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watching, Late may I desire the liquid oil of the light of life; 503 And may the gates of marriage not thrust me out when I am locked out, Where the Word, under the great bonds of desire for pure hearts, mingling with them, bestows courage and glory. And when my Lord returns from the wedding feast, suddenly coming to those who expect and those who do not expect, may he find me among those who expect, and may he praise me for my fear as a good servant, and gentle to those under his rule, and a bestower of food, of solid reason, the best. And when the goats and sheep are separated, on that bitter day, of pious and impious men on either side, may you not place me numbered among the goats, but with the sheep at your right hand, and may the left hand remain with the worse. May some light-bearing lamp shine for me without 504 above the lampstand. And it is a good thing to know the one God who sets his overseeing eye upon all. May I always love God more, whether he provides something bitter or good; for everything is good. But if I should be struck by robbers, coming down from the great Christ-city, do not leave me to be overcome by the hands of murderers. And if you drive the spirit from the soul, may my enemy no longer find it idle and run down upon me with his many. And do not destroy the useless fig tree, but still hope for fruit, and do not cut it, Lord; but tending it, raise it up. And the drachma, and the sheep, and the son who lost everything, having found them—the one on the ground, the other in the mountains, and the other at your feet, wretchedly returning to his father's house, O Lord, 505 may you number again among the sons, the flocks, the drachmas. And may I not, while my good king is affected by my sufferings, myself be a bitter exactor to my fellow-servant debtors. And may I secretly reduce some of their debts with a prudent plan, so that when I am in need later, I may have a helper! May I be Lazarus here, and hereafter; another arrogant man here, but there dishonored, having flames instead of satiety. May I not be a great boaster, since I am a wicked publican. May I have pity with tears, and may the Pharisees fall. And if ever I should send away a widow toiling at my doors unhelped, and if a stone or a dreadful serpent instead of dear bread and sweet-tasting fish, showing hostile friendship, I should offer from this hand, 506 may I receive such things in return from God. And if my storehouses, some the seal holds, but others swift hopes possess, may this very night destroy me with my feeble dreams, And indeed, not even the talent which God entrusted to me, measuring a greater grace than to others, do I pray that this remain idle in my hands, or the mina of natural reason, a grace equally distributed, but may I provide work, and receive glory in return; and may I not pay a bitter penalty, and have shame. 28. A storm calmed by Christ. It was when Christ slept his natural sleep upon the boat, and the sea was stirred up by turmoil-bearing winds. 507 And in fear the sailors cried out: "Awake, Savior, help us who are perishing." And the Lord, rising, commanded the winds and the waves to be still, and it was so. And those present considered in wonder the nature of God. 29. A hymn to God. O you who are beyond all, for what else is it right to sing of you? How shall speech praise you? For you are spoken by no speech. How shall mind behold you? For you are comprehended by no mind. You alone are inexpressible, since you brought forth all that is spoken. You alone are unknowable, since you brought forth all that is thought. All things, both speaking and not speaking, acclaim you. All things, both thinking