Gregory of Nazianzus, Songs About Himself

the cause? Do we not hope to tread on scorpions? 1444 What are these things, O Christ? I am ashamed before the evil, And the best, having no rest from evils; Some laugh, while for others hopes have perished. Daily I die, and I leave life. If justly, as an evil man, where is goodness? But if unjustly, where then is lawful judgment? I have been set as a target for all, and I am shot at. Let envy against us cease at last, let it cease sometime. I am weary with time, with disease, with the evils of friends. But you do not wish it? I come to you. Give your hand. I have perished, I have perished by misfortunes; and for you I am perishing. For you are my God. May you loose the darkness of evils For one dead, breathing a little, or a sorrowful life. Why do I toil here, constricted by evils, A wrestling-match for envy, and a laugh for the many? 1445 For others the splendors of life, but for me release. You call, you call me. I run to you. But I fear The fire, the chasm, the boiling of the rich man. Who will carry me and give me to the bosom of Abraham? Indeed I have endured much in life; I hope for these things. If you would release me from here, these things are bearable for me. but if you would not release me, alas for life! alas for the departure! Why do you hold me, O jailer, me who am free? Christ calls me. Lie here cast down. Receive me, Savior. But purification is wanting.

2. On his own death and that of his parents, who departed first and who afterwards.

First Caesarius, a common grief; but then 1446 Gorgonia; afterwards my dear father; not long after, my Mother. O sorrowful hand, and bitter writings of Gregory! I shall write also of my own death, though it be last

A. On the tomb of all of them. The one stone, both the father and the glorious son

I hide the Gregorys, one stone, equal lights, both priests; and the other, I received noble Nonna with her great son Caesarius. Thus they divided the tombs and the sons. But the journey for all is upward. One desire, for heavenly life. 1447

B. Epitaph and summary of his own life. O Christ my king, why have you bound me in these snares of the flesh? Why did you place me in this hostile life? I was born of a godlike father, and of no mean Mother; and I came into the light because she prayed. She prayed, and she dedicated me as an infant to God; and a nightly vision poured into me a fervent love of incorruption. Christ was indeed in these things; but in my last days I was tossed by waves, I was enough for grasping hands, my body was broken, I ran with shepherds who were not friendly, I found faithless things, I was bereft of my parents, gaping at my sufferings. This is the life of Gregory; what comes after will be the care 1448 of Christ the life-giver. Write these things on stones.

C. Another, on himself. First, God gave me to my radiant mother when she prayed. Second, from my mother He received a dear gift. Third, in turn, the holy table saved me when I was dying. Fourth, the Word gave me the two-edged word. Fifth, virginity embraced me with dear dreams. Sixth, I brought holy things in harmony with Basil. Seventh, the life-bringer snatched me from the deep gulfs. Eighth, in turn, he cleansed my hands with illnesses. Ninth, I brought the Trinity to the younger Rome, O King. Tenth, I have been struck by stones and by friends 1449

D. Another. O my Greece, and dear youth, and all that I have acquired, And body, how

you have readily yielded to Christ! And if my mother's prayer and my father's hand made me a dear priest to God, what envy is there? but, O Blessed One, Receive me, Christ, into your choirs, and grant glory to the son of Gregory, your servant Gregory.

αἰτία; Οὐχὶ πάτησιν σκορπίων ἐλπίζομεν; 1444 Τί ταῦτα, Χριστέ; τοὺς κακοὺς αἰσχύνομαι, Καὶ τοὺς ἀρίστους, οὐκ ἔχων στάσιν κακῶν· Οἱ μὲν γελῶσι, τοῖς δ' ὀλώλασ' ἐλπίδες. Καθ' ἡμέραν θνήσκω τε, καὶ λείπω βίον. Εἰ μὲν δικαίως, ὡς κακὸς, ποῦ χρηστότης; Εἰ δ' οὐ δικαίως, ποῦ ποτ' ἔννομος κρίσις; Σκοπὸς τέθειμαι πᾶσι, καὶ τοξεύομαι. Στήτω ποθ' ἡμῖν ὁ φθόνος, στήτω ποτέ. Χρόνῳ, νόσῳ κέκμηκα, τοῖς φίλων κακοῖς. Ἀλλ' οὐ θέλεις; πρός σ' ἔρχομαι. ∆ίδου χεῖρα. Ὄλωλ', ὄλωλα συμφοραῖς· σοὶ δ' ὄλλυμαι. Σὺ γὰρ Θεός μου. Σὺ ζόφον λύοις κακῶν Νεκρῷ πνέοντι μικρὸν, ἢ λυπρὸν βίον. Τί τῇδε μοχθῶ τοῖς κακοῖς ἐσφιγμένος, Φθόνου πάλαισμα, καὶ γέλως τοῖς πλείσσιν; 1445 Ἄλλοις τὰ λαμπρὰ τοῦ βίου, λύσις δ' ἐμοί. Καλεῖς, καλεῖς με. Προστρέχω. ∆έδοικα δὲ Τὸ πῦρ, τὸ χάσμα, τὴν ζέσιν τοῦ πλουσίου. Τίς Ἀβραὰμ δώσει με τοῖς κόλποις φέρων; Ἦ πόλλ' ἀνέτλην ἐν βίῳ· τάδ' ἔλπομαι. Εἴ μ' αὐτόθεν λύσειας, οἰστά μοι τάδε. εἰ δ' οὐ λύσειας, φεῦ βίου! φεῦ ἐξόδου! Τί με κρατεῖς, δεσμῶτα, τὸν ἐλεύθερον; Χριστὸς καλεῖ με. Κεῖσο τῇδ' ἐῤῥιμμένος. ∆έχου με, Σῶτερ. Πλὴν κάθαρσις ἐνδεής.

