Letter 31: Evagrius answers hospitality with blessings of harvest, vine, and divine presence.

I was greatly gladdened by your love, and your hospitality has been made complete in me. What shall I give in return for the rest I found with you? May the Lord be in your heart, the great high priest, who made heaven and filled all things. May he lift up your head over your enemies. May he teach you the knowledge of righteousness and reveal to you the wisdom of his mysteries. May your fruit be abundant. May your root sprout beside waters. May no wind dry your grain, and may the dew of heaven come upon your harvest. May your vine put forth shoots, and may what is born from you be bright. May the Lord eat from it and lodge in your garden, because you have done good to us, lowly sinners who have nothing equal to your love.

Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0): σφοδρως ηυφρανθην τηι αγαπηι σου και τελεια εν εμοι η ξενοφιλια σου και υπερ ης ευρηκα παρα σοι αναπαυσεως τι αποδωσω; ειη ο κυριος εν τηι καρδιαι σου ο μεγας αρχιερευς ο τον ουρανον ποιησας και παν πληρωσας, υψωσαι την κεφααλην σου κατα των εχθρων σου, διδαξαι σε γνωσιν της δικαιοσυνης και των μυστηριων αυτου την σοφιαν σοι αποκαλυψαι, γενοιτο ο καρπος σου πολυς και η ριζα σου επι υδατων βλαστοιη τον σταχυν σου πνευμα μη ξηραινοι και ο δροσος του ουρανου επελθοι επι τον θερισμον σου η αμπελος σου προβαλοι και το γεννημα σου ειη λαμπρον εσθιοι αυτου ο κυριος και εν τηι παραδεισωι σου καταλυσαι, οτι καλως πεποιηκας ημας τους ταπεινους και αμαρτωλους της αγαπης σου αντιρροπον ουκ εχοντας Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.