Homilies on the Song of Songs 3
Greek text: PG 44 (OCR by the Internet Archive; lines extracted for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 3
3PG 44
οοἰ ἐπὶ ἐπὶ Τῇ ἵππῳ ἐν ἅρμασι Φαραὼ πλησίον μου. Τί ὡραιώθησαν αἱ σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόνες, τράχηλός σου ὡς ὁρμίσκοι. Ὁμοιώματα τοῦ χρυσίου ποιήσομέν σοι μετὰ στιγμάτων τοῦ τοῦ, τάρδος μου ἔδωκεν ὀσμὴν αὐτοῦ. ᾿Απόδεσμος στακτῆς ἀδειριδός μου ἐμοὶ ἀνὰ μέσον μαστῶν· μου αὐλισθήσεται. Βότρυς τῆς Κύπρου ἀδεῖφιδός μου ἐμοὶ, ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν ᾿Εγγαδδεί. Ὅσα πρὸ τῆς παρούσης ἀναγνώσεως ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις τοῦ ἴλσματος τῶν ἀσμάτων ἡμῖν τεθεώρηται, ὁμοίως ἔχει τῇ γινομένῃ μετὰ τὴν νύκτα περὶ τὸν ὄρθρον αὐγῇ. Οὔτε γὰρ ἐκείνη καθαρὸν φῶς, ὮὉ ἀλλὰ φωτός ἐστι προοίμιον, καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα τοιαῦτα, ὡς τὴν ἀνατολὴν μὲν ἥμῖν τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ καταμηνύειν φωτὸς, οὐ μὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἔχειν αὐτὸν τοῦ ἡλίου τὸν κύκλον τηλαυγῶς προφαινόμενον. Ἕν ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ ἡ νύμφη φθέγγεται, καὶ οἱ φίλοι, καὶ αἱ νεάνιδες· νῦν δὲ αὐτοῦ τοῦ νυμφίου φωνὴ, καθάπερ τις κύκλος ἡλιαχὸς ἀνατέλλει, ἀποκρύπτων ταῖς τῶν ἀκτίνων αὐγαῖς πᾶσαν τῶν τε προφανέντων ἀστέρων, καὶ τοῦ ὑπαυγάσαντος ὄρθρου τὴν λαμπηδόνα. Κὰκεῖνα μὲν πάντα καθαρσίων τινῶν καὶ πεδύναμιν ἔχει, δι᾽ ὧν ψυχὴ πρὸς τὴν ὑποδοχὴν τῶν θείων παρασχευάξεται ὁ δὲ νῦν λόγος, αὑτῆς τῆς θεότητός ἐστι μετουσία, τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου διὰ τῆς ἰδίας φωνῆς μεταδιδάντος ἀκούοντι τῆς ἀκηράτου δυνάμεως τὴν κοινωνίαν. Κὶ σὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σινᾶ προπαρασχευασθεὶς τοῖς καθαρυἷοις ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ἡμέραις δύο, τῇ τρίτῃ κατὰ τὸν ὄρθρον ἀξιοῦται τῆς θεοφανείας, οὐκέτι περὶ τὴν πλύσιν τῶν ἱματίων ἄσχολος ὧν, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν δεχόμενος ἐμφανῶς τὸν Θεὸν, οὗ χάριν τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ῥύπον διὰ τῶν προλαδόντων καθαρσίων ἀπεπλύνατο’ οὕτω κχαὶ νῦν ἡ ἐν τοῖς φθάσασι λόγοις γεγενημένη τῶν προοιμίων τοῦ λσματος θεωρία κατὰ τὰς προλαδούσας δύο ἡμέρας, τοσοῦτον ὠφέλησεν, ὅσον ἐχπλῦναι καὶ ἀποχλῦσαι τοῦ ῥύπου τῆς σαρκὸς τὴν ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις διάνοιαν. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος σήμερον, ἥτις ἐστὶ τρίτη, μετὰ τὴν πρώτην τε καὶ δευτέραν κάθαρσιν, ἐπιφανήσεται, οὐ γνόφῳ, καὶ θυέλλῃ, καὶ σάλπιγγος ἤχῳ, καὶ πυρὶ φοθερῶς ἐκ πυθμένος εἰς ἀκρώρειαν τοῦ ὄρους τὴν περιοχὴν διασμύχοντι, νερὰν καὶ ἐπίδηλον ἑαυτοῦ τὴν παρουσίαν ποιούμενος· Βʼ ἀλλ᾽ ἡδὺς καὶ εὐπρόσιτος, ἐκ τοῦ φοδεροῦ εἴδους ἐχείςγου πρὸς τὴν νυμφικὴν εὐφροσύνην μεθαρμοσάμενος. Τῆς γὰρ νύμφης δεηθείσης μαθεῖν τοὺς τῆς ἀναπαύσεως τόπους, ἐν οἷς ὁ ἀγαθὸς ποιμὴν τὴν διατριβὴν ἔχει, ὥστε μὴ τι κατὰ ἄγνοιαν τῶν ἀδουλήτων παθεῖν· εἶτα τῶν φίλων τὸ ἀσφαλὲς τῆς ἀληθείας κριτήριον ὑφηγησαμένων, τὸ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν βλέπειν τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ ἑαυτὴν γινώσκειν τὸ γὰρ ἑαυτὴν ἀγνοεῖν, ἀρχὴν ἀπεφήναντο καὶ ἀκολουθίαν εἶναι τοῦ μηδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν δεόντων εἰδέναι. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἄλλο πι μάθοι, ἑαυτὸν ἀγνοῶν ; Ἐπὶ τούτοις ὡς ἑχανῶς ἤδη τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς κεκαθαρμένου, ἑπαναπτέλλει τῇ ποθούσῃ ὁ λόγος, προτροπὴν πρὸς τὸ τέλεῖον ποιούμενος διὰ τῆς ἀποδοχῆς τῶν παρόντων. Ὁ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς κατορθώμασιν ἔπαινος σφοδροτέραν τοῖς κατορθώσασι τὴν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον προθυμίαν Τίς οὖν ὁ παρὰ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Λόγον γεγονὼς πρὸς τὴν παρθένον λόγος; Τῇ ἵππῳ μου, φησὶν, ἐν ἅρμασι Φαραὼ ὡμοίωσά σε, ἡ πιῖΙησίον μου. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων θεωρῆσαι διάνοιαν, ἐξετάσαι προσήκει δι᾽ ἐπιμελείας, καθὼς ἂν οἷόν τε ἧ, τὸ προχείμενον.·Ἄλλην ᾿ δύναμιν τὴν ἀντιταχθεῖσαν τῇ ἵππῳ τοῦ Φαραὼ παρὰ τῆς ἱστορίας ἐμάθομεν, νεφέλην καὶ ῥάδδον καὶ βίαιον ἄνεμον καὶ πέλαγος δικῆ διαιρούμενον, καὶ βυθὸν ἐν κόνει, καὶ τὴν ἐκ κυμάτων τειχοποιίαν, καὶ ξηρὰν ἄδυσσον, τὴν διὰ μέσου τῶν ἐξ ὕδατος πηγῶν χερσωθεῖσαν· δι᾽ ὧν ἁπάντων ἐγίνετο τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ἡ σωτηρία, πανστρατιᾷ τοῦ Φαραὼ μετὰ τῶν ἵππων τΞ καὶ ἁρμάτων συγχαλυφθέντος τοῖς κύμασιν. Οὐδεμιᾶς τοίνυν ἱππικῆς δυνάμεως ἀντεισαχθείσης τῷ Αἰγυπτίῳ στρατῷ, ἄπορον ἂν εἴη μαθεῖν ποίᾳ ἵππῳ διαφανείσῃ κατὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἁρμάτων ἡ νύμφη παρὰ τοῦ λόγου νῦν προσειχάζεται. Τῇ ἵππῳ μου γὰρ, φησὶ, τῇ ἐν τοῖς ἅρμασι τοῦ Φαραὼ χατεἰργασμένῃ τὴν νίκην, ὡμοίωσά σε, ἡ πλησίον μου. ὯΙ δηλόν ἐστιν, ὅτι ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστι διὰ ναυμαχίας ἡττηθῆναί τινας, μὴ ναυτίου στρατοῦ τὴν ἐν ταῖς . ναυσὶ τῶν ἐναντίων δύναμιν καταλύσαντος - οὕτως οὐδὲ ἂν ἐν ἱππομαχίᾳ τις ἡττηθείη, μή τινος ἱπἐχ τῶν ἐναντίων ἀντιταχθείσης δυνάμεως δὲ; τοίνυν τὸ κράτιστον τῆς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων στρατιᾶς, ἡ ἵππος ἦν, τὴν ἐπαχθεῖσαν αὐτῇ κατὰ τὸ ἀόρατον δύναμιν, δι᾽ ἧς ἡ νίκη κατὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐγένετο, ἵππον ὁ λόγος ὠνόμασεν· ἠσθάνοντο γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι τοῦ πολεμοῦντος, καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐδόων, Κύριος ἵ πολεμεῖ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους, καὶ φύγωμεν ἀπὸ προσὠὦπου Κυρίου. Δῆλον δὲ ὅτε καταλλήλως τῇ παρασκευῇ τῶν ἐναντίων ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἀρχιστράτηγος τὴν ἰδίαν ἀνθώπλιζε δύναμιν. Οὐκοῦν ἣν τις ἀόρατος δύναμις, ἡ διὰ τῶν περὶ τὴν θάλασσαν θαυμάτων ἐνεργοῦσα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τὸν ὄλεθρον, ἣν ἵππον ὁ λόγος ὠνόμασεν. ᾿Αγγελικὴν δὲ ταύτην στρατιὰν ὑπονοοῦμεν, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ προφήτης· ὅτε ᾿Επιδήσῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους σου, καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ ἅρματος μνήμην Θεοῦ ἐποιήσατο ὁ Δαδὶδ λέγων· Τὸ ἅρμα τοῦ Θεοῦ μυριοπιλάσιον· ᾧ ὑποζεύγνυνται τῶν εὐθηνούντων αἱ χιλιάδες. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ τὸν προφήτην Ἠλίαν μεταίσιον ἐκ γῆς ἐπὶ τὸν αἰθέριον χῶρον ἀναλαμδάνουσα δύναμις τῷ τῶν ἵἴππὼν ὀνόματι παρὰ τῆς Γραφῆς ὀνομάζεται, καὶ αὐ} τὸν δὲ τὸν προφήτην ἅρμα λέγει τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἱππέα ἡ ἱστορία. Καὶ τοὺς περιοδεύοντας πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, δι᾽ ὧν χατοιχίζεται καὶ ἡσυχάζει, Ζαχαρίας ὁ προφήτης ἵππους ὠνόμασε. διαλεγομένους πρὸς τὸν ἱππότην, τὸν μέσον ἑστῶτα τῶν δύο ὁρῶν. Οὐκοῦν ἔστι τιςαῖππος τῷ τὸ πᾶν κεκτημένῳ· ἡ μὲν τὸν προφήτην ἀνάγουσα· ἡ δὲ τὴν οἰκουμένην οἰχίζουσα· ἢ ὃὲ ὑποζευγνυμένη τῷ ἄρματι· ἄλλη δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ἔποχον ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμδάνου· ἄλλη δὲ τὴν Αἰγυπτίαν χαταλύουσα δύναμιν. Πολλῆς τοίνυν οὔσης ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς τῆς διὰ πὧν ἐνεργειῶν φαινομένης διαφορᾶς, τῇ χαθαιρετιχῇ τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς δυνάμεως ἵππῳ παρειχάξεται διὰ τοῦ δρόμου τῆς ἀρετῆς τῷ Θεῷ πλησιάσασα. Οὕτω γάρ φησι πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ Λόγος· ὅτι Τῇ ἵππῳ μου ἐν ἅρμασι Φαραὼ ὡμοίωσά σε, ἡ πλησίον μου. Ἰολλοὺς δὲ καὶ μεγάλους ἐπαίνους ὁ λόγος ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιείληφε· καΐ τις κατορθωμάτων κατάλογός ἔστιν, ἡ πρὸς τὴν ἵππον ταύτην ὁμοίωσις. Ὅσα γὰρ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῇ παροικίᾳ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων μνημονεύεται, ἣ δουλεία, ἡ καλάμη, ὁ πηλὸς, ἡ πλινθεία, πᾶσα ἡ περὶ τὴν γῆν ἀσχολία, οἱ χαλεποὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων ἐπιστάται, οἱ τὸν πήλινον αὐτοὺς καθ᾽ ἐκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπαιτοῦντες φόρον, δι᾽ οὗς τὸ ὕδωρ αἷμα γίνεται, καὶ τὸ φῶς σκοτίζεται, καὶ βάτραχοι ἢϊ Ὁ τοῖς οἴκοις εἰσέρπουσι, καὶ ἢ χαμιναία κόνις τὰς φλυχτίδας ἀπὸ τῶν σωμάτων ἀναζέειν ποιεῖ, καὶ τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον πάντα, ἡ ἀχρὶς, οἱ σχνίπες, κος, ἡ χάλαζα, τῶν πρωτοτόκων τὰ πάθη ταῦτα πάντα καὶ ὅσα πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἡ ἱστορία διέξεισι, δι᾿ ὧν γίνεται τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ἡ σωτηρία, ἐπαίνων ἐστὶν ὑπόθεσις τῇ τῷ Θεῷ συναπτομένῃ ψυχῇ. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὡμοιώθη τῇ δυνάμει ἐκείνῃ, τῇ χαθαιρετιχῇ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων κακῶν, δι᾽ ἧς ἐλευθεροῦται ὁ Ἰσραὴλ τῆς πονηρᾶς τυραννίδος, εἰ μὴ ταῦτα πάντα καὶ ταύτῃ κατώρθωτο, τά τε χαθαιρετιχὰ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ τὰ παρασχευαστιχὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν πορείας, τῶν μετοιχιζομένων πρὸς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγυπτίας ἰλύος, Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ, καθώς πιϊβδ᾽οηΐΒ. ᾿φἰτυν φησιν ὅ θεῖος ᾿Απόστολος, πάντα πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν ἀναγέγραπται, ὅσα ἢ θεόπνευστος περιέχει Γραφή οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἣ συμθουλεύει διὰ τῶν πρὸς τὴν νύμφην εἰρημένων ὁ Λόγος ἡμῖν, ὅτι χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἔποχον δεξαμένους ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν τὸν Λόγον, καὶ χατἀγωνισαμένους τὴν Αἰγυπτίαν ἵππον αὐτοῖς ἅρμασι καὶ ἀναθάταις, καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν πονηρὰν δυτῷ ὕδατι χαταπνίξαντας, οὕτως ὁμοιωθῆναι τῇ δυνάμει ἐκείνῃ, καθάπερ τινὰ ἵππον τὴν ἀντικειμένην στρατιὰν ἐναφέντας τῷ ὕδατι. Ὡς δ᾽ ἂν σαφέστερὸν μάθοιμεν τὸ λεγόμενον, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁμοιωθῆναι τῇ ἵππῳ, δι᾽ ἧς τὰ ἅρματα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τῷ βυθῷ χατεπόνθη, εἰ μή τις διὰ τοῦ μυστικοῦ ὕδατος τῆς τοῦ ἀντικειμένου δουλείας ἐλευθερούμενος, πᾶν Αἰγυπτιάζον νόημα, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀλ-· λόφυλον χκαχίαν τε καὶ ἁμαρτίαν τῷ ὕδατι καταλιπὼν, καθαρὸς ἀναδύῃ, μηδὲν τῆς Αἰγυπτία; συνεἰδήσεως τῷ μετὰ ταῦτα βίῳ συνεπαγόμενος. Ὁ γὰρ ἀχριδῶς πασῶν καθαρεύσας τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πληγῶν, αἵματος, καὶ βατράχων, καὶ φλυχτίδων, καὶ σκότους, ἀκρίδος τε καὶ σχνιπῶν, καὶ χαλάζης, καὶ τῆς τοῦ πυρὸς ἑπομύρίας, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, ὧν ἱστορίας μέμνηται λόγος, οὗτος ἄξιός ἐστιν ὁμοιωθῆναι τῇ δυνάμει ἐκείνῃ, ἧς ἔποχος ὁ Λόγος γίνεται. δπάντως δὲ οὐκ ἀγνοοῦμεν τὰ διὰ τῶν πληγῶν σημαινόμενα, πῶς γίνεται τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τὸ αἷμα πληγὴ. καὶ ἡ τῶν βατράχων ὀσμὴ, καὶ ἡ τοῦ φωτὸς εἰς τὸ σκότος μεταθολὴ, καὶ τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον πάντα. Τίς Ὑὰρ οὐκ οἷδε διὰ ποταποῦ βίου αἷμά τις γίνεται, ἐκ Ο ποτίμου τοῦ πρότερον εἰς διαφθορὰν ἀλλοιούμενος· ΄ καὶ τί ποιῶν ζωογονεῖ τῷ ἰδίῳ οἴκῳ τὴν τῶν βατράχων δυσωδίανʼ καὶ πῶς μεταποιεῖ τὸν φωτεινὸν βίον, εἰς ἔργα νυκτὶ φίλα καὶ ζοφώδη, δι᾽ ὧν ἡ τῆς γεέννη: κάμινος τὰς πονηρὰς τῆς κατακρίσεως φλυχτίδας ἀναζέειν ποιεῖ ; Οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὰ καθ᾽ ἔκαστον τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ κακῶν ῥάδιον μεταδαλεῖν εἰς παίδευσίν τε καὶ σωφρονισμὸν τοῦ ἀκούοντος, ἀλλὰ περιττὸν ἂν εἴη μηκύνειν διὰ τῶν ὁμολογουμένων τὸν λόγον. Τούτων τοίνυν καὶ τῶν τοιούτων κρείττους γενό βενοι, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ πλησιάσαντες, ναὶ αὐτοὶ πάντως ἀκουσόμεθα᾽ ὅτι Τῇ ἴππῳ μου ἐν ἅρμασι Φαραὼ ὡμοίωσά σε, ἡ πλησίον μου. ᾿Αλλὰ λυπεῖ τυχὸν τοὺς σώφρονας καὶ καθαρὸν ἐξησχηχότας βίον, ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἵππον ὁμοῦωσις· διότι πολλοὶ τῶν προφητῶν ἀπαγορεύουσιν ἡμῖν τὸ ὁμοιοῦσθαι τοῖς ἵπποις, τοῦ μὲν Ἱερεμίου τὴν μοιχικὴν λύσσαν τῷ ὀνόματι τῶν ἵππων διασημάναντος, ἐν οἷς φησιν ἽἼπποι θηλυμαγεῖς ἐγενήθησαν, ἔκαστος ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐχρεμέτιζεʼ τοῦ δὲ μεγάλου φοδερὸν ποιουμένου τὸ ὡς ἵππον τινὰ καὶ ἡμίονον νεσθαι, ὧν κελεύει κατασχεῖν ἐν κημῷ τε καὶ χαλινῷ τὰς σιαγόνας. Διὰ τοῦτο παραμυθεῖται τῷ ἐφεξῆς λόγῳ τὴν τοιαύτην διάνοιαν, λέγων· ὅτι Οὐ τοιαῦταί Ἴσου εἰσὶν αἱ σιαγόνες, κἂν ἵππος ἧς, ὡς κημοῦ χρῇζειν καὶ χαλινοῦ εἰς ἀγχόνην· ἀλλά σοι διὰ τῆς χατῶν τρυγόνων ἡ σιαγὼν … Φησὶ γάρʼ Τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόγες, μαρτυρεῖται δὲ παρὰ τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα παρατετοῦτο τὸ ὄρνεον μένειν, εἰ . πῆς συζυγίας, εἰς τὸ ἐφεξῆς ἀσυνδύαστον, ὡς φυσι᾿ χῶς ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ κατορθοῦσθαι τὴν σωφροσύνην. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ αἴνιγμα τῶν ἐπαίνων συμπαρελήφθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Λόγου τοῦτο τὸ ὄρνεον, ὡς ἀντὶ χαλινοῦ γίνεσθαι πῇ σιαγόνι τῆς θείας ἵππου τὴν τῆς τρυγόνος ὁμοίωσιν, δι’ ἧς ἡ καθαρὰ ζωὴ ἐπιπρέπειν τῇ τοιαύτῃ ) ἵππῳ διασημαίνεται. Διὸ θαυμαστικῶς φησι πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ Λόγος· Τί ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σον ὡς τρυγόνες. Ἐπάγει δὲ τούτῳ καὶ ἕτερον δι᾽ ὁμοιόσεως ἔπαινον, λέγων Τράχη.λός σου ὡς ὁρμίσκοι. Ἀπαξ γὰρ ἐμπεσὼν τῇ τροπιχῇ σημασίᾳ, διὰ τῶν {περὶ τῶν ἵππων θεωρουμένων ἐπινοεῖ τῇ νύμφῃ τὸν ἔπαινον. Ἐπαινεῖ γὰρ τὸν τράχηλον τὸν ἐν σχήμᾶτι κύκλου γυρούμενον, ὃ δὴ περὶ τοὺς γαυροὺς τῶν πώλων ὁρῶμεν γινόμενον. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν ὁρμίσχων πνῆμη τὸν κύκλον ἐνδείκνυται, οὗ τὸ σχῆμα ἐπὶ τοῦ … ὁρμίσκος, δῷ αὐχένος δεικνύμενον εὐπρεπέστερον ἑαυτοῦ τὸν χῶλον ποιεῖ! ὅρμος δὲ λέγεται κυρίως μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν παραλίων τόπων, ἐν οἷς ἡ ὄχθη κατὰ τὸ ἐντὸς μηὑποδέχεταί τε τῷ κόλπῳ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἀναπαύει δι᾽ ἑαυτῆς τοὺς ἐκ πελάγους προσπλέοντας. Ἔκ μεταφορᾶς δὲ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος περιτραχήλιος κόσμος ὅρμος λέγεται, Ὅταν δὲ ὑποἀντὶ δρμου λέγωμεν, τὴν ἐν ὀλίγῳ τοῦ σχήματος ὁμοιότητα διὰ τῆς τοιαύτης φωγῆς ἐνδειχνύμεθα. Πολλὰ τοίνυν εἰς ἐγκώμια συντελοῦντα τὴν νύμφην, ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ὁρμίσχους ὁμοιότης (ὦ τοῦ τραχήλου ἐνδείκνυται· πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι εἰς κύκλου σχῆμα χάμπτων ὁ πῶλος τὸν αὐχένα, πρὸς τὰς ἰδίας τῶν ποδῶν βάσεις δρᾷ δι᾽ ὧν ἀπρόσχοπόν τε καὶ ἀσφαλῆ ποιεῖται τὸν δρόμον, μὴτε τῷ λίθῳ προσπταίων, μήτε χενεμδατῶν τῷ βόθρῳ. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μικρόν ἔστιν εἰς εὐφημίαν ψυχῆς, τὸ, πρὸς ἑαυτὴν βλέπειν, καὶ δι᾽ ἀσφαλείας πάσης πρὸς τὸν θεῖον δρόμον ἐπείγεσθαι, πάντα τὰ ἐκ πειρασμῶν τινων ἐγγινόμενα πρὸς τὸν δρόμον ἐμπόδια, διαλλομένην καὶ ὑπερθαίνουσαν. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πρωτότυπὸν τῶν ὅρμων ὄνομα, ὅθεν διὰ τὴν τοῦ σχήματος σται, μεγάλων τινῶν ἐγκωμίων ὑπερθολὴν περιέχει, ὅταν ὡμοιώθη τοῖς ὅρμοις ὁ τράχηλος. Τίνα δέ ἔστι τὰ ἐγκώμια τὰ διὰ τούτων ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου δη; δύ τι καὶ σωτήριόν ἐστι τοῖς χαταπλέουσιν ὁ λιμὴν, καὶ τὸ μετὰ τὴν ἐν θαλάσσῃ χαχοπάθειαν, ὅρμον τινὰ λήθην ποιησάμενοι τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ κακῶν, ὅλοι τῆς ἀναπαύσεως γίνονται, τοὺς μακροὺς πόνους δι᾽ ἡσυχίαν παραμυθούμενοι, οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτοῖς οὐκέτι ναναγίου φόδος, οὔτε ἢ τῶν ὑφάλων ὑπόνοια, οὔτε πειρατῶν κίνδυνος, οὔτε πνευμάτων ταραχὴ, οὔτε ἧ ἐκ βυθῶν ἀνοιδαίνουσα διὰ τῶν ἀνέμων θάλασσα· ἀλλὰ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων κινδύνων ἐκτὸς γίνονται οἱ χειμαζόμενοι, τοῦ πελάγους ἐν τῷ ζοντος. Εἰ τοίνυν οὕτω τις τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν καταὡς αὐτὴν τε γαλήνην ἔχειν ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ, μηδὲν παραχινουμένην ἐκ τῶν πνευμάτων ἧς πονηρίας, μήτε δι᾽ ὑπερηφανίας οἰδαίνουσαν,᾿μή,πε τοῖς τοῦ θυμοῦ κύμασιν ἐξαφρίζουσαν, μήτε κατ᾽ ἄλλο τι πάθος χλυδωνιξομένην, καὶ περιφερομένην παντὶ ἀνέμῳ, τῷ τὰ ποικίλα κύματα τῶν παθημάτων ἐγείροντι· εἰ τοίνυν αὐτή τε οὕτως ἔχοι, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ πελάγει τοῦ βίου χειμαζομένους ἐν ταῖς παντοδαπῶν τῶν κακῶν τρικυμίαις ἐν ἑαυτῇ καταστέλλοι, γαληνὴν λίαν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀχύμαντον τὴν δι’ ἀρετῆς ζωὴν ὑφαπλώσασα, ὥστε τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ γεγονότας ἑκτὸς γίνεσθαι τῶν ἐκ ναυαγίου κακῶν, καλῶς τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ·ʼ) Λόγου ἐπαινουμένοις ὁρμίσχοις ὁμοιοῦται, τῆς πληθυντικῆς σημασίας τὴν ἐν ἑκάστῳ εἴδει τῆς ἀρετῆς τελειότητα σημαινούσης. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἑνὶ μόνῳ προσεικασθεῖσα ἀτελὴς ἂν πάντως ὁ ἔπαινος ἦν, ὡς οὗ τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν μαρτυρίαν ἔχων· νῦν δὲ πᾶσαν συλλαμδάνει τῷ λόγῳ τῶν ἀρετῶν τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἡ πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ὁρμίσχων ὁμοίωσις. Καὶ τοῦτο συμδουλή τίς ἐστι παρὰ τοῦ Λόγου τῷ κοινῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προσαγομένη, τὸ μὴ δεῖν ἡμᾶς πρὸς ἕν τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν βλέποντας, ἀμελῶς περὶ τὰγο λοιπὰ τῶν κατορθωμάτων ἔχειν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ εἴ σοι γέγονεν ἰμ ὅρμος ἡ σωφροσύνη, καθάπερ τισὶ μαργαρίταις τῷ καθαρῷ βίῳ τὸν τράχηλον λαμπρύνων· ἕστο σοὶ καὶ ΡῈΓ ἕτερος ὅρμος, ὁ τοὺς τιμίους λίθους τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν. ἑαυτῷ περιείργων, καὶ δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ τῆς δέῤῥης πλεονάζων τὸ κάλλος - ἔστω σοὶ καὶ ἄλλος κόσμος τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐχένα διαλαμθάνουσα. Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κλοιὸς ὁ χρύσεος ὁ ἐκ τοῦ ἀκηράτου τῆς θεογνωσίας χρυσίου τῷ τραχήλῳ περιλαμπόμενος· περὶ οὗ φησιν ἤβ παροιμία - ὅτι Στέφανον χαρίτων δέξῃ σῇ κοῬυφῇ, καὶ κλοιὸν χρύσεον περὶ τῷ τραχήλῳ. Ἡ μὲν οὖν διὰ τῶν ὁρμίσχων συμθδουλὴ τοιαύτη. Και- Σ ρὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ τὸν ἐφεξῆς λόγον προσθεῖναι τῇ θεωρίᾳ, ὃν οἱ φίλοι τοῦ νυμφίου πρὸς τὴν παρθένον πεποίηνται, Ἔστι δὲ ἡ λέξις αὔτη Ὁμοιώματα χρυσίου ποιήσομέν σοι μετὰ στιγμάτων τοῦ ἀργύρου· ἕως ὁ βασιἀνακ,λίσδι αὐτοῦ. Τούτων δὲ, τῷ μὲν πρὸς τὸν εἱρμὸν βλέποντι τῆς προαποδοθείσης ἡμῖν θεωρίας, δοκεῖ πως ἡ διάνοια συνηρτῆσθαι καὶ τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἔχειν. Ἡ δὲ λέξις ἐμδαθύνουσα ταῖς τροπικαῖς σημασίαις, δυσχατανόητον ποιεῖ τὸ διὰ τῶν αἰνιγμάτων δηλούμενον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς κάλλος τῇ ἵππῳ τῇ καθαιρετιχῇ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἁρμάτων ὡμοιώθη, τουτέστι τῇ ἀγγελικῇ στρατιᾷ· τῇ δὲ ἵππῳ ἐκείνῃ φησὶν ὁ καλὸς ἐπιδάτης, χαλινὸν μὲν εἶναι τὴν ( καθαρότητα, ἣν διὰ τοῦ ὁμοιῶσαι τὰς σιαγόνας ταῖς ποιχίλρυς ὅρμους τοὺς διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν περιστίλδον. : τὰς· βούλονταί τινα καὶ οἱ φίλοι προσθήκην τῷ κάλλει τῆς ἵππου ποιήσασθαι, ἐξ ὁμοιωμάτων χρυσίου, κατακοσμοῦντες τὰ φάλερα, οἷς ἐνστίξζουσι καὶ τοῦ ᾿ἀργυρίου τὴν καθαρότητα, ὡς ἂν μᾶλλον διαλάμποι τὸ κάλλος τοῦ προχοσμήματος, τῆς αὐγῆς τοῦ ἀργύβου πρὰς τὴν λαμπηδόνα τοῦ χρυσίου συγκιρναμένης. ᾿Αναγκαῖον δ᾽ ἂν εἴη τὰς τροπικὰς ἐμφάσεις καταλιπόντας, ὠφελούσης ἡμᾶς διανοίας μὴ ἀποστῆσαι τὸν λόγον. Προσειχάσθη μὲν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἵππῳ ἡ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν κεκαθαρμένη Ψυχή. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὕπω τοῦ Λόγου γέγονεν ὑποχείριος, οὐδὲ ἐδάστασεν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῆς τὸν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐποχούμενον ἵπποις. Χρὴ γὰρ πρῶτον διὰ πάντων χκαταχοσμηθῆναι τὸν ἵππον, Υ εἶθ᾽ οὕτως τὸν βασιλέα ἔποχον δέξασθαι. Εἴτε δὲ ἄνωθεν ἑαυτῷ ἐφαρμόζοι τὸν ἵππον, ὁ κατὰ τὸν Προφήτην ἐπιδαίνων ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἵππους, καὶ ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἡμῶν ἱππαζόμενος· εἴτε καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν γένοιτο, ἐνοικῶν τε καὶ ἐμπεριπατῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ βάθη τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν Λιδιαδυόμενος, οὐδὲν διαφέρει κατὰ τὴν ἔννοιαν. Ὧ γὰρ ἂν τὸ ἕν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων γένηται, συγχατωρθώθη καὶ τὸ λειπόμενον. Ὅ τε γὰρ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἔχων, καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ πάντως ἔχει. καὶ ὁ ἐν ἑαυτῷ δεξάμενος ὑπέδη, τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ γεγονότα. Οὐκοῦν μέλλει ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ἵππῳ τούτῳ ἐπαναπαύεσθαι. Ταὐτὸν δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως, καθὼς εἴρηται, καθέδρα τε καὶ ἀνάχλισις’ ὁπότερον γὰρ ἂν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἐν ἡμῖν γένηται, τὸ ἴσον ἡ χάρις ἔχει. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οἱ ἔτοιμασταὶ τοῦ βασιλέως, εὔθετον πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν αὐτῷ Ἡ διὰ τῶν προχοτμημάτων τὸν ἵππον ποιοῦσι - ταὐτὸν δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ Θεοῦ, τὸ ἕν τινι καὶ τὸ ἐπί τινος γενέσθαι καταλιπόντες τὸ κατὰ τὴν τροπιχὴν σημασίαν ἀκόλουθον, οἱ παρασχενασταὶ καὶ θεράποντες, κλίνην τὸν ἵππον ἐποίησαν. Χρὴ γὰρ ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, ὁμοιώΤ᾿ ματα χρυσίου ποιῆσαι μετὰ στιγμάτων τοῦ ἀργυρέου,, τὰ τοῦ ἵππου τὴν μορφὴν ὡραΐζοντα. Ἵνα γένηται ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἐν καθέδρᾳ, φησὶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀναχλέσεςε Ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀκολουθία τῆς λέξεως, καθὼς ὁ Λόγος ὑπέδειξε, τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον· ἄξιον δὲ τοῦτο μὴ παραδραμεῖν ἀθεώρητον, τί δή ποτε οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ χρυσίον εἰς κόσμον παραλαμδάνεται, ἀλλὰ τοῦ χρυσίου τὰ ὁμοιώματα· καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸς ὁ ἄργυρος, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐξ ὕλης ταύτης τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ χρυσίου ἐγκρο-. τούμενα στίγματα. Ὅ τοίνυν περὶ τούτων ὑπενού, σαμεν, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι᾿ Πᾶσα ἧ περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου φύσεως διδασκαλία, κἂν ὅτι μάλιστα δοκεῖ θεοπρεπῇ τινα καὶ ὑψηλὴν ἐμφαίνειν διάνοιαν, ὁμοίωμα χρυσίου ἐστὶν, οὐκ αὐτὸ τὸ χρυσίον. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι παραστῆσαι διʼ ἀχριδείας τὸ ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν ἀγαθόν - κἂν ψιΠαῦλός τις ἧ, ὁ ἐν παραδείσῳ μυηθεὶς τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα, κἂν τῶν ἀλαλήτων ῥημάτων στα μένει περὶ Θεοῦ τὰ νοήματα. Αῤῥητα γάρ φησιν εἶναι τῶν νοημάτων τούτων τὰ ῥήματα. Οἱ τοένυν τοὺς λογισμούς τινας ἡμῖν ἀγαθοὺς ἐντιθέντες περὶ ν τῆς τῶν μνστηρίων ἐννοήσεως, αὐτὸ μὲν εἰπεῖν ὅπως ἔχει φύσεως ἀδυνατοῦσι, λέγουσι δὲ ἀπαύγασμα δόξης, καὶ χαρακτῆρα τῆς ὑποστάσεως, μορφὴν Θεοῦ, Λόγον ἐν ἀρχῇ, Λόγον Θεόν. ἽΔπερ πάντα ἡμῖν μὰν τοῖς ἀθεάτοις ἐκείνου τοῦ θησαυροῦ, χρυσίον δοχεξ· τιροῖς δὲ δυναμένοις ἀναδλέπειν πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ὁμοίωμά ἐστι χρυσίου καὶ οὐ χρυσίον, ἕν τοῖς λα.πτοῖς τοῦ ἀργύρου διαφαινόμενον στίγμασιν. ᾽Αργύριον δὲ ἡ ῥηματιχὴ σημασία ἐστὶ, καθώς φησιν ἢ Γραφή· Ἄργυρος πεπυρωμένος γλῶσσα δικαίου. ( Τὸ τοίνυν διὰ τούτων δηλούμενον, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. ὅτε ἡ θεία φύσις πάσης ὑπέρχειται χαταληπτιχῆς διανοίας. Τὸ δὲ περὶ αὐτῆς ἡμῖν ἐγγιγνόμενον νόημα, ὁμοίωμά ἐστι τοῦ ζητουμένου. Οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸ δείκνυσιν ομηποπι ἐκεῖνο τὸ εἶδος, ὃ οὔτε τις εἶδεν, οὔτε ἰδεῖν δύναται, ἀλλὰ δι᾽ ἐσόπτρου καὶ δι᾽ αἰνίγματος ἔμφασίν τινα σχιογραφεῖ τοῦ ζητουμένου, ἔκ τινος εἰχασμοῦ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐγγινομένην. Πᾶς δὲ λόγος τῶν τοιούτων νοημάτων τημαντιχὸς, στιγμῆς τινος ἀμεροῦς δύναμιν ἔχει, μὴ δυνάμενος ἐμφῆναι ὅπερ ἡ διάνοια βούλεται· ὡς εἶναι πᾶσαν μὲν διάνοιαν χατωτέραν τῆς θείας κατανοήσεως ᾿ πάντα δὲ λόγον ἑρμηνευτιχὸν, στιὙμὴν βραχεῖαν δοκεῖν μὴ δυναμένην τῷ πλάτει τῆς ἰν διανοίας συνεπεχτείνεσθαι, Τὴν οὖν διὰ τῶν τοιούτων νοημάτων χειραγωγουμένην Ψυχὴν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀλήπτων περίνοιαν διὰ μόνης πίστεως εἰσοιχίζειν ἑαυτῇ λέγει δεῖν τὴν πάντα νοῦν ὑπερέχουσαν φύσιν. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ παρὰ τῶν φίλιυν λεγόμενον· ὅτι ἷ Σοὶ ποιήσωμεν, ὦ ψυχὴ, τῇ καλῶς πρὸς τὸν ἵππον ἀπειχασθείσῃ, ἰνδάλματά τινα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ὁμοιώματα. Τοιαύτη γὰρ τούτων λόγων ἀργύρου ἢ δύναμις, ὡς ἐναύσματά τινα σπινθηροειδῇ δοκεῖν εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα, μὴ δυνάμενα δι᾽ ἀχριθείας ἐμφῆναι τὸϊ· ἐγκείμενον νόημα. Σὺ δὲ ταῦτα δεξαμένη, ὑποζύγιόν τε καὶ οἰκητήριον γενήσῃ διὰ πίστεως τοῦ σοι ἐναναχλένεσθαι μέλλοντος διὰ τῆς ἐν σοὶ κατοικήσεως· τοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ θρόνος εἴ καὶ οἶκος γενήσῃ. Τάχα δ᾽ ἄν τις εἴποι τὴν Παύλου ψυχὴν, καὶ εἶ τις ἄλλη γέγονε ὕ κατʼ ἐκείνην, τῶν τοιούτων ἀξιοῦσθαι ῥημάτων. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς ἅπαξ τῷ Δεσπότῃ γενόμενος, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ εἶχε τὸν Κύριον· ἐν μὲν τῷ βαστάζειν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα ἐναντίον ἐθνῶν καὶ βασιλέων ἵππος γενόμενος· ἐν δὲ τῷ μηκέτι αὐτὸν ζῆν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἑαυτῷ δεικνύειν ζῶντα ἐκεῖνον, καὶ δοκιμὴν διδόναι τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ, οἷΤαῦτα τῶν φίλων τοῦ νυμφίου τῇ καθαρᾷ καὶ παρθένῳ χαρισαμένων ψυχῇ (εἶεν δ᾽ οὗτοι τὰ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα τὰ εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα, διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν), τελειότερόν πὼς γίνεται τῇ προσθήκῃ τῶν χαρισμάτων ἡ νύμφη. Καὶ μᾶλλον προσεγγίσασα τῷ ποθουμένῳ, πρὶν τὸ κάλλος αὐτοῦ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖ; ἐμφανῆναι, διὰ τῆς ὀσφραντικῆς αἰσθήσεως τοῦ ζητουμένου ἐφάπτεται, οἷόν τινος χρωτὸς ἰδιότητα ὀσφραντιχῇ δυνάμει χατανοήσασα, καί φησιν ἐπεγνωκέναι αὐτοῦ τὴν ὀσμὴν τῇ εὐωδίᾳ τοῦ μύρου, οὗ νάρδος ἐστὶ τὸ ὄνομα, ταύτῃ πρὸς τοὺς φίλους τῇ φωνῇ χρησαμένη, Νάρδος μου ἔδωκεν ὀσμὴν αὑτοῦ.·Ὥσπερ ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, οὐκ … αὐτὸ τὸ ἀκήρατον τῆς θεότητος χρυσίον, ἀλλ᾽ ὁμοιώματα διὰ τῶν χωρητῶν ἡμῖν νοημάτων τοῦ χρυσίου χαρίζεσθε, οὐ τηλᾶυγεῖ τῷ λόγῳ τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἐχχαλύπτοντες, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς βραδύτητος τῶν τοῦ λογικοῦ ἀργύρου στιγμάτων, ἐμφάσεις τινὰς παρασχόμενοι τοῦ ζητουμένου· οὕτω κἀγὼ διὰ τῆς εὐπνοίας τοῦ ἐμοῦ μύρου, τὴν αὑτὴν ἐκείνου εὐωδίαν τῇ αἰσθήσει παρεδεξάμην. Τοιοῦτον δέ τινα νοῦν δοκεῖ μοι τὸ λεγόμενον ἔχειν’ Ἐπειδὴ πολλῶν καὶ διαφόρων ἀρὼωμάτων, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κατ᾽ ἄλλην ἰδιότητα εὐπνοούντων, πεχνιχή τις καὶ ἔμμετρος μέξις τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀπεργάζεται μύρον, μιᾶς τινος πόας εὐώδους ἐκ τῶν συνεμδαλλομένων, ἧ ὄνομα νάρδος ἐστὶν, ὅλῳ τῷ σχευάσματι παρεχομένης τὸ ὄνομα τὸ δὲ ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἰδιωμάτων εἰς μίαν εὔπνοιαν, ὡς αὐτὴν τοῦ νυμφίου τὴν εὐωδίαν ἡ κεκαθαρμένη αἴσθησις δέχεται· ταῦτα διὰ τῶν εἰρημέ-᾿ νων παιδεύειν ἡμᾶς τὸν Λόγον οἰόμεθα, ὅτι ἐκεῖνα. μὲν ὃ τί ποτε κατ᾽ οὐσίαν ἐστὶ, τὸ πάσης ὑπερκείμενον τῆς τῶν ὄντων συστάσεώς τε καὶ διοικήσεως, ἀπρόσιτόν τε καὶ ἀναφὲς καὶ ἄληπτον᾽ ἣ δὲ ἐν ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀρετῶν καθαρότητος μυρεψουμένη δία, ἀντ᾽ ἐκείνου ἡμῖν γίνεται, μιμουμένη τῷ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὴν καθαρῷ τὸ τῇ φύσει ἀκήρατον, καὶ τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τὸ ἄφθαρτον, καὶ τῷ ἀναλλοιώτῳ τὸ ἀναλλοίωτον, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς κατ᾽ ἀρετὴν ἐν ἡμῖν κατορθουμένοις τὴν ἀληθινὴν ἀρετὴν, περὶ ἧς φησιν ᾿Αδδαχοὺμ ὁ προφήτης, ὡς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς πάντας διαλαθδούσης. Οὐκοῦν ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς φίλους τοῦ νυμφίου διεξιοῦσα, ὅτι Τὴν ὀδμὴν αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐμὴ νάρδος ἐμοὶ δίδωσι· ταῦτά μοι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα δοκεῖ φιλοσοφοῦσα λέγειν, ὅτι εἰς πᾶν ἄνθος εὐωδίας ἣ ἄρωμα ἐκ τῶν ποικίλων τῆς ἀρετῆς λειμώνων ἀνθολογήσας, πάντα ἑαυτοῦ τὸν βίον ἔμμυρον διὰ τῆς τῶν καθ᾽ ἔκαστον ἐπιτηδευμάτων εὐοδμίας ἀπεργασάμένος, διὰ πάντων γένοιτο τέλειος, πρὸς αὐτὸν μὲν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, ὡς πρὸς ἡλίου κύκλον ἀτενῶς ἐνιδεῖν φύσιν οὐκ ἔχει· ἐν ἑαυτῷ δὲ καθάπερ ἐν κατόπτρῳ βλέπει τὸν ἥλιον. Αἱ γὰρ τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἐκείνης καὶ θείας ἀρετῆς ἀκτῖνες τῷ κεκαθαρμένῳ βίῳ διὰ τῆς ἀποῤῥεούσης αὑτῶν ἀπαθείας ἐχλάμπουσαι, ὁρατὸν ποιοῦσιν ἡμῖν τὸ ἀόρατον, καὶ ληπτὸν τὸ ἀποόσιτον, ἡμετέρῳ κατόπτρῳ ἐνζωγραφοῦσαι τὸν ἥλιον. Ταυτὸν δέ ἐστιν ὡς πρὸς τὸ ἐγκείμενον νόημα, ἢ ἀκτῖνας εἰπεῖν ἡλίον, ἢ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀποῤῥοίας, ἣ τὰς ἀρωμαπικὰς εὐωδίας. Ὅ τʼ γὰρ ἂν ἐκ τούτων πρὸς τὸν τοῦ λόγου σκοπὸν ὑποθώμεθα, ἕν ἐξ ἁπάντων ἐστὶ τὸ ἐγγινόμενον νόημα, τὸ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἡμῖν τοῦ πάντα νοῦν ὑπερέχοντος ἀγαθοῦ τὴν γνῶσιν ἐγγίνεσθαι, ὥσπερ ἔστι διά τινος εἰκόνος τὸ ἀρχέτυπον κάλλος ἀναλογίσασθαι. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος, ἡ νύμφη, Ὁ ὁ διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν τὸν νυμφίον μιμούμενος, καὶ ζωγραφῶν ἑαυτῷ διὰ τοῦ βίου τὸ ἀπρόσιτον κάλλος, ἔκ τε τῶν καρπῶν τοῦ πνεύματος, ἀγάπης τε καὶ χαρᾶς, καὶ εἰρήνης. καὶ τῶν τοιούτων εἰδῶν μυρεψῶν ταύτην τὴν νάρδον, Χριστοῦ εὐωδίαν ἔλεγεν ἑαυτὸν εἶναι, τὴν ἀπρόσιτον ἐκείνην καὶ ὑπερέχου- ᾿ σαν χάριν ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὀσφραινόμενος, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἑαυτὸν παρέχων ὥσπερ θυμίαμά τι κατ᾽ ἐξουσίαν ἀντιλαμθάνεσθαι, ὃς κατὰ τὴν προσοῦσαν ἑκάστῳ διάθεσιν, ἢ ζωοποιὸς ἐγίνετο, ἣ θανατηφόρος εὕπνοια. Ὥσπερ τὸ αὐτὸ μύρον εἰ κάνθαρος καὶ περιστερὰ προστεθείη, οὐ ταὐτὸν ἐπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων ἐργάζεται· ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μὲν περιστερὰ ῥωμαλαιοτέρα διὰ τῆς εὐπνοίας τοῦ μύρσυ γίνεται, ὁ δὲ κάνθαρος φθείρεται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ μέγας Παῦλος τὸ θεῖον ἐκεῖνο θυμίαμα, εἰ μέν τις ἣν περιστερὰ, ἢ· Τῖτον, ἢ Σιλονανὸν, ἣ Τιμόθεον, συμμετεῖχεν αὐτῷ τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ μύρου, προκόπτων : ἂν παντὶ καλῷ τοῖς κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ὑποδείγμασιν. Εἰ δὲ Δημᾶς τις ἦν ἢ ᾿Αλέξανδρος, ἢ Ἑρμογένης, οὐ φέροντες τὸ τῆς ἐγκρατείας θυμίαμα, κανθάρων δίκην ὑπὸ τῆς εὐωδίας ἐφυγαδεύοντο. Οὗ χάριν ἔλεγεν ὁ τοῖς τοιούτοις εὐπνοῶν μύροις, ὅτι Χριστοῦ δὺὡδία ἐσμὲν, ἐν τοῖς σωζομένοις. καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολτυμένοις, οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον· οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. Εἰ δέ τι συγγενὲς καὶ ἢ εὐαγγελικὴ νάρδος ἔχει πρὸς τὸ μύρον τῆς νύμφης, ἔξεστι τῷ βουλομένῳ διὰ τῶν γεγραμμένων ἀναλογίσασθαι, τίς ἣν ἐκείνη ἢ νάρδος ἡ ἡ πολύτιμος, ἡ καταχεθεῖσα μὲν τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ Κυρίου, πάντα δὲ τὸν οἶκον τῆς εὐὖωδίας πληρώσασα. Τάχα γὰρ οὐκ ἀπεξένωται τοῦ μύρου τὸ μύρον, ὃ τῇ νύμφῃ μὲν τὴν ὀδμὴν τοῦ νυμφίου δίδωσιν· ἐν δὲ τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ αὐτοῦ καταχυθὲν τοῦ Κυρίου, πληροῖ τῆς εὐωδῖας τὸν οἶκον ἐν ᾧ τὸ συμπόσιον ἦν. Δοκεῖ γάρ μοι κἀκεῖ προφητικῷ τινι πνεύματι προμηνῦσαι διὰ τοῦ μύρου ἣ Ὑυνὴ ὃ τοῦ θανάτου μυστήριον, καθὼς μαρτυρεῖ οἷς παρ᾽ αὐτῆς γεγενημένοις ὁ Κύριος λέγων ὅτι Προέλαδεν εἰς τὸ ἐνταφιάσαι με. Καὶ τὸν οἶκον πληρωθέντα τῆς εὐωδίας ἀντὶ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης νοεῖν ὑποτίθεται, εἰπών· ὅτι Ὅπου ἐὰν κηρυχθῇ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦτο ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ, ἡ ὀσμὴ τοῦ ἔργου συνδιαδοθήσεται τῷ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου κηρύγματι, καὶ μνημόσυνον ἔσται, φησὶ, ταύτης τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Οὐκοῦν ἐν μὲν·λσματι τῶν ἀσμάτων, ἡ νάρδος τὴν ὀσμὴν τοῦ νυμφίου τῇ νύμφῃ δίδωσι· ἐν δὲ τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος τῆς Ἐχκχλησίας ἐν πάσῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ καὶ ἐν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ Χριστοῦ εὐωδία γίνεται, ἡ τότε τὸν οἶκον πληρώσασα, τάχα τις εὑρίσκεται διὰ τούτων κοινωνία ἐν ἀμφοτέροις, ὡς ἓν … Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον· ἣ δὲ ἐφεξῆς ῥῆσις καταλλήλως μὲν τῇ τοῦ ἐπιθαλαμίου δράματος ὑποθέσει, ὡς παρὰ τῆς ἐν παστάδι παρεσκευασμένης, Ὦ ἔχειν δοκεῖ - μείζονα δὲ καὶ τελειοτέραν ἐμφαίνει φιλοσοφίαν, ἣν κατορθῶσαι μόνον τῶν ἤδη τετελειωμένων ἐστί. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον ; Ἁπόδεσμος τῆς στακτῆς ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοὶ, ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν μασθῶν μου αὐλισθήσεται. Φασὶν ἐπιμέλειαν εἶναι ταῖς φιλοχόσμοις τῶν γυναικῶν, μὴ τοῖς ἔξωθεν προχοσμήμασι μόνον ἐπινοεῖν ἑαυταῖς τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν· ἀλλʼ ἐπιτηδεύειν διά τινος εὐπνοίας ἡδίω τὰ σώματα τοῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀνδράσι φαίνεσθαι, τὸ κατ᾽ ἀλλήλως ἐνεργοῦν πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην χρείαν ἄρωμα, ἐντὸς τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἐσθῆτα περιδολῆς ἀποχρυπτούσαις, οὗ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἀτμὸν ἐχδιδόντος., καὶ τὸ σῶμα … τῆς δὲ οὔσης ἐν αὐταῖς τῆς συνηθείας, οἷον τολμᾷ αὕτη ἡ μεγαλόφρων παρϑένος ; Ἐμοὶ, φησὶν, ἀπόδεσμος, ὃν ἐξαρτῶ τοῦ αὐχένος ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος, δι᾽ οὗ τὴν εὐοσμίαν παρέχω τῷ σώματι, οὐκ ἄλλο τι νῶν εὐπνοούντων ἀρωμάτων ἐστίν: ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος Ὑ στακτὴ γενόμενος ἔγκειται ἐν τῷ ἀποδέσμῳ τῆς συνεἰδήσεως, αὐτῇ μου τῇ καρδίᾳ ἑναυλιζόμενος. γὰρ τοπικὴ τῆς καρδίας θέσις ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τῶν μαζῶν παρὰ τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπεσχεμμένων εἶναι λέγεται. Ἐχεῖζ δέ φησιν ἡ νύμφη ἔχειν τὸν ἀπόδεσμον, τόπῳ τὸ ἀγαθὸν θησαυρίζεται. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ πηγήν τινα τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν θερμοῦ, τὴν καρδίαν φασίν· ἀφ᾽ ἧς διὰ τῶν ἀρτηριῶν ἀφ᾽ ἅπαν ἡ θερμότης τὸ σῶμα δι᾽ ἧς ἔνθερμά τε καὶ ζωτικὰ τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος γίνεται, τῷ πυρὶ τῆς καρδίας τ΄ Ἡ τοίνυν ἐν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ παραδεξαμένη τὴν Χριστοῦ εὐωδίαν, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς ἔνδεσμον τοῦ τοιούτου ποιήσασσ θυμιάματος. πάντα τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον τοῦ βίου ἐπιτηδεύματα, οἷόν τινος σώματος μέλη ζέειν παρασκευάζει τῷ ἐκ τῆς καρδίας διήχοντε πνεύματι, μηδεμιᾶς ἀνομίας τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπην ἐν μηδενὶ μέλει τοῦ σώματος ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὸν ἑξῆς λόγον μετέλθωμεν. ᾿Ακούσωμεν τὲ ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ εὐθηνοῦσα περὶ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῆς διαλέγεται, ἡ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς χλέτεσι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκίας, καθώς φησιν ὁ Προφήτης, διηπλωμένη, καὶ διὰ τῶν τῆς ἀγάπης ἑλίχων περιελισσομένη τῇ θείᾳ τε καὶ ἀκηράτῳ ζωῇ. Βότρυς, φησὶ, τῆς Κύπρου ( ἀδελφιδός μου ἐμοὶ ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν ᾿Εγγαδδεί. Τίς οὕτω μακάριος, μᾶλλον δὲ τίς οὕτω κρείττων πάσης μακαριὅτητος, ὥστε τὸν ἴδιον καρπὸν βλέπων ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ βότρυϊ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς ὁρᾷν τὸν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος δεσπότην ; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὅσον ηὐξήθη ἂν τῇ ἰδίᾳ νάρδῳ τοῦ νυμφίου ἐπιγνοῦσα τὴν εὔπνοιαν, ἡ στακτὴ αὐτῷ εὐώδης ποιησαμένη, καὶ διαλαδοῦσα εᾧ τῆς καρδίας ἐνδέσμῳ τὸ ἄρωμα, ὡς ἂν παραμένοι αὐτῇ τὸ ἀγαθὸν διαπαντὸς ἀδιάπνευστον, μήτηρ τοῦ θείου βότρνος γίνεται, τοῦ πρὸ μὲν τοῦ πάθους χυπρίζοντος, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀνθοῦντος, ἐν δὲ τῷ πάθει τὸν οἶνον ἡ προχέοντος. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν καρδίαν εὐφραίνων οἶνος, αἷμα σταφυλῆς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ πάθους οἰκονομίαν γίνεταί τε καὶ ὀνομάζεται. Διπλῆς οὖν οὔσης ἐν τῷ βότρυϊ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως· τῆς μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἄνθους, ὅταν εὐὖφραίνῃ τῇ εὐοδμίᾳ τὰ αἰσθητήρια· τῆς δὲ διὰ τοῦ τε- ᾿ λειωθέντος ἤδη καρποῦ, ὅταν ὑπάρχῃ κατ᾽ ἐξουσίαν ἣ τῆς βρώσεως χατατρυφᾷν, ἣ ἐν συμποσίοις τῷ οἴνῳ φαιδρύνεσθαι· ἐνταῦθα αἰτεῖ ἡ νύμφη τὸν ἀνθοῦντα βότρυν καρποφορεῖν, κύπρον τὴν οἰνάνθην χατονομάζουσα. Τὸ γὰρ γεννηθὲν ἡμῖν παιδίον Ἰησοῦς, ὁ ἐν τοῖς δεξαμένοις αὐτὸν διαφόρως προκόπτων, σοφίᾳ τε καὶ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ χάριτι, οὐκ ἐν πᾶσιν ὁ αὐτός ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ μέτρον τοῦ ἐν ᾧ γίνεται, καθὼς ἂν ὁ χωρῶν αὐτὸν ἱκανῶς ἔχῃ, τοιοῦτος φαίνεται, ἣ προκόπτων, ἣ τελειούμενος, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ βότρυος φύσιν· ὃς οὗ πάντοτε μετὰ τοῦ αὖτοῦ εἴδους ἐπὶ τῆς ἀμπέλου ὁρᾶται, ἀλλὰ συνεξαλλάσσει τῷ χρόνῳ τὸ εἶδος, ἀνθῶν, χυπρίζων, τελειούμενος … τῷ ἰδίῳ καρπῷ, ὃς οὕπω μέν ἐστι πρὸς οἶνον ὥριμος, ἀλλὰ μένει τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν χαιρῶν· Η μὴν ὡς εἰς τρυφὴν ἀναπόλαυστος. Τὴν ὄσφρησιν γὰρ εὐφραίνει ἀντὶ τῆς γεύσεως τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, τοῖς ἀτμοῖς τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡδύνων τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αἰσθητήρια. Τὸ γὰρ πιστόν τε καὶ ἀναμφίθολον τῆς --ἐλπιζομένης χάριτος, ἡ ἀπόλαυσις τοῖς δι᾽ ὑπομονῆς τὸ προσδοκώμενον γίνεται. Οὕτως οὖν ὁ τῆς Κύπρου βότρυς ἐστὶ, βότρυς οἶνον ἐπαγγελλόμενος, οὕπω δὲ οἶνος γινόμενος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ ἄνθους (ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς τὸ ἄνθος ἐστὶ) τὴν ἐσομένην χάριν πιστούμενος. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Καδδεὶ προσθήκη σημαίνει . τὸν πίονα χῶρον, ᾧ ἐνριζωθεῖσα ἡ ἄμπελος εὔτροφον καὶ ἡδὺν τὸν καρπὸν ἀπεργάζεται. Οἱ τοπικῶς στορήσαντες λέγουσι τὸν κλῆρον τοῦ Καδδεὶ ἐπιτηδείως ἔχειν πρὸς εὐτροφίαν βοτρύων. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ὁ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Κυρίου σύμφωνον ἔχων τὸ θέλημα, καὶ διὰ πάσης νυκτός τε καὶ ἡμέρας ταύτην τὴν μελέτην ποιούμενος, ἀειθαλὲς γένεται δένδρον, ταῖς τῶν ὑδάτων ἐπιῤῥοαῖς πιαινόμενον, ἐν τῷ καθήκοντι καιρῷ τὸν καρπὸν παρεχόμενος, τούτου χάριν καὶ ἡ τοῦ νυμἄμπελος ἐν τῷ Καδδεὶ τῷ πίονι τόπῳ ὁ μένη, τουτέστιν ἐν βαθείᾳ τῇ διανοίᾳ, τῇ διὰ τῶν θείων διδαγμάτων χαταρδομένη καὶ αὔξουσα, τὸν τοῦτον καὶ χυπρίζοντα βότρυν σεν, ᾧ τὸν γεωργὸν καὶ φυτηχόμον ἑαυτῆς ἐνορᾷ. Ὡς μακάριον τὸ τοιοῦτον γεώργιον, οὗ ὁ καρπὸς πρὸς οπτὴν τοῦ νυμφίου ὁμοιοῦται μορφήν! Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ φῶς ἀληθινόν ἔστιν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἀληθινὴ ζωὴ, καὶ δικαιοσύνη ἀληθὴς, καθὼς ἣ Σοφία φησὶ, καὶ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὅταν τις διὰ τῶν ἔργων ταῦτα γένηται, ἃ ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν, οὕτω τὸν τῆς ἰδίας συνειδήσεως βότρυν βλέπων, αὐτὸν τὸν νυμφίον ἐν τούτῳ βλέπει, τῇ φωτεινῇ τε καὶ ἀκηράτῳ ζωῇ τὸ φῶς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐνοπτριζόμενος. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ εὐθηνοῦσα, ὅτι Ἑμὸς βότρυς ὁ δι᾿ ἄνθος χυπρίξζων: αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς βότρυς, ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν ξυλίνων ἀναφορέων ἑαυτὸν δείξας, οὗ τὸ αἷμα τοῖς σωζομένοις τε καὶ εὐφραινομένοις, πότιμόν τε καὶ σωτήριον γίνεται, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν.
ooi epi epi Tę̄ hippǭ en harmasi Pharaō plēsion mou. Ti hōraiōthēsan hai siagones sou hōs trygones, trachēlos sou hōs hormiskoi. Homoiōmata tou chrysiou poiēsomen soi meta stigmatōn tou tou, tardos mou edōken osmēn autou. ᾿Apodesmos staktēs adeiridos mou emoi ana meson mastōn; mou aulisthēsetai. Botrys tēs Kyprou adeiphidos mou emoi, en ampelōsin ᾿Engaddei. Hosa pro tēs parousēs anagnōseōs en tois prooimiois tou ilsmatos tōn asmatōn hēmin tetheōrētai, homoiōs echei tę̄ ginomenę̄ meta tēn nykta peri ton orthron augę̄. Oute gar ekeinē katharon phōs, HōO alla phōtos esti prooimion, kai ta eirēmena toiauta, hōs tēn anatolēn men hēmin tou alēthinou katamēnyein phōtos, ou mēn en heautois echein auton tou hēliou ton kyklon tēlaugōs prophainomenon. Hen ekeinois men gar hē nymphē phthengetai, kai hoi philoi, kai hai neanides; nyn de autou tou nymphiou phōnē, kathaper tis kyklos hēliachos anatellei, apokryptōn tais tōn aktinōn augais pasan tōn te prophanentōn asterōn, kai tou hypaugasantos orthrou tēn lampēdona. Kakeina men panta katharsiōn tinōn kai pedynamin echei, di᾽ hōn psychē pros tēn hypodochēn tōn theiōn parascheuaxetai ho de nyn logos, hautēs tēs theotētos esti metousia, tou Theou Logou dia tēs idias phōnēs metadidantos akouonti tēs akēratou dynameōs tēn koinōnian. Ki si hōsper epi tou Sina proparascheuastheis tois katharuiois ho Israēl en hēmerais dyo, tę̄ tritę̄ kata ton orthron axioutai tēs theophaneias, ouketi peri tēn plysin tōn himatiōn ascholos hōn, all᾽ auton dechomenos emphanōs ton Theon, hou charin ton tēs psychēs rhypon dia tōn proladontōn katharsiōn apeplynato’ houtō kchai nyn hē en tois phthasasi logois gegenēmenē tōn prooimiōn tou lsmatos theōria kata tas proladousas dyo hēmeras, tosouton ōphelēsen, hoson echplynai kai apochlysai tou rhypou tēs sarkos tēn en tois legomenois dianoian. Autos de ho Theos Logos sēmeron, hētis esti tritē, meta tēn prōtēn te kai deuteran katharsin, epiphanēsetai, ou gnophǭ, kai thyellę̄, kai salpingos ēchǭ, kai pyri photherōs ek pythmenos eis akrōreian tou orous tēn periochēn diasmychonti, neran kai epidēlon heautou tēn parousian poioumenos; Bʼ all᾽ hēdys kai euprositos, ek tou phoderou eidous echeisgou pros tēn nymphikēn euphrosynēn metharmosamenos. Tēs gar nymphēs deētheisēs mathein tous tēs anapauseōs topous, en hois ho agathos poimēn tēn diatribēn echei, hōste mē ti kata agnoian tōn adoulētōn pathein; eita tōn philōn to asphales tēs alētheias kritērion hyphēgēsamenōn, to pros heautēn blepein tēn psychēn, kai heautēn ginōskein to gar heautēn agnoein, archēn apephēnanto kai akolouthian einai tou mēde allo ti tōn deontōn eidenai. Pōs gar an allo pi mathoi, heauton agnoōn ? Epi toutois hōs hechanōs ēdē tou hēgemonikou tēs psychēs kekatharmenou, hepanaptellei tę̄ pothousę̄ ho logos, protropēn pros to teleion poioumenos dia tēs apodochēs tōn parontōn. Ho gar epi tois katorthōmasin epainos sphodroteran tois katorthōsasi tēn pros to kreitton prothymian Tis oun ho para tou alēthinou Logon gegonōs pros tēn parthenon logos? Tę̄ hippǭ mou, phēsin, en harmasi Pharaō hōmoiōsa se, hē piiIēsion mou. ᾿All᾽ epeidē ouk estin ek tou procheirou tēn tōn eirēmenōn theōrēsai dianoian, exetasai prosēkei di᾽ epimeleias, kathōs an hoion te hē, to procheimenon.;Allēn ᾿ dynamin tēn antitachtheisan tę̄ hippǭ tou Pharaō para tēs historias emathomen, nephelēn kai rhaddon kai biaion anemon kai pelagos dikē diairoumenon, kai bython en konei, kai tēn ek kymatōn teichopoiian, kai xēran adysson, tēn dia mesou tōn ex hydatos pēgōn chersōtheisan; di᾽ hōn hapantōn egineto tois Israēlitais hē sōtēria, panstratią tou Pharaō meta tōn hippōn tX kai harmatōn synchalyphthentos tois kymasin. Oudemias toinyn hippikēs dynameōs anteisachtheisēs tǭ Aigyptiǭ stratǭ, aporon an eiē mathein poią hippǭ diaphaneisę̄ kata tōn Aigyptiōn harmatōn hē nymphē para tou logou nyn proseichazetai. Tę̄ hippǭ mou gar, phēsi, tę̄ en tois harmasi tou Pharaō chateirgasmenę̄ tēn nikēn, hōmoiōsa se, hē plēsion mou. HōI dēlon estin, hoti hōsper ouk esti dia naumachias hēttēthēnai tinas, mē nautiou stratou tēn en tais . nausi tōn enantiōn dynamin katalysantos - houtōs oude an en hippomachią tis hēttētheiē, mē tinos hipech tōn enantiōn antitachtheisēs dynameōs de? toinyn to kratiston tēs tōn Aigyptiōn stratias, hē hippos ēn, tēn epachtheisan autę̄ kata to aoraton dynamin, di᾽ hēs hē nikē kata tōn Aigyptiōn egeneto, hippon ho logos ōnomasen; ēsthanonto gar kakeinoi tou polemountos, kai pros allēlous edoōn, Kyrios hi polemei tous Aigyptious, kai phygōmen apo prosōōpou Kyriou. Dēlon de hote katallēlōs tę̄ paraskeuę̄ tōn enantiōn ho alēthinos archistratēgos tēn idian anthōplize dynamin. Oukoun hēn tis aoratos dynamis, hē dia tōn peri tēn thalassan thaumatōn energousa tōn Aigyptiōn ton olethron, hēn hippon ho logos ōnomasen. ᾿Angelikēn de tautēn stratian hyponooumen, peri hēs phēsin ho prophētēs; hote ᾿Epidēsę̄ epi tous hippous sou, kai hē hippasia sou sōtēria. ᾿Alla kai harmatos mnēmēn Theou epoiēsato ho Dadid legōn; To harma tou Theou myriopilasion; hǭ hypozeugnyntai tōn euthēnountōn hai chiliades. Eti de kai hē ton prophētēn Ēlian metaision ek gēs epi ton aitherion chōron analamdanousa dynamis tǭ tōn hiippōn onomati para tēs Graphēs onomazetai, kai au} ton de ton prophētēn harma legei tou Israēl kai hippea hē historia. Kai tous periodeuontas pasan tēn oikoumenēn, di᾽ hōn chatoichizetai kai hēsychazei, Zacharias ho prophētēs hippous ōnomase. dialegomenous pros ton hippotēn, ton meson hestōta tōn dyo horōn. Oukoun esti tisaippos tǭ to pan kektēmenǭ; hē men ton prophētēn anagousa; hē de tēn oikoumenēn oichizousa; ē hoe hypozeugnymenē tǭ armati; allē de ton Theon epochon epi sōtērią tōn anthrōpōn lamdanou; allē de tēn Aigyptian chatalyousa dynamin. Pollēs toinyn ousēs en tais theiais Graphais tēs dia pōn energeiōn phainomenēs diaphoras, tę̄ chathairetichę̄ tēs Aigyptiakēs dynameōs hippǭ pareichaxetai dia tou dromou tēs aretēs tǭ Theǭ plēsiasasa. Houtō gar phēsi pros autēn ho Logos; hoti Tę̄ hippǭ mou en harmasi Pharaō hōmoiōsa se, hē plēsion mou. Iollous de kai megalous epainous ho logos en heautǭ perieilēphe; kaï tis katorthōmatōn katalogos estin, hē pros tēn hippon tautēn homoiōsis. Hosa gar tou Israēl en tę̄ paroikią tōn Aigyptiōn mnēmoneuetai, hē douleia, hē kalamē, ho pēlos, hē plintheia, pasa hē peri tēn gēn ascholia, hoi chalepoi tōn toioutōn ergōn epistatai, hoi ton pēlinon autous kath᾽ ekastēn hēmeran apaitountes phoron, di᾽ hous to hydōr haima ginetai, kai to phōs skotizetai, kai batrachoi ēï Ho tois oikois eiserpousi, kai ē chaminaia konis tas phlychtidas apo tōn sōmatōn anazeein poiei, kai ta kath᾽ hekaston panta, hē achris, hoi schnipes, kos, hē chalaza, tōn prōtotokōn ta pathē tauta panta kai hosa pros to kreitton hē historia diexeisi, di᾿ hōn ginetai tois Israēlitais hē sōtēria, epainōn estin hypothesis tę̄ tǭ Theǭ synaptomenę̄ psychę̄. Ou gar an hōmoiōthē tę̄ dynamei ekeinę̄, tę̄ chathairetichę̄ tōn Aigyptiōn kakōn, di᾽ hēs eleutheroutai ho Israēl tēs ponēras tyrannidos, ei mē tauta panta kai tautę̄ katōrthōto, ta te chathaireticha tēs Aigyptou, kai ta parascheuasticha tēs pros ton Theon poreias, tōn metoichizomenōn pros tēn gēn tēs epangelias apo tēs Aigyptias ilyos, Oukoun epeidē, kathōs piïbd᾽oēïB. ᾿phityn phēsin ho theios ᾿Apostolos, panta pros nouthesian hēmōn anagegraptai, hosa ē theopneustos periechei Graphē ouden allo hē symthouleuei dia tōn pros tēn nymphēn eirēmenōn ho Logos hēmin, hoti chrē kai hēmas epochon dexamenous eph᾽ heautōn ton Logon, kai chatagōnisamenous tēn Aigyptian hippon autois harmasi kai anathatais, kai pasan autōn tēn ponēran dytǭ hydati chatapnixantas, houtōs homoiōthēnai tę̄ dynamei ekeinę̄, kathaper tina hippon tēn antikeimenēn stratian enaphentas tǭ hydati. Hōs d᾽ an saphesteron mathoimen to legomenon, toiouton estin; Ouk estin homoiōthēnai tę̄ hippǭ, di᾽ hēs ta harmata tōn Aigyptiōn tǭ bythǭ chateponthē, ei mē tis dia tou mystikou hydatos tēs tou antikeimenou douleias eleutheroumenos, pan Aigyptiazon noēma, kai pasan al-; lophylon chkachian te kai hamartian tǭ hydati katalipōn, katharos anadyę̄, mēden tēs Aigyptia? syneidēseōs tǭ meta tauta biǭ synepagomenos. Ho gar achridōs pasōn kathareusas tōn Aigyptiōn plēgōn, haimatos, kai batrachōn, kai phlychtidōn, kai skotous, akridos te kai schnipōn, kai chalazēs, kai tēs tou pyros hepomyrias, kai tōn loipōn, hōn historias memnētai logos, houtos axios estin homoiōthēnai tę̄ dynamei ekeinę̄, hēs epochos ho Logos ginetai. dpantōs de ouk agnooumen ta dia tōn plēgōn sēmainomena, pōs ginetai tois Aigyptiois to haima plēgē. kai hē tōn batrachōn osmē, kai hē tou phōtos eis to skotos metatholē, kai ta kath᾽ hekaston panta. Tis Hyar ouk hoide dia potapou biou haima tis ginetai, ek O potimou tou proteron eis diaphthoran alloioumenos; ΄ kai ti poiōn zōogonei tǭ idiǭ oikǭ tēn tōn batrachōn dysōdianʼ kai pōs metapoiei ton phōteinon bion, eis erga nykti phila kai zophōdē, di᾽ hōn hē tēs geennē: kaminos tas ponēras tēs katakriseōs phlychtidas anazeein poiei ? Houtō de kai ta kath᾽ ekaston tōn en Aigyptǭ kakōn rhadion metadalein eis paideusin te kai sōphronismon tou akouontos, alla peritton an eiē mēkynein dia tōn homologoumenōn ton logon. Toutōn toinyn kai tōn toioutōn kreittous geno benoi, kai tǭ Theǭ plēsiasantes, nai autoi pantōs akousometha᾽ hoti Tę̄ ippǭ mou en harmasi Pharaō hōmoiōsa se, hē plēsion mou. ᾿Alla lypei tychon tous sōphronas kai katharon exēschēchotas bion, hē pros ton hippon homouōsis; dioti polloi tōn prophētōn apagoreuousin hēmin to homoiousthai tois hippois, tou men Hieremiou tēn moichikēn lyssan tǭ onomati tōn hippōn diasēmanantos, en hois phēsin HiIppoi thēlymageis egenēthēsan, ekastos epi tēn gynaika tou autou echremetizeʼ tou de megalou phoderon poioumenou to hōs hippon tina kai hēmionon nesthai, hōn keleuei kataschein en kēmǭ te kai chalinǭ tas siagonas. Dia touto paramytheitai tǭ ephexēs logǭ tēn toiautēn dianoian, legōn; hoti Ou toiautai Isou eisin hai siagones, kan hippos hēs, hōs kēmou chrę̄zein kai chalinou eis anchonēn; alla soi dia tēs chatōn trygonōn hē siagōn … Phēsi garʼ Ti hōraiōthēsan siagones sou hōs trygoges, martyreitai de para tōn ta toiauta paratetouto to orneon menein, ei . pēs syzygias, eis to ephexēs asyndyaston, hōs physi᾿ chōs en autǭ to katorthousthai tēn sōphrosynēn. Dia touto to ainigma tōn epainōn symparelēphthē hypo tou Logou touto to orneon, hōs anti chalinou ginesthai pę̄ siagoni tēs theias hippou tēn tēs trygonos homoiōsin, di’ hēs hē kathara zōē epiprepein tę̄ toiautę̄ ) hippǭ diasēmainetai. Dio thaumastikōs phēsi pros autēn ho Logos; Ti hōraiōthēsan siagones son hōs trygones. Epagei de toutǭ kai heteron di᾽ homoioseōs epainon, legōn Trachē.los sou hōs hormiskoi. Apax gar empesōn tę̄ tropichę̄ sēmasią, dia tōn {peri tōn hippōn theōroumenōn epinoei tę̄ nymphę̄ ton epainon. Epainei gar ton trachēlon ton en schēmati kyklou gyroumenon, ho dē peri tous gaurous tōn pōlōn horōmen ginomenon. Hē gar tōn hormischōn pnēmē ton kyklon endeiknytai, hou to schēma epi tou … hormiskos, dǭ auchenos deiknymenon euprepesteron heautou ton chōlon poiei! hormos de legetai kyriōs men epi tōn paraliōn topōn, en hois hē ochthē kata to entos mēupodechetai te tǭ kolpǭ tēn thalassan, kai anapauei di᾽ heautēs tous ek pelagous prospleontas. Ek metaphoras de dia tou schēmatos peritrachēlios kosmos hormos legetai, Hotan de hypoanti drmou legōmen, tēn en oligǭ tou schēmatos homoiotēta dia tēs toiautēs phōgēs endeichnymetha. Polla toinyn eis enkōmia syntelounta tēn nymphēn, hē pros tous hormischous homoiotēs (ō tou trachēlou endeiknytai; prōton men hoti eis kyklou schēma champtōn ho pōlos ton auchena, pros tas idias tōn podōn baseis drą di᾽ hōn aproschopon te kai asphalē poieitai ton dromon, mēte tǭ lithǭ prosptaiōn, mēte chenemdatōn tǭ bothrǭ. Touto de ou mikron estin eis euphēmian psychēs, to, pros heautēn blepein, kai di᾽ asphaleias pasēs pros ton theion dromon epeigesthai, panta ta ek peirasmōn tinōn enginomena pros ton dromon empodia, diallomenēn kai hyperthainousan. Epeita de kai auto to prōtotypon tōn hormōn onoma, hothen dia tēn tou schēmatos stai, megalōn tinōn enkōmiōn hypertholēn periechei, hotan hōmoiōthē tois hormois ho trachēlos. Tina de esti ta enkōmia ta dia toutōn hēmin hypo tou logou dē? dy ti kai sōtērion esti tois chatapleousin ho limēn, kai to meta tēn en thalassę̄ chachopatheian, hormon tina lēthēn poiēsamenoi tōn en thalassę̄ kakōn, holoi tēs anapauseōs ginontai, tous makrous ponous di᾽ hēsychian paramythoumenoi, ouk estin autois ouketi nanagiou phodos, oute ē tōn hyphalōn hyponoia, oute peiratōn kindynos, oute pneumatōn tarachē, oute hē ek bythōn anoidainousa dia tōn anemōn thalassa; alla pantōn tōn toioutōn kindynōn ektos ginontai hoi cheimazomenoi, tou pelagous en tǭ zontos. Ei toinyn houtō tis tēn heautou psychēn kataōs autēn te galēnēn echein en hēsychią, mēden parachinoumenēn ek tōn pneumatōn hēs ponērias, mēte di᾽ hyperēphanias oidainousan,᾿mē,pe tois tou thymou kymasin exaphrizousan, mēte kat᾽ allo ti pathos chlydōnixomenēn, kai peripheromenēn panti anemǭ, tǭ ta poikila kymata tōn pathēmatōn egeironti; ei toinyn autē te houtōs echoi, kai tous en tǭ pelagei tou biou cheimazomenous en tais pantodapōn tōn kakōn trikymiais en heautę̄ katastelloi, galēnēn lian autois kai achymanton tēn di’ aretēs zōēn hyphaplōsasa, hōste tous en autę̄ gegonotas hektos ginesthai tōn ek nauagiou kakōn, kalōs tois hypo tou;ʼ) Logou epainoumenois hormischois homoioutai, tēs plēthyntikēs sēmasias tēn en hekastǭ eidei tēs aretēs teleiotēta sēmainousēs. Ei gar ēn heni monǭ proseikastheisa atelēs an pantōs ho epainos ēn, hōs hou tēn autēn kai epi tōn loipōn aretōn martyrian echōn; nyn de pasan syllamdanei tǭ logǭ tōn aretōn tēn martyrian hē pros to plēthos tōn hormischōn homoiōsis. Kai touto symdoulē tis esti para tou Logou tǭ koinǭ tēs Ekklēsias prosagomenē, to mē dein hēmas pros hen ti tōn agathōn blepontas, amelōs peri tago loipa tōn katorthōmatōn echein. ᾿All᾽ ei soi gegonen im hormos hē sōphrosynē, kathaper tisi margaritais tǭ katharǭ biǭ ton trachēlon lamprynōn; hesto soi kai REG heteros hormos, ho tous timious lithous tōn entolōn en. heautǭ perieirgōn, kai di᾽ heautou tēs derrhēs pleonazōn to kallos - estō soi kai allos kosmos ton tēs psychēs auchena dialamthanousa. Houtos estin ho kloios ho chryseos ho ek tou akēratou tēs theognōsias chrysiou tǭ trachēlǭ perilampomenos; peri hou phēsin ēb paroimia - hoti Stephanon charitōn dexę̄ sę̄ koRhyphę̄, kai kloion chryseon peri tǭ trachēlǭ. Hē men oun dia tōn hormischōn symthdoulē toiautē. Kai- S ros an eiē kai ton ephexēs logon prostheinai tę̄ theōrią, hon hoi philoi tou nymphiou pros tēn parthenon pepoiēntai, Esti de hē lexis autē Homoiōmata chrysiou poiēsomen soi meta stigmatōn tou argyrou; heōs ho basianak,lisdi autou. Toutōn de, tǭ men pros ton heirmon bleponti tēs proapodotheisēs hēmin theōrias, dokei pōs hē dianoia synērtēsthai kai to akolouthon echein. Hē de lexis emdathynousa tais tropikais sēmasiais, dyschatanoēton poiei to dia tōn ainigmatōn dēloumenon. Epeidē gar to tēs psychēs kallos tę̄ hippǭ tę̄ kathairetichę̄ tōn Aigyptiōn harmatōn hōmoiōthē, toutesti tę̄ angelikę̄ stratią; tę̄ de hippǭ ekeinę̄ phēsin ho kalos epidatēs, chalinon men einai tēn ( katharotēta, hēn dia tou homoiōsai tas siagonas tais poichilrys hormous tous dia tōn aretōn peristildon. : tas; boulontai tina kai hoi philoi prosthēkēn tǭ kallei tēs hippou poiēsasthai, ex homoiōmatōn chrysiou, katakosmountes ta phalera, hois enstixzousi kai tou ᾿argyriou tēn katharotēta, hōs an mallon dialampoi to kallos tou prochosmēmatos, tēs augēs tou argybou pras tēn lampēdona tou chrysiou synkirnamenēs. ᾿Anankaion d᾽ an eiē tas tropikas emphaseis katalipontas, ōphelousēs hēmas dianoias mē apostēsai ton logon. Proseichasthē men ekeinę̄ tę̄ hippǭ hē dia tōn aretōn kekatharmenē Psychē. ᾿All᾽ houpō tou Logou gegonen hypocheirios, oude edastasen eph᾽ heautēs ton epi sōtērią tois toioutois epochoumenon hippois. Chrē gar prōton dia pantōn chkatachosmēthēnai ton hippon, Y eith᾽ houtōs ton basilea epochon dexasthai. Eite de anōthen heautǭ epharmozoi ton hippon, ho kata ton Prophētēn epidainōn eph᾽ hēmas tous hippous, kai epi sōtērią hēmōn hippazomenos; eite kai en hēmin genoito, enoikōn te kai emperipatōn, kai epi ta bathē tēs psychēs hēmōn Lidiadyomenos, ouden diapherei kata tēn ennoian. Hō gar an to hen ex amphoterōn genētai, synchatōrthōthē kai to leipomenon. Ho te gar eph᾽ heautou ton Theon echōn, kai en heautǭ pantōs echei. kai ho en heautǭ dexamenos hypedē, ton en autǭ gegonota. Oukoun mellei ho basileus tǭ hippǭ toutǭ epanapauesthai. Tauton de estin epi tēs theias dynameōs, kathōs eirētai, kathedra te kai anachlisis’ hopoteron gar an ex amphoterōn en hēmin genētai, to ison hē charis echei. Epeidē toinyn hoi etoimastai tou basileōs, eutheton pros hypodochēn autǭ Hē dia tōn prochotmēmatōn ton hippon poiousi - tauton de estin epi Theou, to hen tini kai to epi tinos genesthai katalipontes to kata tēn tropichēn sēmasian akolouthon, hoi paraschenastai kai therapontes, klinēn ton hippon epoiēsan. Chrē gar hēmas, phēsin, homoiōT᾿ mata chrysiou poiēsai meta stigmatōn tou argyreou,, ta tou hippou tēn morphēn hōraïzonta. Hina genētai ho basileus ouk en kathedrą, phēsin, all᾽ en anachlesese Hē men oun akolouthia tēs lexeōs, kathōs ho Logos hypedeixe, touton echei ton tropon; axion de touto mē paradramein atheōrēton, ti dē pote ouk auto to chrysion eis kosmon paralamdanetai, alla tou chrysiou ta homoiōmata; kai ouk autos ho argyros, alla ta ex hylēs tautēs tǭ homoiōmati tou chrysiou enkro-. toumena stigmata. Ho toinyn peri toutōn hypenou, samen, toiouton esti᾿ Pasa hē peri tēs arrhētou physeōs didaskalia, kan hoti malista dokei theoprepę̄ tina kai hypsēlēn emphainein dianoian, homoiōma chrysiou estin, ouk auto to chrysion. Ou gar esti parastēsai diʼ achrideias to hyper ennoian agathon - kan psiPaulos tis hē, ho en paradeisǭ myētheis ta aporrhēta, kan tōn alalētōn rhēmatōn sta menei peri Theou ta noēmata. Arrhēta gar phēsin einai tōn noēmatōn toutōn ta rhēmata. Hoi toenyn tous logismous tinas hēmin agathous entithentes peri n tēs tōn mnstēriōn ennoēseōs, auto men eipein hopōs echei physeōs adynatousi, legousi de apaugasma doxēs, kai charaktēra tēs hypostaseōs, morphēn Theou, Logon en archę̄, Logon Theon. HiDper panta hēmin man tois atheatois ekeinou tou thēsaurou, chrysion dochex; tirois de dynamenois anadlepein pros tēn alētheian, homoiōma esti chrysiou kai ou chrysion, hen tois la.ptois tou argyrou diaphainomenon stigmasin. ᾽Argyrion de hē rhēmatichē sēmasia esti, kathōs phēsin ē Graphē; Argyros pepyrōmenos glōssa dikaiou. ( To toinyn dia toutōn dēloumenon, toiouton estin. hote hē theia physis pasēs hypercheitai chatalēptichēs dianoias. To de peri autēs hēmin engignomenon noēma, homoiōma esti tou zētoumenou. Ou gar auto deiknysin omēpopi ekeino to eidos, ho oute tis eiden, oute idein dynatai, alla di᾽ esoptrou kai di᾽ ainigmatos emphasin tina schiographei tou zētoumenou, ek tinos eichasmou tais psychais enginomenēn. Pas de logos tōn toioutōn noēmatōn tēmantichos, stigmēs tinos amerous dynamin echei, mē dynamenos emphēnai hoper hē dianoia bouletai; hōs einai pasan men dianoian chatōteran tēs theias katanoēseōs ᾿ panta de logon hermēneutichon, stiYmēn bracheian dokein mē dynamenēn tǭ platei tēs in dianoias synepechteinesthai, Tēn oun dia tōn toioutōn noēmatōn cheiragōgoumenēn Psychēn pros tēn tōn alēptōn perinoian dia monēs pisteōs eisoichizein heautę̄ legei dein tēn panta noun hyperechousan physin. Kai touto esti to para tōn philiyn legomenon; hoti hi Soi poiēsōmen, ō psychē, tę̄ kalōs pros ton hippon apeichastheisę̄, indalmata tina tēs alētheias kai homoiōmata. Toiautē gar toutōn logōn argyrou ē dynamis, hōs enausmata tina spinthēroeidę̄ dokein einai ta rhēmata, mē dynamena di᾽ achritheias emphēnai toï; enkeimenon noēma. Sy de tauta dexamenē, hypozygion te kai oikētērion genēsę̄ dia pisteōs tou soi enanachlenesthai mellontos dia tēs en soi katoikēseōs; tou gar autou kai thronos ei kai oikos genēsę̄. Tacha d᾽ an tis eipoi tēn Paulou psychēn, kai ei tis allē gegone hy katʼ ekeinēn, tōn toioutōn axiousthai rhēmatōn. Ekeinos gar skeuos eklogēs hapax tǭ Despotę̄ genomenos, kai eph᾽ heautou kai en heautǭ eiche ton Kyrion; en men tǭ bastazein autou