ʹ. Εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν τοκέων μόρον, τις πρῶτος καὶ τίς μετέπειτα ἀπῆρε.

Πρῶτος Καισάριος, ξυνὸν ἄχος· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα 1446 Γοργόνιον· μετέπειτα πατὴρ φίλος· οὐ μετὰ δηρὸν Μήτηρ. Ὦ λυπρὴ παλάμη, καὶ γράμματα πικρὰ Γρηγορίου! γράψω καὶ ἐμοῦ μόρον, ὑστατίου περ

Αʹ. Εἰς τὸν πάντων αὐτῶν τάφον. Λᾶας ὁ μὲν γενέτην τε καὶ υἱέα κυδήεντας

Κεύθω Γρηγορίους, εἷς λίθος, ἶσα φάη, Ἀμφοτέρους ἱερῆας· ὁ δ' εὐπατέρειαν ἐδέγμην Νόνναν σὺν μεγάλῳ υἱέϊ Καισαρίῳ. Τὼς ἐδάσαντο τάφους τε καὶ υἱέας. Ἡ δὲ πορεία, Πάντες ἄνω. Ζωῆς εἷς πόθος οὐρανίης. 1447 Βʹ. Ἐπιτάφιος καὶ συντομὴ τοῦ αὐτοῦ βίου. Χριστὲ ἄναξ, τί με σαρκὸς ἐν ἄρκυσι ταῖσδ' ἐνέδησας; Τίπτε με τῷδε βίῳ θῆκας ὑπ' ἀντιπάλῳ; Πατρὸς μὲν γενόμην θεοειδέος, οὐκ ὀλίγης δὲ Μητέρος· ἐς δὲ φάος ἤλυθον εὐξαμένης. Ηὔξατο, καί μ' ἀνέθηκε Θεῷ βρέφος· ἀφθορίης δὲ Θερμὸν ἔρωτα χέεν ὄψις ἐμοὶ νυχίη. Χριστὸς μὲν δὴ τοῖς· τὰ δ' ὕστατα κύμασι βράσθην, Ἁρπαλέαις παλάμαις ἤρκεσα, σῶμα λύθην, Ποιμέσιν οὐ φιλίοισι συνέδραμον, ηὗρον ἄπιστα, Χηρώθην τεκέων, πήμασι χασσάμενος. Οὗτος Γρηγορίοιο βίος· τὰ δ' ἔπειτα μελήσει 1448 Χριστῷ ζωοδότῃ. Γράψατε ταῦτα λίθοις.

Γʹ. Ἄλλο εἰς ἑαυτόν. Πρῶτα μὲν εὐξαμένῃ με Θεὸς πόρε μητρὶ φαεινῇ. ∆εύτερον ἐκ μητρὸς δῶρον ἔδεκτο φίλον. Τὸ τρίτον αὖ θνήσκοντά με ἁγνὴ ἐσάωσε τράπεζα Τέτρατον ἀμφήκη μῦθον ἔδωκε Λόγος. Πέμπτον παρθενίη με φίλοις προσπτύξατ' ὀνείροις. Ἕκτον Βασιλίῳ σύμπνοος ἱρὰ φέρον. Ἕβδομον ἐκ βυθίων με φερέσβιος ἥρπασε κόλπων. Ὄγδοον αὖ νούσοις ἐξεκάθηρε χέρας. Εἴνατον ὁπλοτέρῃ Τριάδ' ἤγαγον, ὦ Ἄνα, Ῥώμῃ. Βέβλημαι δέκατον λάεσιν ἠδὲ φίλοις 1449

∆ʹ. Ἄλλο. Ἑλλὰς ἐμὴ, νεότης τε φίλη, καὶ ὅσσα πέπασμαι, Καὶ δέμας, ὡς

Χριστῷ εἴξατε προφρονέως! Εἰ δ' ἱερῆα φίλον με Θεῷ θέτο μητέρος εὐχὴ, Καὶ πατρὸς παλάμη, τίς φθόνος; ἀλλὰ, Μάκαρ, Σοῖς με, Χριστὲ, χοροῖσι δέχου, καὶ κῦδος ὀπάζοις Υἱέϊ Γρηγορίου, σῷ λάτρι Γρηγορίῳ.