Description
This song was written by Chaldean Catholic Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Hermiz Jammo, and is performed by the St. Peter Chaldean Choir of San Diego, CA.
The Chaldean Church is one of the two churches of the East Syriac rite of the Catholic Church (the other being the Syro-Malabar Church), and is one of the 27 churches that compose the Catholic Church.
Its tradition goes back to the Assyrian Church of the East, which split from Rome during the Nestorian controversy. The Church of the East, seated at Babylon (later Baghdad), enjoyed the support of the Persians, and managed to spread east through the Silk Road and into India. In the XVIth Century, Mar Abraham renounced Nestorianism and entered full communion with Rome. The current head of the Chaldean Church is the Patriarch of Babylon, Raphael Cardinal Sarko.
The church faces a lot of prejudice, both from muslims, which historically persecuted (and still persecute) Chaldeans into quasi extinction, and from Nestorian Assyrians. The Chaldean Church gave many martyrs to the Church during the period of Daesh hegemony in the region, and its members formed militias to repel them.
Some Chaldeans have joined the Rojava government in Northeastern Syria, where they enjoy a certain degree of autonomy, though there are many reports of discrimination from Kurds (which have populated historically Syriac lands in the past centuries) and from muslims in general.
The Chaldeans remain an example of resilience and faith to us all.
In the picture, St. Thomas, the patron of Chaldeans.
Lyrics in Syriac:
ܒܪܫܝܬܐ ܣܙܘܢܐ ܘܡܐ ܣܩܬܐ ܕܫܡܫܐ
ܐܠܗܐ ܡܥܦܪܢ ܓܘܠܠܝ ܒܪܢܫܐ
ܘܒܝܬ ܢܗܪܝܢ ܡܝܪܝܗ ܘܘܐܪܝܗ ܒܩܘܬܫܐ
ܘܒܢܝܠܝܗ ܒܒܠ ܕܒܝܬ ܟܠܕܘ ܪܝܫܐ
ܩܕ ܟܪܝܗ ܙܘܢܐ ܘܐܠܦܝ ܕܫܢܝ
ܫܘܕ ܒܒܠ ܢܦܝܠܐ ܘܦܫܠܐ ܬܝܟܪܘܢܐ
ܘܝܠܝܕ ܕܒܝܬ ܢܗܪܝܢ ܡܒܘܪ ܒܙܠܝ ܒܕܘܢܝܐ
ܟܕܝܪܝ ܒܘܩܢܐ ܘܡܝܟܝ ܒܟܘܠ ܫܘܟܢܝ
ܟܕܒܝܠ ܟܬܐ ܒܩܝܡܐ ܒܪܘܚܐ
ܘܒܘܪܓܗ ܒܐܣܝܩ ܒܩܪܝܡܠܗ ܫܘܗܐ
ܟܠܕܝܐ ܒܝܢܝܐ ܡܟܠ ܒܪܐ ܒܙܘܗܐ
ܘܠܝܒܐ ܒܡܩܝܪ ܘܬܐ ܡܪܝܐ ܕܘܗܐ
ܠܒܐ ܕܓܒܐ ܙܪܝܐ ܒܓܘܢ
ܟܙܘܢܐ ܕܪܘܚܐ ܬܡܪܬܐ ܝܠܗ ܒܐܬܪܐܢ
ܘܬܪܐ ܕܒܝܬ ܩܕܫܐ ܟܦܬܝܟ ܠܡܕܝܬܐ
ܘܢܗܪܝ ܕܗܝܘܬܐ ܟܝܪܐ ܒܡܬܘܬܐ
ܝܐ ܕܩܠܬܐ ܘܦܪܬܐ ܦܘܫܢ ܒܝܪܝܐ
ܘܡܫܬܐ ܠܐܪܥܬܐ ܘܡܪܘܠܐ ܪܘܝܐ
ܦܪܕܝܣܐ ܘܝܘܡܐ ܩܡܝܐ
ܦܪܕܝܣܐ ܒܦܝܣܝ ܠܕܪܐ ܟܪܝܐ
Transliterated Lyrics:
Breshytha zawna w-me saqta d-shimsha.
Alaha m'upran g-willih bar-na-sha.
W-Beth Nahrain merih w-w'erih b-kutasha.
W-binyalih Babel d-Beth Kaldu resha.
Kud-kherih zawna w-alpayi d-shin-ni.
Shud Babel n'pillah w-pishla tikhro-ne.
W-yalid d-Beth Nahrain mbur-bizlay b-dunyi.
Khdhyri b-oqano w-mikhyi b-kul shukhni.
Khdha Babel khatha bid-qayma b-ruha.
W-burjah bid-asiq b-qarimlih shuha.
Kaldaye b-jam'y mkul bara b-zawha.
W-libbay b-maqirwi ta Marya Dewha.
Libba d-gabbari zry'elih b-gawan.
Khizzonta d-ruha tmrta-ylah b-athran.
W-tarah d-Beth Qudhsha k-pathikh lm-dheetan.
W-nahri d-hayutha k-jaray b-mathwathan.
Ya Diqlath wa-Prath pushun bijraya.
W-mashto l-ar'athan w-marwo-lay rwaya.
Pardaysa wa-wa m-yoma qa-maya.
Pardaysa b-payshy l-dara kharaya.