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

1. Lo! Death was prompt beforehand, to mock Satan:&#160; him who was doomed to become a mockery at the last.&#8212;2. R., Glory to Thee Who by Thy crucifixion, didst conquer the Evil One:&#160; and by Thy resurrection gain victory, likewise over Death!&#8212;3. And for our Lord&#8217;s sake Death spake curses on him:&#160; who was the cause of His shame, and crucifixion.&#8212;4. D., The fiery pit be thy grave, O Satan:&#160; who blasphemedst the Voice from the grave, that rent the graves&#8212;5. My Lord I know, and the Son of my Lord, O thou Satan! thou hast denied thy Lord, and crucified the Son of thy Lord.&#8212;6. This is the name that fits thee, &#8220;Slayer of thy Lord&#8221;:&#160; when He appears Whom thou slewest, He shall slay thee.&#8212;7. At thee shall every one shake the head, for by thee the chiefs:&#160; shook their heads at Him, the Lord of life.&#8212;8. A bruised reed under the feet, of the just shalt thou be:&#160; for through thee they put a reed in His hand, Who upholds all.&#8212;9. With a crown of thorns was He crowned, to signify:&#160; that He took the diadem of the kingdom, of the house of David.&#8212;10. With a crown of thorns was He crowned, the King of kings:&#160; but He took the diadem of the king, of those that shamed him.&#8212;11. In the robes of mockery that they gave him, in those He mocked them:&#160; for He took the raiment of glory, of priests and kings.&#8212;12. To vinegar is thy memory akin, O thou Satan:&#160; who didst offer vinegar for the thirst, of the Fount of Life.&#8212;13. The hand shall every man lift against thee who strengthenedst the hand that smote Him by Whose hand, all creatures stand.&#8212;14. He was smitten by the hand and He cut off the hand, of Caiaphas:&#160; the hand of the priesthood is cut off, in the cutting off of the unction.&#8212;15. On the pillar again they stretched Him, as for scourging:&#160; Him Whose pillar went before, to guide their tribes.&#8212;16. The pillar on the pillar, He was scourged:&#160; He removed Himself from out of Zion, and its fall came.&#8212;17. When they put two beams together, to form the Cross:&#160; He broke them, even the two staves, the guardians of them.&#8212;18. Ezekiel put together the sticks, the two in one:&#160; in the two beams of the Cross, their staves have ceased.&#8212;19. The two sticks, as it were wings, bore the people:&#160; lo! his two staves were broken, even as his wings.&#8212;20. The bosom and wings of the Cross, He opened in mercy:&#160; its pinions bowed and bore the nations, to go to Eden.&#8212;21. It is akin to the Tree of Life, and unto the son of its stock:&#160; it leads its beloved that on its boughs, they may feed on its fruits.&#8212;22. Go howl and weep, Evil One, for me and for you:&#160; for not one of us shall enter the &#8220;Garden of Life.&#8221;&#8212;23. S., Now that thou hast confessed O Death, come let me tell thee:&#160; that all this discourse of thine, to me is idle talk.&#8212;24. I will go and watch the snares, which I have set:&#160; thou too, Death, fly and look after, all that are sick.&#8212;25. Our Lord has brought both to nought, on either hand:&#160; the Evil One shall be brought to nought here, and Death hereafter there.