The Dispute of the Months in Sureth and Its East-Syriac Vorlage

Witnesses

In 1896 Lidzbarski published a Sureth (Christian North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic) version of the Dispute of the Months.1 In the present paper I intend to republish this text with an English translation and with a provisional edition of its East-Syriac Vorlage.

The Sureth text is preserved in a miscellaneous multilingual manuscript of the Berlin Sachau collection (Berlin 134, Sachau 336),2 written in 1883 by the copyist Fransi (Francis) Mērī of Telkepe, a major Chaldean center near Mosul. The same copyist wrote a number of other Sureth manuscripts of the Sachau collection, which bears witness to the interest of Eduard Sachau in the languages spoken in northern Iraq and south-eastern Turkey. Berlin 134 is a good example of Sachau’s choices in collecting texts. 3 It contains:

• a Kurdish Garshuni erotic poem; 4
• Sureth erotic triplets; 5
• the famous Sureth poem by David the Blind on the Virgin Mary (b-shemmā d-bābā w-bronā), which is a kind of national anthem for the Chaldeans of the plain of Mosul;6
• the Story of Aḥiqar7 and
• Aesopic fables in Classical Syriac;
• Sureth poems:
  • 6.a The Dispute of the Months,
  • 6.b The Dispute of Gold and Wheat,
  • 6.c The Girl Māmoy Loved by a Bishop in Azerbaidjan,
  • 6.d The Dispute of Cup, Jar and Wineskin,
  • 6.e Satan and the Sinful Woman,8
  • 6.f Simon Magus and Simon Peter,9
  • 6.g The Cherub and the Thief,10
  • 6.h Mary and the Gardener;11
• the prose story of a Duenna (kahrāmānā) and a Young Prince.12

Lidzbarski published the Sureth texts of the three dispute poems: The Dispute of the Months, The Dispute of Gold and Wheat and The Dispute of Cup, Jar and Wineskin, the latter preceded by a short Classical Syriac dialogue poem of a new friend who asks to be admitted to a company of drinkers.13 He copied en face the Arabic translation by Jeremiah Shamir, who was the key figure for Sachau’s activities as a collector of texts and purchaser of manuscripts in northern Iraq.14

In a footnote at the beginning of his German translation of the disputes, Lidzbarski observes that this kind of Wettstreite appear to be rather popular among the East Syrians, whom he called the “Nestorians”, and that they also occur in Arabic literature, where the Dispute of Pen and Sword appears to be one of the favorite themes.15

Thanks to numerous studies and text editions by Sebastian Brock, hymns that have the structure of dialogue or dispute poems form one of the best-known genres in Classical Syriac literature.16 In 1985, Brock published and translated into English a number of Classical Syriac and Jewish Aramaic poems concerning the months of the year.17 Among them we find the Dispute of the Months and the Dispute of Gold and Wheat. For the Dispute of Gold and Wheat, Brock had at his disposal only the late East-Syriac version preserved in the manuscript Cambridge Add. 2820 and the Sureth free poetic adaptation published by Lidzbarski. For the Dispute of the Months, Brock chose as the base text for his edition the ms. Add. 17141 of the British Library (henceforth A; dated to the eighth-ninth century on paleographic grounds). This manuscript is one of the earliest West Syriac collections of madrāshā and soghithā hymns, which are intended for liturgical use but are not yet ordered according to the liturgical calendar. Brock collated the text of A with three other versions of the Dispute. The first six-and-a-half verses of the poem are quoted by Anton of Tagrit (9th century) in his handbook of rhetoric as an example of personification (R). As for the Dispute of Gold and Wheat, Brock had at his disposal the late East Syriac (B) and the Sureth (S) versions of the Dispute of the Months.

When they are available, the variants of the quotation by Anton of Tagrit (R) are often preferable to the text preserved in the West-Syriac version of A. In some cases, the text of R corresponds to the late East Syriac version (B). The East-Syriac version is meanwhile known from witnesses other than B, which was the only East-Syriac manuscript available to Brock. For the present, provisional edition of the East-Syriac text, I collated four manuscripts and the text of an early 20th-century Alqosh manuscript as published by Shleymon Ḥoshaba in his 2002 edition of the Book of Khamis bar Qardaḥē.