to onoma enantion ethnōn kai basileōn hippos genomenos; en de tǭ mēketi auton zēn, all᾽ en heautǭ deiknyein zōnta ekeinon, kai dokimēn didonai tou en autǭ lalountos Christou, hoiTauta tōn philōn tou nymphiou tę̄ katharą kai parthenǭ charisamenōn psychę̄ (eien d᾽ houtoi ta leitourgika pneumata ta eis diakonian apostellomena, dia tous mellontas klēronomein sōtērian), teleioteron pōs ginetai tę̄ prosthēkę̄ tōn charismatōn hē nymphē. Kai mallon prosengisasa tǭ pothoumenǭ, prin to kallos autou tois ophthalmoi? emphanēnai, dia tēs osphrantikēs aisthēseōs tou zētoumenou ephaptetai, hoion tinos chrōtos idiotēta osphrantichę̄ dynamei chatanoēsasa, kai phēsin epegnōkenai autou tēn osmēn tę̄ euōdią tou myrou, hou nardos esti to onoma, tautę̄ pros tous philous tę̄ phōnę̄ chrēsamenē, Nardos mou edōken osmēn hautou.;Hōsper hymeis, phēsin, ouk … auto to akēraton tēs theotētos chrysion, all᾽ homoiōmata dia tōn chōrētōn hēmin noēmatōn tou chrysiou charizesthe, ou tēlaugei tǭ logǭ ta kat᾽ auton echchalyptontes, alla dia tēs bradytētos tōn tou logikou argyrou stigmatōn, emphaseis tinas paraschomenoi tou zētoumenou; houtō kagō dia tēs eupnoias tou emou myrou, tēn hautēn ekeinou euōdian tę̄ aisthēsei paredexamēn. Toiouton de tina noun dokei moi to legomenon echein’ Epeidē pollōn kai diaphorōn arōōmatōn, all᾽ ou kat᾽ allēn idiotēta eupnoountōn, pechnichē tis kai emmetros mexis to toiouton apergazetai myron, mias tinos poas euōdous ek tōn synemdallomenōn, hē onoma nardos estin, holǭ tǭ scheuasmati parechomenēs to onoma to de ek pantōn tōn idiōmatōn eis mian eupnoian, hōs autēn tou nymphiou tēn euōdian hē kekatharmenē aisthēsis dechetai; tauta dia tōn eirēme-᾿ nōn paideuein hēmas ton Logon oiometha, hoti ekeina. men ho ti pote kat᾽ ousian esti, to pasēs hyperkeimenon tēs tōn ontōn systaseōs te kai dioikēseōs, aprositon te kai anaphes kai alēpton᾽ hē de en hēmin dia tēs tōn aretōn katharotētos myrepsoumenē dia, ant᾽ ekeinou hēmin ginetai, mimoumenē tǭ kath᾽ heautēn katharǭ to tę̄ physei akēraton, kai tǭ agathǭ to agathon, kai tǭ aphthartǭ to aphtharton, kai tǭ analloiōtǭ to analloiōton, kai pasi tois kat᾽ aretēn en hēmin katorthoumenois tēn alēthinēn aretēn, peri hēs phēsin ᾿Addachoum ho prophētēs, hōs tous ouranous pantas dialathdousēs. Oukoun tauta pros tous philous tou nymphiou diexiousa, hoti Tēn odmēn autou hē emē nardos emoi didōsi; tauta moi kai ta toiauta dokei philosophousa legein, hoti eis pan anthos euōdias hē arōma ek tōn poikilōn tēs aretēs leimōnōn anthologēsas, panta heautou ton bion emmyron dia tēs tōn kath᾽ ekaston epitēdeumatōn euodmias apergasamenos, dia pantōn genoito teleios, pros auton men ton Theon Logon, hōs pros hēliou kyklon atenōs enidein physin ouk echei; en heautǭ de kathaper en katoptrǭ blepei ton hēlion. Hai gar tēs alēthinēs ekeinēs kai theias aretēs aktines tǭ kekatharmenǭ biǭ dia tēs aporrheousēs hautōn apatheias echlampousai, horaton poiousin hēmin to aoraton, kai lēpton to apoositon, hēmeterǭ katoptrǭ enzōgraphousai ton hēlion. Tauton de estin hōs pros to enkeimenon noēma, ē aktinas eipein hēlion, ē tēs aretēs aporrhoias, hē tas arōmapikas euōdias. Ho tʼ gar an ek toutōn pros ton tou logou skopon hypothōmetha, hen ex hapantōn esti to enginomenon noēma, to dia tōn aretōn hēmin tou panta noun hyperechontos agathou tēn gnōsin enginesthai, hōsper esti dia tinos eikonos to archetypon kallos analogisasthai. Houtō kai Paulos, hē nymphē, Ho ho dia tōn aretōn ton nymphion mimoumenos, kai zōgraphōn heautǭ dia tou biou to aprositon kallos, ek te tōn karpōn tou pneumatos, agapēs te kai charas, kai eirēnēs. kai tōn toioutōn eidōn myrepsōn tautēn tēn nardon, Christou euōdian elegen heauton einai, tēn aprositon ekeinēn kai hyperechou- ᾿ san charin en heautǭ osphrainomenos, kai tois allois heauton parechōn hōsper thymiama ti kat᾽ exousian antilamthanesthai, hos kata tēn prosousan hekastǭ diathesin, ē zōopoios egineto, hē thanatēphoros heupnoia. Hōsper to auto myron ei kantharos kai peristera prostetheiē, ou tauton ep᾽ amphoterōn ergazetai; all᾽ hē men peristera rhōmalaiotera dia tēs eupnoias tou myrsy ginetai, ho de kantharos phtheiretai; houtō kai ho megas Paulos to theion ekeino thymiama, ei men tis hēn peristera, ē; Titon, ē Silonanon, hē Timotheon, symmeteichen autǭ tēs euōdias tou myrou, prokoptōn : an panti kalǭ tois kat᾽ auton hypodeigmasin. Ei de Dēmas tis ēn ē ᾿Alexandros, ē Hermogenēs, ou pherontes to tēs enkrateias thymiama, kantharōn dikēn hypo tēs euōdias ephygadeuonto. Hou charin elegen ho tois toioutois eupnoōn myrois, hoti Christou dyōdia esmen, en tois sōzomenois. kai en tois apoltymenois, hois men osmē thanatou eis thanaton; hois de osmē zōēs eis zōēn. Ei de ti syngenes kai ē euangelikē nardos echei pros to myron tēs nymphēs, exesti tǭ boulomenǭ dia tōn gegrammenōn analogisasthai, tis hēn ekeinē ē nardos hē hē polytimos, hē katachetheisa men tēs kephalēs tou Kyriou, panta de ton oikon tēs euyōdias plērōsasa. Tacha gar ouk apexenōtai tou myrou to myron, ho tę̄ nymphę̄ men tēn odmēn tou nymphiou didōsin; en de tǭ Euangeliǭ autou katachythen tou Kyriou, plēroi tēs euōdias ton oikon en hǭ to symposion ēn. Dokei gar moi kakei prophētikǭ tini pneumati promēnysai dia tou myrou hē Hyynē ho tou thanatou mystērion, kathōs martyrei hois par᾽ autēs gegenēmenois ho Kyrios legōn hoti Proeladen eis to entaphiasai me. Kai ton oikon plērōthenta tēs euōdias anti pantos tou kosmou, kai holēs tēs oikoumenēs noein hypotithetai, eipōn; hoti Hopou ean kērychthę̄ to Euangelion touto en holǭ tǭ kosmǭ, hē osmē tou ergou syndiadothēsetai tǭ tou Euangeliou kērygmati, kai mnēmosynon estai, phēsi, tautēs to Euangelion. Oukoun en men;lsmati tōn asmatōn, hē nardos tēn osmēn tou nymphiou tę̄ nymphę̄ didōsi; en de tǭ Euangeliǭ holou tou sōmatos tēs Echkchlēsias en pasę̄ tę̄ oikoumenę̄ kai en panti tǭ kosmǭ Christou euōdia ginetai, hē tote ton oikon plērōsasa, tacha tis heurisketai dia toutōn koinōnia en amphoterois, hōs hen … Kai tauta men eis tosouton; hē de ephexēs rhēsis katallēlōs men tę̄ tou epithalamiou dramatos hypothesei, hōs para tēs en pastadi pareskeuasmenēs, Ō echein dokei - meizona de kai teleioteran emphainei philosophian, hēn katorthōsai monon tōn ēdē teteleiōmenōn esti. Ti oun esti to eirēmenon ? Hapodesmos tēs staktēs adelphidos mou emoi, ana meson tōn masthōn mou aulisthēsetai. Phasin epimeleian einai tais philochosmois tōn gynaikōn, mē tois exōthen prochosmēmasi monon epinoein heautais to epi tōn; allʼ epitēdeuein dia tinos eupnoias hēdiō ta sōmata tois heautōn andrasi phainesthai, to kat᾽ allēlōs energoun pros tēn toiautēn chreian arōma, entos tēs kata tēn esthēta peridolēs apochryptousais, hou ton oikeion atmon echdidontos., kai to sōma … tēs de ousēs en autais tēs synētheias, hoion tolmą hautē hē megalophrōn parϑenos ? Emoi, phēsin, apodesmos, hon exartō tou auchenos epi to stēthos, di᾽ hou tēn euosmian parechō tǭ sōmati, ouk allo ti nōn eupnoountōn arōmatōn estin: all᾽ autos ho Kyrios Hy staktē genomenos enkeitai en tǭ apodesmǭ tēs syneidēseōs, autę̄ mou tę̄ kardią henaulizomenos. gar topikē tēs kardias thesis en tǭ mesǭ tōn mazōn para tōn ta toiauta epeschemmenōn einai legetai. Echeiz de phēsin hē nymphē echein ton apodesmon, topǭ to agathon thēsaurizetai. ᾿Alla kai pēgēn tina tou en hēmin thermou, tēn kardian phasin; aph᾽ hēs dia tōn artēriōn aph᾽ hapan hē thermotēs to sōma di᾽ hēs entherma te kai zōtika ta melē tou sōmatos ginetai, tǭ pyri tēs kardias t΄ Hē toinyn en tǭ hēgemonikǭ paradexamenē tēn Christou euōdian, kai tēn kardian autēs endesmon tou toioutou poiēsass thymiamatos. panta ta kath᾽ hekaston tou biou epitēdeumata, hoion tinos sōmatos melē zeein paraskeuazei tǭ ek tēs kardias diēchonte pneumati, mēdemias anomias tēn pros ton Theon agapēn en mēdeni melei tou sōmatos ᾿All᾽ epi ton hexēs logon metelthōmen. ᾿Akousōmen te hē ampelos hē euthēnousa peri tōn karpōn autēs dialegetai, hē en pasi tois chletesi tēs tou Theou oikias, kathōs phēsin ho Prophētēs, diēplōmenē, kai dia tōn tēs agapēs helichōn perielissomenē tę̄ theią te kai akēratǭ zōę̄. Botrys, phēsi, tēs Kyprou ( adelphidos mou emoi en ampelōsin ᾿Engaddei. Tis houtō makarios, mallon de tis houtō kreittōn pasēs makariotētos, hōste ton idion karpon blepōn en autǭ tǭ botryï tēs heautou psychēs horąn ton tou ampelōnos despotēn ? Idou gar hoson ēuxēthē an tę̄ idią nardǭ tou nymphiou epignousa tēn eupnoian, hē staktē autǭ euōdēs poiēsamenē, kai dialadousa heǭ tēs kardias endesmǭ to arōma, hōs an paramenoi autę̄ to agathon diapantos adiapneuston, mētēr tou theiou botrnos ginetai, tou pro men tou pathous chyprizontos, hoper estin anthountos, en de tǭ pathei ton oinon hē procheontos. Ho gar tēn kardian euphrainōn oinos, haima staphylēs meta tēn tou pathous oikonomian ginetai te kai onomazetai. Diplēs oun ousēs en tǭ botryï tēs apolauseōs; tēs men ek tou anthous, hotan euyphrainę̄ tę̄ euodmią ta aisthētēria; tēs de dia tou te- ᾿ leiōthentos ēdē karpou, hotan hyparchę̄ kat᾽ exousian hē tēs brōseōs chatatryphąn, hē en symposiois tǭ oinǭ phaidrynesthai; entautha aitei hē nymphē ton anthounta botryn karpophorein, kypron tēn oinanthēn chatonomazousa. To gar gennēthen hēmin paidion Iēsous, ho en tois dexamenois auton diaphorōs prokoptōn, sophią te kai hēlikią kai chariti, ouk en pasin ho autos estin, alla pros to metron tou en hǭ ginetai, kathōs an ho chōrōn auton hikanōs echę̄, toioutos phainetai, hē prokoptōn, hē teleioumenos, kata tēn tou botryos physin; hos hou pantote meta tou autou eidous epi tēs ampelou horatai, alla synexallassei tǭ chronǭ to eidos, anthōn, chyprizōn, teleioumenos … tǭ idiǭ karpǭ, hos houpō men esti pros oinon hōrimos, alla menei to plērōma tōn chairōn; Ē mēn hōs eis tryphēn anapolaustos. Tēn osphrēsin gar euphrainei anti tēs geuseōs tę̄ prosdokią tōn agathōn, tois atmois tēs elpidos hēdynōn ta tēs psychēs aisthētēria. To gar piston te kai anamphitholon tēs --elpizomenēs charitos, hē apolausis tois di᾽ hypomonēs to prosdokōmenon ginetai. Houtōs oun ho tēs Kyprou botrys esti, botrys oinon epangellomenos, houpō de oinos ginomenos, alla dia tou anthous (hē de elpis to anthos esti) tēn esomenēn charin pistoumenos. Hē de tou Kaddei prosthēkē sēmainei . ton piona chōron, hǭ enrizōtheisa hē ampelos eutrophon kai hēdyn ton karpon apergazetai. Hoi topikōs storēsantes legousi ton klēron tou Kaddei epitēdeiōs echein pros eutrophian botryōn. Epeidē toinyn ho tǭ nomǭ tou Kyriou symphōnon echōn to thelēma, kai dia pasēs nyktos te kai hēmeras tautēn tēn meletēn poioumenos, aeithales genetai dendron, tais tōn hydatōn epirrhoais piainomenon, en tǭ kathēkonti kairǭ ton karpon parechomenos, toutou charin kai hē tou nymampelos en tǭ Kaddei tǭ pioni topǭ ho menē, toutestin en batheią tę̄ dianoią, tę̄ dia tōn theiōn didagmatōn chatardomenē kai auxousa, ton touton kai chyprizonta botryn sen, hǭ ton geōrgon kai phytēchomon heautēs enorą. Hōs makarion to toiouton geōrgion, hou ho karpos pros optēn tou nymphiou homoioutai morphēn! Epeidē gar phōs alēthinon estin ekeinos, kai alēthinē zōē, kai dikaiosynē alēthēs, kathōs hē Sophia phēsi, kai panta ta toiauta, hotan tis dia tōn ergōn tauta genētai, ha ekeinos estin, houtō ton tēs idias syneidēseōs botryn blepōn, auton ton nymphion en toutǭ blepei, tę̄ phōteinę̄ te kai akēratǭ zōę̄ to phōs tēs alētheias enoptrizomenos. Dia touto phēsin hē ampelos hē euthēnousa, hoti Hemos botrys ho di᾿ anthos chyprixzōn: autos ekeinos estin ho alēthinos botrys, ho epi tōn xylinōn anaphoreōn heauton deixas, hou to haima tois sōzomenois te kai euphrainomenois, potimon te kai sōtērion ginetai, en Christǭ Iēsou tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn, hǭ hē doxa kai to kratos eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿Amēn.
"[To my mare] among the chariots of Pharaoh [I have likened you], my close one. How beautiful your cheeks have become, like turtledoves, your neck like necklaces. We will make you likenesses of gold with studs of [silver, until the king is in his reclining]; my nard gave its fragrance. A pouch of myrrh is my beloved to me; between my breasts he shall lodge. A cluster of henna-blossom is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi."
