John Chrysostom, Sermon 3-2 on Genesis

to the birds I commanded what I wished; all creation looked to me as its master. I have been 56.534 estranged from these things as a transgressor; I was exiled from delight as a slave; I was driven from your joy as a lawless one; I was driven out of your dwelling as a runaway. What shall I weep for first, what second? the loss of your beauty? the unceasing joy? the carefree life? the undefiled glory? the alienation from the angels? the loss of the archangels? the fame of the kingdom? the delightfulness of the trees? the torch-bearing of your light? the pure radiance? the nakedness with which I am clothed? the remnants of indecency? the reproach of the angels; the insubordination of the beasts? the inflexibility of the cattle? the friendship of God? the alienation from the Spirit? the eternal blessedness? What lamentation shall I beat? what weeping shall I mourn; what humiliation shall I embrace? what tragedy shall I begin? what groan shall I send up? what pain shall I stop? the one now present? the one after this? the one in the regions below, the one in the sweat of the face? the growth of thorns? the rebuke of the earth? I cannot bear the remnants of grief, I cannot bear the groaning, I cannot bear to sit opposite your delight and look at you. For I have become a stranger to your way of life, a stranger to your dwelling, an alien to the eternal enjoyment, I made myself a stranger to God by my own will. From now on I will be a stranger to your contemplation and sight. No longer will I enjoy your delight, no longer will I be gladdened by your blessedness, no longer will I enjoy the sight of you, no longer will I be illumined by your radiance, no longer will I dwell in you. All things have become empty for me; all things passed away like a shadow; all things passed by like a dream; all things vanished as non-existent from my eyes. If you are able, you at least entreat the creator, so that I may not be separated from your company. Bend your trees, and fall down before the compassionate one, and with the sound of your leaves cry out in strength. You have become all-blessed by the command of the Master, and you have boldness as a house of our God. Lift up the forms of your fruits as if they were eyes, and the fragrance of the plants as if it were an eloquent mouth, so that you may remain open to the one who loved you. Behold, now my mouth has grown weary of crying out; behold also my tongue has ceased to speak; behold also my throat is bound in silence. As one who gave bad counsel I have been condemned, as a wretch I have been stripped naked, as lawless I have been cast out, as earthly I was given over to the earth, from whence I came out; from whence I was formed, I return, and I no longer see the comeliness of your beauty. Then turning to the woman, he used reproaches, and in bitterness of soul said: Why have you reaped my immortality, woman? why have you made the lofty one lowly? why have you made the ruler of all a beggar? why have you shown the king of creation to be a slave? why have you blinded my bright eyes? why did you strip me of the robe, which you did not weave? why did you envy my honor? why did you obscure my archetypal beauty? why, having been called life, have you become death to me? why, having alienated me from the angels, have you pitched your tent with demons? why, having deprived me of the kingdom, have you brought me down to extreme poverty? why have you stopped up my ears which continually heard the voice of God, like an asp stopping its ears which will not hear the voice of the charmer? I cannot bear the rebuke, before the union I seek the dissolution; before the dwelling together I plan the departure; before the embrace I am anxious for the separation; before being yoked together I beg to stand apart from you. Go away from me, woman. When shall I work the earth? when shall I pull up thistles? when shall I reap ripe grain? when, having made flour, shall I prepare bread? when, having sat down carefree, shall I feast on it? when shall I sleep without pain? when shall I take off the leaves of the fig tree? when the