• Baghdad Church of the East 6 (1719), 214-6
• Baghdad Church of the East 10 (19th cent.?), 226-3218
• Cambridge Add. 2820 (Telkepe 1881), 98a-99b (B; collated by Brock)
• Chaldean Monastery 921 (Alqosh 1906)19
• Trichur 25 (19th-20th cent.?), 86a-b

The East-Syriac dispute poems were included in two types of manuscript collections of soghyāthā: in books of soghyāthā ordered according to the liturgical calendar (Baghdad 6) and in late manuscripts that preserve the second part of the Book of Khamis (Baghdad 10, Chaldean Monastery 921, Trichur 25). In this second type of manuscripts, the disputes are thus implicitly attributed to the late 13th-century East Syriac poet Khamis bar Qardaḥe.20 Cambridge Add. 2820 is somewhat in between the two types of manuscripts, in that it contains soghyāthā for liturgical use as well as a number of poems of the Khamis collection.

The East-Syriac copies most likely derive from a common archetype and there is very little, almost exclusively orthographic variation among them. The Sureth version clearly reflects a text similar to the East-Syriac archetype. The translator renders the seven syllable lines of the original in lines of seven or eight syllables, possibly compatible with the melody according to which the hymn was sung. However, in accordance with the taste of Late Syriac and Modern Aramaic poetry, he stabilizes as AAAA the rhyme that in the original occurs sparsely and in rather irregular patterns (1b-1d, 3a-3b-3d, 4a-4b-4c, 6a-6b, 7a-7b, 7c-7d, 15b-15d. 16a-16b).

The scribe of the Sureth version uses the customary phonetic rather than phonological spelling of northern Iraqi manuscripts. For example, he interchangeably uses e and ē, a and ā: compare, e.g., 12a pleṭlē ... tamoz with 14a tāmoz plēṭlē. One remarkable feature of this text is the hypercorrect use of the linea occultans for matres lectionis such as y in ܟܸܡܩܵܪܹܝ݇ܠܸܐ (12c) and ܡܸܪܹܝ݇ܠܹܐ (12d). In ܛܸܐ݇ܡܵܐ for ܛܲܥܡܵܐ ‘taste’ and ܟܝܵܐ݇ܒܼܝܼ for ܟܝܵܗ݇ܒܼܝܼ ‘they give’ (13b) the system of historical spelling and linea occultans clearly seizes up. The word ܟܼܵܘܿܪܹܗ (15a) seems to be an odd combination of the vowels of the historical spelling (ܚܵܒܼܪܹܗ) and the phonetic rendering of the actual pronunciation (ܟܼܘܿܪܹܗ).

Syriac Dispute Poems as Oral Poetry

If we compare the East-Syriac version of the Dispute of the Months, including its Sureth poetic adaptation, with the West-Syriac text (A) published by Brock,21 we find a higher degree of textual variation, as is typical of oral tradition.

In both versions, the Syriac Dispute of the Months appears as a complete calendar in verses, inserted in the incomplete frame of a Mesopotamian dispute.22 The deity who plays the role of arbiter and judge in the Mesopotamian dispute is here replaced by the personification of the year, who sits among the months to judge their case (v. 1). However, the prologue in heaven is not closed at the end by the epilogue, where the winner is usually proclaimed in the Mesopotamian dispute.

As is typical for oral poetry, the poetic language of the text is formulaic. The term “formula” is here intended in the technical sense that has been developed and refined in the context of the study of oral traditions.23 Formulas and, more generally, repetition create a rhythmical text that is easy to memorize, recite, and improvise for a vocal performer and easy to be decoded and understood by the audience. The Dispute of the Months is built on formulas that make the structure of the text transparent. They mark the rotation of characters on stage, introduce the name of the month that is going to speak, and repeat the name of the month that is leaving the scene. Moreover, the months usually start their speech using formulas that contain the semiotic pair “to speak, tell” and “to give ear, listen” that verbalizes and stylizes the poet-audience interaction in oral/aural transmission: 24 e.g., “Nisan went out and Iyyar came in to say these words: “... Come, give ear and listen!” (v. 5).25

The West-Syriac version has also a refrain, construed with the combination of formulas occurring elsewhere in the text: ‘Come and listen to what the months have to say and give praise to their Creator!’ (transl. by Brock 1985). The refrain points to a choral performance of the text in the context of liturgy, which is a very specific performance arena of oral poems: no matter how they are composed and preserved, hymns are supposed to be performed vocally.

Compared to the 23 verses of the West-Syriac version (A), the seventeen verses of the East-Syriac version appear to have or, perhaps, to have preserved the character of a simpler folk ballad, rather than a liturgical hymn concerned with Biblical references or theological and exegetical matters. In the East-Syriac version we do not find vv. 8 and 21-23 of A, that contain explicit references to Mary, Jesus, John the Baptist, and his mother Elisabeth and are thus possibly added to a text that otherwise speaks of seasons, fruits, peasants’ life, the economy, even war (sickles as swords), and the power of a king.

