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but I deny you by my works every day; I am taught that you are the creator of all things, but without you I try to possess everything by force. You reign over things above and things below, and I alone do not shudder to oppose you; give to the destitute one, give to me, the all-wretched one, [the ability] to cast off all the wickedness of my soul, which pride, which vain arrogance crush and shatter together, alas! Give humility, give a helping hand and cleanse the filth of my soul (54) and grant me tears of repentance, tears of longing, tears of salvation, tears that cleanse the darkness of my mind and make me radiant from above, me who wishes to see you, the light of the world, the light of my eyes, wretched as I am, and having a heart full of the evils of this life from the many afflictions and the envy of the contrivers of my exile or, rather to say, of my benefactors, of my masters, of my true friends, to whom, in return for evils, grant good things, my Christ, things eternal, rich, and divine, which you have prepared for ages of ages for those who long for you and love you fervently.

Ε'.

An Alphabetical [poem] by the same author, a double [acrostic] according to the letter, urging and guiding the one who has recently withdrawn from the world to ascend to the perfection of life. (55)

Having made Christ your beginning and with fervent faith, thus withdraw from the world. Go, fleeing both relatives and friends, for this is beneficial to beginners. Approach the immaterial one, naked of material things; you will find no greater alliance. Having cast off all cowardice from yourself, for you have fled to a powerful Master. Rather, having taken on hope without hesitation,

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ἀρνοῦμαι δέ σε τοῖς ἔργοις καθ᾿ ἑκάστην˙ διδάσκομαί σε ποιητήν εἶναι πάντων, ἄνευ δέ σοῦ βιάζομαι πάντα ἔχειν. Σύ βασιλεύεις τῶν ἄνω καί τῶν κάτω κἀγώ μόνος σοι ἀντιπίπτειν οὐ φρίσσω˙ δός τῷ ἀπόρῳ, δός μοι τῷ παναθλίῳ πᾶσαν ἀπορρίψασθαι ψυχῆς κακίαν, ἥν φυσίωσις, ἥν ἔπαρσις ματαία συνθλῶσιν ἅμα καί συντρίβουσιν, οἴμοι! ∆ός ταπείνωσιν, δός χεῖρα βοηθείας καί καθάρισον τόν ῥύπον τῆς ψυχῆς μου (54) καί παράσχου μοι δάκρυα μετανοίας, δάκρυα πόθου, δάκρυα σωτηρίας, δάκρυα καθαίροντα ζόφον νοός μου καί λαμπρόν με ἄνωθεν ἀποτελοῦντα, τόν ὁρᾶν σε θέλοντα, τό φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, τό φῶς τῶν ἐμῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, τοῦ ἀθλίου, καί καρδίαν γέμουσαν κακῶν τοῦ βίου ἔχοντος πολλῶν ἐκ θλίψεων καί φθόνου τῶν δραματουργῶν τῆς ἐμῆς ἐξορίας ἤ, μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν, τῶν ἐμῶν εὐεργετῶν, τῶν δεσποτῶν μου, τῶν ἐμῶν ὄντως φίλων, οἶς ἀντί κακῶν δός ἀγαθά, Χριστέ μου, τά αἰώνια, τά καί πλούσια καί θεῖα, ἅ ἡτοίμασας εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων τοῖς σέ ποθοῦσι καί φιλοῦσιν ἐκθύμως.

Ε'.

Ἀλφάβητος τοῦ αὐτοῦ κατά στοιχεῖον διπλοῦς προτρέπων καί ὁδηγῶν εἰς τελειότητα βίου ἀναδραμεῖν τόν ἄρτι ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου ἀναχωρήσαντα. (55)

Ἀρχήν ποιήσας Χριστόν καί θερμήν πίστιν οὕτως ἀναχώρησον ἀπό τοῦ κόσμου. Βάδιζε φεύγων συγγενεῖς τε καί φίλους, τοῦτο γάρ ὠφέλιμον τοῖς ἀρχαρίοις. Γυμνός πρόσελθε τῶν ὑλῶν τῷ ἀΰλῳ, οὐδέν μεῖζον εὑρήσεις εἰς συμμαχίαν. ∆ειλίαν πᾶσαν ἀπό σοῦ ἀπορρίψας, πρός δυνατόν γάρ προσέφυγες ∆εσπότην. Ἐλπίδα μᾶλλον προσλαβών ἀδιστάκτως,