HYMNS OF PRAISE

CHAPTER 75

In the name of the Great Life! May there be healing, victory, strenght, soundness, speech and hearing for me, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnus, from the Life!

We have acknowledged and praises (are due) To the mighty sublime First Life, The Ineffable which is over all works. (I come), bringing (dedicating) my head and my mouth To the Life and to the implanted Word And to 'Usar-Hiia, the great solace and support of Life In order to praise, honour, magnify, bless and exalt Thee. (Yet) who shall praise Thee 2), Life? And who, Life, shall magnify the greatness of Thy victories? Thou art lauded, Thou art magnified, thou art glorified And Thou art exaltedl (For lo) Thou art come, Thou camest and none but Thee came. At Thy radiancy the riders were afraid , At Thy light gates and kingdoms were troubled. on seeing Thee the Jordan turned about, [he waves of the sea rolled back And the islands of the sea were thrown into confusion, Chariots were overthrown and they fell on their faces. Cedars of Lebanon were rent, mountains shook and leaped like stags.

They opened and gave praise. Does in the desert shed their young untimely; The heights arise and speak in (Thy) honour. The earth trembled and was shaken. Jordan! whom didst thou behold that thou didst turn back? Waves of the sea! wherefore did ye roll back ? Isles of the seal why were ye thrown into confusion? Chariots! wherefore did ye overturn and fall on your faces ? Cedars of Lebanon! why were ye rent ? Mountains! wherefore were ye shaken and why did ye leap like stags?

(Why) did ye open and give praise ?
Does in the desert! on account of 'Whom did ye miscarry your young?

Heights! in Whose honour did ye arise and speak ?
Earth ! Whom didst thou behold and (at what) didst thou tremble ?

"At the Radiance which surpasseth all radiance, At the Light which surpasseth all lights, And at the Good Being who crossed the worlds And came and cleft the firmament and revealed Himself." When the Life gazed (down) and looked on the earth And Its Glory alighted upon the roofs of Its Building, (Lo!) they were sitting on thrones of rebellion. They got down meekly from their thrones And fell upon their faces. It eclipsed and took away The glory of the worlds and generations And quenched the flames of their lamps. It set the eyes of the planets in the depths of the earth And in the lower glooms of Ilarkness. Spirit (ruha) lifted up her voice, She cried aloud and said, "My Father, my Father Why didst Thou create me ? My God, my God, My Allah, why hast thou set me afar off And cut me off and left me in the depths of the earth And in the nether glooms of darkness So that I have no strength to rise up thither?" All arose, prayed and praised the majesty of mighty (Life) And their voices sang to the Glory that is mighty Praising the Radiance which surpasseth (all) radiance And the Light which surpasseth (all) lights, And the Good Being who crossed the worlds, Came, cleft the firmament and revealed Himself. He sundered Light from darkness and sundered Good from Evil, He sundered Life from Death, And He brought out those who love His name of Truth From Darkness to Light and from Evil to Good And from Death to Life and set them On roads of Truth and Faith. And Thou hast spoken to us with Thy Word And hast commanded us with Thy commandment - "Be My glory and I will be your Glory. Be my light and I will be your Light. And my name shall be in your mouths And I will be with you". Thou art He who overthrowest (false) gods in their high-places And bringest reproach on the divinity of (false) deities.

They were broken down by shame on their way And deep ignominy befell their temples And fettered their might.

Great is the splendour in which Manda-d-hiia is arrayed! Blest is that day of light, praised is that dawn On which Thou didst travel and come from worlds of light! (That day) is not reckoned in a count of days. Nor in a reckoning of months; Except that day on which Thou wast revealed from worlds of light. We will reveal to them, that day on which Thou wast revealed, To all who love Thy name of Truth (kusta).

We offer up our commemoration, our petition, our prayer, Our submission, our tabuta and our faith In Thy presence, (O) 'Usar-Hiia, Delight and great Support of Life. Were we to stand and praise Thee, Thy name, Thy title and Thy goodness seven times a day, my Lord, Who could praise Thee, Life, Or magnify (worthily) the greatness of Thy victories ? Can the stinking body praise Thee? or the vain tongue? Were our mouth like the sea, our lips like its waves And our tongue like cleft mountains, Then might we praise Thee, magnify Thee, honour Thee and bless Thee!