The only Christian themes preserved by both versions are Christmas and Jesus’ Baptism in the closing verses and the cross carried by the months Ab and Illul (August and September) on their shoulders (v. 14 in the East-Syriac and v. 16 in the West-Syriac text), as a possible allusion to the feast of the Holy Cross, celebrated respectively on September 13th and 14th by the East and West Syrians.

The absence in the East-Syriac version of the Christian characters mentioned in the West-Syriac text and the fast pace of its shorter text make the dispute, in which every month praises itself, a kind of prelude for a Christmas carol. The increasing tension of the discussion focuses all the attention on the final verse, in which December and January defend themselves from the other months’ mockery and reply that precisely in them, which are sterile and seemingly insignificant for agriculture and human economy, Jesus was born and was baptized. “By His birth He made all things rejoice”: Divine economy reverses the fortunes of the winter months that cannot let people rejoice with their flowers and fruits.

The differences in wording and text character of the two versions of the Dispute of the Months can be perfectly understood in the context of the oral and mixed (written and oral) traditions in which they have been produced, preserved, and transmitted. Textual variation should be interpreted not so much in the negative sense of alteration, contamination, or distortion of an original, but as a product of the creative process typical of oral poetry. Each version of an oral text differs from the other, not only because songs are continuously reshaped by the skills of the performers (memory, improvisation, free recombination of formulas, motifs, stylistic, rhythmical and melodic figures, virtuosity...) but also because they are adapted to different audiences, listeners, and performance arenas. A traditional repertoire of themes (description of nature and human society or references to the Bible in our dispute) are combined in calendars in which the religious elements come more or less to the fore according to the type of texts that the author wants to bring into play, in balance between the needs and preferences of liturgy and pedagogical entertainment.26

The West-Syriac text is more clearly a hymn, whereas the East-Syriac text and its Sureth poetic translation seem to reduce explicit references to Christian culture, so as to preserve themes and atmosphere of more archaic folk ballads, not necessarily Christian, and highlight, by contrast, the final verse on Christmas. It is difficult to say which version of the text is earlier. Both ultimately derive from the same oral tradition.

