fortitude from itself.

Alas for the persecutors! How destitute were they of righteousness!

But the children of light— how were they clad in faith!

They demand speech, when there is no place for speaking,

Since the word of the mouth was forbidden them by pain.

Fast bound was the body, and silent the mouth, and it was unable

To utter the word when unrighteously questioned.

And what should the martyr do, who had no power to say,

When he was questioned, that he would not sacrifice?

All silent were the old men full of faith,

And from pain they were incapable of speaking.

Yet questioned they were: and in what way, if a man is silent

When he is questioned, shall he assent to that which is said?

But the old men, that they might not be thought to assent,

Expressed clearly by signs the word which it behooved them to speak.

Their heads they shook, and, instead of speech, by a dumb sign they showed

The resolve of the new man that was within.

Their heads hung down, signifying amidst their pains

That they were not going to sacrifice, and every one understood their meaning.

As long as there was in them place for speech, with speech did they confess;

But, when it was forbidden them by pain, they spoke with a dumb sign.

Of faith they spoke both with the voice and without the voice:

So that, when speaking and also when silent, they were alike steadfast.

Who but must be amazed at the path of life, how narrow it is,

And how straight to him that desires to walk in it?

Who but must marvel to see that, when the will is watchful and ready,

It is very broad and full of light to him that goes therein?

About the path are ditches; full also is it of pitfalls;

And, if one turn but a little aside from it, a ditch receives him.

That dumb sign only is there between the right and the left,

And on “Yea” and “Nay” stand sin and righteousness.

By a dumb sign only did the blessed men plainly signify that they would not sacrifice,

And in virtue of a single dumb sign did the path lead them to Eden;

And, if this same dumb sign had inclined and turned down but a little

Toward the depth, the path of the old men would have been to Gehenna.

Upwards they made a sign, to signify that upwards were they prepared to ascend;

And in consequence of that sign they ascended and mingled with the heavenly ones.

Between sign and sign were Paradise and Gehenna:

They made a sign that they would not sacrifice, and they inherited the place of the kingdom.

Even while they were silent they were advocates for the Son of God:

For not in multitude of words does faith consist.

That fortitude of theirs was a full-voiced confession,

And as though with open mouth declared they their faith by signs;

And every one knew what they were saying, though silent,

And enriched and increased was the faith of the house of God;

And error was put to shame by reason of two old men, who, though they spoke not,

Vanquished it; and they kept silence, and their faith stood fast.

And, though tempestuous accents were heard from the judge,

And the commands of the emperor were dreadful, yea violent,

And paganism had a bold face and an open mouth,

And its voice was raised, and silent were the old men with pain,

Yet null and void became the command and drowned was the voice of the judge,

And without speech the mute sign of the martyrs bore off the palm.

Talking and clamour, and the sound of stripes, on the left;

And deep silence and suffering standing on the right;

And, by one mute sign with which the old men pointed above their heads,