πετεινοῖς οἷς ἤθελον προσέταττον· πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις ὡς δεσπότῃ μοι προσέβλεπεν. Ἀπηλλο 56.534 τρίωμαι τούτων ὡς παραβάτης· ἐξωρίσθην τῆς τρυφῆς ὡς ἀνδράποδον· ἐδιώχθην τῆς χαρᾶς σου ὡς παράνομος· ἀπηλάθην τῆς κατοικίας σου ὡς δραπέτης. Τί κλαύσω πρῶτον, τί δεύτερον; τὴν στέρησιν τοῦ κάλλους σου; τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἄληκτον; τὴν ἀμέριμνον ζωήν; τὴν ἀκήρατον δόξαν; τῶν ἀγγέλων τὴν ἀλλοτρίωσιν; τὴν τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων στέρησιν; τῆς βασιλείας τὸ κλέος; τῶν δένδρων τὴν τερπνότητα; τοῦ φωτός σου τὴν λαμπαδουχίαν; τὴν μαρμαρυγὴν τὴν ἀκήρατον; τὴν γύμνωσιν ἣν περίκειμαι; τῆς ἀσχημοσύνης τὰ λείψανα; τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων· τῶν θηρίων τὸ ἀνυπότακτον; τῶν κτηνῶν τὸ ἄκαμπτον; τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν φιλίαν; τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν ἀλλοτρίωσιν; τὸν μακαρισμὸν τὸν ἀΐδιον; Ποῖον κοπετὸν κόψομαι; ποῖον κλαυθμὸν θρηνήσω· ποίαν ταπείνωσιν ἀσπάσομαι; ποίαν τραγῳδίαν ἄρξομαι; ποῖον στεναγμὸν ἀναπέμψω; ποίαν ὀδύνην καταπαύσω; τὴν ἀρτίως παρεστῶσαν; τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα; τὴν ἐν τοῖς καταχθονίοις, τὴν ἐν ἱδρῶτι τοῦ προσώπου; τῶν ἀκανθῶν τὴν βλάστησιν; τῆς γῆς τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν; Οὐ φέρω τῆς λύπης τὰ λείψανα, οὐ φέρω τὸν στεναγμὸν, οὐ φέρω ἀπέναντι τῆς τρυφῆς σου καθήμενος βλέπειν σε. Ξένος γὰρ γέγονα τῆς σῆς διατριβῆς, ξένος τῆς σῆς κατοικίας, ἀλλότριος τῆς ἀϊδίου ἀπολαύσεως, ξένον ἐμαυτὸν κατέστησα τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκείᾳ μου βουλῇ. Ξένος ἀπάρτι γενήσομαι τῆς σῆς θεωρίας καὶ ὁράσεως. Οὐκέτι σου τῆς τρυφῆς ἀπολαύσω, οὐκέτι τῆς μακαριότητός σου ἡδυνθῶ, οὐκέτι σου τῆς θέας ἀπολαύσω, οὐκέτι σου τῆς μαρμαρυγῆς ἐλλαμφθῶ, οὐκέτι ἐν σοὶ κατοικήσω. Πάντα κενά μοι γέγονε· πάντα παρῆλθον ὡς σκιά· πάντα διέβη ὡς ὄναρ· πάντα ἠφανίσθησαν ὡς ἀνύπαρκτα ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου. Εἰ δύνασαι, κἂν σὺ παρακάλεσαι τὸν πλάστην, ὅπως μὴ χωρισθῶ τῆς συναυλίας σου. Κατάκαμψον τὰ δένδρα σου, καὶ πρόσπεσον τῷ εὐσπλάγχνῳ, καὶ τῷ ἤχῳ τῶν φύλλων σου ἀνάκραξον ἐν ἰσχΰι. Πανόλβιος γέγονας κελεύσματι τοῦ ∆εσπότου, καὶ παῤῥησίαν ἔχεις ὡς οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. Ἆρον ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν καρπῶν σου τὰ εἴδη, καὶ ὥσπερ στόμα εὔλαλον τὴν τῶν φυτῶν εὐωδίαν, ἵνα μείνῃς ἀνεῳγμένος τῷ σὲ ἀγαπήσαντι. Ἰδοὺ νῦν τὸ στόμα μου κράζειν ἐκοπίασε· ἰδοὺ καὶ ἡ γλῶσσά μου λαλεῖν ἀπεπαύσατο· ἰδοὺ καὶ ὁ λάρυγξ μου σιγῇ καταδέδεται. Ὡς παράβουλος κατακέκριμαι, ὡς ἄθλιος γεγύμνωμαι, ὡς ἄνομος ἐκβέβλημαι, ὡς γήϊνος τῇ γῇ παρεδόθην, ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον· ὅθεν ἐπλάσθην, ἀναλύω, καὶ οὐκέτι σου θεωρῶ τοῦ κάλλους τὴν ὡραιότητα. Εἶτα στραφεὶς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, ὀνειδισμοῖς ἐκέχρητο, καὶ ἐν πικρίᾳ ψυχῆς ἔλεγε· Τί μου τὴν ἀθανασίαν ἐθέρισας, γύναι; τί τὸν ὑψηλὸν ἐποίησας ταπεινόν; τί τὸν παντάρχην κατέστησας προσαίτην; τί τὸν βασιλέα τῆς κτίσεως δοῦλον ἀνέδειξας; τί μου τοὺς φωτεινοὺς ἐτύφλωσας ὀφθαλμούς; τί με τὴν στολὴν ἐξέδυσας, ἣν οὐκ ἐξύφανας; τί τὴν τιμήν μου ἐφθόνησας; τί τὸ ἀρχέτυπόν μου κάλλος ἠμαύρωσας; τί ζωὴ προσαγορευθεῖσα, θάνατός μοι γέγονας; τί με τῶν ἀγγέλων ἀλλοτριώσασα, τοῖς δαίμοσι συγκατεσκήνωσας; τί με τῆς βασιλείας στερήσασα εἰς ἄκραν πτωχείαν κατήγαγες; τί τὰ ὦτά μου τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ διηνεκῶς ἀκούοντα ἀπέφραξας, ὡς ἀσπὶς βύουσα ἥτις οὐκ εἰσακούσεται φωνῆς ἐπᾴδοντος; Οὐ φέρω τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν, πρὸ τῆς συναφείας τὴν λύσιν ἐπιζητῶ· πρὸ τῆς κατασκηνώσεως τὴν ἀναχώρησιν μελετῶ· πρὸ τῆς συμπλοκῆς τὸν χωρισμὸν μεριμνῶ· πρὸ τοῦ συζευχθῆναι ἀποστῆναι ἀπὸ σοῦ δυσωπῶ. Ἄπιθι ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, γύναι. Πότε τὴν γῆν ἐργάσομαι; πότε τριβόλους ἀνασπάσω; πότε σῖτον ὥριμον θερίσω; πότε ποιήσας ἄλευρον, ἄρτον κατασκευάσω; πότε καθίσας ἀμέριμνος τοῦτον ἑστιάσομαι; πότε ἀνωδύνως ὑπνώσω; πότε τὰ φύλλα ἐκδύσομαι τῆς συκῆς; πότε τὴν