The East-Syriac Text

Another poem on the months	ܐ݇ܚܪܹܬܼܵܐ ܕܝܲܪ̈ܚܹܐ ܕܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ
The months of the Year gather together to tell the story of their products. The Year is seated like a lord to listen to the case that came up among them.	ܝܲܪ̈ܚܲܝ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܡܸܬܼܟܲܢܫܝܼܢ.ܠܡܸܬܼܢܵܐ ܫܲܪܒܵܐ ܕܥܲܠ̈ܠܵܬܼܗܘܿܢ.ܘܝܵܬܼܒܵܐ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܐܲܝܟ ܡܵܪܬܵܐ27.ܕܬܸܫܡܲܥ ܕܝܼܢܵܐ ܕܒܲܝܢܵܬܼܗܘܿܢ܀	1
Nisan came in and raised his voice to say these words: ‘The Year is not as pleased with you all, months, as he is with me.	ܥܲܠܼ ܠܹܗ ܢܝܼܣܵܢ28 ܘܩܵܠܹܗ ܪܵܡ.ܘܡܸܠܹ̈ܐ ܗܵܠܹܝܢ ܐܸܡܲܪ ܗ݇ܘܼܵܐ.ܕܠܵܐ ܦܨܝܼܚܵܐ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܡܼܢ ܡܬܼܘܿܡ29.ܒܟܼܠܗܘܿܢ ܝܲܪ̈ܚܹܐ ܐܲܟܼܡܵܐ ܕܒܼܝܼ܀	2
In me new things take place and good tidings are announced. In me the Lord adorns the mountains like candles when they give light.	ܒܝܼ ܚܲܕ̈ܬܼܵܬܼܵܐ ܡܸܣܬܲܥܪ̈ܵܢ.30ܘܒܼܝܼ ܣܲܒܼܪ̈ܵܬܼܵܐ ܡܸܣܬܲܒܿܪ̈ܵܢ.ܘܒܼܝܼ ܛܘܼܪܹ̈ܐ ܡܨܲܒܸܿܬܼ31 ܡܵܪܝܵܐ.ܐܲܝܟ ܩܲܢܕܹ̈ܝܠܹܐ ܡܵܐ ܕܢܵܗܪܵܢ܀	3
In me the cycles of the sun extend and the hours of the day grow longer. In me swallows sing melodies of sweet notes.’	ܓܝܼ̈ܓܼܠܲܝ32 ܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܡܵܬܼ̈ܚܵܢ.ܘܫܵܥܲܝ̈ ܝܵܘܡܵܐ ܒܝܼ33 ܝܵܪ̈ܟܼܵܢ.ܘܲܣܢܘܿܢ̈ܝܵܬܼܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܠܵܥ̈ܙܵܢ.ܩܵܠܹ̈ܐ ܚ̈ܠܲܝܵܐ ܕܢܸܥ̈ܡܵܬܼܵܐ܀	4
Nisan went out and Iyyar came in to say these words: ‘Go, Nisan! You are not better than me. Stop your chatter! Come, give ear and listen!	ܢܦܲܩܼ ܠܹܗ ܢܝܼܣܵܢ ܐܝܼܵܪ ܥܲܠܼ.ܘܡܸܠܹ̈ܐ ܗܵܠܹܝܢ ܐܵܡܲܪ ܗ݇ܘܼܵܐ.ܕܙܹܠ34 ܢܝܼܣܵܢ ܠܵܐ ܛܵܒܼ ܐܲܢ݇ܬܿ ܡܹܢܝ.ܫܠܸܡ35 ܡܸܠܲܝ̈ܟ ܬܵܐ ܨܘܼܬܼ ܘܲܫܡܲܥ܀	5
In me bloom much-desired roses, in me sweet scents send forth their fragrance. In me a crown of the Year is woven and the hearts of labourers rejoice.	ܘܲܪ̈ܕܹܐ ܪ̈ܓܼܝܼܓܹܐ ܒܝܼ ܦܵܩܚܝܼܢ.ܘܣܵܘ̈ܩܲܝ36 ܪܹܝܚܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܒܵܣܡܝܼܢ37.ܘܲܟܠܝܼܠ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܡܸܬܼܓܿܕܸܠ38.ܘܚܵܕܹܐ ܠܸܒܵܐ ܕܦܲܠܵܚܹ̈ܐ܀	6
In me the ears of corn grow tall in the field, blades grow thick and tall, when beards grow on the tips of the ears at the command of the Lord their Maker.’	ܫܸܒ̈ܠܲܝ ܚܲܩܠܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܝܵܪ̈ܒܵܢ.ܘܫܵܘ̈ܚܵܢ ܣܵܠܩܵܢ̈ ܐܦ ܪ̈ܵܒܼܝܵܢ.ܟܲܕ ܚܲܣܠܵܣܹ̈ܐ39 ܒܪܹ̈ܫܲܝܗܹܝܢ.ܒܦܘܼܩܕܵܢ ܡܵܪܝܵܐ ܥܵܒܼܘܿܕܼܗܹܝܢ܀	7
Iyyar went out and Ḥaziran came in to say these words: ‘Go, Iyyar! You are not better than me. Stop your chatter! Come, give ear and listen!	ܢܦܲܩܼ40 ܠܹܗ ܐܝܼܵܪ ܚܙܝܼܪܵܢ ܥܲܠܼ.ܘܡܸܠܹ̈ܐ ܗܵܠܹܝܢ ܐܵܡܿܪ ܗ݇ܘܼܵܐ.ܕܙܹܠ ܐܝܼܵܪ ܠܵܐ ܛܵܒܼ ܐܲܢ݇ܬܿ ܡܹܢܝ.ܫܠܸܡ ܡܸܠܲܝ̈ܟ ܬܵܐ ܨܘܼܬܼ ܘܲܫܡܲܥ܀	8
