Hymn LVIII.
1. Lo! Death was prompt beforehand, to mock Satan: him who was doomed to become a mockery at the last.--2. R., Glory to Thee Who by Thy crucifixion, didst conquer the Evil One: and by Thy resurrection gain victory, likewise over Death!--3. And for our Lord's sake Death spake curses on him: who was the cause of His shame, and crucifixion.--4. D., The fiery pit be thy grave, O Satan: who blasphemedst the Voice from the grave, that rent the graves--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.--6. This is the name that fits thee, "Slayer of thy Lord": when He appears Whom thou slewest, He shall slay thee.--7. At thee shall every one shake the head, for by thee the chiefs: shook their heads at Him, the Lord of life.--8. A bruised reed under the feet, of the just shalt thou be: for through thee they put a reed in His hand, Who upholds all.--9. With a crown of thorns was He crowned, to signify: that He took the diadem of the kingdom, of the house of David.--10. With a crown of thorns was He crowned, the King of kings: but He took the diadem of the king, of those that shamed him.--11. In the robes of mockery that they gave him, in those He mocked them: for He took the raiment of glory, of priests and kings.--12. To vinegar is thy memory akin, O thou Satan: who didst offer vinegar for the thirst, of the Fount of Life.--13. The hand shall every man lift against thee who strengthenedst the hand that smote Him by Whose hand, all creatures stand.--14. He was smitten by the hand and He cut off the hand, of Caiaphas: the hand of the priesthood is cut off, in the cutting off of the unction.--15. On the pillar again they stretched Him, as for scourging: Him Whose pillar went before, to guide their tribes.--16. The pillar on the pillar, He was scourged: He removed Himself from out of Zion, and its fall came.--17. When they put two beams together, to form the Cross: He broke them, even the two staves, the guardians of them.--18. Ezekiel put together the sticks, the two in one: in the two beams of the Cross, their staves have ceased.--19. The two sticks, as it were wings, bore the people: lo! his two staves were broken, even as his wings.--20. The bosom and wings of the Cross, He opened in mercy: its pinions bowed and bore the nations, to go to Eden.--21. It is akin to the Tree of Life, and unto the son of its stock: it leads its beloved that on its boughs, they may feed on its fruits.--22. Go howl and weep, Evil One, for me and for you: for not one of us shall enter the "Garden of Life."--23. S., Now that thou hast confessed O Death, come let me tell thee: that all this discourse of thine, to me is idle talk.--24. I will go and watch the snares, which I have set: thou too, Death, fly and look after, all that are sick.--25. Our Lord has brought both to nought, on either hand: the Evil One shall be brought to nought here, and Death hereafter there.
Hymn LIX.
1. Lo! Death for us on Satan, inflicts vengeance: come let us hear his shame and rejoice, for he rejoiced in our shame.--2. R., To Thee be glory from Thy flock, from Thee: are subdued both Death and Satan, under Thy Feet!--3. D., Evil ones shall be hung upright, but thou, head downward: for, reversely, thou crucifiedst, Simon on the tree.--4. S., Touching all else I am silent, Death, for my time wanes: Simon himself conjured me, "Crucify me thus."--5. Were it the just that cursed me, I had not grieved: the curse of Death unto me, is worse than hell.--6. D., The shame of our Lord I have not spoken of, it is too great for my mouth: that I should weigh and compare His Passion, with Thy torment.--7. Twelve judgment thrones shall He set, for His Twelve: for by the twelve tribes thou, even thou, shall be condemned.--8. A halter unbought shalt thou hang thee, O thou Satan: as that Thy disciple hung him, a halter for a price.--9. Haply yon hell in mercy, shall be emptied: and thou shalt dwell there alone, with Thy ministers.--10. Manifold are Thy curses, and how shall I count them? Lo! the sum of all thy curses, is on thy members.--11. The evil in the fire shall stab thee, who madest them evil: they shall upbraid thee "wherefore, broughtest thou us hither?"--12. Sinners shall rail against thee, and haply their threats: shall be worse to thee than the torment, of yonder hell.--13. These shall be unto thee there, all of them Satans: as thou hast been to them here, the one Satan.--14. The Watchers shall seize and hurl thee down, calling to mind: how through thee men hurled their Lord, from the height to the depth.--15. All men will run to stone thee, not forgetting that through thee the maddened people ran, to stone their Maker.--16. On thee, Evil One, from all mouths shall be, the spitting of wrath: for through thee they spat on Him Whose spittle, gave sight to the blind.--17. On thee, Evil One, from all tongues, shall be all curses: for through thee men blasphemed Him, Who opened dumb mouths.--18. Blessed is He Who avenged our wrong, though in silence: and stirred up Death against the Evil One, to fall upon him!--19. Sound we Hosannas, my brethren, as did Gideon: [353] who when he sounded, the oppressors, fell on one another!
[353] Judg. vii. 18-22.
Hymn LX.
