Joseph Zogby
Translator

First mimro by the master Jacob of Serugh: Admonitionܡܺܐܡܪܳܐ ܩܰܕܡܳܝܳܐ ܕܡܳܪܝ ܝܰܥܩܘܽܒ ܡܰܠܦܳܢܳܐ:ܕܡܰܪܬܝܳܢܘܽܬܳܐ
Give forth sound to my voice to glorify you, Son of God, that all my senses may praise you with their music.ܐܰܙܺܝܥ ܩܳܠܰܝ̈ ܥܰܠ ܬܶܫܒܘܽܚܬܳܟ ܒܰܪ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ܃ ܘܰܢܗܰܠܠܘܽܢ ܠܳܟ ܟܽܠܗܘܽܢ ܪ̈ܶܓܫܰܝ ܒܰܙܡܳܪ̈ܰܝܗܘܽܢ܀
My tongue was formed from the beginning to glorify you, but if it ceases to glorify you, it deserves punishment.ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܠܫܘܽܒܚܳܟ ܡܰܬܩܰܢ ܠܶܫܳܢܝ ܡܶܢ ܫܘܽܪܳܝܳܐ܃ ܘܶܐܢܗܘܽ ܕܒܳܛܶܠ ܡܶܢ ܬܶܫܒܘܽܚܬܳܟ ܠܢܶܓܕܳܐ ܫܳܘܶܐ܀
May I not cease, Lord, from the toil of chanting your praises lest justice punish me with just judgment.ܠܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ ܐܶܒܛܰܠ ܡܶܢ ܥܶܢܝܳܢܳܐ ܕܰܙܡܺܝܪ̈ܳܬܳܟ܃ ܕܠܳܐ ܐܶܬܢܰܓܰܕ ܡܶܢ ܟܺܐܢܘܽܬܳܐ ܒܕܺܝܢܳܐ ܟܺܐܢܳܐ܀
The mouth of man is formed to glorify the Godhead, and the one who ceases to give glory is blameworthy and worthy of reprimand.ܦܘܽܡܳܐ ܕܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܠܫܘܽܒܚܳܗ̇ ܡܰܬܩܰܢ ܕܐܰܠܳܗܘܽܬܳܐ܃ ܘܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܫܳܠܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܬܶܫܒܘܽܚܬܳܐ ܥܕܺܝܠ ܘܰܡܩܰܦܰܚ܀
Creating the mouth, the Creator placed in it sound and word that it may be moved to give glory.ܗܘܽ ܒܳܪܘܽܝܳܐ ܣܳܡ ܒܶܗ ܒܦܘܽܡܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܒܳܪܶܐ ܠܶܗ܃ ܩܳܠܳܐ ܘܡܶܠܬܳܐ ܕܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܡܶܬܬܙܺܝܥ ܠܰܡܫܰܒܳܚܘܽ܀
Therefore, everyone, aware that there is a Creator, ought to give glory to the Lord who created him, as tribute.ܘܗܳܟܰܢ ܚܰܝܳܒ ܟܽܠ ܡܰܢ ܕܰܐܪܓܶܫ ܕܺܐܝܬ ܒܳܪܘܽܝܳܐ܃ ܕܰܐܝܟ ܡܰܕܰܐܬܳܐ ܢܶܬܶܠ ܫܘܽܒܚܳܐ ܠܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܕܰܒܪܳܝܗ̱ܝ܀
The mouth of man may not utter worthless matters and unpleasant words.ܫܰܪ̈ܒܶܐ ܣܪ̈ܺܝܩܶܐ ܘܗܳܠܝܶܢ ܡ̈ܶܠܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܫܰܦܺܝܪ̈ܳܢ܃ ܠܳܐ ܫܰܠܺܝܛ ܠܶܗ ܠܦܘܽܡܳܐ ܕܐ̱ܢܳܫܳܐ ܢܫܰܡܶܫ ܐܶܢܘܽܢ܀
