Library › St Ephrem the Syrian › Hymns and Homilies
Hymns and Homilies
St Ephrem the Syrian, tr. Burgess, 1853
11. Hymn 11: On the Death of a Private Person
Glorious and terrible is the day of Thy appearing
When Thou fliest through the vault of the firmament,
And the sublime gates are opened
Before the splendour of Thy power.
The gates of high heaven, and of the depth beneath,
And of the firmament, cover their faces;
And the archangel, Gabriel,
Expands the banner of Thy cross,
To the glory and exultation
Of the children of the faithful Church:
But to the shame and sorrow
Of Heathendom and Judaism.
And Thou shalt shout with Thy mighty voice,
And the bosom of the grave shall be emptied,
And the dead shall rise incorruptible;
And all nations, peoples, and tongues
Shall cry, “Glory be to Thee!”
In the great day of Thy appearing
The cornet and the trumpet shall sound,
And the angels shall descend from their seats
And sing psalms of praise to God.
Then quickly shall be awakened
Those who slept, and render praise
With their exulting voices.
And those who have done good,
Shall enter with Him into the pavilion;
And the door shall be closed
In the faces of the wicked.
Lord, let not the door of Thy compassion
Be shut against me!
Glory be to Thee!
Our brother is taken from our congregation,
Let us all honour his death earnestly;
Let us enter and entreat from the merciful God
In whose hands is our death and our life,
That He will bring him to the region of light
With the upright who are accepted in His presence.
And that he may hear Him say to him,
‘Come, enter and inherit the kingdom
Which cannot pass away!”
Which Christ hath prepared for the elect who have loved Him,
In a world abounding in blessedness.
How lamentable is thy death
And grievous thy departure;
And there is sorrow to all men
Because of thy removal;
For thou hast migrated from thy abode
And gone to the place of strangers.
According to the word of the preacher
‘That every one who does not suffer for me
Hath not life in himself,”
Now that thou hast perfected
The commandment of thy gracious Lord,
He will make thee rest with Him
In the unfading habitation of light!