1. O what amazement befel the Evil One, of a sudden, my brethren: when the sinful woman was corrected, and gained Wisdom!--2. R., Glory to the One Who alone, conquered the Evil One; and to Him yea Him be also confession, Who vanquished Death!--3. The Evil One marvelled "Where is her laughter? where her perfumes? where her dancing and outward ornament, and inward wickedness?"--4. Instead of that light laughter, she is given up to tears: She has cut off her hair to wipe the dust, off the feet of Jesus.--5. Naught lasts in her of any doctrine, nor abides in her: from our instruction she has escaped and cast away, all that I taught her.--6. She has denied us and our acquaintance, and even as though: she had never seen me she has blotted my image, out of her mind.--7. The living leaven of Jesus flew to her, Jesus was silent: but she made bold to press and enter, though none called her.--8. She forgot our love of many years, and in the twinkling of an eye: from between me and her she removed it, and set Death there.--9. For instead of laughter weeping delights her, and instead of paint: a shower of tears, and instead of ornament, a sad countenance.--10. Zaccheus I made chief of extortioners, and her I made: chief of wantons; my two wings, Jesus has broken.--11. If so be Zaccheus becomes his disciple, and if so be she: becomes his hearer, henceforth they fetter, my craftiness.--12. Carved images henceforth are a mockery and the carvers: a derision, and the worshippers a laughing-stock.--13. I shut men's eyes that they might not perceive, that they are carved images: Jesus opens their eyes to see that they are the works of men's hands.--14. If Jesus has chosen for Himself preachers, then our preaching: whereof the whole world is full, is put to silence.--15. For lo! the Chaldeans with the soothsayers, and lo! the wizards: with the diviners they are smitten and the priests, with all evil ones!--16. Ye priests are ended and have given up the Ghost from henceforth, depart ye diviners! become husbandmen, the Chaldeans likewise, shall close their books.--17. If the Hebrews have become His disciples, who by all miracles: were not subdued, who of the nations, shall not obey him?--18. If he begins to set straight the reverse, He brings to naught our speech: henceforth He will not hesitate against us, He who rebukes all men.--19. In that I was worshipped in all temples, our disgrace is greater: than our honour was, for all men spit, upon our altars.--20. Flesh of sacrifice becomes abhorred, into fragments: idols are broken, and carven images burn, under their pots.--21. All our work becomes a laughing-stock, and a ruin: all that we have built, and a mockery, all that we have taught.--22. The secret mysteries that I taught them, laboriously: are about to be spread abroad, on the housetops.--23. Of the Egyptians I was more proud, than of any nation: for they used to worship even, the onions and garlic.--24. Lo! I fear lest even here, where delusion was so great: truth shall prevail that there exceedingly, Jesus may reign.--25. And if when He was an infant, and fled and went down, Egypt marvelled: yea lulled him--this strangler of babes, loved their Babe.--26. Was it a pledge He went down to give her, as a betrother: giving assurance that when of full age, He will also take her to wife?--27. Pharaoh cannot set his foot firm, for this is no stammerer: that he should deceive Him, and no bondman, that he should lie unto Him.--28. Moses smote and the Egyptians rebelled, and he chastised the people: and the Hebrews rebelled--Jesus is smitten, and gives life to all.--29. This is hard to understand that not by force; lays He His yoke: on the rebellious: He was rebuked, and He instructs others.--30. The spittle of His mouth, wiped off and took away, the shame of Adam: by the smiting of His cheeks, He rooted out our wrathfulness, from His disciples.--31. By the nails which he received, He made me to suffer. I rejoiced when I crucified Him: and I knew not that He was crucifying me, in His crucifixion.
Hymn LXI.
1. In wisdom let us hearken to Death, O my beloved: how he accuses us for our weeping, and for our mourning.--2. R., To thee be praise Who cameth down, to follow Adam: and foundest Adam and also in the children of Adam.--3. And rightly perhaps he says, "Ye slay: without mercy and lo! ye weep, as though merciful."--4. Ye have made me as a cruel one, O ye murderers: for ye slay one another, without my help!--5. While Death was but desiring to come, the sword came before him: let us see then against whom cries out, the blood of the slain.--6. Against you cry out the strangled, who were suffocated: for it shames me of the rope, of their strangulations.--7. They take away from me even my rest, for without me: how could the strangled and the slain, enter Sheol?--8. Lo! your infants are cast out, as those in Egypt: your sons have ye sacrificed to demons, O demoniacs!--9. While Death was but desiring to taste, of your corpses: Cain refreshed me beforehand, with blood of man.--10. While I was but desiring to wait patiently, till Adam should die: before I had power ye gave me power, over your bodies.--11. Cain with his sword overthrew, the gate of Sheol: for it was closed and before the time, he first opened it.--12. He by treading made the way of Sheol, without my help: for in the way ye have trodden out for me, lo! I walk therein.--13. Nine hundred years I sat and waited, for Adam to die: but Cain not even a day, endured his brother.--14. Robbers upon the highways, are worse than I: I am slumbering while they, are watching to slay.--15. Lo! your slaughtered in the graves, and your murdered in your ways; and your strangled upon your stakes!--16. "If I rebelled against my lord, yea and slew him: who was he that slew these here," said Jehu.--17. And if I Death have taken, your departed: the strangled, the slain, and the slaughtered, who was it slew them?--18. Ye are Satan to each other, and the Evil One is abhorred: ye are pestilence to each other, and Death is blamed!--19. Your own will to you is Satan, yea and a murderer: but of Death and of Satan, all men complain.--20. Poison of Death ye give also to drink, each to other: lo! how many Deaths have ye, beside me.--21. Wiles, stratagems, yea and snares, sword and poison: how many Deaths from you and in you, lo! are there born.--22. The judge in the judgment-hall, is a second Death: he slays for secret reward, but I for naught.--23. I have seen bribery and marvelled at it, that ran and outran me: how many slain does bribery, slay, and none perceives!--24. I am ashamed that so unskilfully, I conduct myself: if I take even one corpse, all men perceive it.--25. In the houses weeping and in the streets, also wailing: and even unto the gates of Sheol, they groan over me.--26. Groan over yourselves that ye are thus hateful, and ye hate me: Sheol henceforth shall groan over you, O murderers!--27. With torture, scourging and fire, yea with stoning: ye put to death the sons of men, and ye are proud!--28. I am more modest than you and merciful, also reverent: for with reverence I bear away, your departed.--29. On the bed I deal gently, with him that is sick: and quietly I lay him to sleep, for but a while.