All creatures gather together in me and come forth as from the bridal chamber. Like servants before their master they bow down in the fields.	ܟܠܵܗܿ ܒܪܝܼܬܼܵܐ ܡܸܬܼܟܲܢܫܵܐ.ܘܐܲܝܟ ܕܡܼܢ ܓܢܘܿܢܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܢܵܦܩܵܐ.ܘܒܲܕܡܘܼܬܼ ܥܲܒܼ̈ܕܹܐ ܩܕܼܵܡ ܡܵܪܗܘܿܢ.ܒܓܼܵܘ ܚܲܩ̈ܠܼܬܼܵܐ ܡܸܬܼܓܲܗܢܝܼܢ܀	9
The beauty of their sheaves shines like glittering swords. The heart of the widow rejoices whose house is full of provisions.	ܡܲܨܡܲܚ ܫܘܼܦܪܵܐ ܕܡܲܓܿܠܲܝܗ̈ܘܢ.ܒܲܕܡܘܼܬܼ ܣܲܝ̈ܦܹܐ ܕܡܲܒܼܪܩܝܼܢ.ܘܚܵܕܹܐ ܠܸܒܵܐ ܕܐܲܪܡܲܠܝܬܵܐ.ܕܡܲܠܝܵܐ ܒܲܝܬܵܗܿ41 ܣܲܝܒܲܪܬܵܐ܀	10
Sheaves are piled high in me heap on heap in the granaries, whence the poor may eat, be satiated and glorify their Creator.’	ܓܕܼܝܼܫܹ̈ܐ ܪ̈ܵܡܹܐ ܒܝܼ ܡܸܬܼܒܿܢܹܝܢ.ܬܸܠܝܼ̈ܢ ܬܸܠܝܼ̈ܢ ܒܓܼܵܘ ܐܸܕܪܹ̈ܐ.ܕܢܹܐܟܼܠܘܼܢ ܡܸܣ̈ܟܹܿܢܹܐ ܘܢܸܣܒܿܥܘܼܢ.ܘܢܲܣܩܘܼܢ ܫܘܼܒܼܚܵܐ ܠܒܼܵܪܘܿܝܗܘܿܢ܀	11
Ḥaziran went out and Tammuz came in to say these words: ‘Go, Iyyar! You are not better than me. Stop your chatter! Come, give ear and listen!	ܢܦܲܩܼ ܠܹܗ ܚܙܝܼܪܵܢ ܬܲܡܘܼܙ42 ܥܲܠܼ. ܘܡܸܠܹ̈ܐ ܗܵܠܹܝܢ ܐܵܡܿܪ ܗ݇ܘܼܵܐ.ܕܙܹܠ ܚܙܝܼܪܵܢ ܠܵܐ ܛܵܒܼ ܐܲܢ݇ܬܿ ܡܹܢܝ.ܫܠܸܡ ܡܸܠܲܝ̈ܟ ܬܵܐ ܨܘܼܬܼ ܘܲܫܡܲܥ܀	12
Sweet bunches grow ripe in me, they give the taste of their sweetness, quinces, pomegranates, grapes, and all of them with innumerable fruits.’	ܣܓܼ̈ܘܿܠܹܐ ܚ̈ܠܲܝܵܐ ܒܝܼ ܒܵܫܿܠܝܼܢ43.ܘܝܵܗ݇ܒܿܝܼܢ ܛܲܥܡܵܐ ܕܚܲܠܝܘܼܬܼܗܘܿܢ.ܣܦܲܪ̈ܓܿܠܹܐ ܘܪ̈ܘܼܡܵܢܹܐ ܘܥܸܢ̈ܒܹܐ.ܘܟܼܠܗܘܿܢ ܦܹܐܪܹ̈ܐ ܕܠܵܐ ܡܸܬܼܡܢܹܝܢ܀	13
Tammuz went out and Ab and Illul came in, two months together. They bore a cross on their shoulders. They came and bowed before the Year.	ܢܦܲܩܼ44 ܬܲܡܘܼܙ ܐܵܒܿ45 ܘܐܝܼܠܘܿܠ ܥܲܠܼܘ.ܝܲܪ̈ܚܹܐ ܬܪܲܝܗܘܿܢ ܫܲܘܝܵܐܝܼܬܼ.ܨܠܝܼܒܼܵܐ ܛܥܝܼܢܝܼܢ ܥܲܠ ܟܲܬܼܦܗܘܿܢ46.ܘܐܸܬܼܵܘ ܩܘܼܕܡܹܝܗܿ ܕܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܣܓܸܕܼܘ܀	14
The two Teshris pressed the wine, the pure oil of their produce, whence the poor may eat, be satiated and glorify their Creator.	ܬܸܫܪܝܼܢ ܘܬܸܫܪܝܼܢ ܚܲܡܪܵܐ ܥܨܲܪܘ.ܡܸܫܚܵܐ ܕܲܟܼܝܵܐ ܕܥܲܠ̈ܠܵܬܼܗܘܿܢ.ܕܢܸܐܟܼܠܘܼܢ ܡܹܣ̈ܟܹܢܐ ܘܢܸܣܒܿܥܘܼܢ.ܘܲܢܫܲܒܿܚܘܼܢܵܝܗܝ47 ܠܒܼܵܪܘܿܝܗܘܿܢ܀	15
Then the months began to pour scorn on the two Kanuns and said: ‘Barren and desolate months, what do you have to say?’	ܫܲܪܝܼܘ ܝܲܪ̈ܚܹܐ ܕܲܡܚܲܣܕܼܝܼܢ.ܠܟܼܵܢܘܼܢ ܘܟܼܵܢܘܼܢ ܟܲܕ ܐܵܡܪܝܼܢ.ܝܲܪ̈ܚܹܐ ܥܲܩܪܹ̈ܐ ܘܲܡܫܵܘ̈ܚܕܹܐ.ܡܵܢܵܐ ܐܝܼܬܼ ܠܟܼܘܿܢ ܕܐܵܡܪܝܼܬܿܘܿܢ48܀	16
In reply they said: ‘Our Lord’s birth happened in us, He was born in one and baptized in the other, and by His birth He made all things rejoice.’	ܦܲܢܝܼܘ ܗܸܢܘܿܢ ܟܲܕ ܐܵܡܪܝܼܢ.ܕܝܲܠܕܹܿܗ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ ܒܲܢ ܗ݇ܘܼܵܐ.ܒܚܲܕܼ ܐܸܬܼܝܼܠܸܕܼ49 ܘܒܲܐܚܪܹܝܢ ܥܡܲܕܼ.ܘܲܒܼܡܵܘܠܵܕܹܗ50 ܚܲܕܝܼ ܠܟܼܠ܀	17

