Descriptio Sanctae Sophiae

 We have come to you, men, from the hearth of the emperor to the hearth of the all-great Emperor, the maker of the universe, through whom victory is in

 with fastenings of robes. Wiping the five-year tear from our sight, we will sing with auspicious lips hymns of happy feet. The scepter-bearer of the A

 Having spoken he hastened to the sacred precincts, and soon the deed was swifter than the neighbouring word for rousing himself, as is right, he did

 He was assembled, and every ruler of the seats, serving the commands of the mighty emperor and bringing pleasing gifts to Christ the King, with suppli

 For in it a curved rim did not run around the middle space, like that on the eastern limits, where priests skilled in sacrifice set up thrones gleamin

 they met upon a very golden h[ea]d but in the middle like a crown above [ ] the rim of the unhewn space, which art did not [make]. ]the form of the c

 having gone up for the one rising towards the west is no longer equal to the other two, going beyond the narthex. But also at the western foot of the

 A gold-flowing ray, unbearable to human faces, leaped upon them. One might say he was looking at Phaethon at midday in the season of spring, when he g

 Where am I carried? Where does my unbridled story travel? Hold back, bold voice, with closed lip, and no longer lay bare what is not lawful for eyes t

 but along the columns of the portico, here and there, they set up in a row a single-wicked lamp, one after another distinctly and it travels the whol

 circles to the evening and morning light for to you, much-hymned one, dawn and evening know how to cease from cares. for you the harbors separate a g

 of wrath, sitting unshaken upon a waveless calm. You have shaken off all the barking pains of troubles, and opening your kind heart as a channel of pi

of wrath, sitting unshaken upon a waveless calm. You have shaken off all the barking pains of troubles, and opening your kind heart as a channel of piety you cast a sympathetic eye upon the pains of men. Nor is any mortal you notice a pauper; for at once, spreading out the store of your pure mind, you surpassed the wealth of the gold-rich Lydian river, bestowing from your hand wealth poured out like a river. All the glories of the labors of ancients and of moderns you have learned, and you travel with pure feet every path in the god-fearing meadow; and your cares the initiated rule has weighed with a directing scale. Thence, charming your mind with unstained cares, you have not dared to look upon reverence for sale, nor have you fitted commerce to holy heads, nor to the profane men have you shown the path untrodden. But if someone, gently hinting with gifts, intends to draw you into favor, sternly you grew angry with him, restraining him with a bridle, enough to wipe away the cloud from his heart, enough to rebuke the dishonored gold, and to teach the foolish that it is right for the pure to frequent pure sanctuaries. But may you remain and increase the scepter of my king with your prayers, O blessed one; and may you remain for sea-neighboring Rome, cleansing every welt of a sinning life.

ὀργῆς, ἑδρήσσων ἀτίνακτος ἐπ' ἀφλοίσβοιο γαλήνης. πάντα μὲν ὑλαίων ἀπεσείσαο πήματα μόχθων, εὐσεβίης δ' ὀχετηγὸν ἐνηέα θυμὸν ἀνοίγων συμπαθὲς ἀνδρομέοισιν ἐπ' ἄλγεσιν ὄμμα τιταίνεις. οὐδὲ λιπερνήτης πελέθει βροτὸς ὃν σὺ νοήσηις· αὐτίκα γὰρ καθαροῖο νόου θημῶνα πετάσσας Λυδὸν ἐριχρύσοιο παρέδραμες ὄλβον ἀναύρου, ἔκχυτον ἐκ παλάμης ποταμήρρυτον ὄλβον ὀπάζων. πάντα μὲν ὠγυγίων τε καὶ ὁπλοτέρων κλέα μόχθων ἐξεδάης, πᾶσαν δὲ ποσὶν καθαροῖσιν ὁδεύεις ἀτραπιτὸν λειμῶνι θεουδέϊ· σὰς δὲ μερίμνας ἰθυνόωι πλάστιγγι κανὼν σταθμήσατο μύστης. ἔνθεν ὑπ' ἀχράντοισι νόον μελεδήμασι θέλγων ὤνιον οὐ τέτληκας ἰδεῖν σέβας, οὐδὲ καρήνοις ἐμπορίην ἱεροῖσιν ἐφήρμοσας, οὐδὲ βεβήλοις ἀνδράσιν οἶμον ἔδειξας ἀνέμβατον. εἰ δέ σε δώροις πρηῢς ὑποσσαίνων τις ὀΐσσεται εἰς χάριν ἕλκειν, βριθὺς ὁμοκλητῆρι χαλέψαο τόν γε χαλινῶι, ὅσσον ἀποσμῆξαι κραδίης νέφος, ὅσσον ἐλέγξαι χρυσὸν ἀτιμηθέντα, καὶ ἀφραίνοντα διδάξαι ὡς καθαρὸν καθαροῖσι θέμις τεμένεσσι θαμίζειν. Ἀλλὰ μένοις καὶ σκῆπτρον ἐμοῦ βασιλῆος ἀέξων σαῖς, μάκαρ, εὐχωλῆισι· μένοις δ' ἁλιγείτονι Ῥώμηι πᾶσαν ἁμαρτινόου βιότου σμώδιγγα καθαίρων.