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Fulfill your promise, O man, which you long ago conceived. Having accomplished such a wondrous thing at the end of his life, and having aroused his companions to a zeal for virtue with many exhortations, as his last discourse reveals, he breathed his last, well-pleasing, into the waveless harbor of the eternal kingdom. And where else ought one to imagine that his soul came to rest, but clearly in the heavenly tabernacles, where there are ranks of angels, where there are choirs of prophets, where there are thrones of apostles, where there is the joy of the martyrs, where there is the gladness of the holy ones, where there is the splendor of the teachers, where there is the festival of the firstborn, and the pure sound of those who celebrate there. Into those good things, which angels desire to look into, into that sacred space did the most blessed and holy soul of our blessed and ever-memorable Father enter. And I believe that on its ascent to heaven, the virtues from his life led the way, and each one showed it those ineffable and unseen beauties, and that love, the greatest of all virtues, perhaps approached and spoke thus: ‘See, most beloved soul, what beauty I have procured for you’; and with the word, to point out the delight. And that humility ran up and said: ‘Consider, O soul longed for by God, what a place of rest I too have prepared for you.’ And that all the virtues, one by one, both spoke and pointed out what sort of rewards they, having been previously cultivated with labor, had later procured for it. O much-praised and enviable departure! O death that requires no tears! O separation that brings about the longed-for union! O departure that grants no regret to the one who has departed! O funeral that possesses no regret! For from the things for which we admire his ways, from these we receive our consolation. For in the case of other men, death is known as a cause of tears for those left behind; but in the case of the saints, it becomes a cause of gladness and festival; because such a thing is not death, but rather a departure and a passage to better things.

These praises are offered to you from us, O best of Fathers, and teacher of the world, with a bold tongue, as gifts beyond our worth; not as though you need them (for what renown does a speech bestow, that follows behind the worth 46.849 of the one being praised), but rather for the benefit of the living; because the praise of good men is the greatest encouragement and exhortation for the many toward better things. Many other things also moved us to these words and made us bold. For I pass over the manifold excellences, and what is proclaimed to the whole world of his life and word; but more than these, your wonderful care, and the redemption for your namesake who was born, who also urged us to strip for these contests, who was carried away captive by the barbarian descendants of Ishmael, and separated from his mother for no small time, while returning to his own home and not knowing the advantageousness of the way, received your miraculous care, and was taught the way more suitable for deliverance, and truly did not miss his mark. Yes, indeed, having come to the very height of dangers, and expecting death, being hard-pressed by barbarian insolence along the way, as soon as he remembered your name, saying: “Holy Ephraim, help me.” And he passed through the wandering of dangers unharmed, and despised the fear, and obtained a salvation beyond understanding, and was restored to his fatherland beyond hope, being guarded by your providence. For this reason, we have dared to extend more elaborately upon the aforementioned things, and have dared to touch upon the praises with unclean lips. And if we have succeeded in our words far beyond what is fitting, we shall inscribe you as the cause of the success, and we shall confess our gratitude to you. But if the praises are far short of your worth, even so we will again accuse you of being the cause of the failure, however bold the statement may be. For you, wishing to flee praises, both when you were living in this life, so also

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Πλή ρου σου τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν, ἄνθρωπε, ἣν πάλαι προ ενενόησας. Τοιοῦτο τεράστιον πρὸς [τὰ] τῷ τέλει τοῦ βίου κατεργασάμενος, πολλαῖς τε παραινέσεσι τοὺς συν όντας πρὸς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ζῆλον διαναστήσας, ὡς ὁ τελευταῖος αὐτοῦ λόγος δηλοῖ, εἰς τὸν ἀκύμαντον λι μένα τῆς αἰωνίου βασιλείας ἐξέπνευσε καὶ εὐαπόδε κτος. Ποῦ δὲ τὴν ἐκείνου ψυχὴν ἀλλαχοῦ εἰκάζειν χρὴ καταλῦσαι, ἢ δῆλον ἐν σκηναῖς οὐρανίοις, ὅπου τάξεις ἀγγέλων, ὅπου χοροὶ προφητῶν, ὅπου θρόνοι ἀπο στόλων, ὅπου χαρὰ τῶν μαρτύρων, ὅπου ὁσίων εὐ φροσύνη, ὅπου διδασκάλων λαμπρότης, ὅπου πρωτο τόκων πανήγυρις, καὶ ἦχος καθαρὸς τῶν ἐκεῖθεν ἑορταζόντων. Εἰς ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι, εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἱερὸν ἐφοίτησε χῶρον ἡ τοῦ μακαρίου καὶ ἀοιδίμου Πατρὸς ἡμῶν πολυμακάριστος καὶ ἁγία ψυχή. Ἡγοῦμαι δὲ τῇ πρὸς οὐρανὸν αὐτῆς ἀναβάσει ἡγεῖσθαι τὰς παρὰ τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ ἀρετὰς, καὶ δεικνύειν αὐτῇ ἑκάστην τὰ ἄῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα καὶ ἀθέατα κάλλη, καὶ προσελθοῦσαν τάχα τὴν μείζονα πασῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀγάπην, οὕτως εἰ πεῖν· Ὅρα, φιλτάτη ψυχὴ, οἷόν σοι προεξένησα κάλ λος· καὶ σὺν τῷ λόγῳ καθυποδεῖξαι τὸ ἐντρύφημα. Καὶ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐπιδραμοῦσαν φράσαι· Σκόπει, πεποθημένη Θεῷ ψυχὴ, οἷον κἀγώ σοι τόπον ἀναπαύσεως ἡτοίμασα. Καὶ κατὰ μέρος τὰς πάσας εἰπεῖν τε καὶ καθυποδεῖξαι, οἵας αὐτῇ τὰς ἀντιδόσεις πρότερον φιλοπονηθεῖσαι προεξένησαν ὕστερον. Ὢ πολυυμνήτου καὶ ζηλωτῆς ἀποδημίας! ὢ θανάτου δακρύων μὴ δεομένου! ὢ χωρισμοῦ, τὴν ποθουμέ νην προξενοῦντος συνάφειαν! ὢ μεταστάσεως οὐ παρεχούσης τῷ μεταστάντι μετάμελον! ὢ κη δείας οὐ κεκτημένης μετάμελον! Ἐξ ὧν γὰρ τοὺς ἐκείνου τρόπους θαυμάζομεν, ἐκ τούτων τὴν παρα μυθίαν λαμβάνομεν. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων ἀν θρώπων, ὁ θάνατος αἴτιος δακρύων τοῖς περιλειπο μένοις γνωρίζεται· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἁγίων, εὐφροσύνης καὶ πανηγύρεως καθίσταται πρόξενος· ὅτι οὐ θάνα τος ὁ τοιοῦτος, ἀλλὰ μετάστασις μᾶλλον καὶ πρὸς τὰ κρείττω μετάβασις.

