Type 7032
(formerly typ/4941)
| Ὦ πάντων ἐπέκεινα· τί γὰρ θέμις ἄλλο σε μέλπειν; | |
| Πῶς λόγος ὑμνήσει σε; σὺ γὰρ λόγῳ οὐδενὶ ῥητός. | |
| Πῶς νόος ἀθρήσει σε; σὺ γὰρ νόῳ οὐδενὶ ληπτός. | |
| Μοῦνος ἐὼν ἄφραστος· ἐπεὶ τέκες ὅσσα λαλεῖται. | |
| Μοῦνος ἐὼν ἄγνωστος· ἐπεὶ τέκες ὅσσα νοεῖται. | |
| Πάντα σε καὶ λαλέοντα, καὶ οὐ λαλέοντα λιγαίνει. | |
| Πάντα σε καὶ νοέοντα καὶ οὐ νοέοντα γεραίρει. | |
| Ξυνοὶ γάρ τε πόθοι, ξυναὶ δ᾿ὠδῖνες ἁπάντων | |
| Ἀμφὶ σέ· σοὶ δὲ τὰ πάντα προσεύχεται· εἰς σὲ δὲ πάντα | |
| Σύνθεμα σὸν νοέοντα λαλεῖ σιγώμενον ὕμνον. | |
| Σοὶ ἑνὶ πάντα μένει· σοὶ δ᾿ἀθρόα πάντα θοάζει. | |
| Καὶ πάντων τέλος ἐσσί, καὶ εἷς, καὶ πάντα, καὶ οὐδείς, | |
| Οὐχ ἓν ἐὼν, οὐ πάντα· πανώνυμε, πῶς σε καλέσσω, | |
| Τὸν μόνον ἀκλήϊστον; Ὑπερνεφέας δὲ καλύπτρας | |
| Τίς νόος οὐρανίδης εἰσδύσεται; Ἵλαος εἴης, | |
| Ὧ πάντων ἐπέκεινα· τί γὰρ θέμις ἄλλο σε μέλπειν; |
| Title(s) | Ὕμνος εἰς θεόν |
| Text source | J. Migne, 1862, Patrologiae cursus completus. Series graeca (vol. 37), Paris: 507-508 |
| Text status | Text completely known |
| Editorial status | Not a critical text |
| Genre(s) | Text-related epigram |
| Metre(s) | Dactylic hexameter |
| Tag(s) | Reference to content of the book |
| Translation(s) |
You are above all things and what other way can we rightly sing of you? How can words sing your praise when no word can speak of you? How can the mind consider you when no mind can ever grasp you? You alone are unutterable from the time you created all things that can be spoken of. You alone are unknowable from the time you created all things that can be known. All things cry out about you, those which speak, and those which cannot speak, all things honour you, those which think, and those which cannot think. For there is one longing, one groaning, that all things have for you. All things pray to you that comprehend your plan and offer you a silent hymn. In you, the One, all things abide and all things endlessly run to you who are the end of all. And you are the One, and All, and none of them - being not one thing, not all things. You who bear all names, how shall I name you, who cannot be named? What heavenly mind can penetrate those veils above the clouds? Be merciful you who are greater than all things, for what other way can we rightly sing of you?
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| Comment | The hymn was traditionally ascribed to Gregory of Nazianzus as carmen I.1.29. However, from the 19th century onwards, doubts arose about the authorship. Proclus and Ps.-Dionysius the Areopagite have been named as possible authors (Sicherl 1988: 66-83). Although the hymn wasn't originally composed as a book epigram, it functions as such in some manuscripts of Ps.-Dionysius. |
| Bibliography |
Primary Secondary
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| Number of verses | 16 |
| Occurrence(s) |
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| 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, 890: "Greg. Nazianzenus*, Hymnus ad Deum" |
| Permalink | https://www.dbbe.ugent.be/types/7032 |
Last modified: 2021-02-04.
