Hymn 5 of The Divine Eros Hymns by St.

Symeon the New

Theologian:
[Parenthetical glosses are attributed to Nicetas, one of St.
Symeon's disciples.]
1. At the beginning make Christ and fervent faith your
own.
[Thus withdraw from the world.]
2. Proceed by fleeing relatives and friends![For this benefits
beginners.]
3. Go forward stripped of material things for the
immaterial.
[You shall find nothing better for the struggle.]
4. Renounce all cowardice from yourself.
[For you flee to a powerful master.]
5. All the more, without doubt, embrace hope!
[For He is concerned even for the little sparrows. -- Matthew 10,
29]
6. Take up the easy yoke, the Lord, ... --Matthew 11, 30
[For there is much return in the future.]
7. ...is the Gift Who saves all of us mortal beings.
[Since we have been saved by divine blood.]
--Apocalypse/Revelation 5, 9
8. The Lord renders us "gods" (John 10, 34) by the power
of Him Who call us...
[For this was the reason for the Incarnation of the Master.]
9. ...so that by a work, you may know the outcome of the
works.
[More astonishing than all visible things.]
10. To cut out your desires [from yourself] provides you a
good advantage.
[It reveals you as a martyr--one who is a "witness" of Christ's
transforming grace--in conscience. 2 Corinthians 1, 12]
11. Accomplish the words and commands of your
[spiritual] father [or spiritual mother] ...
[For they will lead the way without stumbling.]
12. ...even unto death, for this is the great summit [FI
clarifies: viz. one reaches the summit by persevering unto
death].
[God is revealed as He Who achieves this for your sake.]
13. Consider yourself to be the most worthless of all, ...
[This attitude makes you first in the Kingdom. --Matthew 20, 21

& 27.]
14. ... a stranger poorer and more humble than others!
[These are the great virtues if you would accomplish them.]
15. May you be entirely an imitator of your master.
--Ephesians 5, 1.
[And what is better than this?]
16. May daily mourning** achieve everything, ...
[For this is sweeter beyond food and drink.] [FI notes:
**mourning = repentance with tears]
17. ... teaching you the knowledge of things that perish
and things that remain.
[Because first one keeps away from all the world.]
18. Practice the habit of silence, which guards all these
virtues.
[For it cuts off all sorts of roots.]
19. Keep at all times the memory of death.
[For this is the source of humility.]
20. By these means one is purified and enlightened at
heart.
[Oh marvel sought by all.]
21. May you merit** to see clearly the divine light.
[For the light is an immaterial missile from the Immaterial.] [FI
notes: **merit = we gain healing or salvation in Christ by
our participation in receiving and affirming God's grace
through our repentance and practical amendment of
thoughts and conduct. By God's grace, as well, our
participation increases our progress toward purification
and vision --theoria-- of the mind of Christ. Symeon
portrays human "merit" or "willing participation" as corequisite with God's grace to disclose the rightly-ordered
Commonwealth/Household/Kingdom of God here and now
on earth as it is in the heaven(s) -- May Your Kingdom
come and Your will be done on earth as it is in the
heavens / , ,
.
22. But Christ is perfect love; ...[One who has this love is (in)
God by adoption.]
23. He enlightens souls who seek Him.
[These alone shall live, let no one be deceived!] (Psalm 67/68,
33 -- 67 refers to the Septuagint or Greek text, and 68 to the
Hebrew or Masoretic text of the Psalms. Symeon read from the

Septuagint ["LXX"] text primarily.)

24. O deifying love that is God!
[Astonishment and impenetrable reality.]