All that we have contemplated before the present reading, in the opening parts of the Song of Songs, is like the light that comes about at dawn after the night. That is not yet pure light but the prelude of light; and what has been said is such as to announce to us the rising of the true light, without yet holding in itself the very disc of the sun appearing far and wide. In those passages the bride speaks, and the friends, and the maidens; but now the voice of the bridegroom himself rises like the sun's disc, hiding by the rays of its beams all the brilliance of the stars that had appeared and of the dawn that had begun to glimmer. All those passages had the force of certain purifications and preparations, by which the soul is prepared to receive divine things; but the present word is participation in the Godhead itself, as God the Word by his own voice gives the hearer communion with the undefiled power. And just as at Sinai Israel, prepared beforehand by purifications for two days, on the third day at dawn was counted worthy of the appearance of God, no longer busy with washing garments but receiving God himself visibly, for whose sake he had washed away the stain of the soul by the preceding purifications: so now the contemplation of the opening parts of the Song in the earlier discourses, over the two preceding days, profited us so far as to wash out and rinse away from the stain of the flesh the mind [that attends] to what is said. And today, which is the third day, after the first and second purification, God the Word himself will appear, not making his presence fearful and manifest by darkness and storm and the sound of the trumpet and fire smouldering fearfully over the whole mountain from base to summit, but sweet and approachable, having changed from that fearful form to bridal gladness.
For when the bride asked to learn the places of rest in which the good shepherd spends his time, so as not to suffer anything unwelcome through ignorance, and then the friends set forth the safe criterion of truth, that the soul should look to itself and know itself (for they declared that ignorance of oneself is the beginning and consequence of not knowing anything else that one should; for how could one learn anything else if one does not know oneself?), upon this, the ruling part of the soul having now been sufficiently purified, the Word rises on the one who longs for him, urging her to perfection by his approval of what she has. For praise for good deeds makes those who have done them more vehemently eager for the better. What, then, is the word spoken by the true Word to the virgin? "To my mare among the chariots of Pharaoh," he says, "I have likened you, my close one." But since the sense of what is said cannot be seen at first sight, we must examine what is set before us with care, as far as possible.
We have learned from the history of no other force drawn up against Pharaoh's cavalry than a cloud, and a rod, and a violent wind, and the sea divided in two, and the deep turned to dust, and walls made of waves, and the abyss become dry land in the midst of springs of water; through all of these salvation came to the Israelites, when Pharaoh with his whole army, horses and chariots, was covered by the waves. Since, then, no force of cavalry was brought up against the Egyptian army, it would be hard to learn to what mare, appearing against the Egyptian chariots, the bride is now likened by the Word. For he says, "To my mare that won the victory among the chariots of Pharaoh I have likened you, my close one." Clearly, just as no one can be defeated in a sea battle unless a naval force destroys the enemies' strength on their ships, so no one could be defeated in a cavalry battle unless some [cavalry] force was drawn up against him from the other side. Since, then, the cavalry was the strongest part of the Egyptian army, the word named "mare" the invisible power brought against it, through which the victory over the Egyptians came about. For they too perceived the one fighting them, and shouted to one another, "The Lord fights against the Egyptians; let us flee from the face of the Lord." It is clear that the true commander-in-chief armed his own force to match the preparation of the enemy. There was, then, an invisible power, working the destruction of the Egyptians through the wonders at the sea, which the word named a mare. We take this to be an angelic army, of which the prophet says, "You will mount upon your horses, and your riding is salvation." David also mentioned the chariot of God, saying, "The chariot of God is ten thousandfold; thousands of those who flourish are yoked to it." And the power that took up the prophet Elijah high from earth to the region of the ether is called by Scripture by the name of horses; and the history calls the prophet himself "the chariot of Israel and its horseman." And the prophet Zechariah named horses those who go about the whole world, through whom it is inhabited and is at rest, conversing with the rider who stands between the two mountains. There is, then, cavalry belonging to the one who possesses all: one bearing up the prophet, one settling the world, one yoked to the chariot, another receiving God as rider for the salvation of men, another destroying the Egyptian power. Since, then, there is much difference in the divine Scriptures, shown by their activities, the one who has drawn near to God through the course of virtue is likened to the mare that destroys the Egyptian power. For so the Word says to her: "To my mare among the chariots of Pharaoh I have likened you, my close one."
The word holds within itself many great praises; the likening to this mare is a sort of catalogue of good deeds. For all that is recorded of Israel during its sojourn in Egypt, the slavery, the straw, the clay, the brick-making, all the labour on the land, the harsh overseers of such works who demanded their tribute of clay each day, on whose account the water becomes blood, and the light is darkened, and frogs creep into the houses, and the dust of the furnace makes boils break out on the bodies, and every single thing, the locust, the gnats, the [flies], the hail, the sufferings of the firstborn, all these and whatever the history relates of the better, through which salvation comes to the Israelites, are the subject of praise for the soul joined to God. For she would not have been likened to that power which destroys the Egyptian evils, by which Israel is freed from the wicked tyranny, unless all these things had been achieved by her too: both what destroys Egypt and what prepares the journey to God of those who move from the Egyptian mire to the land of promise. Since, then, as the divine apostle says, all that the God-inspired Scripture contains has been written for our admonition, through what is said to the bride the Word counsels us nothing else than this: that we too must receive the Word as rider upon us, and, having overcome the Egyptian cavalry with its chariots and riders and drowned all their wicked power in the water, so become like that power, having let the opposing army go down into the water like a [cavalry]. To learn more clearly what is said, it is this: one cannot be likened to the mare through which the chariots of the Egyptians were sunk in the deep, unless, freed through the mystical water from slavery to the adversary, one leaves every Egyptian thought and all foreign wickedness and sin in the water and comes up pure, bringing nothing of an Egyptian conscience into his life afterwards. For the one who has kept exactly clean of all the Egyptian plagues, the blood, the frogs, the boils, the darkness, the locust and the gnats, the hail and the downpour of fire, and the rest that the history records, is worthy to be likened to that power on which the Word rides.
We are surely not ignorant of what is signified by the plagues: how blood becomes a plague for the Egyptians, and the stench of the frogs, and the change of light into darkness, and every single thing. For who does not know through what kind of life one becomes blood, changed from something once drinkable into corruption? And by doing what one breeds in his own house the stench of frogs? And how one changes the luminous life into dark works that love the night, through which the furnace of Gehenna makes the wicked boils of condemnation break out? So too it is easy to turn each of the evils in Egypt to the instruction and correction of the hearer; but it would be superfluous to lengthen the discourse with what is agreed. Having become superior to these and the like, then, and having drawn near to God, we too shall surely hear: "To my mare among the chariots of Pharaoh I have likened you, my close one."
But perhaps the likening to a horse grieves those who are self-controlled and have practised a pure life, because many of the prophets forbid us to be like horses: Jeremiah signified adulterous madness by the name of horses, where he says, "They became horses mad for females; each neighed after his neighbour's wife"; and the great [David] makes it a thing to fear to become like a horse and a mule, whose jaws he bids be held in with muzzle and bridle. This is why he eases such a thought in what follows, saying: "Your cheeks are not such, even if you are a mare, as to need muzzle and bridle for choking; your cheek is adorned by the [likeness] of turtledoves." For he says, "How beautiful your cheeks have become, like turtledoves." It is attested by those who observe such things that this bird, [when it has lost] its mate, remains unmated thereafter, so that self-control is achieved in it by nature. This is why this bird was taken up by the Word into the riddle of his praises, so that the likeness of the turtledove takes the place of a bridle on the cheek of the divine mare, signifying that the pure life befits such a mare. That is why the Word says to her in wonder, "How beautiful your cheeks have become, like turtledoves."
To this he adds another praise by likeness, saying, "Your neck like necklaces." For having once entered on the figurative meaning, he devises the praise for the bride from what is seen in horses. He praises the neck that is curved into the shape of a circle, which we see in spirited colts. For the mention of necklaces indicates the circle, whose shape, the necklace shown on the neck, makes the limb more comely than itself. Hormos (necklace) is said properly of coastal places where the shore curves inward and receives the sea in its bay, giving rest by itself to those sailing in from the open sea; by metaphor, because of the shape, an ornament round the neck is called hormos; and when we say hormiskos instead of hormos, by this word we indicate a small likeness of the shape. The likeness of the neck to the necklaces, then, shows many things that contribute to the praise of the bride. First, that the colt, bending its neck into the shape of a circle, looks to the steps of its own feet, by which it makes its course without stumbling and safe, neither striking against a stone nor stepping into empty space in a pit. And it is no small thing for the good repute of a soul, to look to itself and with all safety press on to the divine course, leaping over and passing beyond all the hindrances to the course that arise from temptations. Then the original sense of the word hormos itself, from which [the ornament is named] because of the shape, contains an excess of great praises when the neck is likened to harbours. What are the praises that the word shows us through these? That the harbour is a place of salvation for those who put in, and those who, after hardship at sea, [reach] a harbour forget the evils of the sea and give themselves wholly to rest, consoling their long labours with quiet; there is no longer for them any fear of shipwreck, or suspicion of reefs, or danger of pirates, or disturbance of winds, or a sea swelling up from the depths through the winds, but those who were storm-tossed are outside all such dangers, [though] the open sea [is still raging]. If, then, one so [settles] one's own soul as to have calm in quiet, not stirred at all by the winds of wickedness, neither swelling through arrogance nor foaming with the waves of anger, nor tossed about by any other passion and carried about by every wind that raises the varied waves of the passions; if, then, the soul itself is so, and also calms within itself those who are storm-tossed on the sea of life in the many-crested waves of every kind of evil, spreading under them the life of virtue very calm and without waves, so that those who have come into her are outside the evils of shipwreck, she is rightly likened to the necklaces praised by the Word, the plural meaning signifying perfection in each form of virtue. For if she were likened to one only, the praise would be imperfect, as not having the same testimony for the rest of the virtues; but as it is, the likening to the multitude of necklaces includes in the word the testimony to all the virtues. And this is a counsel offered by the Word to the whole church: that we must not look to one of the good things and be negligent about the other good deeds. If self-control has become a necklace for you, making your neck shine with the pure life as with pearls, let there be for you another necklace too, enclosing in itself the precious stones of the commandments and increasing by itself the beauty of the neck; let there be for you also another ornament enfolding the neck of the soul. This is the golden chain that shines round the neck, made from the undefiled gold of the knowledge of God, of which the proverb says, "You will receive a crown of graces on your head, and a golden chain about your neck." Such, then, is the counsel through the necklaces.
It would be time to add to the contemplation the next word, which the friends of the bridegroom address to the virgin. The wording is this: "We will make you likenesses of gold with studs of silver, until the king is in his reclining." To one who looks at the train of the contemplation given us before, the sense of these words seems to be connected and to have its sequence; but the wording, going deep into figurative meanings, makes what is shown through the riddles hard to understand. For since the soul's beauty was likened to the mare that destroys the Egyptian chariots, that is, to the angelic army, and the noble rider says that this mare has for a bridle purity, which [he showed] by likening her cheeks to turtledoves, [and he adorned her neck] with the necklaces of the virtues, the friends too wish to make some addition to the mare's beauty, adorning her trappings with likenesses of gold, in which they set the purity of silver as well, so that the beauty of the ornament may shine the more, the gleam of the silver being blended with the brilliance of the gold. But we must leave the figurative expressions and not let the discourse depart from the sense that profits us. The soul purified through the virtues was likened to that mare; but she has not yet come under the Word's hand, nor has she carried on herself the one who rides on such horses for salvation. For the horse must first be adorned in every way, and so receive the king as rider. Whether the one who, according to the prophet, mounts his horses upon us and rides for our salvation fits the horse to himself from above, or whether he comes to be within us, dwelling and walking about and slipping into the depths of our soul, makes no difference to the meaning. For whichever of the two comes about, the other is achieved along with it. For the one who has God upon him surely has him within too, and the one who has received him within has gone under the one who has come to be in him. So the king is about to rest upon this horse. As has been said, sitting and reclining are the same in the case of the divine power; for whichever of the two comes about in us, the grace is equal. Since, then, the king's preparers make the horse fit to receive him through its ornaments, and for God being in someone and being upon someone are the same, leaving the sequence of the figurative meaning, the preparers and attendants made the horse a couch. "For we must," they say, "make likenesses of gold with studs of silver, adorning the horse's form, so that the king may be not in a seat but in a reclining." Such is the sequence of the wording, as the Word has shown.
But it is worth not passing over without contemplation why it is not gold itself that is taken for ornament but likenesses of gold, and not silver itself but studs of this material hammered into the likeness of gold. What we have supposed about this is as follows. All teaching about the inexpressible nature, however much it seems to show a lofty thought befitting God, is a likeness of gold, not gold itself. For the good that is beyond thought cannot be presented with precision; even if one is a Paul, initiated in paradise into the secret things, and a hearer of words that cannot be spoken, the thoughts about God remain [inexpressible]. For he says that the words of these thoughts are not to be spoken. Those, then, who put good thoughts in us about the understanding of the mysteries cannot say how it is by nature, but they say "radiance of glory", "stamp of the substance", "form of God", "Word in the beginning", "Word God". All these seem gold to us who have not seen that treasure; but to those able to look up to the truth they are a likeness of gold and not gold, shining through the thin studs of silver. And silver is the meaning of words, as Scripture says, "The tongue of the righteous is silver tried by fire." What is shown through these, then, is this: that the divine nature lies beyond every comprehending thought, and the thought about it that arises in us is a likeness of what is sought. For it does not show that form itself, which no one has seen or can see, but through a mirror and in a riddle it sketches some reflection of what is sought, arising in souls from some conjecture. And every word that signifies such thoughts has the force of a point without parts, unable to show what the mind intends; so that every thought is lower than the divine understanding, and every interpreting word seems a small point unable to stretch out together with the breadth of thought. So the soul led by the hand through such thoughts toward the understanding of what cannot be grasped must, it says, make the nature that surpasses all mind dwell in itself through faith alone. And this is what the friends say: "We will make you, O soul, beautifully likened to the mare, certain images and likenesses of the truth. For such is the power of these words of silver that the expressions seem like sparks, unable to show with precision the thought within them. But you, receiving them, will become through faith the mount and dwelling place of the one who is about to recline in you by dwelling in you; for you will become both his throne and his house."
Perhaps one might say that the soul of Paul, and any other that has been like his, was counted worthy of such words. For he, having once become a chosen vessel for the Master, had the Lord both upon himself and in himself: upon himself in carrying his name before the nations and kings, having become a horse; in himself in no longer living himself but showing in himself that one living, and giving proof of Christ speaking in him …
When the friends of the bridegroom had bestowed these gifts on the pure and virgin soul (and these would be the ministering spirits sent out for service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation), the bride becomes somehow more perfect through the addition of the gifts. And having drawn nearer to the one she longs for, before his beauty appears to her eyes, she touches the one she seeks by the sense of smell, perceiving as it were the particular quality of his skin by the power of smell; and she says that she has recognized his scent by the fragrance of the ointment whose name is nard, using these words to the friends: "My nard gave its fragrance." "Just as you," she says, "do not [give me] the undefiled gold of the Godhead itself, but give likenesses of the gold through thoughts that we can contain, not revealing what concerns him in a word that shines far, but offering some reflections of what is sought through the slowness of the studs of rational silver, so I too, through the fragrance of my own ointment, have received by my sense his own scent." What is said seems to me to have some such meaning as this. Since a skilled and measured mixture of many different spices, each fragrant with its own particular quality, produces such an ointment, one fragrant herb among those put in, whose name is nard, giving its name to the whole preparation, and the purified sense receives the fragrance from all the qualities blended into one, as the very scent of the bridegroom: we think that by what is said the Word teaches us that whatever that is in its being which lies above the whole constitution and governance of beings is inaccessible, intangible, and incomprehensible; but the [fragrance] compounded in us through the purity of the virtues takes its place for us, imitating by its own purity the nature that is undefiled, by its goodness the good, by its incorruption the incorruptible, by its unchangeableness the unchangeable, and by all the good deeds of virtue achieved in us the true virtue, of which the prophet Habakkuk says that it has spread through all the heavens.
So when she says to the friends of the bridegroom, "My nard gives me his fragrance," she seems to me to be saying, philosophically, things like this: that the one who has gathered every fragrant flower or spice from the varied meadows of virtue, and has made his whole life fragrant through the sweet scent of each of his pursuits, and has become perfect in all, cannot by nature look steadily at God the Word himself, as at the disc of the sun; but he sees the sun in himself as in a mirror. For the rays of that true and divine virtue, shining out in the purified life through the passionlessness that flows from them, make the invisible visible to us and the inaccessible graspable, painting the sun in our mirror. With respect to the thought in question it is the same to speak of rays of the sun, or emanations of virtue, or the fragrances of spices. For whichever of these we take for the aim of the discourse, one thought arises from them all: that the knowledge of the good that surpasses all mind arises in us through the virtues, just as the archetypal beauty can be inferred through an image. So Paul too, the bride, imitating the bridegroom through the virtues and painting the inaccessible beauty in himself through his life, compounding this nard from the fruits of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and such kinds, said that he was the fragrance of Christ, smelling in himself that inaccessible and surpassing grace, and offering himself to others like incense for each to take as he could; and according to each one's disposition he became a life-giving or a death-dealing fragrance. Just as the same ointment, if set before a dung-beetle and a dove, does not work the same on both, but the dove becomes stronger through the fragrance of the ointment while the beetle perishes, so too the great Paul: if one was a dove, a Titus or a Silvanus or a Timothy, he shared with him the fragrance of the ointment, advancing in every good thing by the examples he gave; but if one was a Demas or an Alexander or a Hermogenes, not bearing the incense of self-control, they were driven off by the fragrance like beetles. For this reason the one fragrant with such ointments said, "We are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the one a scent from death to death, to the other a scent from life to life."
