During the early centuries of their existence the Syriac Churches developed a characteristic type of hymn containing a dialogue between two biblical characters. They are known as Soogitho. The soogitho that is probably most know to Malankara Syriac Christians is the "Dialogue between the two thieves" that is chanted as part of Good Friday. The general structure of these poems are that it starts with verses by a narrator that gives the context of the dialogue. Then the alternate verses are the dialogue between the two characters. Over forty such dialogue hymns survive, though only a few still remain in liturgical use often in a curtailed form. One such dialogue poem (soogitho) is the dialogue between Our Lord Jesus Christ and St. John the Baptist. The below English translation is by Prof. Sebastian Brock of Oxford.
The Baptism of Christ in the river Jordan, celebrated at Epiphany, followed the period of John the Baptist’s preaching of repentance in the wilderness. Syriac writers often saw this as the time when John, acting as the ‘Friend of the Bridegroom’ (John 3:29), betrothed the Church to Christ the Bridegroom. But when Christ actually turns up to be baptized John has cold feet (Matthew 3:14), and it is this moment of hesitation that is expanded and embroidered upon in the dialogue hymn between John the Baptist and Christ. In the course of the dialogue the true purpose of Christ’s baptism is brought out in various different ways.
1. Narrator:
My imagination wafted me to the Jordan
where I behalf a wonder
when the glorious Bridegroom was revealed
to make a marriage feast for the Bride and to sanctify her
Refrain: Praise to you. Lord, whom heaven and earth worship in joy.
2. Narrator:
I saw John, filled with astonishment,
with crowds standing round him
while the glorious Bridegroom bent down
before the child of barren parents to be baptized.
3. Narrator:
My mind was amazed at both Word and Voice:
John was the Voice,
our Lord, who shone forth, was like the word
ready to come out into the open, having been hidden.
4. Narrator:
The Bride was betrothed, but she knew not
who was the Groom she was to expect.
The wilderness was filled with the wedding guests assembled,
and hidden among them there was our Lord.
5. Narrator
It was then that the Groom revealed Himself,
coming to John by the river
The berald trembled as he announced
‘Here is the Groom whom I have been proclaiming’.
6. Narrator
There came to baptism He who baptizes all,
manifesting Himself by the Jordan.
John beheld Him and withdrew his hand,
using supplement words, as follows:
7. John
How is it, Lord, that You should be baptized,
for at your baptism You bring forgiveness to all.
The Font looks expectantly towards you;
sprinkle in it sanctification and it will be perfected.
8. Jesus
Our Lord spoke: I have willed it
approach and baptize me, that my will be done.
Resist my will you cannot;
I shall be baptized by you for thus have I willed-
9. John
I beg you, Lord, let me not be compelled:
what You ask is hard;
it is I who need to be baptized by you,
for you with Your hyssop, make all things white.
10. Jesus
I have asked, for it has pleased me that it should be so;
why then, John, do you dispute it?
Let what right demands to fulfilled;
come, baptize me; why do you stand there?
11. John
How can mere straw which is like tinder
grasp fire in its hands?
O Being of fire, have pity on me
let me not come near, it is so hard for me.
12. Jesus
I have revealed to you from the start my will;
draw near and baptize me, you will not get burnt.
The bridal chamber is ready, do not hold me back
from the wedding feast that lies prepared.
13. John
the angels are afraid and do not dare
to gaze upon You, for fear of being blinded;
how then can I, Lord, baptize You?
I am too weak to draw near: please do not reproach me.
14. Jesus
You should be afraid of disputing my will,
going against what I have asked.
Baptism awaits me expectantly:
fulfill the task to which you were called.
15. John
I proclaimed you by the Jordan
in the hearing of the people who are not easily persuaded;
if now they see You baptized by me
they will doubt that you are the Lord.
16. Jesus
I will be baptized while they look on,
for the Father who sent me will testify
that I am His Son in whom He is well pleased.
He will bring reconciliation to Adam who had earned His wrath.
17. John
It is proper, Lord, that I should recognize my true nature,
seeing that 1 am fashioned out of earth,
where as You are the fashioner, who gives shape to all.
How can I baptize You in the water?
18. Jesus
It is proper you should know why I have come
and for what reason I have requested you to baptize me:
this is the middle point of the path I have trod;
let baptism not be with held.
19. John
The river You have come to is too small
for You to stop there and it contain You:
heaven cannot suffice for Your might,
so how can the water of baptism hold You ?
