St Ephrem - June 9th

Born: AD 306 at Nusaybin, Turkey 
Died: June 9, 373 at Edessa, Turkey
Canonized:  Pre-Congregation
Claim to Fame: Deacon and poet, hymn-writer, and theologian; Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV; His work was a source of consolation during challenges to the faith, especially against the heresy of Docetism; Wrote over 400 hymns
Title: "Doctor of the Syrians"
Patron: Spiritual directors, Spiritual leaders


Prayer of St. Ephrem

“O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, curiosity, ambition, and idle talking; give me not.”

“But a spirit of chastity, patience, and love, bestow upon me, Thy servant.” Yea, O Lord King: grant me to see mine own failings, and not to condemn others; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.”

Ephrem, Against Heresies, Hymn 22

Translated by Adam C. McCollum

The translation was made from the standard edition of the Syriac text: Edmund Beck, Des heiligen Ephraem des Syrers Hymnen contra haereses, CSCO 169 // SS 76 (Louvain, 1957). I have added only a very select number of annotations. The hymn is acrostic, that is, the first letter of each stanzas fol- lows the order of the alphabet, and they are so marked (and numbered) below; there is also an extra stanza, beginning with a letter out of order (the eighth, beginning with šin), which brings the total number of stanzas to twenty-three instead of the expected twenty-two.

Note: Translation is in the public domain.