Hymn 17.
Concerning Abraham, Bishop of Nisibis.
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Suffer, O Lord, that even my lowliness, should cast into Your treasury its farthing, even as the merchant of our flock, who made increase of his talent of Your doctrine, and has departed and entered Your haven. I will speak of the shepherd, under him who has become head of the flock; who was disciple of the Three, and has become our fourth master. R., Blessed be He Who has made him our comfort!
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In one love will I cause them to shine, and as a crown will I weave them, the splendid blossoms, and the fragrant flowers of the teacher and of his disciple, who remained after him as Elisha; for the horn of his election and he was consecrated and became head, and he was exalted and became master. R., Blessed be He Who made him chief!
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And they in heaven rejoiced for the flock, that by the pastor whom they fed, they feed it; the abode of the shepherds under him rejoiced, because they saw the succession of their degrees. He took and set him as a mind in the midst of the great body of the church, and his members came round him to buy of him life, doctrine, new bread. R., Blessed be He Who made him their treasury!
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He chose him from the multitude of shepherds, because he had given trial of his steadfastness; the time tested him in the midst of the flock, and length of days proved him as a crucible; for that he gave proof in his person, He made him a wall for many. Let your fasting be armour to our country, your prayer a shield to our city, let your censer purchase reconcilement. R., Blessed be He Who has hallowed your sacrifices!
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The Pastor who has been parted from his flock, fed them on spiritual pastures, and by his exalted staff, he defended them from secret wolves. Fill up the room of your master, which thirsts for the sound of his melody; set up yourself as a pillar, in the city of the trembling people; support her with your prayers. R., Blessed be He Who has made you our pillar!
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He has committed the Hand to his disciple, the Throne to one that is worthy of it, the Key to one that is proved faithful, the Flock to one that has excelled. To your hand belongs the laying-on, to your offering propitiation, and to your tongue consolation. May peace adorn your Dominion; be the watchmen within and the congregations without. R., Blessed be He Who has chosen you for rejoicings!
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May your doctrine abound, in deeds more than words! In saying few words, till our land with labour, that by much tillage the scanty seed may become rich, the increase of the old seed, may come among us thirtyfold, and your new seed sixtyfold. R., Blessed be He Who multiplies an hundredfold!
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The wrath that was against you ceases, because peace flows over you altogether; the jealousy against you is quenched, for your love hourly flames forth: you have broken the string of envy, that it should smite none in secret; slander that confounds, to it your ear turns not, for open truth is pleasing to you. R., Blessed be He Who adorned your members!
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You shall give counsel in the midst of your people, like Jethro among the Hebrews; you shall altogether go with him, who for your profit counsels you, you shall altogether flee from him, who otherwise counsels you: Rehoboam shall be a sign to you; you shall choose counsels of profit, you shall refuse counsels of envy. R., Blessed be He Who has counselled comfort!
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The gift that has been given you, from on high it flew and came down: you shall call it by a name of man, you shall not bear it in another power, lest haply to its place there should come, Satan in his guile, supposing, that the sons of men have given it to you, so that this freeborn gift should serve in bondage to man. R., Blessed be He Who has handed down his gift!
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Your master is painted in your person; lo! His likeness is on you altogether; parted from us one with us is he. In you we shall see those three, the excellent ones who are parted from us. You shall be unto us a wall as Jacob, and full of tenderness as Babu, and a treasury of speech as Valgesh. R., Blessed be He Who in one has painted them!
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I, too, the offscouring of the flock, have not withholden anything that was meet: I have painted the similitude of these two, in the colors of these two; that the sheep may see their adornment, and the flock their beauties. And I who have become a lamb endowed with speech, unto You, O God of Abraham, in the posture of Abram will give You praise. R., Blessed be He Who has made me His harp!
Hymn 18.
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O you who are made priest after your master, the illustrious after the excellent, the chaste after the grave, the watchful after the abstinent, your master from you has not departed; in the living we see the deceased: for lo! In you is his likeness painted; and impressed upon you are his footprints, and all of him shines from all of you. R., Blessed be He Who in His stead has given us you!
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The fruit wherein its tree is painted, bears witness concerning the root. Hitherto there has not failed us, the savour of his sweetness. His words you show forth in bodily act, for you have fulfilled them in deed. In your conversation is painted his doctrine, in your conduct his exposition, in your fulfilment his interpretation. R., Blessed be He Who has made your lustre to excel!
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The last pastor who was exalted, and became head unto the members, the younger who obtained the birthright, not for price like Jacob, not in jealousy like Aaron, whose brethren the Levites envied him, but by love obtained he it like Moses, though he was older than Aaron. In you your brethren rejoiced as in him. R., Blessed be He Who chose you in unanimity!
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There is no envy or jealousy, among the members of the body; for in love they give ear unto him, with tenderness they are visited by him. A watch tower is the head unto the members, for on every side he looks forth. Exalted is he yet meek in his graciousness, even to the feet he humbles himself, that he may turn away harm from them. R., Blessed be He Who instilled your love into us!
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A small thing verily had this been, if by an old man apostasy were overcome. Old age in its prudence submitted; youth in its season conquered; for a youthful combatant endured, the hateful conflict waged, by force that was full of apostacy, which like smoke waxed and passed: with its beginning was its end. R., Blessed be He Who blew upon it that it vanished!
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The voice of the cornet on a sudden amazed and called You to battle. You went up like a new David, by You was subdued a second Goliath. You were not untried in combat, for a secret warfare day by day, You are waging against the Evil One. Exercise in secret is wont to attain the crown openly. R., Blessed be He Who chose You for our glory!
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In face of trial Job trained his body and his mind, and in temptation he was victorious. And Joseph conquered in the chamber; Ananias and his company in the furnace, and in the midst of the den Daniel. Satan did foolishly, when in tempting, he confirmed their victory openly. R., Blessed be He Who has multiplied shame on him!
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And the husbandman who apostatized and was urgent, to sow thorns with his left hand; zealous against him was the righteous husbandman, stopped and cut off his left hand. He filled His own right hand and sowed in the heart the words of life; and lo! Our understanding is tilled, by His prophets and His apostles. By You may our souls be tilled! R., Blessed be He Who chose You for our husbandman!
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And if so be Your words are too little, till our land with deeds, that amid much tillage, stock and root may be strengthened. Better is a goodly deed, than the hearing of ten thousand words. Your seed shall yield an hundredfold, and the after crop sixtyfold, yea that which grows of itself thirtyfold. R., Blessed be He Who multiplied Your increase!
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That light should be darkened it is not meet, that salt should lose its savour it is not right; defilement for the head is not seemly, nor yet foulness for the mirror. Nor if medicines have lost their savour sicknesses also are not cured; and if so be the torch is quenched, the stumbling also are many. Your light shall chase away our darkness. R., Blessed be He Who has made You our lamp!
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Appoint for you scribes and judges, exactors also and dispensers, overseers also and officers: to each assign his work, lest haply by care should be rusted, or by anxiety should be distracted, the mind and the tongue, wherewith you offer supplication, for the expiation of all the people. R., Blessed be He Who makes illustrious Your ministry!
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That he should purge his mind, and cleanse also his tongue; that he should purify his hands, and make his whole body to shine; this is too little for the priest and his title, who offers the Living Body. Let him cleanse all himself at all hours; for he stands as mediator, between God and mankind. R., Blessed be He Who has cleansed His ministers!