The Sureth Text

Another (poem) on the months of the year	ܬܘܼܒܼ ܐ݇ܚܪܹܬܼܵܐ ܕܝܲܪ̈ܚܵܝ ܫܲܢ݇ܬܵܐ
The months of the Year gathered together to speak about their goods. They spoke to each other and showed their love.	ܝܵܪ̈ܟܸܐ ܕܫܵܐܬܵܐ ܓ̰ܡܸܥܘܵܠܲܝ.ܘܒܵܗ݇ܣ ܕܛܵܒܼܵܬ̈ܲܝܗܝܼ ܬܢܹܘܵܠܲܝ.ܘܟܲܒܿܪܹ̈ܐ ܠܸܟܼܕܼܵܕܸ̈ܐ ܡܹܝܪܘܵܠܲܝ.ܘܚܘܼܒܵܐ ܕܝܼܵܝܗܝܼ ܡܒܿܘܼܝܹܢܘܵܠܲܝ܀51	1
Nisan came in and came near and spoke these words: He revealed that the year is not pleased with all his fellow months.	ܐܘܸܪܹܐ ܢܝܼܣܲܢ ܘܩܪܘܼܒܼܠܹܐ.ܗܵܠܹܝܢ ܬܘܼܢܵܝܹ̈ܐ ܬܢܸܝܠܸܐ.ܕܠܵܐ ܟܦܲܨܟܼܵܐ ܫܲܐܬܵܐ ܡܘܼܟܼܘܹܠܸܐ.ܒܟܹܠܲܝ52 ܝܵܪ̈ܟܹܐ ܕܐܵܢܲܝ ܟܼܘܼܪܹܗ܀	2
“In me new things are made new and good tidings are announced. 53 In me also the mountains adorn themselves54 like candles when they give light.	ܫܘܼ̈ܠܹܐ ܟܼܵܬܹ̈ܐ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܹܡܟܼܲܬܼܝܼ. ܘܒܲܫܵܐܪܵܬܿ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܸܡܒܲܫܪܝܼ.ܘܛܘܼܪܹ̈ܐ ܗܲܡܹܐ ܟܸܡܣܲܩܠܝܼ.ܡܸܟ ܩܸܢܕܹܝܠܹܐ ܟܡܲܒܸܿܗܪܝܼ܀	3
In me the cycles of the sun extend and the hours of the day grow longer. All swallows fly and prolong sweet melodies.”	ܓܝܼ̈ܓܼܠܐ ܕܫܸܡܫܵܐ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܦܵܪܣܝܼ.ܘܫܲܝ̈ܵܬܼܵܐ ܕܝܵܘܡܐ ܟܝܵܪܟܼܝܼ.ܘܸܨܠܵܢ̈ܝܬܼܵܐ ܟܘܼܠܵܝ ܟܸܡܦܿܲܪܟܼܝܼ.ܘܩܵܠܸ̈ܐ ܚܲܠܘܼܝܹܐ ܟܡܲܝܹܪܟܼܝܼ܀	4
Nisan went out and Iyyar came in to say these words: “Go, Nisan!” and he drove him away. He went and listened to him.	ܦܠܸܛܠܹܐ ܢܝܼܣܢ ܐܝܼܵܪ ܐܘܸܪܹܐ.ܘܵܐܢ ܬܲܢ̈ܝܬܐ ܐܝܼܡܹܪܐ.ܕܙܹܠ ܝܵܐ ܢܝܼܣܢ ܘܟܸܡܣܵܚܸܬܿܠܹܐ.ܙܸܠܹܐ ܘܐܸܠܗ ܫܡܹܐܘܵܠܹܐ܀	5
“Much-desired roses are in me conceived55, and pleasant scents appear. Woven crowns in me are carried56 and flowers blossom too.	ܘܵܪ̈ܕܸܐ ܡܫܘܼܗܝܸܐ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܒܲܛܢܝܼ.ܘܪ̈ܝܼܟܹܐ ܒܲܣܝܼܡܹ̈ܐ ܟܸܡܒܲܝܢܝܼ.ܘܸܟܿܠ̈ܝܼܠܹܐ ܩܛܝܼܪܸ̈ܐ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܛܵܐܢܝܼ.ܘܒܲܝܒܿܘܼ̈ܢܹܐ ܗܲܡ ܟܸܡܒܲܪܛܢܝܼ܀57	6
