The Instructor 3.12.101
Summary: The work ends with a prayer to the Word, Instructor and Teacher, and a hymn to Christ the Savior as shepherd, fisher of men, and nourishing milk of his children, praised with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Greek text · Stählin 1:290–292
Ὅπερ οὖν λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τοιαύτῃ πανηγύρει τοῦ λόγου, τῷ λόγῳ προσευξώμεθα· ἵλαθι τοῖς σοῖς, παιδαγωγέ, παιδίοις, πατήρ, ἡνίοχε Ἰσραήλ, υἱὲ καὶ πατήρ, ἓν ἄμφω, κύριε. δὸς δὲ ἡμῖν τοῖς σοῖς ἑπομένοις παραγγέλμασιν τὸ ὁμοίωμα πληρῶσαι τῆς εἰκόνος αἰσθάνεσθαί τε κατὰ κράτος ἀγαθοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ κριτοῦ τε μὴ πικροῦ, καὶ πάρασχε ἅπαντα αὐτός, ἐν εἰρήνῃ τῇ σῇ πολιτευομένους, ἐν τῇ σῇ μετατιθεμένους πόλει, ἀκυμάντως τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὸν κλύδωνα διαπλεύσαντας, γαληνιῶντας ἁγίῳ συμφέρεσθαι πνεύματι, σοφίᾳ τῇ ἀνεκφράστῳ· νύκτωρ, καθʼ ἡμέραν, εἰς τὴν τελείαν ἡμέραν, αἰνοῦντας εὐχάριστον αἶνον τῷ μόνῳ πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ, υἱῷ καὶ πατρί, παιδαγωγῷ καὶ διδασκάλῳ υἱῷ, σὺν καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι. πάντα τῷ ἑνί, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα, διʼ ὃν τὰ πάντα ἕν, διʼ ὃν τὸ ἀεί, οὗ μέλη πάντες, οὗ δόξα, αἰῶνες, πάντα τῷ ἀγαθῷ, πάντα τῷ καλῷ, πάντα τῷ σοφῷ, τῷ δικαίῳ τὰ πάντα. ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἡμᾶς καταστήσας ὁ παιδαγωγὸς αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ παρακατέθετο τῷ διδασκαλικῷ καὶ πανεπισκόπῳ λόγῳ, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι ἡμᾶς ἐνταῦθα γενομένους μισθὸν εὐχαριστίας δικαίας κατάλληλον ἀστείου παιδαγωγίας αἶνον ἀναπέμψαι κυρίῳ. Στόμιον πώλων ἀδαῶν, πτερὸν ὀρνίθων ἀπλανῶν, οἴαξ νηῶν ἀτρεκής, ποιμὴν ἀρνῶν βασιλικῶν· τοὺς σοὺς ἀφελεῖς παῖδας ἄγειρον, αἰνεῖν ἁγίως, ὑμνεῖν ἀδόλως ἀκάκοις στόμασιν παίδων ἡγήτορα Χριστόν. ἁγίων βασιλεῦ, λόγε πανδαμάτωρ πατρὸς ὑψίστου, σοφίας πρύτανι, στήριγμα πόνων αἰωνοχαρές, βροτέας γενεᾶς σῶτερ Ἰησοῦ, ποιμήν, ἀροτήρ, οἴαξ, στόμιον, πτερὸν οὐράνιον παναγοῦς ποίμνης, ἁλιεῦ μερόπων τῶν σῳζομένων πελάγους κακίας, ἰχθῦς ἁγνοὺς κύματος ἐχθροῦ γλυκερῇ ζωῇ δελεάζων. ἡγοῦ προβάτων λογικῶν ποιμὴν ἅγιʼ, ἡγοῦ βασιλεῦ παίδων ἀνεπάφων. ἴχνια Χριστοῦ ὁδὸς οὐρανία. λόγος ἀέναος, αἰὼν ἄπλετος, φῶς ἀίδιον, ἐλέους πηγή, ῥεκτὴρ ἀρετῆς σεμνῇ βιοτῇ θεὸν ὑμνούντων, Χριστὲ Ἰησοῦ, γάλα οὐράνιον μαστῶν γλυκερῶν νύμφης, χαρίτων σοφίας τῆς σῆς, ἐκθλιβόμενον οἱ νηπίαχοι ἀταλοῖς στόμασιν ἀτιταλλόμενοι, θηλῆς λογικῆς πνεύματι δροσερῷ ἐμπιμπλάμενοι, αἴνους ἀφελεῖς, ὕμνους ἀτρεκεῖς βασιλεῖ Χριστῷ, μισθοὺς ὁσίους ζωῆς διδαχῆς, μέλπωμεν ὁμοῦ, πέμπωμεν ἁπλῶς παῖδα κρατερόν. χορὸς εἰρήνης οἱ χριστόγονοι· λαὸς σώφρων, ψάλλωμεν ὁμοῦ θεὸν εἰρήνης.
