Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIII/Ephraim the Syrian and Aphrahat/Nisibene Hymns/Hymn LIII

1.&#160; Come, let us hear how they contend for victory:&#160; the guilty ones who never have conquered, nor will conquer.&#8212;2. Death said unto the Evil One, In the end the victory is mine:&#160; for Death is master of the close, as a conqueror.&#8212;3. Satan, This were to be Death indeed, wert thou able:&#160; to bring to death a living man, by means of lusts.&#8212;4. D., Lo! I who behold the dead, both good and bad:&#160; the righteous who despise thee, O Evil One, me they despise not.&#8212;5. S., This dying of the body, is sleep for a time:&#160; think not, O Death, that thou art Death, who art as a shadow.&#8212;6. D., Thee, O Evil One, the just have conquered, yea will conquer:&#160; but these that have conquered thee, lo! I conquer.&#8212;7. S., Even this that thou bringest to death the just, is not of thyself:&#160; because of Adam whom I conquered, they drink this cup.&#8212;8. D., Lo! Sheol is full of the men of Sodom, and the Assyrians:&#160; and the giants who were in the flood, who is like me?&#8212;9. S., These, O Death, all of them, by me were slain:&#160; I am he that caused them to sin so that they perished.&#8212;10. D., Joseph who conquered thee I conquered, O Satan:&#160; in the chamber he conquered thee but I conquered, and cast him into the tomb.&#8212;11. S., Moses who conquered thee, O Death, by sprinkling of blood:&#160; he conquered thee in Egypt, but at the rock, who conquered him?&#8212;12. D., Elijah who feared thee not, O Satan:&#160; fled before Jezebel&#8217;s face, because he feared me.&#8212;13. S., Aaron who withstood thee, O Death, with smoke of incense:&#160; to him I gave earrings of gold:&#160; and he fashioned a calf.&#8212;14. D., Thou wentest down to contend with Job, and he conquered thee and came up:&#160; but I, after he had conquered thee, then conquered him.&#8212;15. S., David who by his sackcloth stayed that pestilence:&#160; him on the house-top I conquered, who had conquered Goliath.&#8212;16. D., Jehu who destroyed the house of Baal, the temple of the Evil One:&#160; was unable to destroy Sheol, the stronghold of my realm.&#8212;17. S., Solomon who snatched from thy mouth, a child by his judgment:&#160; him in his old age I made a builder of idol-altars.&#8212;18. D., Samuel who in respect of gold scorned thee, O Satan:&#160; him I conquered, the conqueror, who conquered bribes.&#8212;19. S., Samson who in respect of the lion&#8217;s whelp, scorned thee, O Death:&#160; through Delilah, frail vessel, I yoked him to the mill.&#8212;20. D., Josiah from his childhood despised thee, Evil One:&#160; but me not even in his old age, could he withstand.&#8212;21. S., Hezekiah withstood thee, Death, when he overcame the bound of life:&#160; I misled him and he neglected the miracle, and showed his treasures.&#8212;22. D., John who conquered thee, Evil One, and absolved and baptized:&#160; I extinguished that torch, which had disclosed thee.&#8212;23. S., Simon overcame thee, when he brought to life that blessed woman:&#160; in a woman he overcame thee and by a woman I overcame him and made him deny.&#8212;24. S., Apostles and prophets with one voice, curse thee, O Death:&#160; &#8220;Where is the victory of Death, and the sting of Sheol?&#8221;&#8212;25. Thy Lord in Sheol thou hast shut up, O cursed servant:&#160; God hates thee and also man, hold then thy peace.&#8212;26. S., It was the will of Him who gives life to all, that shut him in Sheol:&#160; it was thou that called Him to this, when thou madest Adam sin.&#8212;27. O comrade of Nabal who in the wilderness reproached his lord:&#160; abhorred be thy mouth which said to Him, &#8220;Fall down and worship me!&#8221;