Hymn LIV.
1. Hear, O Freedom, the dispute of two servants: how they are convicted by each other, that they are powerless.--2. R., To Thee be glory by Whose humiliation Adam was exalted: and by Whose death he was raised, and regained Eden!--3. If then the Evil One overcome thee, great is the shame: Death his comrade has convicted him, as being weak.--4. And if again Death subdue thee, lo! what reproach: for the Evil One his comrade derides him, as but a shadow.--5. Their dispute is for thee a mirror, wherein thou mayest see: that they both are but as chaff, before thy breath.--6. Yea and Prophets and Apostles, in their promises: assure thee that they like flowers, shall fade at the rising.--7. S., Thou, Death, art he whom they hate, the quick and dead: for every combination thou dissolvest, and destroyest.--8. D., It is not open death that kills, O Satan: thy death which is secret kills the sons of men.--9. S., My name is not hateful as thine, for the angel: showed himself in Satan's likeness to Balaam on the way.--10. D., How fit is this thy name, O Satan: who hast erred and made unwary Adam err, from the way!--11. S., Wander not like one ignorant, and lose thy cause: dispute, O Death, if thou are competent, for replying.--12.D., I know that thou art wily, O Satan: so that thou out of sand canst twist a snare.--13. S., Thy disputing, Death, is ended: for he who is worsted: when his words fail and are ended, begins to rail.--14. D., Among all I am conqueror, and by thee am I worsted? Let Adam persuade thee whom I have overcome, O Satan!--15. S., I am he who bound Adam, and cast him before thee: the mighty man whom my wiles had bound, thou didst come and subdue.--16. D., I am he who have been crowned anew, with a diadem in the world: for Adam, chief of the mighty, I hold captive in Sheol.--17. S., I killed him by secret death, even Adam when he sinned: thou, Death, hast slain one that was dead, killed by me.--18. D., In thy desire to conquer, Evil One, thou hast made thyself hated: for thou art Death as well as Satan, and this seems a little thing to thee.--19. S., Thou hast then been silenced, Death, as a weakling: for neither in words nor in deeds, hast thou strength to stand.--20. D., It is for thy evil thou conquerest, O Evil One, if thou discernest: thy crown is wholly of shame, if thou perceivest.--21. I shall be defeated and thou shalt be cursed, O Satan: it is well for me to be ignorant, and not mischievous.--22. Blessed be the Just One who divided them, though they were quite of one mind: Blessed be the Good One who made us of one mind, when we were divided.--23. I will overcome the Evil One through Thy forgiveness, O All-Merciful: and I shall overcome death through Thy Resurrection, O All-Life-giver!
Hymn LV.
1. Lo! the Evil One reproached Death, and was in turn reproached: from each and to each and against each, were their taunts.--2. R., To Thee be glory, Son of the Lord of All, Who diedst for all: for He was raised to give life to all, in the day of His Coming!--3. S., Jonah who conquered thee, and returned back from Sheol, became my advocate in asking, why sinners were spared?--4. D., Slander not, O Evil One, the son of Amittai: he showed a face of anger, that they might praise thee more.--5. S., Quite powerless is all thy persuasion, O tyrant Death: for there pleases me nothing, of all thou hast said.--6. D., For when was the word of truth pleasing to thee? A gulf is between thee and truthfulness, O lying one.--7. I am righteous all my days, with nought to repent: I am he that rescues from thee the sons of men.--8. S., Proclaim thy repentance, Death, thou art well come: lo! Saul also among the prophets, great cause of scorn.--9. If thou, Death, be justified, then for myself: I cut not off hope, likewise, of repentance.--10. D., No idol with my Lord have I made, O hater of thy Lord! lo! thou by dead idols, slayest the living.--11. S., That thou, Death, art half of me, I know, and I half of thee: if half of me repents, it repents, but I marvel.--12. D., Thy partner am I in share, but not in sin: mine are the slain and thine the slayers, whom thou madest sin.--13. S., My craftiness weeps for itself, when I dispute with thee: my wiles mourn over me, when I meet thee.--14. D., Workers of witchcraft and soothsayers, with all their offences: the fire that thou kindledst in the world, in Sheol I have quenched.--15. S., Thou penitent who strainest out gnats, and swallowest the just: the chaste shall rend thee, who cry, from within thy belly.