The Boat – a mimro by Jacob of Serugh (ܡܺܐܡܪܳܐ . ܩܠܗ . ܕܥܰܠ ܣܦܺܝܢ̱ܬܳܐ)

Jakob Wyder
Maronite Seminarian
Translator

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Thehiddenpearl.org is indebted to Fr. Roger Youssef Akhrass for allowing the reproduction of the Syriac text.

Mimro 135 – The Boat Another mimro: The Boat	ܡܺܐܡܪܳܐ . ܩܠܗ . ܕܥܰܠ ܣܦܺܝܢ̱ܬܳܐ ܐ̱ܚܪܺܢܳܐ ܕܥܰܠ ܣܦܺܝܢ̱ܬܳܐ
The Son of Being, Who had been prefigured in the types of all the seers, slept in the boat and sealed the mysteries of the great Jonah (Jonah 1:4).	ܒܪܳܐ ܕܺܐܝܬܘܽܬܳܐ ܕܨܳܪܘܽܗ̱ܝ ܛܘܽܦ̈ܣܶܐ ܕܟܽܠ ܚ̈ܰܙܳܝܶܐ ܃ ܕܡܶܟ ܒܰܣܦܺܝܢ̱ܬܳܐ ܘܚܰܬܶܡ ܐ̱ܪ̈ܳܙܶܐ ܕܪܰܒܳܐ ܝܰܘܢܳܢ ܀
The sea was raging, and the winds were blowing violently, as though the storm might drown the ship in that moment.	ܫܓܰܫ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܰܢܫܰܒ̈ܝ ܪ̈ܘܽܚܶܐ ܥܰܙܺܝܙܳܐܝܺܬ ܃ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܬܶܬܛܰܒܰܥܝ ܡܶܢ ܡܰܚ̈ܫܘܽܠܶܐ ܐܶܠܦܳܐ ܗܳܝܕܶܝܢ ܀
The child who had reclined on His bosom came near (Jn 13:23); the child put his mouth to the ear of Fire and whispered to Him:	ܩܪܶܒ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܛܰܠܝܳܐ ܗܰܘ ܕܰܐܓܶܣ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܠܥܶܠ ܡܶܢ ܚܰܕܝܶܗ ܃ ܘܣܳܡ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܦܘܽܡܶܗ ܒܶܐܕܢܳܐ ܕܢܘܽܪܳܐ ܘܩܳܡ ܠܳܚܶܫ ܠܳܗ̇ ܀
“O Mighty One, whose sign is carried by the whole earth; wake up and rebuke the sea so that it be still for the sake of Your disciples.	ܐܳܘ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܳܐ ܕܰܛܥܺܝܢ ܪܶܡܙܶܗ ܠܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܟܽܠܳܗ̇ ܃ ܐܶܬܬܥܺܝܪ ܘܰܟܺܐܝ ܒܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܢܶܫܠܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܬܰܠܡܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟ ܀
The billows of the sea are against us, but they are from You; O powerful and mighty One, by You shall they be tamed for the sake of Your disciples.	ܓܰܠ̈ܠܶܐ ܕܝܰܡܳܐ ܠܩܘܽܒܠܰܢ ܐܶܢܘܽܢ ܘܡܶܢܳܟ ܐܶܢܘܽܢ ܃ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪ ܚܰܝܠܳܐ ܒܳܟ ܢܶܫܬܰܝܢܘܽܢ ܡܶܢ ܬܰܠܡܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟ ܀
Behold, the tempest surrounds the ship on every side; restrain the storms lest they sink the ship in the raging sea.	ܗܳܐ ܟܺܝ̈ܡܘܽܢܶܐ ܟܪܺܝܟܺܝܢ ܠܶܐܠܦܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܟܽܠ ܓܰܒܺܝ̈ܢ ܃ ܟܠܺܝ ܠܡܰܚ̈ܫܘܽܠܶܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܢܛܰܒܥܘܽܢܳܗ̇ ܒܶܝܬ ܡܳܡ̈ܘܽܠܶܐ ܀
Our ship is sinking; if this is Your will, do not rescue it; let Your Grace, Lord, come to us and save us.	ܛܒܺܝܥܳܐ ܗ̱ܝ ܐܶܠܦܰܢ ܐܶܢ ܨܶܒܝܳܢܳܟ ܠܳܐ ܡܕܰܠܶܐ ܠܳܗ̇ ܃ ܛܰܝܒܘܽܬܳܟ ܡܳܪܝ ܬܺܐܬܶܐ ܨܶܐܕܰܝܢ ܘܰܬܕܰܠܶܐ ܠܰܢ ܀
Lord, from Whom crowns travel to the kings of the earth; let the wind of tranquility flow forth from You to silence the sea.	ܡܳܪܝܳܐ ܕܡܶܢܳܟ ܪܳܕܶܝܢ ܬܳܐܓ̈ܶܐ ܠܡܰܠ̈ܟܶܐ ܕܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܃ ܡܶܢܳܟ ܢܶܦܘܽܩ ܪܘܽܚܳܐ ܕܫܰܝܢܳܐ ܘܢܰܫܠܶܐ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܀
