Canticle (XLIV) for the Greek Nazirite

Canticle for the Greek Nazirite

XLIV

To the Gentiles into the sea,
Into Africa and Lydia who draws the bow,
Into Italy and Greece and to the islands afar off,
To them that have not heard of me and have not seen my glory..

Now I relay to thee what was described by Baruch to me after
When we were fleeing from Zealots with Saleh: so goes the beginning,
Born as Aquila to parents in Smyrna, a child of laughter
Came in the eighth year Claudius reigned, with no concept of sinning

Coming to mind in his youth, till come he was aged to have reason,
Which he began to be thieving and carried his heart with a wrath great
Over the pettiest things both, thus so his father would seize him
Therewith correcting his fault, and as much would be setting his path straight,

Seeing his skills with his hands, for in work he had delicate senses,
Starting with wood-crafts; then, more precious designs — as a worthy preamble,
Yea, for no man can account for the gifts the Creator dispenses
Which are so seemingly random, Aquila a proper example,

Neither his father nor fathers, a right poor lineage stretching
Even to Delian days, but Aquila had talent in treasure,
Which was acknowledged and thus he, no maker of tents or of fletching
Found by his father apprenticing where he would practice his measure,

Marble and gold, he has told me, and right to his master’s conformment
Able by talent to rise from, defy his original placement,
That he had eyes for seeing the shapes of its gracious adornment
Which so estranged him from those of his origins that their abasement

Racked by their poverty grew to be senseless and alien living,
Even so time would estrange it all further as time is so frequent,
Wont to be done, for Aquila observed these tragically giving
Few their possessions to others in grace and, he ever-delinquent,

Burglarized (not robbed) over his days in the city Ionic,
Tending his hands for the delicate work and became his ‘wn person,
Drifting from family, whom all (a turn he admits is ironic)
Found for themselves new faith in a sect of the Jewish dispersion

Which was esteemed, at the time, as the Way, and Aquila resisted,
Finding the Jews strange, even the sect who would worship a mortal
More than ridiculous, cult of a people confused they consisted,
Further estranging him down to the hatred of countenance cord’al,

Thereby depriving him feeling when, after an interval passing,
Mother and father approached him for help as a filial watchm’n:
After the Fire in Rome, blame fell on the Jews and their thrashing,
Exile, hatred and virtu’lly ev’rything save for a coffin

Men had decided was owed, and the sect of Aquila’s ascendants
Seemed to be Jews to their neighbors who harried and stole from their marches;
Thence he was bid to forgo of his own indirect independence
Where he was needed; no sooner he came that men and their charges

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Tractatus

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