--16. D., It is the treasure-house where I keep all the righteous: their resurrection threatens ill to thee, who didst persecute them.--17. S., The greedy one who carries all creatures, in his bowels: lo! he casts up to me that I am robbed, of my possessions.--18. D., Before the stroke lament not, for it has not yet reached thee: the day will come when thou shalt cry out, and I shall hear and rejoice.--19. The fire will come that shall strip off thee thy very skin: as by the potsherd thou didst strip the skin of Job.--20. D., The savour of sloth begins, as if to hover on me; it is then a dream that I ceased, for a short space.--21. It was not that words failed me, and therefore I was silent: it is for the time I grieve, that has passed idly.--22. The hurt done by thy speech is very great: would I had not heard it! For my whole mind is intent upon my work.--23. This humankind that is lost, was undone by wandering thought: slothfulness, with negligence, brought it under yoke.--24. The madness of desire bid for wealth, and bought it: contention with boastfulness, were the sureties.--25. With persistence for strength, I wage my war: and if I neglect but a little, my sway is naught.--26. By continual dropping, I clean the rocks: for continual dropping can dissolve even a mountain.--27. Habit even over nature, becomes master: it trains and leads even lions, as beasts of burden.--28. Habit, repose, and increase, with persistence; by these is freedom conquered, though stubborn above all.--29. If its will be firmly set, it breaks the fetters; but if lax, a fragile net, can capture it.--30. If so be that Freedom shouts, we are scattered: but if she be silent we gather together, to mock at her.--31. Let us cease from much speaking, lest it lead to much sloth: with one mind let us assail the wall, and lo! it is broken down.--32. S., Go thou and see to diseases, and I to snares: for to me sins and to thee pestilences, are great solace.--33. And even though I have paused, I have not paused from my cares: for my will at no time rests, but is ready.
Hymn LVI.
1. With Freedom is thy struggle, O Evil One: it can cast on thee a muzzle, if it so please.--2. R., To Thee be glory in whose victory we have gained strength: and in whose resurrection we defy even Death itself!--3. Lo! again these two exposed each other, how weak both are: Death reminded the Evil One of thy mightiness (O Freedom).--4. Thy fire is in thy nest, O Death, and thou perceivest not: the fate of the departed, to thee is overthrow.--5. Lo! Death and the Evil One proclaim thy mightiness (O Freedom): yea, the Evil One calls to mind thy faith.--6. If then these that were against thee are on thy side: this is a great thing that thy persecutors have become thy heralds,--7. D., I confess, O Evil One, that as usury: I lay up the King's treasures, till His Coming.--8. S., I, O Death, rather deny that this belongs to God: this treasure of subtlety, which I have stored.--9. D., Thy coinage is fraudulent, then, O Satan: that into the treasuries of God, is not received.--10. S., A new coinage do I coin, in kingly wise: lo! my merchantmen bring loss, into the world.--11. God created everything out of nothing: and I created great sin out of nothing--12. D., Closed and bound be thy mouth, Evil One, who art thus bold: to set thyself, lo! in comparison with the Creator.--13. S., To me, O Death, it is lawful to dare and speak: thy tongue, even thine, is a slave, and under fear.--14. D., A gulf is henceforth between us, O Satan: for madly against thy Lord, lo! thou assailest.--15. S., Wherefore doubtest thou, O Death, of our concord? Be to us comrade and member: and lo! we reign.--16. Come, draw we our pair of swords, against mankind: I secretly, thou openly, and lo! we end them.--17. Sin and Sheol they too gave counsel to those two: saying "If ye be divided, ye are undone."--18. See the waters how if dispersed, they run low: but if gathered they gain strength, and thus ye likewise.--19. If divided ye perish, as the feeble: but yoked together ye reign, as the mighty.--20. Love melts down many, as in a furnace: and makes one powerful mass, that overcomes all.--21. In it are wisdom and cunning, and force and power: it is greater far than an image of sixty cubits.--22. Be reconciled, let us assemble and go, against that party: which if it be at one can never be defeated.--23. These things the troublers discoursed, and gathered and came: Thy day, Lord, will gather them, into Gehenna.--24. Through Thy mercy, Lord, will I worship Thee, when I have risen: at Thy trumpet I will praise Thy Son, when I am purged.
