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AE.01.15 HARRAK

The Syriac Catholic Monastery of Mār Behnam, façade, the frieze located between the two gates leading to the church; the ascending and descending frame. , Al-Kidr

Al-Kidr › Nineveh
ܐܘOparticle ܕܡܨܠܐyou who prayverbroot ܨܠܐ ܠܐnonegationalso notroot ܠܐ
ܠܗܐ ܠܐnonegationalso notroot ܠܐ ܬܨܚܐinsultverbroot ܨܚܐ ܒܠܒܟin your heartnounroot ܠܒ ܠܐܚܘܟyour brothernounroot ܐܚܐ ܆ ܠܐnonegationalso notroot ܠܐ ܓܝܪforparticlealso indeedroot ܓܝܪ ܫܒܩܐrendersverbroot ܫܒܩ ܨܘܚܝܬܐthe insultnounroot ܨܚܐ ܠܨܠܘܬܐthe prayernounroot ܨܠܐ
ܕܬܗܘܐthat it beverbroot ܗܘܐ ܕܟܝܐ܀pureadjectiveroot ܕܟܐ ܐܘOparticle ܕܡܦܝܣyou who begverbroot ܦܝܣ
ܥܠuponprepositionalso over, aboutroot ܥܠ ܣܟܠܘܬܗhis offencenounroot ܣܟܠ ܗܐhereparticlealso behold ܫܠܕܐcorruptionnounroot ܫܠܕ
ܫܪܝܐis settledverbroot ܫܪ ܒܠܒܟin your heartnounroot ܠܒ : ܫܒܘܩforgiveverbroot ܫܒܩ ܠܗhimpronoun ܠܐܚܘܟyour brothernounroot ܐܚܐ ܣܟܠܘܬܗhis offencenounroot ܣܟܠ ܘܨܠܐand pray!verbroot ܨܠܐ ܠܡܪܟto your Lordnounroot ܡܪܐ ܕܟܝܐpureadjectiveroot ܕܟܐ
ܝܬ : ܒܝܫworseadjectiveroot ܒܐܫ ܗܘhepronounalso itroot ܗܘ ܪܘܓܙܐangernounroot ܪܓܙ ܡܢfromprepositionalso ofroot ܡܢ ܣܝܦܐa swordnounroot ܣܝܦ :
ܐܦalsoparticlealso evenroot ܐܦ ܚܡܬܐragenounroot ܚܡܬ ܡܢfromprepositionalso ofroot ܡܢ ܣܟܝܢܐa knifenounroot ܣܟܝܢ : ܣܒtakeverbroot ܢܣܒ ܓܐܪܐan arrownounroot ܓܐܪ
ܫܕܝshootverbroot ܫܕܐ ܒܗin itpreposition ܒܐܚܘܟ:at your brothernounroot ܐܚܐ ܘܠܐand notparticleroot ܡܠܐ ܬܫܕܐshootverbroot ܫܕܐ ܒܗin itpreposition ܨܘܚܝܬܐthe insultnounroot ܨܚܐ : ܓܐܪܐan arrownounroot ܓܐܪ ܓܝܪforparticlealso indeedroot ܓܝܪ ܐܢifconjunctionroot ܐܢ ܬܫܕܐshootverbroot ܫܕܐ ܒܗin itpreposition : ܠܓܘܫܡـܐ
ܢܩܫit hitsverbroot ܢܩܫ ܒܪܝܐ : ܘܐܢand whetherconjunction ܬܫܕܐshootverbroot ܫܕܐ ܒܗin itpreposition
ܨܘܚܝܬܐthe insultnounroot ܨܚܐ ܠܠܒܐthe heartnounroot ܠܒ ܢܩܫܐit hitsverbroot ܢܩܫ ܓܘܝܐ܀internaladjectiveroot ܓܘ

Hover a word for its meaning. Glosses draw on Amir Harrak’s translations and the SEDRA 3 Syriac lexicon (Beth Mardutho), used for academic purposes.

(1-5) O you who pray to God, do not insult your brother in your heart, for the insult does not render prayer pure. O you who beg (God) concerning your offence, look! Corruption lies in your heart! Forgive your brother his offence and pray your Lord (6-9) in a pure manner. Anger is worse than a sword, and rage is worse than a knife. Take an arrow and shoot it at your brother rather than shooting him with an insult. For if you shoot him with an arrow, it would hit the body, which is external, but if you shoot him with an insult, it would hit the heart, which is internal.

Context
Date Mid 13th Century
Language Syriac
Script Estrangela, masterful hand
Location Detail Façade of the church, the frieze located between the two gates leading to the church; the ascending and descending frame.
Poetic Metre Metre of St Ephrem
Religion & Practice
Prayer O you who pray to God, do not insult your brother; pray your Lord in a pure manner
Literature Moral poem on insults and prayer following the metre of St Ephrem
Material & Physical
Weapons Anger worse than a sword, rage worse than a knife; arrow shot at your brother
References
Harrak 2010, p.319-320
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