When the Creator created the mouth, he thus formed it to glorify him [but] not for worthless use.ܗܘܽ ܒܳܪܘܽܝܳܐ ܗܳܟܰܢ ܐܰܬܩܶܢ ܟܰܕ ܒܳܪܶܐ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ܃ ܦܘܽܡܳܐ ܠܫܘܽܒܚܶܗ ܠܰܘ ܠܰܚܫܰܚܬܳܐ ܕܰܣܪ̈ܝܺܩܳܬܳܐ܀
“Call out with your throat, and lift up your voice like a trumpet [Is 58:1]“ says the Lord to the one who ceases to glorify him.ܩܥܺܝ ܒܓܰܓܰܪܬܳܟ ܘܰܐܪܺܝܡ ܩܳܠܳܟ ܐܰܝܟ ܫܺܝܦܘܽܪܳܐ܃ ܐܳܡܰܪ ܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܠܰܐܝܢܳܐ ܕܫܳܠܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܬܶܫܒܘܽܚܬܶܗ܀
I am your creation, Lord, permit me to marvel at your works. And since you created me, permit me to be moved to give glory.ܒܪܺܝܬܳܟ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܡܳܪܝ ܗܰܒ ܠܺܝ ܐܶܬܗܰܪ ܒܰܥܒܺܝ̈ܕܳܬܳܟ܃ ܘܰܐܝܟ ܕܰܒܪܰܝܬܳܢܝ ܗܰܒ ܠܺܝ ܐܶܙܘܽܥ ܠܰܡܫܰܒܳܚܘܽ܀
Permit the heart to serve you with thoughts of holiness, for you are revered on account of your creation.ܗܰܒ ܠܶܗ ܠܠܶܒܳܐ ܕܰܒܚ̈ܘܽܫܳܒܶܐ ܕܩܰܕܺܝܫܘܽܬܳܐ܃ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܡܫܰܡܶܫ ܠܳܟ ܕܰܕܚܺܝܠ ܐܰܢ̱ܬ ܥܰܠ ܒܶܪ̈ܝܳܬܳܐ܀
Cleanse my tongue from every worldly matters that it may be moved to give glory by meditating upon you.ܩܰܕܶܫ ܠܶܫܳܢܝ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܫܰܪ̈ܒܺܝܢ ܥܳܠܡܳܢܳܝ̈ܶܐ܃ ܘܰܒܥܶܢܝܳܢܳܟ ܢܶܗܘܶܐ ܡܶܬܬܙܺܝܥ ܠܰܡܫܰܒܳܚܘܽ܀
Here is my mouth open for you. Fill it, Lord, with glory as you promised [Ps 51:17], and idle speech that it would utter will not pass through it.ܗܳܐ ܦܬܺܝܚ ܠܳܟ ܦܘܽܡܝ ܡܠܝܺܘܗܝ ܡܳܪܝ ܫܘܽܒܚܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܐܶܫܬܰܘܕܺܝܬ܃ ܘܠܳܐ ܢܶܥܒܰܪ ܒܶܗ ܡܰܡܠ̱ܠܳܐ ܣܪܺܝܩܳܐ ܕܢܶܫܬܰܡܰܫ ܒܶܗ܀
May my sounds be moved by your wondrous gift, Son of God, while I affirm your glory.ܢܙܘܽܥܘܽܢ ܩܳܠܰܝ̈ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܘܗܰܒܬܳܟ ܡܰܠܝܰܬ ܬܰܗܪܳܐ܃ ܒܰܪ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܡܰܘܕܶܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܬܶܫܒܘܽܚܬܳܟ܀
End [of the mimro]ܫܠܶܡ.

Reference: Homiliae Selectae Mar-Jacobi Sarugensis, ed. Paul Bedjan, Vol. I (Paris and Leipzig: Harrassowitz, 1905), 1-2.

Leave a Reply