Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Interesting Portions of the Armenian Christian Text “Adamgirk’ 3” (1401)

The following citations are taken from

 

Michael E. Stone, Adamgirk’: The Adam Book of Aṙak’el of Siwnik’ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007)

 

Adam says

 

My body was like the sun,
Scintillating with shining spirit.
It flowed with light, copy of God,
It was ranked among angels. (3.1.6) (p. 48)

 

Eve says

 

If he had not given us a command,
Or left us with our autonomous will,
We would not have been deceived like dumb animals,
Or been stripped of endless glory. (3.1.30) (p. 52)

 

I went and took the evil fruit,
I became the cause of my nature’s death.
Through myself I cannot be saved,
Yet my Creator will find a remedy for me.

 

I desired to become God,
Because my nature desired good.
Afterwards He came and was incarnated,
In whose image I was first created.

 

He fulfils my wish’s desire,
Son of the Virgin, God the Word.
I became mother of the inconceivable nature,
Then I rejoice at the Divinity. (3.4.10-12) (pp. 57-58)

 

Through passion for my first glory,
For that which I had formerly in Paradise,
Because of one bitter fruit,
Now I have its opposite.

 

We were flowering like a lily,
Our faces shone like God.
Behold we have become like the dumb beasts,
Being the dwelling of Satan. (3.5.1-2) (p. 59)

 

You [Satan] strove to draw us out of life,
You, deliberately deprived [us] of ineffable glory.
This one will be freed from his transgressions,
But for you unquenchable fire is lit. (3.6.15) (p. 63)