Thou knoweth him who feareth Thee with his heart And him who confesseth thee with his lips. With a pure mouth be Thou blessed And lauded with a tongue of praise. Supporters who do not waver, interpretations Of Truth (kusta) which vary not praise Thee. Sons of Perfection beside Thee, (an) endless, countless And everlasting (company), all shining with reciprocal radiance, Praise Thee, for amongst them all hatred, Envy and dissensions exist not. The Place which is all portals of radiance, light and glory Praiseth Thee. The ancient, lofty, occult And watchful One, Abathur, who sitteth according To his rank, like the Life, praiseth Thee, The 'uthra Pthahil praiseth Thee and saith to Thee, "Blessed art Thou, my Lord, Manda-d-Hiia And praised. And blessed is the Place From which Thou camest: praised, magnified And honoured is the great Place from which Thou camest. And praised, magnified and honoured is the great Place To which Thou goest." Elect righteous (men) from lower sanctuaries Ii Praise thee; for Thy knowledge, Thy wisdom, Thine understanding and Thy goodness do they praise Thee.

Thou hast come! Thou comest and art ready to reveal Thyself. Thou art immeasurable, infinite and everlasting. Thou art the Father, Thou art the Brother, Thou art the Son ; Thou art the Source, Thou art the great Root of Life; Thou art the First, Thou art the Last, Thou art the Future, for Thou preparest Thyself to come And didst depart in order to reveal Thyself. Put far from us Thy wrath and bring near Thy mercy. Turn back, push back, remove and make impotent Angels of wrath, frost and hail from my land And my house - mine, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnus - In the twinkling of an eye and at a turn of the wheels, (Let) our petition, our prayer and our submission Rise up before Thee, Manda-d-Hiia! That which we have done forgive us, And that which we do, forgive us, (For) Thou, (O) Manda-d-Hiia art a forgiver of sins, Trespasses, follies, stumblings and mistakes. If Thou, (O) Manda-d-Hiia, didst not forgive our sins, Our trespasses, follies, stumblings and mistakes, Who would stand guiltless before Thee, Manda-d-Hiia? Slaves are we, who are all sin And Thou the Lord who art all mercy. Before Thee, all hands are thieving and all lips lying; In Thine eyes, Manda-d-Hiia (even) Jordan-waters are not cleansing.

(Set for) righteous and believing people. Causing our spirit and souls to dwell in abodes of Life According to the purpose of the Life And the will of the three 'uthras . And according to the will of Manda-d-Hiia Sublimest of beings, and according to the will Of the Four Beings, sons of salvation. In Thy presence there will be restoration For our spirit and our souls. Thou wilt clothe us with Thy radiance And cover us with Thy light And will stand us before Thee with the innocent And not with the guilty; With the richly-endowed and not with the lacking. Knowledge of Life is Thy name, Truth is Thy name. Pure is Thy name, magnified is Thy name, Honoured is Thy name, blessed is Thy name And abiding is Thy name. Victorious art Thou And victorious is Thy name. Victorious are the wvords of Truth which proceed from Thy mouth Over all deeds. Make victorious and establish This my soul (the soul of) Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnus. And Life is victorious over all works.

CHAPTER 76

In the name of the Life! Praises to the Outer Life

Whom Ye caused to dwell without (beyond), The abode that hath limit. For Your eyes are open to (discern) Your own, Your ears hearken at Your Place . Praises to that one great name of Life Which is above all names. Its name resteth on the great Place of Light, On the everlasting abode and on the city of 'uthras, And on the Beam who was greater than all beams, With Whose fight all beams shine And by Whom all souls are justified ;

Who establisheth our strength and cutteth us not off From the House of our trust; Who restoreth our souls at the House of Ransom On the Day of Judgement, and perfecteth our souls On the great Day of joy. Praises (be) to One Who is all the 'uthras, And to One Who is all prayers, and to the Predestined One Wvho came and remained for our commemoration And who was established in the presence of Outer Life. (One) on whose mouth Life rested and whose praise Was established without. Praises, praises to the Ancient, the First, To the Son of the great Primal Life Whom Life called, prepared, armed and sent Him forth To the generations. (Lo) Thou camest and didst open a door, Thou didst level a road and tread out a path, Didst set up a boundary-stone And didst knit together a community. Thou wast Helper, Saviour and Guide To the Father of the great Family of Life , And didst knit it together in a Communion of Life, Didst build it into a great Building of sound construction And didst bring it forth to the great Place of Light And the Everlasting Abode.

O callers whom I have summoned! O nourishers whom I have nourished! O builders whom I have raised up And brought out from amongst the peoples, nations and tongues! Behold, here I stand! Behold, here I dwell! Worlds against whom I guard myself Though your words are not far from my face, If ye take mountains (of food) as your viaticum for eating,

They will not satisfy (lit. "complete") you. If ye take seas for your drinking They will not make you perfect (content you). (But) if with perfections ye stand before the Outer Life And before the Eternal Abode, I will count your number, And your reckoning shall be reckoned. Betimes I will come and will fly And will reach the sons of my Name, the sons of my Sign, And the sons of the great Family of Life. I will bind you together into the bundle of Life And I will build you into a great Building of Truth And will bring you forth to the great Place of Light And to the Everlasting Abode.

