Type 5994
(formerly typ/3986)

Μορφὰς ἀκαλλεῖς τῶν κάτω παιδευμάτων
εὐαγγελικαῖς ὡραΐσας ταῖς χρόαις,
τὸ φῶς ὑπὲρ νοῦν ἀποστίλβεις τῶν λόγων
πᾶν εἴ τι τερπνὸν μυστικῆς ἐποψίας
ἄρρητον ἀθέατον εἰσδὺς τὸν γνόφον
ἄσαρκος ὥσπερ σαρκικοῖς ἡμῖν γράφων
βαθμοὺς διαθεὶς καὶ σοφὰς ἀναβάσεις.
ὡς ἂν ὁ καπνὸς ψυχικῶν μολυσμάτων
εὐθὺς σκεδασθῇ ταῖς θεουργοῖς ἀκτίσι,
καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ὑπανεὶς τὸ σαρκίον
πρὸς ἀγγέλων ἔλλαμψιν αὐτίκα φέρεις,
δι᾿ ὧν κατόπτροις ἐντυχόντες ὡς νόας
ἐκ τῆσδε τήνδε συνορῶντες τὴν χάριν
τριαδικὴν σύμπτυξιν ἐκ τῶν ἀστάτων
ἡμῖν συνιστᾷς ταῖς καλαῖς ἀτρεψίαις.
πρὸς τῶν θεϊκῶν ἐμπύρων αὐγασμάτων
τρανῶς ψυχικαῖς ἀποθήκαις εἰσάγων
πόρρω διαθεὶς τῆς ἀπάτης τὸν ζόφον.
καλά γε ταῦτα καὶ καλὰ λάβοις γέρα
ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ὁδηγεῖς πάτερ εὐσεβοφρόνως.
Title(s) Διονυσίῳ θείῳ ἱεράρχῃ. Γρηγόριος ταῦτα
Text source S. De Groot 2021, Readers' Perspectives on Early Christian Texts. Book Epigrams in the Byzantine Manuscripts of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Gent: 122-132
Text status Text completely known
Editorial status Critical text
Genre(s)
Person(s)
Poet
Gregorios (hieromonachos)
Metre(s) Dodecasyllable
Subject(s) Pseudo-Dionysios the Areopagite (5th c. - 6th c.)
Tag(s)
Translation(s) Verses on Dionysius, the holy hierarch, by Gregory
After having adorned the charmless appearances of the studies below
with the colours of the Gospels,
You shed a light that transcends the mind with your words.
all that is delightful in a mystical vision,
You, without flesh, write for us who are in the flesh
after having entered into the darkness which cannot be expressed or contemplated.
You arrange the steps and a wise ascent.
So that the smoke of our soul’s taints may be
Directly scattered by the divinely operating rays,
and, bit by bit, by releasing our flesh,
You bring us at once to the illumination of the angels.
Through whom we, as minds, encounter mirrors,
From this [illumination] comprehending this grace.
From the changeable things you have put together
for us a threefold embrace with the beautiful immutabilities.
From the divine ardent brightness,
You lead with clarity to the storehouses of the soul,
thus disposing the darkness of deceit far away.
Those things are beautiful, and may you obtain beautiful rewards,
In exchange for which you guide us devoutly, Father.
Language
English
Source(s)
S. De Groot 2021, Readers' Perspectives on Early Christian Texts. Book Epigrams in the Byzantine Manuscripts of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Gent: 122-123
Comment This epigram also occurs in three other manuscripts, where it does not function as a book epigram (cf. De Groot 2021: 168-170):
1) the 14th-century manuscript Athens, Bibliotheke tes Boules 84;
2) the 15th/16th-century manuscript Athens, Ethnike Bibliotheke tes Hellados, Metochion Pan. Taphou 797;
3) the 18th-century manuscript Chennevières-sur-Marne, Coll. S. Eustratiades, Sans cote 893. The current whereabouts of this manuscript are unknown.
Bibliography
Number of verses 20
Occurrence(s)
Acknowledgements
Contributor(s)

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Identification Vassis ICB 2005, 474: "Gregorius hieromon., In Dionys. Areopagitam"
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Last modified: 2024-09-24.