Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Type 2523
(formerly typ/612)

Τὴν ᾀσματῳδοψαλμοσύνθετον βίβλον,
τὴν θεοκοσμοψυχόσωστον πυκτίδα
προφητοτερπνόφθεγκτον ἔφρασε στόμα
καὶ πνευματεμφόρητος ᾖσε καρδία·
τὴν χειροχορδοβροντόκρουστον κιννύραν
καὶ τὴν μελουργόναβλον κυμβαλολύραν,
θέλγουσαν καὶ πλήττουσαν καὶ ψάλλουσάν γε,
τὴν ἀκτινοχρυσοφαιδροβροντολαμπρο-
φεγγοφωτοστόλιστον ὄντως καὶ θείαν
χερουβικοχάρακτον τήρει ψαλτήραν.
Title(s) Στίχοι εἰς τὸν ψαλτῆρα
Text source K. Demoen 2022, An Aristophanean Epigram on the Psalter, in F. Spingou (ed.), The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (vol. 2), Cambridge / New York, 1381-1386: 1384
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s)
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Subject(s)
Tag(s)
Translation(s)
  • The book consisting of Canticles, Odes, and Psalms,
    the volume that saves the soul through divine order
    has been uttered by the mouth that speaks graciously and prophetically
    and been sung by the heart that is filled with the Spirit;
    the kinnor that is played by striking the strings with the hands and sounds
    like the thunder
    and the cymbal-lyre accompanied by the harmonious navla,
    charming and moving and singing to the harp,
    the psalter(y) that is dressed with shining bright light, thundering
    cheerfully with golden beams, the really divine (psalter)
    that is carved by the cheroubim: behold it.
    Language
    English
    Source(s)
    K. Demoen 2022, An Aristophanean Epigram on the Psalter, in F. Spingou (ed.), The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (vol. 2), Cambridge / New York, 1381-1386: 1384
  • Das aus dem Hohen Lied, den Oden und Psalmen bestehende Buch,
    den die Welt erschütternden und die Seelen rettenden Codex,
    verkündete der anmutig prophetisch sprechende Mund
    und besang das vom (göttlichen) Geist getragene Herz,
    die Leier in der Tat, deren Saite donnernd durch Hand geschlagen wird,
    und die wie eine melodische Harfe tönende Lyra in Zimbelform,
    die ja bezaubert und beeindruckt und singt,
    den in der Tat in goldstrahlendes, fröhliches, hellleuchtendes Licht gekleideten,
    von Gott und den Cherubim geschriebenen Psalter.
    Language
    German
    Source(s)
    A. Rhoby, 2018, Ausgewählte Byzantinische Epigramme in Illuminierten Handschriften, Wien: 150
Comment The epigram also occurs in the 16th-century manuscript Jerusalem, Timiou Staurou 81 (f. 14r), as part of the 18 introductory folios preceding the psalms.
Bibliography

Primary
Number of verses 10
Occurrence(s)
Related type(s)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)
Rachele Ricceri, Anne-Sophie Rouckhout

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Identification
Permalink https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/2523
Last modified: 2022-11-15.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.