Type 5261
(formerly typ/3302)
| Παύθητι χείρ μου τοῦ πονεῖν εἰς τὸ γράφειν, | |
| ἄρθητι χείρ μου πρὸς τὸ ὑψοῦν δεσπότην· | |
| ὡς δ᾽ ἑσπερινὰς θυσίας τούτῳ δίδου | |
| πληρωτικῇ δὲ ὡς ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ. | |
| Πολύστιχον γάρ, Χριστέ μου, τὸ βιβλίον | |
| οὗπερ γραφεὺς πέφυκα κἂν φαυλογράφος· | |
| ἀλλ᾽ ἡ βίβλος μου τῶν βδελυρῶν πρακτέων | |
| μείζων τε τούτων καὶ πολυστιχοτέρα, | |
| γραφεῖσα μου, φεῦ τῆς πονηρογραφίας, | |
| κινοῦντος χεῖρας πρὸς κακὰς ἐργασίας, | |
| αἷς ἀπαλεῖψαι ῥυπτικῶν με δακρύων | |
| ταῦτα προχέων δαψιλεῖ μοι πλημμύρᾳ. | |
| Γράψαις δέ, Σῶτερ, εἰς τὸ σόν με βιβλίον, | |
| κλήσεις ὅπου σὺ τῶν σεσωσμένων γράφεις. |
| Text source | K. Giannikou 2026, Formulaic Language in Byzantine Book Epigrams: A Typology Grounded in Ritually-Charged Pragmatic Functions, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Studies (GRBS)(66.1), 1-41: 36 |
| Text status | Text completely known |
| Editorial status | Not a critical text |
| Genre(s) | Scribe-related epigram |
| Metre(s) | Dodecasyllable |
| Subject(s) | Jesus Christ (10 BC-1 BC - 30-33) |
| Tag(s) | |
| Translation(s) |
Cease, my hand, from labouring in writing; Lift, my hand, to exalt the Lord. Offer (these words) to Him as evening offerings, and as in full thanksgiving. For the book is of many lines, O my Christ, of which I have been the scribe, though a bad one; yet my book of abhorrent deeds is greater than this one and more manyfold in lines, written by me—alas, for my wicked writings— moving my hands to perform evil deeds. From these, deliver me, for I shed cleansing tears, pouring them forth in an abundant flood. Write me, O Saviour, in Your book, where You inscribe the names of the saved ones.
|
| Bibliography | |
| Number of verses | 14 |
| Occurrence(s) |
[22074] Παύθητι χείρ μου τοῦ πονεῖν εἰς τὸ γράφειν
[1495]
HERAKLION - Historiko Mouseio 667 [29/01/1495] (f. 310r) (14 verses) |
| Acknowledgements |
Contributor(s)
The credits system has been implemented in 2019. Credits from before the new system was in use might be incomplete. |
| Identification | Vassis ICB 2005, 605: "Librarii subscriptio" |
| Permalink | http://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/5261 |
Last modified: 2026-06-12.