The ears of corn of the fields increase, extend, spread and grow high. They bring forth ears of corn on their tips. They are at the command of their creator.”	ܫܸܒ̈ܠܸܐ ܕܕܲܫ̈ܬܵܬܼܵܐ ܟܪܵܘܲܝ.ܟܦܿܲܪܣܝܼ ܘܸܟܿܪܘܿܟܼܝܼ ܘܸܟܿܥܵܠܲܝ.ܘܣܸܢ̈ܒܹܿܠܸܐ ܒܪܹܫܲܝܗܝܼ ܟܐܵܪܲܝ.ܒܦܘܼܓܕܼܵܢܐ ܕܟܲܠܲܩܝܗܝܼ ܟܗܵܘܲܝ܀	7
Iyyar went out and Ḥaziran came in to say these words: “Go, Ḥaziran!” and he drove him away. “Your speech has finished and come to an end”	ܦܠܸܛܠܹܐ ܐܝܼܪ ܘܚܙܝܼܪܢ ܐܘܸܪܸܐ.ܘܐܢ ܬܘܼܢܸܝܸ̈ܐ ܐܝܼܡܸܪܹܝܠܹܐ.ܙܹܠ ܚܙܝܪܢ ܘܟܹܡܛܵܪܸܕܠܹܐ.ܟܼܠܸܨܠܸܐ ܬܘܼܢܵܝܘܼܟ ܘܸܟܿܡܸܠܹܐ܀	8
“When all creation rises and goes outside in this day, out of bliss it praises the Heights that gives peace and welfare to the earth.	ܟܘܼܕܼ ܟܘܼܠܵܗܿ ܒܪܝܼܬܼܵܐ ܟܩܵܝܡܵܐ.ܘܟܿܦܵܠܛܵܐ ܠܒܲܪܝܼܵܐ ܒܲܕ ܝܵܘܡܵܐ.ܡܦܸܨܟܼܘܼܬܼܵܗܿ ܟܸܡܫܲܒܿܚܵܐ ܠܪܵܘܡܵܐ.ܕܝܼܗ݇ܒܸܠܹܐ ܬܵܐ ܐܲܪܐܵܐ ܫܲܝܢܵܐ ܘܸܫܠܵܡܵܐ܀	9
The beauty of their sickles lightens like drawn swords. 58 Their widows thanks to me rejoice and their orphans thanks to me are nourished.	ܟܡܲܒܿܪܹܩ ܫܘܼܦܪܵܐ ܕܡܲܓܿܠܲܝܗܝܼ.ܡܸܟ ܣܲܝ̈ܦܸܐ ܡܸܓܹܠܝܵܬܸܗܝܼ.ܘܸܟܿܦܲܨܟܼܝܼ ܒܝܼ ܐܸܪ̈ܡܹܠܝܵܬܼܵܝܗܝܼ.ܘܸܟܿܥܲܝܫܝܼ ܒܝܼ ܝܲܬܘܼܡܲܝܗܸܝܢ܀	10
Sheaves are piled high in me and threshing floors are full. The poor receive their food and raise glory to God.”	ܓܕܼܝܼܫܹ̈ܐ ܪܵܒܸܹܐ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܒܵܢܲܝ.ܘܒܿܘܼܕܪ̈ܬܼܵܐ ܟܘܼܠܵܝ ܟܡܵܠܲܝ.ܘܡܸܣܟܸܿܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܲܒܿܪܵܝܗܼ ܟܐܵܪܲܝ.ܘܫܘܼܒܼܚܵܐ ܬܵܐ ܐܲܠܵܗܐ ܟܡܲܥܠܲܝ܀	11
Ḥaziran went out and Tammuz came in to say these words: “Go, Ḥaziran!” and called him poor. “Bow and genuflect in front of me!” He said to him.	ܦܠܸܛܠܹܐ ܚܙܝܼܪܵܢ ܬܲܡܘܿܙ ܐܘܹܪܸܐ. ܘܐܸܢ ܬܘܼܢܵܝܸ̈ܐ ܡܹܪܸܝܠܹܐ.ܣܵܝ ܚܙܝܼܪܢ ܒܨܝܼܪܐ ܟܸܡܩܵܪܹܝ݇ܠܸܐ.ܟܘܿܦ ܘܸܣܗܘܿܕ ܛܵܠܝܼ ܡܸܪܹܝ݇ܠܹܐ܀	12
