St Ephrem
Introduction and translation
by
Sebastian Brock
st vladimir’s seminary press
crestwood, new york
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ephraem, Syrus, Saint, 303–373.
[Hymni de paradiso. English]
Hymns on paradise / St. Ephrem the Syrian;
[commentary] by Sebastian Brock; with a translation from Syriac by Sebastian Brock
p. cm.
Translation of: Hymni de paradiso and Section 2 of Commentarium in Genesim.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-88141-076-4
1. Paradise—Early works to 1800. 2. Hymns, Syriac—Translations into English—Early works to 1800 3. Bible. O.T. Genesis II–III-Commentaries I. Brock, Sebastian P. II. Ephrem, Syrus, Saint, 303–373. Commentarium in Genesim. Section 2. English. 1989. III. Title
br65.e633h9613 1990
264’.01402—dc20
89-37281
CIP
r89
Hymns on Paradise
Translation copyright © 1990
St Vladimir’s Seminary Press
575 Scarsdale Road, Crestwood, NY 10707
1-800-204-2665 www.svspress.com
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 978-0-88141-076-1
St Ephrem’s Theological Vision
St Ephrem’s Concept of Paradise
Paradise Regained: Divinization
3. THE COMMENTARY ON GENESIS (section ii)
INTRODUCTION
To many people St Ephrem the Syrian will be known best for the beautiful prayer, attributed to him, used during the Lenten Fast1:
O Lord and Master of my life, give me not a spirit of sloth, vain curiosity, lust for power, and idle talk, but give to me Thy servant a spirit of soberness, humility, patience, and love. O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to condemn my brother: for blessed art Thou to the ages of ages. Amen. O God, cleanse me a sinner.
But Ephrem also happens to be a religious poet of quite outstanding stature, one who deserves to rank alongside the greatest of theologian poets in the Christian tradition. That he has only rarely been recognized as such is due largely to the inaccessibility of his works, written in Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic) and for the most part poorly served by translations into modern languages. Indeed it is only within the last thirty or so years that reliable editions of the original texts of his works have appeared, thanks to the labors of Dom Edmund Beck, O.S.B.
It is with the aim of making up, in a small way, for this deficiency as far as English is concerned, that the present translation is offered. The cycle of fifteen hymns on Paradise has been chosen since it offers a fine example of the way in which St Ephrem is able to weave a profound theological synthesis organized around a particular ...
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About Hymns on ParadiseExplore St. Ephrem the Syrian’s cycle of fifteen Hymns on Paradise—a stunning example of Christian poetry which weaves profound theological musings around a biblical narrative. Beautifully translated by Syriac scholar Sebastian Brock, Ephrem’s hymns have an immediacy achieved by few other theological works from the early Christian period. Rather than being tied to a particular cultural or philosophical background, his theology operates by means of imagery and symbolism basic to all human experience. Centered on Genesis 2 and 3, the Hymns on Paradise expresses his awareness of the sacramental character of the created world, and of the potential of everything in it to act as a witness to the creator. He posits an inherent link between the material and spiritual worlds. St. Ephrem’s mode of theological discussion is biblical and Semitic in character, using types and symbols to express connections and reveal things otherwise hidden—expressing meanings between the Old Testament and the New, between this world and the heavenly, between the New Testament and the sacraments, and between the sacraments and the eschaton. |
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