Ταῦτά σοι παρ' ἡμῶν, τῶν Πατέρων ἄριστε, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλε, τολμηρὰ γλώσση, ὡς δῶρα παρ' ἀξίαν, προσάγεται τὰ ἐγκώμια· οὐχ ὡς χρῄζοντι (ποίαν γὰρ εὔκλειαν χαρίζεται λόγος, ὀπίσω τῆς ἀξίας 46.849 τοῦ ἐπαινουμένου βαδίζων), πρὸς ὄνησιν δὲ μᾶλλον τῶν ζώντων· ὅτι μεγίστη τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐπὶ τὰ βελτίω παράκλησίς τε καὶ προτροπὴ, ἡ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνδρῶν εὐφημία. Ἐκίνησε δὲ πρὸς τούτους ἡμᾶς τοὺς λό γους καὶ τολμητίας εἰργάσατο, πολλὰ μὲν καὶ ἄλλα. Ἐῶ γὰρ ἐγὼ τὰ πολυειδῆ προτερήματα, καὶ τὸ τοῦ βίου καὶ λόγου κόσμῳ παντὶ διαλάλητον· τούτων δὲ πλέον ἡ θαυμαστή σου ἐπιστασία, καὶ ἀπολύτρωσις ἡ εἰς τὸν σοὶ γεγενημένον ὁμώνυμον, τὸν καὶ πρὸς τούτους ἡμᾶς ἀποδύσασθαι τοὺς ἀγῶνας προτρεψά μενον, ὃς ὑπὸ βαρβάρων ἐκγόνων τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ δορυ άλωτος ἀπαχθεὶς, καὶ τῆς ἐνεγκαμένης οὐ μικρὸν χρό νον χωρισθεὶς, πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα παλινοστῶν, καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὴν λυσιτέλειαν ἀγνοῶν, τῆς σῆς ἔτυχε παραδόξου ἐπιστασίας, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδιδάχθη τὴν πρὸς διάσωσιν μᾶλλον ἐπιτηδείαν, καὶ τοῦ σκοποῦ ὡς ἀλη-θῶς οὐ διήμαρτε. Ναὶ μὴν καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ καταντήσας τῶν κινδύνων τὸ ἄκρον, καὶ θάνατον ἐκδεχόμενος, ὑπὸ ἐπηρείας κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν βαρβαρικῆς στενωθεὶς, ὡς μό-νον τῆς σῆς ἐπεμνήσθη προσηγορίας, ἐπειπών· Ἅγιε Ἐφραῒμ, βοήθει μοι. Καὶ τὴν πλάνην τῶν κινδύνων ἀβλαβῶς ὑπερέβη, καὶ τοῦ φόβου κατεφρόνησε, καὶ σωτηρίας ὑπὲρ νοῦν τετύχηκε, καὶ τῇ πατρίδι παρ' ἐλπίδα ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς προνοίας φρουρούμενος ἀπο- δέδοται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, εἰς τὰ προειρημένα προτεῖναι ἐκτατικώτερον ἐτολμήσαμεν, καὶ τῶν ἐπαίνων ἐφ-άψασθαι ἀκαθάρτοις ἐτολμήσαμεν χείλεσιν. Καὶ εἰ μὲν παρὰ πολὺ τοῦ δέοντος ἤλθομεν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, αἴτιον σὲ γεγενῆσθαι τῆς ἐπιτυχίας στηλογραφήσο-μεν, καὶ σοὶ τὴν χάριν ὁμολογήσομεν. Εἰ δὲ παρὰ πολὺ τῆς ἀξίας οἱ ἔπαινοι, καὶ οὕτως πάλιν αἴτιον σὲ τῆς ἀποτυχίας καταιτιασόμεθα, κἂν τολμηρός πως ὁ λόγος. Σὺ γὰρ φεύγειν τοὺς ἐπαίνους βουλόμενος, καὶ ὡς ζῶν ἐν βίῳ, οὕτω