English · Claude translation
Since this is what remains at such a festival of the Word, let us pray to the Word: Be gracious to your children, O Instructor, Father, Charioteer of Israel, Son and Father, both one, O Lord. Grant to us who follow your precepts to fill up the likeness of the image, and to perceive with all our strength the good God and a judge who is not harsh; and supply all things yourself, that we may live as citizens in your peace, be transferred to your city, sail through the surge of sin without being tossed, and be borne along in calm by the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom beyond words; night and day, until the perfect day, praising with thankful praise the only Father and Son, Son and Father, the Son who is Instructor and Teacher, together with the Holy Spirit. All to the One, in whom are all things, through whom all things are one, through whom is eternity, whose members we all are, whose is the glory, the ages; all to the Good, all to the Beautiful, all to the Wise, all things to the Just. To him be the glory, now and forever. Amen. And since the Instructor, having brought us into the church, has entrusted us to himself, the teaching and all-surveying Word, it would be well for us, having arrived here, to send up to the Lord a hymn of praise, a fitting reward of just thanks for his gracious instruction. Bridle of untamed colts, wing of unwandering birds, sure rudder of ships, shepherd of the King's lambs: gather your simple children to praise in holiness, to sing without guile with innocent mouths Christ, the leader of children. King of the saints, all-subduing Word of the Most High Father, ruler of wisdom, support of toils, rejoicing forever, Jesus, Savior of the mortal race, shepherd, plowman, rudder, bridle, heavenly wing of the all-holy flock, fisher of men who are being saved from the sea of evil, luring the pure fish from the hostile wave with sweet life. Lead your rational sheep, holy shepherd; lead, O King, your unharmed children. The footsteps of Christ are the way to heaven. Ever-flowing Word, boundless age, eternal light, fount of mercy, worker of virtue for those who praise God with holy life, Christ Jesus: heavenly milk pressed from the sweet breasts of the Bride, the graces of your wisdom; we little ones, nursed with tender mouths, filled with the dewy spirit of the rational breast, let us sing together simple praises, true hymns, to Christ the King, a holy reward for the teaching of life; let us sing in simplicity to the mighty Child. Choir of peace, born of Christ, a self-controlled people, let us sing together to the God of peace.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The closing hymn, in anapaestic verse, is one of the oldest surviving Christian hymns outside the New Testament; the translation keeps its string of titles for Christ without trying to reproduce the meter. “Son and Father, both one” expresses the unity of the Word with the Father; the prayer ends with a Trinitarian doxology. “Charioteer of Israel” echoes 2 Kgs 2:12; “fisher of men” Matt 4:19; “the God of peace” Rom 15:33. Some manuscripts attach the hymn to the work as an appendix; the edition prints it here.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.12.101 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/12/101/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Paed. 3.12.101 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-paedagogus/3/12/101/).
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