Whether the nard of the Gospel too has some kinship with the bride's ointment, whoever wishes may infer from what is written: what that very precious nard was, which was poured on the Lord's head and filled the whole house with its fragrance. For perhaps the ointment is not foreign to the ointment, the one that gives the bride the bridegroom's scent, and the one in the Gospel which, poured on the Lord, fills with fragrance the house in which the banquet was. For it seems to me that there too the woman, by some prophetic spirit, foretold through the ointment the mystery of death, as the Lord testifies to what she had done, saying, "She has anticipated anointing me for burial." And he suggests that the house filled with fragrance be understood as the whole world and all the inhabited earth, saying that wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, the fragrance of the deed will be spread with the preaching of the Gospel, and the Gospel, he says, will be her memorial. In the Song of Songs, then, the nard gives the bride the scent of the bridegroom; in the Gospel the fragrance that then filled the house becomes the fragrance of Christ for the whole body of the church in all the inhabited earth and in the whole world; perhaps some fellowship is found through these in both, as one …
So much for these things. The next saying seems to fit the subject of the wedding drama, as from one prepared in the bridal chamber; but it shows a greater and more perfect philosophy, which only those already made perfect can achieve. What, then, is said? "A pouch of myrrh is my beloved to me; between my breasts he shall lodge." They say that women who love adornment take care not only to devise for themselves outward ornaments, but also to make their bodies seem more pleasant to their husbands by some fragrance, hiding the spice suited to such use inside the folds of their clothing, which gives off its own vapour, and the body [takes on its scent] … Such being their custom, what does this high-minded virgin dare? "For me," she says, "the pouch that I hang from my neck onto my breast, by which I give fragrance to my body, is none of the fragrant spices; the Lord himself, become myrrh, lies in the pouch of my conscience, lodging in my very heart." For those who have studied such things say that the heart is placed in the middle between the breasts. And the bride says she has the pouch there, [in which] place the good is treasured. They also say that the heart is a kind of spring of our warmth, from which the warmth spreads through the arteries to the whole body, by which the members of the body become warm and full of life, [warmed] by the fire of the heart. The soul, then, that has received the fragrance of Christ in its ruling part, and has made its heart the pouch of such incense, prepares all the pursuits of life, like the members of a body, to boil with the spirit that passes through from the heart, no lawlessness [cooling] its love for God in any member of the body.
But let us pass to the next word. Let us hear what the flourishing vine says about its fruits, the vine spread out, as the prophet says, on all the sides of God's house, and twining by the tendrils of love around the divine and undefiled life. "A cluster of henna-blossom," she says, "is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi." Who is so blessed, or rather who is so far beyond all blessedness, that, looking at his own fruit, he sees the master of the vineyard in the very cluster of his soul? See how far she has grown, she who recognized the bridegroom's fragrance by her own nard, made myrrh fragrant for him, and held the spice in the pouch of her heart, so that the good might remain with her always without evaporating: she becomes mother of the divine cluster, which before the passion is in blossom, that is, flowering, and in the passion pours out the wine. For the wine that gladdens the heart becomes and is called the blood of the grape after the economy of the passion. Since, then, the enjoyment in the cluster is double, one from the flower, when it gladdens the senses with its fragrance, the other from the fruit already ripened, when one is free either to delight in eating it or to be cheered by its wine at banquets, here the bride asks the flowering cluster to bear fruit, calling the vine-blossom kypros. For the child Jesus born to us, who advances differently in those who receive him, in wisdom and stature and grace, is not the same in all, but according to the measure of the one in whom he comes to be, as far as the one who contains him is capable, so he appears, either advancing or being perfected, after the nature of the cluster, which is not always seen on the vine with the same form, but changes its form with time, flowering, blossoming, being perfected … with its own fruit, which is not yet ripe for wine but awaits the fullness of the seasons, yet not unenjoyable for delight. For instead of taste it gladdens the smell with the expectation of good things, sweetening the senses of the soul with the vapours of hope. For the sure and undoubted character of the grace hoped for becomes enjoyment for those who wait for what is expected with patience. Such, then, is the cluster of henna-blossom: a cluster promising wine but not yet become wine, assuring the grace to come through its flower (and hope is the flower). The addition of "Engaddi" signifies the rich ground in which the vine, once rooted, produces a well-nourished and sweet fruit. Those who have studied places say that the region of Engaddi is well suited for the nourishment of clusters. Since, then, the one who has his will in harmony with the law of the Lord, and meditates on it all night and day, becomes an evergreen tree, fattened by streams of water, giving its fruit in due season, for this reason the bridegroom's vine too, [planted] in Engaddi, the rich place, that is, in deep understanding, watered by the divine teachings and growing, [has produced] this blossoming cluster, in which she sees her own farmer and gardener. How blessed such a field, whose fruit is likened to the very form of the bridegroom! For since he is true light and true life and true righteousness, as Wisdom says, and all such things, when one becomes through his works what he is, then, looking at the cluster of his own conscience, he sees the bridegroom himself in it, reflecting the light of truth in his luminous and undefiled life. That is why the flourishing vine says, "My cluster blossoming in flower is himself, the true cluster, who showed himself on the wooden carrying-pole, whose blood becomes drinkable and saving for those who are saved and made glad," in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power to the ages of ages. Amen.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Song 1:9–14 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 19:10–16 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 19:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 14:19–29 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 14:25 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 15:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Hab 3:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 68:17 (67:18 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 2:11–12 (allusion, high confidence) · Zech 1:8–11 (allusion, high confidence) · Zech 6:1–8 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 5:7–19 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 7:20–21 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 8:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 9:8–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 10:21–23 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 9:23–24 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 12:29 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:1–2 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 3:20 (allusion, medium confidence) · Jer 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 32:9 (31:9 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 1:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:6 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 10:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 6:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 13:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 3:17 (allusion, medium confidence) · Phil 4:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 9:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 2:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 13:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Hab 3:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 5:22 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 2:14–16 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 4:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 4:14 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Tim 1:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 26:6–13 (allusion, high confidence) · John 12:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 14:8–9 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 128:3 (127:3 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 104:15 (103:15 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 49:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 9:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 2:52 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 1:2–3 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 14:6 (allusion, medium confidence) · Num 13:23 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Expounding Song 1:9–14, Gregory interprets the bride's likeness to the mare that overthrew Pharaoh's chariots, the turtledove cheeks and necklaces as virtues, the 'likenesses of gold' as the limits of all language about God, and the myrrh, nard and henna cluster as Christ dwelling in the purified soul.
- The Song follows the LXX (1:9–14): "to my mare (τῇ ἵππῳ) among the chariots of Pharaoh"; "necklaces" (ὁρμίσκοι); "likenesses of gold with studs of silver, until the king is in his reclining"; "cluster of henna-blossom" (βότρυς τῆς κύπρου); "vineyards of Engaddi" (Gregory also writes Καδδεί). The opening lines of the quotation are damaged in the scan; supplied in brackets from the LXX as Gregory quotes it later.
- Gregory's day count (the third day of reading, as at Sinai on the third day, Exod 19:10–16) shows the homilies were preached on successive days.
- On the limits of theological language: all teaching about the divine nature is "a likeness of gold, not gold itself"; titles such as "radiance of glory" (Heb 1:3), "form of God" (Phil 2:6), "Word in the beginning", "Word God" (John 1:1) are likenesses; the divine nature is received "through faith alone" (διὰ μόνης πίστεως). Translated as written.
- The turtledove that stays unmated after losing its mate is a commonplace of ancient natural history (cf. Basil, Hexaemeron 8.6); the clause is partly lost in the scan. "The great [David]" is supplied: the scan lost the name before Ps 32:9 (LXX 31:9).
- Lines are lost in the scan at several points (marked …): the mind "[that attends]" in the third-day passage; the plague list; the harbour passage; Paul as "chosen vessel" (Acts 9:15; Gal 2:20; 2 Cor 13:3); the ending of the nard passage; the perfumed women; the end of the heart passage; the henna-cluster passage. Bracketed words are supplied by sense. Many leaks from the Latin column are removed by logged corrections; the rest are translated around.
- Scripture: Exod 14–15 (cloud, rod, wind, walls of water, Exod 14:25 quoted); Hab 3:8 (LXX); Ps 68:17 (LXX 67:18); 2 Kgs 2:11–12; Zech 1:8–11; 6:1–8; Exod 1:14; 5:7–19; 7–12 (plagues); 1 Cor 10:11; Jer 5:8; Ps 32:9 (LXX 31:9); Prov 1:9; 2 Cor 12:4; Heb 1:3; Phil 2:6; John 1:1; Prov 10:20; 1 Tim 6:16; 1 Cor 13:12; Eph 3:17; Phil 4:7; Heb 1:14; Gal 5:22; 2 Cor 2:14–16; 2 Tim 4:10, 14; 2 Tim 1:15; Matt 26:6–13 / Mark 14:3–9; Ps 128:3 (LXX 127:3); Ps 104:15 (LXX 103:15); Gen 49:11; Isa 9:6; Luke 2:52; Eph 4:13; Ps 1:2–3; John 1:9; 14:6; Num 13:23 (the cluster carried on a pole).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin-column text leaked into the line; Latin-column text leaked into the line; probably γαληνὴν; Latin-column text leaked into the word (προσεικασθεῖσα, by sense); Latin-column text leaked into the word γίνεσθαι; Latin-column text leaked into the word διατριβὴν; Latin-column text leaked into the word κάλλει; Latin-column text leaked into the word παντοδαπῶν; Latin-column text leaked into the word παρθένῳ; Latin-column text leaked into the word πλεονάζων; Latin-column text leaked into the word πληθυντικῆς; Latin-column text leaked into the word ποιήσομεν; Latin-column text leaked into the word σημασίαις; Latin-column text leaked into the word συγκιρναμένης; Latin-column text leaked into the word ἀποστῆσαι; Latin-column text leaked into the word ἅρμασι; Latin-column text leaked into the word ὁμοίωσις; Latin-column text leaked into the word ὑφαπλώσασα; Latin-column text leaked where a verb is lost; gap marked; Latin-column text leaked where words are lost; gap marked; stray mark): τὴν ἐν Ποὺβ γογθυπι ποθ, αὶ τοῖς λεγομένοις → τὴν ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις; τὴν διά- δ ρίον ἱφπογϑιίίοποπι,, ἀφίπάδ τριθὴν → τὴν διατριβὴν; ἐν ἄρ- Ἐφιυδιαιεὶ πιο, Ἰπηυΐ, μασι → ἐν ἅρμασι; Φαραὼ παρὰ Ὁ ροϊεγῖ!ί. Α]ΐαπν Ροϊδδίαϊεπι δα] ἰδίου ΡΠ Δγδοη ἧς ἱστορίας → Φαραὼ παρὰ τῆς ἱστορίας; ἡ (ῃ δι.πὶ σωτηρία → ἡ σωτηρία; ἣ τη πο νύμφη → ἡ νύμφη; ἐνεργοῦσα δγιηδὶ [ἢ τῶν → ἐνεργοῦσα τῶν; ἀλλὰ᾽ περιττὸν → ἀλλὰ περιττὸν; τυχὸν ἢ) Ῥμαγαοπὶδ ποὺς → τυχὸν τοὺς; σιαγὼν εἰμί τυτίωτῖ Φησὶ → σιαγὼν … Φησὶ; τὸν δαί ἴῃ σγευπι, αυρθά ἔπαινον → τὸν ἔπαινον; ἐπὶ τοῦ αγαοο αἰεί ὁρμίσχος → ἐπὶ τοῦ … ὁρμίσκος; κατ᾽ γρηΐο Ἰαία, ἄλλο → κατ᾽ ἄλλο; περιφερομένην οἴυμπι : παντὶ → περιφερομένην παντὶ; τῃϑτὶ ἐγεέροντι → ἐγείροντι; τοὺς ἐν Γ΄ ξέπυβ πιϑίογιπι τῷ πελάγει → τοὺς ἐν τῷ πελάγει; παντο- εἰποαῖ, εἶδ Ῥίδηϑιι δαπῶν → παντοδαπῶν; καταστέλλοι, γἱγιυΐεπὶ λίαν → καταστέλλοι, γαληνὴν λίαν; ὑφ- τίηϊ απλώσασα → ὑφαπλώσασα; γίνε- μγιυτά σθαι → γίνεσθαι; πλη- οἰϊοποῖη θυντικῆς → πληθυντικῆς; προσει- αιυοί ποη Ἰάθιη ἀτελὴς → προσεικασθεῖσα ἀτελὴς; μαρτυρίαν Σʼ νἱγίαϊπὶ ἔχων → μαρτυρίαν ἔχων; ἀρετῶν ἀϊπὶ Δ55ἰπι]]αιῖο. Εδὶ Ποο ἡπρηθθ τὴν → ἀρετῶν τὴν; ὁμοίω- Ὑογθο ργαθοίαν οἱ] ἘςοΙ βία, ποῃ Ορυτίθγα ποβ σις → ὁμοίωσις; τῷ δ ἀπιπὶ ΔΙΙχυοα κοινῷ → τῷ κοινῷ; ἡμᾶς [Δ61|8 πορ! πρὸς → ἡμᾶς πρὸς; δέῤῥης πλεο- ζ ῥἰεῖαβ, τϑοίδαιδ νάζων → δέῤῥης πλεονάζων; περι- ἀδΔη8 (ΟΠ υπὶ Δηἰπι. Ηρο τὸν → τὸν; ποιήσω- ἵ μόν σοι → ποιήσομέν σοι; πρὸς ἀοπέο τὸς ἐπ αοοιδϑίηι ἐμο. Ἐοτγυπὶ διίαπ), τὸν εἱρμὸν → πρὸς τὸν εἱρμὸν; ἡμῖν θεωρίας, ἄδπι αυΐ δακεῖ → ἡμῖν θεωρίας, δοκεῖ; ἀκόλουθον τοπρ ἔχειν → ἀκόλουθον ἔχειν; σημα- {Ὁ σίαις → σημασίαις; αἰνιγμάτων δοπιοχίυβ ργοία δηλούμενον → αἰνιγμάτων δηλούμενον; τῇ οἰῥεῖξ ἵππῳ → τῇ ἵππῳ; ἁρμάτων ἀφ-ὀ δπίφηπιαϊα. ὡμοιώθη → ἁρμάτων ὡμοιώθη; καὶ οἱ φίλοι προσθήκην τῷ κάλ- τοδρίαπάθπι ΡΔΡ λει → καὶ οἱ φίλοι προσθήκην τῷ κάλλει; χρυσίου, ᾳυδπι Παγὶ κατακοσμοῦντες → χρυσίου, κατακοσμοῦντες; διαλάμποι ρτίπιιιπϊ τὸ κάλλος → διαλάμποι τὸ κάλλος; συγκιρναμέ- ταίο γῆς → συγκιρναμένης; ἐμφάσεις ΄ τοἰϊοιβ καταλιπόντας → ἐμφάσεις καταλιπόντας; ἀποστῇ- ἃ) σαι → ἀποστῆσαι; ἢ ἀ5ϑἰ πη δῖα χυδὸ μοῦ ρυῦ- διὰ → ἡ διὰ; τοῦ εἷῖϊ, παι, ΓῈΣ ποη ἰῃ οαἰμεάγα, βοὰ ἴῃ διουυίία Λόγηυ → τοῦ Λόγου; μὴ ῥγίογπη εγο ἱποοηβί δγϑίυπι, εἰν Ὑςπαραδραμεῖν → μὴ παραδραμεῖν; ἐθνῶν ἤσαι πυ)υδηιοάϊ πιδι σοη ,καὶ → ἐθνῶν καὶ; μηκέτι αὖτι ὦ μεΓ δῶπ) αὐδὲ τὸν ζῇν → μηκέτι αὐτὸν ζῆν; καὶ παρ- Οἰιπι δηνὶοὶ βροῃϑὶ δὲς ρυγῶ ἀδαϊδδεπὶ θένῳ → καὶ παρθένῳ; λειτουργικὰ (ΐ δυΐδιῃ ουπὶ δάτοϊηἰδίγαιοτῖ! δρί τυ πνεύματα → λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα; διὰ τοὺς ἡ τυτ μέλλοντας → διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας; τῇ Ὦ ταπιΐ (Δουϊίδια εὐωδίᾳ → τῇ εὐωδίᾳ; οὐκ ἴ ταμηίοος, Ναγάπε αὐτὸ → οὐκ … αὐτὸ; τῇ αἰσθήσει ἰρβίυβ ΒΟΏΠΠΙ παρεδεξάμην → τῇ αἰσθήσει παρεδεξάμην; οὕτω Αὶ ʼρθιπὶ καὶ → οὕτω καὶ; ὡς ἕν τὰ δεβὶ βδοιίϊοηὶ, ναὶ νἱν σι νοὶ ᾿διἰ ον Καὶ → ὡς ἓν … Καὶ; καὶ τὸ σῶμα οαπιϊ- τῆς δὲ → καὶ τὸ σῶμα … τῆς δὲ; τελειού- ρἰοηἰιυἀΐποην ἐδπιροτγαπι ; λος → τελειούμενος ….
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Cant. hom. 3 (PG 44; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-canticum/3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-canticum/3
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne PG 44/46 (archive.org OCR; Latin-column leaks and OCR slips removed by logged corrections); no public-domain English is on disk, so the translation was re-read against the Greek (Life of Macrina checked privately against a modern English translation).