If there is no hatred, rancour, or dissension amongst you The hand of the unbartablas (customs-officers ?) will not search amongst your garments ; Ye will not pass over the Bridge Nor walk in a narrow street; Ye will not stand before the judge Nor look on the countenance of the Adversary-at-law; Nor will ye see an averted face. The chief customs-officer will not question you.

Ye will go forth: ye will behold the Perfecter of Souls, One who setteth on paths of surety His friends that are made perfect, A great comrade of the faithful, One of the great band of souls, Who will come out toward you And clothe your souls in a garment of radiance

And in good pure vestments of light Which he will bring you from the Great Place of Light And the Everlasting Abode. He will bring out toward you wreaths, A wreath of victories. And every leaf of your wreaths will (weigh) One thousand and eighty mithqals . Its brilliancy will exceed the brightness of the Sun And its light outshine the light of the moon. Ye will receive your vesture and will receive your wreaths In the presence of the Great (Life). Ye will be great, and called 'uthras amongst the 'uthras. Ye will open your eyes and behold your Judge. Betimes will the dayspring dawn upon you, In strength ye will arise and behold the Outer Ether And the great Beam who is all light, Who was set up before the Great Life: He whom Life created, prepared and sent forth To the ages and to the worlds. And every man who giveth oblation ; And took part in the communion from beginning to end. They will make as perfect as the mamas, Like rays of light he will be made to shine On the day of deliverance, on the Day of Redemption, The great Day of Joy ; so that his righteous act Stretcheth onward. It will precede you and will uplift, Showing you the Outer Ether and the everlasting Abode, The place which is ancient, (of) Primal Beings, And sons of the great Family of Life. They eat of that which is imperishable And drink that which is not wine, eating well And asking solace. And an 'uthra of Life Cometh and resteth upon them day by day and hour by hour Praises (be) to the fame of the righteous And to the existence of Chosen Elect (men), And to the Unearthly Being who standeth without, Whose eyes are open and fixed upon those Who love his name of Truth (kusta) - Thou art he, Manda-d-Hiia! for thou knowest About that in which the perfect man is made perfect, And about the virtuous man, in what his virtue consisteth . And the Lie , of what doth it consist. Not a word issueth from the mouth of a perfect man But thou knowest it, hast understood and expected it In the great Place of Light and the Everlasting Abode. 'the mountain doth not boast its strength, nor a hero his doughty deeds, Nor doth a bowman vaunt his bow, nor the physician his drugs, Nor the righteous and sage man the utterance of his mouth. Not so : it is an 'uthra of Life which cometh And resteth upon Thy devotees. And those who seek from Him shall find, and to those who ask of Him

It will be given. Day by day, hour by hour, behold us Who stand in Thy name and are upheld by (calling on) Thy name. We hold to Thy Leader of the great company of Truth We have held staunch because of Thy victories. Humiliate us not ; cast us not into the hands of tormentors, Liars, hypocrites and the censorious. Let not torturers strike us nor condemners damn our souls! The good will see and wvill be found ready , (But) The wicked will be discomfited and the children of the world be shamed

Perfected (souls) will see that the Life existeth ,And will direct their gaze to the great Place of Light and the everlasting Abode.

Thou, Manda-d-Hiia, callest the caller , nourishest the nourisher, buildest the builder,

Exaltest horns , enlargest footsteps and settest up a road , And dost knit together in communion.

Thou art He who constructeth, and who takest out from amongst the peoples, nations and tongues every man who is summoned, worthy and invited. To every man whose term of life is over Thou wilt be a Helper, Saviour and Guide to the great Place of Light and to the everlasting Abode. As to one whose term is incomplete and he standeth (liveth) in the body, (able) to open his mouth, lift up his voice, pray his prayers and to offer up his praise, and whose feet can walk to my House , thine 'uthra shall come and shall rest upon him, Thy friend.

Diffuse Thy light over all who love Thy name of Truth (kusta). Thou hast spoken with Thy Word and hast commanded us with Thy commandment, "Over your words My Word hath precedence : and at the raising of your right hands (towards Me?) My right hand will be lifted towards you. Ye will call, and I will answer you quickly. Ye will seek My hand and I will not withhold it (from) your hands".

We will pray with Thee the 'uthras' prayer and ask of Thee, of the Great (Life), a petition for ourselves, for our friends, for our friends' friends and for those who love the great Family of Life, for the whole Nasiruta of Life, fulfilled and disseminated on earth. Thou wilt bring us some of Thy radiance, thou wilt lend us some of Thy light. We will enter into Thy radiance will go forth in Thy light, will rise in Thy name and be kept right by Thy nature . Truth is Thy name, Knowledge of Life is Thy name, precious is Thy name, magnified is Thy name, victorious is Thy name, victorious are the words of truth wvhich issue from Thy mouth, and victorious are all Thy deeds . And Life is victorious!

