Sophronius of Jerusalem, Anacreontica 19 and 20

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The following two poems (nos. 19 and 20) from the collection of Anacreontica by Sophronios, Patriarch of Jerusalem (5th/6th c.), are a cry of longing for the holy city of which he was bishop, apparently written during a voyage away from his see. Their order inverted, as we have presented them here, they describe a course through all the major shrines and sights of the city in the sixth century from the perspective of their caretaker and pastor.

Anacreonticon (Poem) 20

Lines 1-6: The Holy City of Jerusalem
Cf. Ps 122.2

Holy City of God,
Jerusalem, how I long to stand
even now at your gates,
and go in, rejoicing!

A divine longing for holy Solyma
presses upon me insistently.

Lines 7-22: The Anastasis (Church of the Resurrection)
Cf. Matt 27.57-60 (Burial); Matt 28.1-10 (Resurrection)

Let me walk thy pavements
and go inside the Anastasis,
where the King of All rose again,
trampling down the power of death.

I will venerate the sweet floor,
and gaze on the holy Cube,
and the great four <...>
<...like the heavens.>

Through the divine sanctuary
I will penetrate the divine Tomb,
and with deep reverence
will venerate that Rock.

And as I venerate that worthy Tomb,
surrounded by its conches
and columns surmounted by golden lilies,
I shall be overcome with joy.

Lines 23-42: The Tristoon (Portico) and the Rock of the Cross
Cf. Matt 27.33-37

Let me pass on to the Tristoon,
all covered with pearls and gold,
and go on into the lovely building
of the Place of a Skull.

Ocean of life ever living
and of the true oblivion.
Tomb that gives light!

And prostrate I will venerate
the Navel-point of the earth, that divine Rock
in which was fixed the wood
which undid the curse of the tree.

How great thy glory,
noble Rock, in which was fixed
the Cross, the Redemption of mankind!

Exultant let me go on to the place
where all of us
who belong to the people of God
venerate the glorious Wood of the Cross.

Let me run to bend the knee
before the artist's picture
representing the Rulers,
to render homage.

Lines 43-54: The Constantinian Basilica (Martyrium)

And let me go rejoicing
to the splendid sanctuary, the place
where the noble Empress Helena
found the divine Wood;

and go up,
my heart overcome with awe,
and see the Upper Room,
the Reed, the Sponge, and the Lance.

Then may I gaze down
upon the fresh beauty of the Basilica
where choirs of monks
sing nightly songs of worship.

Lines 55-72: Mount Sion
Cf. Matt 26.17-30 (Last Supper); John 13.1-17 (Washing of the feet); John 20.19-31 (Apparitions); Acts 2.11-13 (Descent of the Holy Spirit); Acta Pilati 21-26 (The Descent into Hell); Transitus Virginis 37-45 (Mary's death)

And, speeding on,
may I pass to Sion
where, in the likeness of fiery tongues,
the Grace of God descended;

where, when he had completed
the mystic supper, the King of All
teaching in humility
washed his disciples'feet.

Blessings of salvation, like rivers
pour from that Rock where Mary
handmaid of God, childbearing for all men,
was laid out in death.

Hail, Sion, radiant Sun of the universe!
Night and day I long and yearn for thee.

There, after shattering hell,
and liberating the dead,
the King of All, the Shatterer
appeared there, the Friend.

Lines 73-80: The Holy Wisdom (Praetorium)
Cf. Matt 27.11-31 (Pilate questions Jesus)

Then let me leave Sion's summit
and, embracing the stone
where for me my Creator was smitten
go down to the House and the Stone;

And let me fall to the ground and venerate -
I am oppressed by tears! the spot
where the foremost of those who love Wisdom
heard his own sentence.

Lines 81-94: St Mary at the Probatica
Cf. Protevangelium 5-6 (The birth of Mary); John 5.2-18 (The healing of a lame man)

Let me enter the holy Probatica,
where the all renowned Anna bore Mary.

And enter the church,
church of the all-pure Mother of God,
there in veneration to embrace
those walls, so dear to me.

Far be it from me, passing through the forum,
to neglect the place
where the Virgin Queen was born
in noble palace!

May I behold that floor
where the paralytic went
at the behest of the Healing Word
to lift his bed from the ground.

Lines 95-102: At Gethsemane
Cf. Transitus Virginis 48-50 (Mary is buried)

Spiritual bliss will fill me
when I hymn the glorious sanctuary
of Gethsemane, which has received the body
the body of Mary,
who gave birth to God.

There they have built the tomb
for the Mother of God.

Anacreonticon (Poem) 19

Lines 1-18: The Mount of Olives
Cf. Matt 24:1-26:2 (Jesus instructs his Apostles); Acts 1.6-12 (Ascension)

How surpassing sweet thou art,
lofty Mountain, from which
Christ the Lord looked into heaven!

And from that famous valley
I will mount those steps,
and venerate the Mount of Olives
from which he ascended into heaven.

Highly will I praise
the endless depth of the divine Wisdom,
by which he saved me,
swiftly will I pass thence to the place,

Where, to his venerable companions,
he taught the divine mysteries
shedding light into secret depths,
there, under that roof, may I be!

Then let me go out
through the Great Door onto the steps,
and regard the beauty of the Holy City
lying over to the west.

How sweet it is to see thy fair beauty,
City of God, from the Mount of Olives!

Lines 19-24: Bethany, the Tomb of Lazarus
Cf. John 11.1-46

And going on to the Tomb of Lazarus,
the man dead for four days,
we give glory to the King
who raised him to life.

Lines 25-40: At Bethlehem

And soon may I come, consumed
with the heat of a holy desire,
to the townlet of Bethlehem,
birthplace of the King of All.

And entering in
to the sacred Tetrastoon, the lovely Triconch's
that holy building,
I shall rejoice.

May Christ, who was revealed there, grant me
to see all the beauties of Holy Bethlehem.

And when I see all the glistening gold
the well-fashioned columns and fine workmanship,
let me be freed
from the gloom of sorrows.

I will also look up at the design above,
at the coffers studded with stars,
for they are a masterpiece,
brilliant with heavenly beauty.

Lines 41-56: The Grotto
Cf. Matt 2.18-25 (The Birth of Jesus); Luke 2.1-7 (The Birth of Jesus); Matt 2.16-18 (The massacre of the Infants)

Let me go down also to the cave
where the Virgin Queen of All
bore a Saviour for mankind,
true God and true Man.

The shining slab which received
the infant God,
I will touch,
with my eyes, my mouth, my forehead,
to gain its blessing.

Let me come and venerate
the glorious Manger
by which I, the mindless
have been nourished by God's Word.

Let me reach the cave
of the infants who together
were slain by the envious rage of Herod
when the Word came to human birth.

Text as tr. in J. Wilkinson (Jerusalem Pilgrims before the Crusades, 1977); with reference to on-line text of 'Franciscan Cyberspot (1999). Formatting and textual editing by Monachos.net (2006). ^Top^

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