“Vines in me ripen, and offer [their] sweet taste, grapes and quinces give pleasure to all mouths that taste them.”	ܕܵܠܝܵܬܼ̈ܐ ܒܓܵܘܝܼ ܟܒܲܫܠܝܼ.ܘܛܸܐ݇ܡܵܐ ܕܚܹܠܝܘܼܬܼܵܐ ܟܝܵܐ݇ܒܼܝܼ.ܥܸܢ̈ܒܸܐ ܘܸܣܦܲܪ̈ܓܿܠܹܐ ܟܸܡܒܲܣܡܝܼ.ܟܠ ܟܸܡܵܡܹ̈ܐ ܕܐܲܢܗܝܼ ܟܛܲܡܐܝܼ܀	13
Tammuz went out and Ab and Illul came, two months together59. They bore a cross on their shoulders. They glorified the creator of the year.	ܬܵܡܘܿܙ ܦܠܹܛܠܹܐ ܘܐܒܿ ܘܐܝܼܠܘܿܠ ܐܝܼܬܹܝܠܲܝ.ܬܪܸܝܢ ܝܲܪܟܸܐ ܒܸܟܼ̈ܕܼܵܕܸܐ ܡܣܘܹܝܠܲܝ.ܨܠܝܼܒܼܵܐ ܠܪܘܼܫܲܝܗܝܼ ܛܐܹܢܘܵܠܲܝ.ܘܸܠܒܲܪܵܝܐ ܕܫܵܢ݇ܬܵܐ ܡܫܘܼܒܸܚܘܵܠܲܝ܀	14
Teshri and his fellow came forward. They showed the oil of their presses and they provided for the needy. The two Kanuns rebuked them.	ܬܸܫܪܝ ܘܟܼܵܘܿܪܹܗ ܡܩܘܼܕܹܡܠܲܝ.ܡܸܫܚܵܐ ܕܸܥܨܵܪܲܝܗܝܼ ܡܘܼܟܼܘܹܠܲܝ.ܘܠܸܣܢܝܼܩܹ̈ܐ ܡܘܼܣܘܹܘܵܠܲܝ.ܘܟܵܢܘܿܢ ܘܟܵܢܘܿܢ ܡܠܘܼܘܹܡܘܵܠܲܝ܀	15
When they were speaking so they called them sterile months. They despised them greatly. “What do you have?” They said to them.	ܟܘܼܕ ܗܵܕܟ ܐܵܡܪܝܼܘܵܠܲܝ.ܝܵܪ̈ܟܹܐ ܥܵܩܪܹ̈ܐ ܩܵܪܵܘܵܠܲܝ.ܟܲܒܿܝܼܪܵܐ ܬܵܘܪܝܼܘܵܠܲܝ.ܡܵܢܐ ܐܝܼܬܼ ܠܟܼܘܿܢ ܐܵܡܪܝܼܘܵܠܲܝ܀	16
In reply they said to them that Our Lord’s birth happened in them and he was baptized in the second of them. By his birth he made all creatures rejoice from the first of them 60, so that they yell all with their voices glory to their creator. Amen amen!	ܡܓ̰ܘܸܒܿܠܲܝ ܡܹܪܵܝ ܛܵܠܲܝܗܸܝܢ.ܕܝܲܠܕܹܗ ܕܡܵܪܢ ܗܘܹܠܸܐ ܒܓܲܘܲܝܗܹܝܢ.ܘܸܥܡܸܕܠܸܐ ܒܐܘܿܟܲܪܵܝܐ ܕܝܼܝܵܗܸܝܢ.ܘܒܸܗܘܵܝܹܗ ܡܘܼܦܸܨܟܼܠܹܐ61.ܠܟܿܘܼܠܵܝ ܒܸܪ̈ܝܵܬܼܵܐ ܡܚܲܕ ܕܝܼܝܵܗܸܝܢ.ܕܸܡܥܵܝܛܝܼ ܟܘܼܠܵܝ ܒܩܲܠܵܝܗܹܝܢ.ܫܘܼܒܼܚܵܐ ܬܵܐ ܒܲܪܲܝܵܝܗܹܝܢ.ܐܡܝܢ ܘܐܵܡܹܝܢ܀	17

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