Rise, Mighty One, You Who have slept here because Your sign willed it; rise and restrain the sea so that it be still for the sake of Your disciples.	ܩܘܽܡ ܓܰܢ̱ܒܳܪܳܐ ܕܰܕܡܶܟ ܗܳܪܟܳܐ ܕܰܨܒܳܐ ܪܶܡܙܶܗ ܃ ܩܘܽܡ ܘܰܟܺܐܝ ܒܶܗ ܒܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܢܶܫܠܶܐ ܡܶܢ ܬܰܠܡܺܝ̈ܕܰܝܟ ܀
O Tranquility, You Who have come to bring tranquility to the heights and depths by Your sign, bring tranquility to the sea before it crushes the discipleship!”	ܫܰܝܢܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܳܐ ܢܫܰܝܶܢ ܒܪܶܡܙܶܗ ܪܰܘܡܳܐ ܘܥܽܘܡܩܳܐ ܃ ܫܰܝܶܢ ܠܘܽܩܕܰܡ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܕܫܰܚܩܳܗ̇ ܠܬܰܠܡܺܝ̈ܕܘܽܬܳܐ ܀
The disciples approached to wake the One Who does not sleep: “Lord, Lord, rise and help us, for behold we are perishing (Mt 8:25, Lk 8:22, but not Mk 4:38)!”	ܩܪܶܒܘ ܬܰܠ̈ܡܺܝܕܶܐ ܕܰܢܥܺܝܪܘܽܢܳܝܗ̱ܝ ܠܗܰܘ ܠܳܐ ܕܰܡܟܳܐ ܃ ܡܳܪܰܢ ܡܳܪܰܢ ܩܘܽܡ ܥܰܕܰܪܰܝܢ ܕܗܳܐ ܐܳܒܕܺܝܢܰܢ ܀
He woke up, rebuked the sea and the winds, and stilled them; when the sea realized that He was its Lord, it trembled at His Word (Ps 76:17; 77:17).	ܐܶܬܬܥܺܝܪ ܘܰܟܳܐܐ ܒܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܪ̈ܘܽܚܶܐ ܘܫܰܬܶܩ ܐܶܢܘܽܢ ܃ ܕܰܐܪܓܶܫ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܕܗܘܽܝܘܽ ܡܳܪܶܗ ܘܙܳܥ ܡܶܢ ܡܶܠܬܶܗ ܀
Those in the ship saw Wonder (Is 9:6), and they trembled, saying: “Who is this, Whom the sea and the winds obey (Mt 8:27, Mk 4:41, Lk 8:25)?	ܚܙܰܘ ܬܶܕܡܘܽܪܬܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ̈ܳܐ ܕܒܶܐܠܦܳܐ ܘܙܳܥܘ ܟܰܕ ܐܳܡܪܺܝܢ ܃ ܕܡܰܢܘܽ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܕܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܪ̈ܘܽܚܶܐ ܡܶܫܬܰܡܥܺܝܢ ܠܶܗ ܀
Who is this, Who lay on a cushion and slept but calmed the sea that had swayed the ship to wreck it?	ܡܰܢܘܽ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܕܥܰܠ ܒܶܣܰܕܝܳܐ ܫܟܶܒ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܘܰܕܡܶܟ ܃ ܘܫܰܓܫܶܗ ܠܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܢܰܙܠܳܗ̇ ܠܶܐܠܦܳܐ ܠܡܶܬܬܰܒܳܪܘܽ ܀
Who is this, Who while He was sleeping, the sea was raging, but now that He woke, He commanded it, and it was silent because of His sign?”	ܡܰܢܘܽ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܕܟܰܕ ܕܰܡܺܝܟ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܫܓܺܝܫ ܗ̱ܘܳܐ ܝܰܡܳܐ ܃ ܘܗܳܫܳܐ ܕܶܐܬܬܥܺܝܪ ܦܩܰܕ ܠܶܗ ܘܰܫܠܳܐ ܕܪܶܡܙܶܗ ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗ̱ܝ ܀
By His Word, He brought tranquility to the waves of the sea and to the breath of the winds; there He manifested His commanding power. Blessed be His authority!	ܒܡܶܠܬܶܗ ܫܰܝܶܢ ܓܰܠ̈ܠܶܐ ܕܝܰܡܳܐ ܘܡܰܫܒܳܐ ܕܪ̈ܘܽܚܶܐ ܃ ܘܚܰܘܺܝ ܬܰܡܳܢ ܦܳܩܘܽܕܘܽܬܶܗ ܒܪܺܝܟ ܫܘܽܠܛܳܢܶܗ ܀
MS: Mingana Syr. 546, f. 154v-155r

Reference: Akhrass, Roger, and Imad Syryany, eds. 160 unpublished homilies of Jacob of Serugh. Vol. 2 (Homilies 73-160). 2 vols. Damascus: Department of Syriac Studies – Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate, 2017.

To purchase a copy of the 160 unpublished homilies of Jacob of Serugh, please contact Fr. Roger Akhrass by email: dss@syriacpatriarchate.org