43

I sit upon the bed, being outside the world and being in the middle of my cell, I see the one who is and who was outside the world, with whom I also speak I dare to say - and I love, and He loves me, I eat, I am well nourished by contemplation alone and being united with him I pass beyond the heavens and I know this to be true and certain, but where the body then is, I do not know. I know that he who is immovable descends; I know that he who is invisible is seen by me; I know, he who is separate from all creation takes me within himself and hides me in his arms, and I then find myself outside the whole world. But I again, the mortal and small one in the world, within myself I behold the entire creator of the world, and I know that I will not die being within life, and I have the entire life gushing forth within me; it is in my heart, but it is in heaven, here and there it is seen by me, equally radiant. But how these things happen, how could I well understand, and how could I be able to tell you, what I perceive and see? For they are indeed utterly unutterable and ineffable, things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, (80) nor has ever entered into a heart of flesh. I thank you, Master, because you have had mercy on me and have granted me to see these things and to write them thus, to proclaim your love for mankind to those with me, so that now may be initiated peoples, tribes, and tongues, that you have mercy on all who fervently repent equally with your apostles and all the saints, and you benefit and honor and glorify, my God, those who with longing look only to you, the creator of the world, to whom is due glory and honor, power, majesty, as to the king and God of all and Master now and ever and unto ages of ages; amen.

43

Ἐπί τῆς κλίνης κάθημαι ἔξωθεν ὤν τοῦ κόσμου καί μέσον ὤν τῆς κέλλης μου τόν ἔξωθεν τοῦ κόσμου ὄντα τε καί γενόμενον βλέπω, ᾧ καί ὁμιλῶ εἰπεῖν δέ τόλμα - καί φιλῶ, φιλεῖ με καί ἐκεῖνος, ἐσθίω, τρέφομαι καλῶς μόνῃ τῇ θεωρίᾳ καί συνενούμενος αὐτῷ οὐρανούς ὑπερβαίνω καί τοῦτο οἶδα ἀληθές καί βέβαιον ὑπάρχειν, τό ποῦ τό σῶμα τότε δέ ὑπάρχει, οὐ γινώσκω. Οἷδα, ὅτι κατέρχεται ὁ ὑπάρχων ἀκίνητος˙ οἶδα, ὅτι ὁρᾶταί μοι ὁ τυγχάνων ἀόρατος˙ οἶδα, ὁ πάσης κτίσεως ἀποκεχωρισμένος ἔνδον αὐτοῦ λαμβάνει με καί ἐν ἀγκάλαις κρύπτει, καί ἐκ παντός εὑρίσκομαι ἔξω τότε τοῦ κόσμου. Ἐγώ δέ πάλιν, ὁ βροτός καί μικρός ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἐντός μου ὅλον καθορῶ τόν ποιητήν τοῦ κόσμου, καί οἶδα, ὡς οὐ θνήξομαι ἔνδον ζωῆς τυγχάνων, καί ὅλην ἔχω γτήν ζωήν βλυστάνουσαν ἐντός μου˙ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἐστίν, ἐν οὐρανῷ δ᾿ ὑπάρχει, ὦδε κἀκεῖ ὁρᾶταί μοι ἐπίσης ἀπαστράπτων. Ὅπως δέ ταῦτα γίνονται, πῶς ἄν καλῶς νοήσω, πῶς δ᾿ ἐξειπεῖν σοι δυνηθῶ, ὅσα νοῶ καί βλέπω; Εἰσί γάρ ὄντως ἄφθεκτα καί ἄρρητα εἰς ἅπαν, ἅ ὀφθαλμός οὐχ ἑώρακεν, οὐκ ἀκήκοεν οὖς δέ, (80) ἐπί καρδίαν σέ ποτέ οὐκ ἐνέβη σαρκίνην. Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ∆έσποτα, ὅτι ἠλέησάς με καί δέδωκας ἰδέσθαι με ταῦτα καί οὕτως γράψαι, τοῖς μετ᾿ἐμοῦ κηρῦξαί τε τήν σήν φιλανθρωπίαν, ἵνα καί νῦν μυηθῶσι λαοί, φυλαί καί γλῶσσαι, ὅτι τούς πάντας ἐλεεῖς θερμῶς μετανοοῦντας ἴσον τοῖς ἀποστόλοις σου καί πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις, εὐεργετεῖς τε καί τιμᾷς καί δοξάζεις, Θεέ μου, ὡς μετά πόθου σέ μόνον βλέποντας, τόν ποιητήν τοῦ κόσμου, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καί τιμή, κράτος, μεγαλωσύνη, ὡς βασιλεῖ τε καί Θεῷ τοῦ παντός καί ∆εσπότῃ νῦν καί ἀεί διά παντός εἰς αἰῶνας αἰώνων˙ ἀμήν.