Hymn LVII.
1. Listen, my brethren, to Death, mocking the Evil One: that caused the head of our race to sin, and its mother.--2. R., To Thee be glory that by Thy humiliation, Satan is subdued: and that Thy abasement has exalted Adam, who was abased.--3. D., Thy great nakedness shall be seen, by the sons of Adam; as thou mockedst his nakedness, when thou madest him sin.--4. Eve will cease from that serpent, and rail at thee: for thou, O Dragon, wast he that beguiled her simpleness.--5. Abel will see him, even, Cain, who has come to thee: the disciple of his wrath will blame his cursed master.--6. S., Noah who conquered the flood, as it were death: by the mouth of Ham I laughed at, when wine overcame him.--7. D., Noah was not harmed, but thy garment, wherewith thou clothedst him: even cursings, he put on, and became a slave.--8. S., Lot who overcame anger which is, thy likeness, Death: to his daughters I gave such counsels, as were pleasing to me.--9. D., And Lot's wife who was thy vessel hearkened, to thy counsel: may half of thee be dried up, as thy whole vessel was dried up!--10. Gehenna be overturned, upon thy head: as thy malice overturned Sodom, its dwellers!--11. Floods of fire be stirred against thee, in the resurrection: who against Moses and Elijah, didst stir the people!--12. Let the just mock thee at the last, and Joseph rejoice! whose brethren mocked him, set on by thee!--13. Let vapour of smoke come in, and choke thy senses: as the waters of the sea choked, the senses of the wicked! --14. Let chaste women also mock thee, by whose counsel: the daughters of Midian mocked, the foolish people!--15. Flame be kindled on thy head, for Samson's sake: for by a woman thou shavedst his locks, that lion of strength!--16. S., Saul whom I conquered by envy, by witchcraft conquered thee: for he asked for and brought up Samuel, out of his grave.--17. D., Slander not the living dead, for he came not up: thou wast he that came up in the phantom for thou wast worthy.--18. Let the commandment hang thee over the flame, thou Evil One! for by thee they hanged Absalom, upon a tree.--19. In the fire mayst thou see thyself humbled, among vile women! for Solomon by thee was degraded, among profane women.--20. Justice be measured to thee, as thou didst inflame her! even Jezebel who devoured the prophets, thou kindledst her.--21. In fire mayst thou justly burn, who madest them drunken! the two whom Elijah burnt up, when they went up and assailed him.--22. On thee also be coals heaped! may he see and rejoice: that Naboth in whom thou heapedst, a pile of stones!--23. Be thou clad in scorn in the day of judgment, before all beholders! who clothedst Gehasi in a leprosy, by means of thy theft.--24. With lightning for a dart be thou pierced, O Satan! who in the heart of Josiah, didst fix thy darts.--25. Sink thou in the dregs of Gehenna, O Satan! who didst sink Jeremiah in the mire of the pit.--26. Daniel escaped from the pit, whither thou didst cast him: may he have comfort in seeing thee, in the furnace for ever!--27. Be thy wickedness returned on thy head, Hater of man: as his wickedness was returned on the head, of Haman thy fellow! --28. May the King's Bride mock thee, as did Esther: when thou beseechest her in the judgment-day, to plead for thee!--29. Fire released the righteous ones, whom thou hadst bound: a mighty bond be to thee, the flame of fire!--30. Be thou torn in sunder, and may the seven brothers, see thy defeat: the sons of Shemuni who by thy wolves, were torn in sunder!--31. May fire triumph over thy pate, as thou didst mock: the two heads of Nazarites, sons of the barren!--32. May fire make mock of thy head, for mother and daughter: triumphed over John's head, when thou didst madden them!--33. Flame triumphed over thy head, O Evil One: for on the charges thou didst triumph, over John's head!