and not thinking, honor you. For the common desires, the common birth-pangs of all things 508 are about you; to you all things pray; and to you all things that perceive your order, send up a silent hymn. In you alone all things remain; and to you all things hasten together. And you are the end of all, and one, and all, and none, being not one thing, not all things; O All-named, how shall I call you, the only unnameable? And what heavenly mind will penetrate the veils beyond the clouds? Be gracious, O you who are beyond all; for what else is it right to sing of you?

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λεύσσων, Ὀψὲ φάους ζωῆς ὑγρὸν ποθέοιμι ἔλαιον· 503 Μηδέ με κληϊσθέντα γάμων ὤσαιτο θύρετρα, Ἔνθα Λόγος καθαρῇσι πόθου μεγάλοις ὑπὸ δεσμοῖς Μιγνύμενος κραδίαις θάρσος καὶ κῦδος ὀπάζει. Ἐκ δὲ γάμων παλίνορσος ἄναξ ἐμὸς εὖτ' ἂν ἐπέλθῃ, Ἐξαπίνης δοκέουσι, καὶ οὐ δοκέουσιν ἐπιστὰς Εὕροι μ' ἐν δοκέουσι, καὶ αἰνήσειε φόβοιο Ὡς ἀγαθὸν θεράποντα, καὶ ἤπιον ἀρχομένοισι, Καὶ σίτοιο δοτῆρα, λόγου στερεοῖο, φέριστον. Σχιζομένων τ' ἐρίφων καὶ ὀΐων, ἤματι πικρῷ, Ἀνδρῶν εὐσεβέων τε καὶ οὐχ ὁσίων ἑκάτερθεν, Στήσαις μή μ' ἐρίφοις ἐναρίθμιον, ἀλλ' ὀΐεσσι ∆εξιτερὴν παρὰ χεῖρα, μένοι τ' ἐνὶ χείροσι λαιή. Λύχνος δή τις ἔμοιγε φαεσφόρος ἔκτοθι λάμποι 504 Λυχνίης καθύπερθε. Καλὸν δέ τι καὶ θεὸν οἶον Ἴδμεναι, ὃς πάντεσσιν ἐπίσκοπον ὄμμα τίθησιν. Αἰεὶ δὲ στέργοιμι Θεὸν πλέον, εἴτε τι πικρὸν Εἴτ' ἀγαθὸν παρέχοι· πᾶν γὰρ καλόν. Εἰ δὲ τυπείην Ληϊσταῖς, μεγάλης κατιὼν ἀπὸ Χριστοπόληος, Μή με λίπῃς χείρεσσιν ὑπ' ἀνδροφόνοισι δαμῆναι. Εἰ δὲ πνεῦμ' ἐλάσεις ψυχῆς ἄπο, μηκέτ' ἀεργὸν Εὑρὼν σὺν πλεόνεσσι καταδράμοι ἐχθρὸς ἐμεῖο. Μηδὲ συκῆν ὀλέσειας ἀχρήϊον, ἀλλ' ἔτι καρπὸν Ἔλπεο, μηδὲ τέμῃς μιν, ἄναξ· κομέων δέ τ' ἐγείρειν. ∆ραχμήν τε, πρόβατόν τε, πάϊν τ' ἀπὸ πάντ' ὀλέσαντα Εὑρὼν, τὴν μὲν ἔραζε, τὸ δ' οὔρεσι, τὸν δ' ὑπὸ ποσσὶν Οἰκτρὸν ὑποστρέψαντα πατρώϊον ἐς δόμον, ὦ 'ναξ, 505 Αὖθις ἀριθμήσειας ἐν υἱάσι, θρέμμασι, δραχμαῖς. Μὴ δ' ἀγαθοῦ βασιλῆος ἐμοῖς παθέεσσιν ἐόντος, Πρηκτὴρ αὐτὸς ἔοιμι πικρὸς χρήσταις ὁμοδούλοις. Καί τι χρεῶν κόψαιμι λαθὼν πινυτόφρονι βουλῇ, Ὥς κεν χρηΐζων ποτ' ἐς ὕστερον ἄλκαρ ἔχοιμι! Λάζαρος ἐνθάδ' ἔοιμι, καὶ ὕστερον· ἄλλος ἀγήνωρ Ἐνθάδε, κεῖθι δ' ἄτιμος ἔχων φλόγας ἀντὶ κόροιο. Εἴην μὴ μεγάλαυχος, ἐπεὶ κακός εἰμι τελώνης. ∆άκρυσιν οἶκτον ἔχοιμι, Φαρισσαῖοι δὲ πέσοιεν. Χήρην δ' εἴποτ' ἐμεῖο παρὰ προθύροις μογέουσαν Ἄπρηκτον πέμψαιμι, καὶ εἰ λίθον ἢ ὄφιν αἰνὸν Ἀντ' ἄρτοιο φίλοιο καὶ ἰχθύος ἡδυβόροιο Ἐχθρὰ φιλοφρονέων, παλάμης ἀπὸ τῆσδ' ὀρέγοιμι, 506 Τοίων ἀντιτύχοιμι Θεοῦ πάρα. Εἰ δ' ἀποθήκας Τὰς μὲν σφρηγὶς ἔχει, τὰς δ' ἐλπίδες ὦκα θέουσαι, Ἥδε με νὺξ ὀλέσειε σὺν ἀδρανέουσιν ὀνείροις, Οὐδὲ μὲν οὐδὲ τάλαντον, ὅ μοι Θεὸς ἐγγυάλιξε Πλειοτέρην ἄλλοισι μετρῶν χάριν, εὔχομ' ἔγωγε Τοῦτο μένειν παλάμῃσιν ἐν ἡμετέρῃσιν ἀεργὸν, Ἠὲ μνᾶν φυσικοῖο λόγου, χάριν ἰσονέμητον, Ἀλλ' ἔργον τ' ὀπάσαιμι, κλέους τ' ἐπί τ' ἄντι τύχοιμι· Μηδὲ δίκην τίσαιμι πικρὴν, καὶ αἶσχος ἔχοιμι. ΚΗʹ. Χειμὼν ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ κατασταλθείς. Ἦν ὅτε Χριστὸς ἴαυεν ἐφ' ὁλκάδος ἔμφυτον ὕπνον, Τετρήχει δὲ θάλασσα κυδοιμοτόκοισιν ἀήταις. 507 ∆είματί τε πλωτῆρες ἀνίαχον· Ἔγρεο, Σῶτερ, Ὀλλυμένοις ἐπάμυνον. Ἄναξ δ' ἐκέλευεν ἀναστὰς Ἀτρεμέειν ἀνέμους καὶ κύματα, καὶ πέλεν οὕτως. Θαύματι δ' ἐφράζοντο Θεοῦ φύσιν οἱ παρεόντες. ΚΘʹ. Ὕμνος εἰς Θεόν. Ὦ πάντων ἐπέκεινα τί γὰρ θέμις ἄλλο σε μέλπειν; Πῶς λόγος ὑμνήσει σε; σὺ γὰρ λόγῳ οὐδενὶ ῥητόν. 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 508 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 ἐσσὶ, καὶ εἷς, καὶ πάντα, καὶ οὐδεὶς, Οὐχ ἓν ἐὼν, οὐ πάντα· πανώνυμε, πῶς σε καλέσσω, Τὸν μόνον ἀκλήϊστον; Ὑπερνεφέας δὲ καλύπτρας Τίς νόος οὐρανίδης εἰσδύσεται; Ἵλαος εἴης, Ὦ πάντων ἐπέκεινα· τί γὰρ θέμις ἄλλο σε μέλπειν;