CHAPTER 77.

In the name of the Life!

Thee (O) life, (is it meet) to praise, to honour, To magnify and to bless; First Life, Second Life and Third Life, Yufin-Yufafin and Sam-Mana-Smira And the Vine which is All-Life And the great Tree which is all healings.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour and magnify And to bless 'Usar-Hai and Pta-Hai Who open (reveal) the pihta of Life And transplant a planting of Light, And instal the First Counterpart In the House of Life.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Nbat 'The First great Bursting-Forth (Emanation), The exigence of Life in Its nature.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless The Lord of Great Fruition. the great and high Being who was fruitful, begetteth and produceth Great fruit for Himself.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Yukabar-Ziwa, who increased in his brilliancy And was great in his light.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Yuzataq-Manda-d-Hiia, the life which proceeded from Life, The truth (kusta) that was aforetime, in the Beginning ; Who was mightier in His radiance than the worlds of light.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Has, the Stem of splendour, radiance, light and honour Whose branches are a thousand thousand and its tendrils A myriad myriad. Well is it for him Who hath looked on that Tree! Bihram , who saw it, lived, shone, was cured and established And his name hath not died.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Sanasie , who standeth at the Gate of Life And prayeth for spirits and souls. He interpreteth silence, inspireth hope And taketh in keeping in the World of Light The prayers of pious and believing people.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Haiasum-Kusta, messenger of Life, The Word of the first chosen elect (men). He crossed the worlds, came, pierced the firmament And revealed himself.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Bhaq-Ziwa , who is called "He acted and succeeded in his skinta.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Yukas’ar, source of radiance who bestoweth radiance and displayeth his fight.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Biriawis, the strong source (kana) , The Kana took thought so that its radiance increased.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Ayar , the pure Vine which abideth In the great and lofty Treasure-house of Light.

(Meet it is) to praise, honour, magnify and bless The pure Yusamin who resteth upon The treasures of the waters And upon mighty wellsprings of light.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless The 'uthra Tauriel , the being who resteth by The pastures of the water. When a fragment from the little finger of his right hand Fell (off ?) There was consternation on earth, And vexation( ?) in the world of falsehood.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Adatan and Yadatan , who stand at the Gate of Life And praise and extol Life, And pray for the spirits and souls Of righteous and believing people In the Place of Life.

(Meet is it) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Silmai and Nidbai , two 'uthras Delegates of Manda-d-Hiia Who are active and do (the work of) the Life. With kusta and with the testimony of the Life They immerse living, shining, bright and well-doing souls Who go in sincerity to the Jordan (and are baptised) (But) not in the name of gods or of a messiah!

(It is meet) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Sum-Hai, Rhum-Hai, 'In-Hai and Zamar-Hai , Four Beings, sons of perfection, Who come towards sincere and believing people, And take them out of bonds (Tied by) the hands of the wicked And from beneath the claws of scheming men ; And lift them up to the great place of Light And to the Everlasting Abode. They knit them into the Bundle of Life And build them into a great Building Of sure strength .

(It is meet) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Hibil, Sitil and Anus, Sons of a Stock which is living, light-giving, Vigorous and sturdy: Beings that cannot be taken by the sword Nor consumed by flames of fire; Nor swept away by floods of water; Nor will the thongs of their sandals Be dipped in the water. They were judged and were justified; They sought and they found; They strove and reached the Great Place of Light And the Everlasting Abode.

(It is meet) to praise, honour, magnify and bless Sihiun, and Pardun, and Kanfun , 'Uthras whose names, each one, are in the House of Life ;

And the 'uthras Adam-Kasia, Bihram and Ram whose names are Each one in the House of life, (but) their nature is two two, (dualistic ? ) And the names of righteous and believing people Will be established in the Place of Light. Thy name giveth out light, Thy name is illustrious, Thy name is pleasing and Thy name raiseth up. Thy name is victorious and victorious are the words of truth Which issue from Thy mouth, (victorious) over all works. Make victorious and raise up this my soul, (The soul of) Adam-Yuhana sun of Mahnus! And Life is victorious over all works.

I copied these three prayers "We have acknowledged'', "Praises", and "Thee (Life) " for myself so that there may be commemoration for me on earth and yonder in the mighty and lofty worlds of light. Fur my heart hath testified to the First Life and I endure the persecution of the world from suns of the planets. For one name - Yawar - do I strive with a pious and believing heart fur the love of precious Truth.

My waiteth on the Life and mine eyes upon Manda-d-Hiia; for they will be my support, my deliverer and saviour from the Place of Darkness to the Place of Light. I copied for myself, poor and lowly a slave who is all sin, dust on the feet of Nasuraeans .., etc.

(The rest of the colophon, which resembles the former colophon, is omitted)


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Christian Section .... Mandaean Scriptures and Fragments: The Ginza Rba
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