Gregory of Nazianzus: English translations of his poetry

[Cyril Guerette]

Dear Monachos Community,

I have begun studies in Greogry of Nazianzus, particularily enjoying his Orations against Julian and the incredible 5 Theological Orations he preached against Arianism. However, I have been reading numerous places that he was most notably an amazing poet, yet I have only been able to find one poem of his translated online, and that had an annoying rhyme structure super-imposed (ironic coming from a hiphop fan). Are there any known books that translate his poetic works, or online sources? Or any secondary works dealing with him as a poet? My Greek studies were Koine, not Patristic, and too many years ago to care to remember! I hope to recover these skills and begin Patristic greek but that will be too late. Any help would be extremely appreciated.

Blessings from our Lord,
Cyril

[Fr John Wehling]

Cyril,

Glad you're "back".

St Vladimir's Press (SVS Press) has published a volume of St Gregory's poems under the title "On God and Man" which contains 29 poems of varying lengths. These are translated by Peter Gilbert and contain app. 30 pages of introduction.

Harder to get your hands on, perhaps, is a collection of 18 poems titled "St Gregory Nazianzen: Selected Poems," translated by Fr John McGuckin. It is published by SLG Press in England, and also contains a brief introductioon.

FYI (you may know this already), in the Orthodox Church St Gregory is known as "the Theologian," primarily due to his 5 theological orations. It can be confusing at first trying to keep all the Gregory's straight in one's head, but "the Theologian" and "Nazianzen" are one and the same.

Peace to you,
Fr John

[Christopher]

. . . It can be confusing at first trying to keep all the Gregory's straight in one's head, but "the Theologian" and "Nazianzen" are one and the same.

Evlogeite! . . . "the Theologian" and "Nazianzen" [Nazianzus] are actually, son [Gregory] and father [Gregory].

[M.C. Steenberg]

Evlogeite! . . . "the Theologian" and "Nazianzen" [Nazianzus] are actually, son [Gregory] and father [Gregory].

Actually, this is not quite right. St Gregory the Theologian is also called St Gregory of Nazianzus, given that this was his see (sometimes it is made adjectival, as 'St Gregory Nazianzen').

His father, also called Gregory, is usually referred to as Gregory the Elder.

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Anya]

Dear Monachos Community,

I have begun studies in Greogry of Nazianzus, particularily enjoying his Orations against Julian and the incredible 5 Theological Orations he preached against Arianism. However, I have been reading numerous places that he was most notably an amazing poet, yet I have only been able to find one poem of his translated online, and that had an annoying rhyme structure super-imposed (ironic coming from a hiphop fan). Are there any known books that translate his poetic works, or online sources? Or any secondary works dealing with him as a poet? My Greek studies were Koine, not Patristic, and too many years ago to care to remember! I hope to recover these skills and begin Patristic greek but that will be too late. Any help would be extremely appreciated.

Blessings from our Lord,
Cyril


This source is a book not available online.

Gregory Nazianzus: Autobiographical poems (Cambridge UP, 1996) translated by Caroline White.