20. Jesus
The womb is yet smaller than the Jordan,
yet of my own will I dwelt in the Virgin.
Just as I was born from the womb,
so shall I be baptized in the Jordan.
21. John
The heavenly armies stand by,
serried ranks of angels, in worship:
if I should approach to baptize You,
I shall tremble with fright.
22. Jesus
These crowds of heavenly powers
consider you blessed for baptizing me.
It for this l chose you from the womb:
have no fear, for I have willed it.
23. John
I have prepared the way for which I was sent,
I have betrothed the Bride as I was hidden.
Let Your Epiphany increase in the world
now that You are come; but I will not baptize You.
24. Jesus
This is the very preparation I have wished for
that I should go down and be baptized in the water,
forging armor for those to be baptized,
that they may look upon me and not be vanquished.
23. John
Why should l baptize the Child of the Father,
seeing that You are in Your Father and He in You.
You give sanctification to priests,
so why are You asking for ordinary water ?
26. Jesus
The children of Adam are looking to me to give them new birth:
I shall tread out in the waters a path for them,
and, unless I am baptized, this cannot be done.
27. John
Pontiffs are sanctified by You,
by Your hyssop priests are whitened;
You make anointed kings,
so how can baptism benefit You?
28. Jesus
The Bride whom you betrothed to me is expecting
me to go down to baptism, and then I shall sanctify her.
O friend of the Bridegroom, please do not refuse
this washing which awaits me.
29. John
I cannot, for I am too weak,
hold in my hands Your flame.
Your legions are made of tire:
tell one of the angels to give baptism to You.
30. Jesus
It is not from the angels that my body was taken,
otherwise I might have called an angel to baptize me.
No, it is Adam’s body with which I am clothed,
and you, a child of Adam, shall baptize me.
31. John
The waters saw You and greatly feared,
the waters have seen You and are trembling,
the very river shook with fright,
why should I, so frail, give You baptism?
32. Jesus
The waters will be sanctified at my baptism,
fire and spirit will they receive from me;
unless 1 am baptized they will not fulfill their proper role
of bearing as fruit immortal offspring.
33. John
If fire should approach Your Fire
it will get burnt up like tinder.
Mount Sinai could not endure You,
so how can I in my frailty baptize You?
34. Jesus
I am indeed burning fire,
but for the sake of man I became a child
in a novel womb-a virgin’s,
and now I am to be baptized in the Jordan.
35. John
It would be much best if You baptized me,
for You possess the sanctification that can purify all
by You are the unclean made holy.
why then should You, who are holy, come to baptism?
36. Jesus
It would be most appropriate if you gave me baptism,
just as I say, without contradicting:
I baptized you in the womb,
so do you baptize me in the Jordan.
37. John
I am but a weak servant,
have pity on me, seeing that you give freedom to all.
I could not even undo your shoe-straps,
whoever is it has made me worthy of your exalted head?
38. Jesus
Servants will receive freedom at my baptism.
debts are wiped out when I wash,
liberty will receive its seal in the water;
but if I am not baptized, it is all in vain.
39. John
The very air is carrying a garment of light
in readiness for You, above the Jordan;
so if it is agreed and You wish to be baptized,
baptize Yourself and accomplish all.
40. Jesus
If is proper that you should baptize me
lest any go astray and say of me
‘if he is not someone apart, from the Father's house,
why is it the Levite is afraid to baptize him?’
41. John
How then, as You are being baptized,
can I seal prayer by the Jordan,
since in You are to be seen both Father and Spirit:
whom, then, as a priest, can I invoke?
42. Jesus
Prayer can be sealed in silence:
just come and place your hand on me.
The Father will cry out, in place of a priest,
whatever is appropriate concerning His Son.
13. John
All the guests who are standing here,
invited by You, the Groom, will bear witness
that each day I announced in their midst
‘I am the voice, and not the Word’.
44. Jesus
O Voice crying in the wilderness,
perform the task for which you came
so that the wilderness, to which you set out,
may taunder at the prosperity you have there proclaimed.
45. John
The commotion of angels has reached my ears:
from the Father’s house 1 can hear
the heavenly powers shout out:
at Your Epiphany, o Groom, both worlds have received life.
46. Jesus
Time presses and the guests are awaiting me
to see what will happen.
Come, baptize me, that they may give praise
to the voice of the Father when it is heard.
47. John
I will obey, Lord, and do as You say.
Come, then, to baptism, since Your love has so urged You:
dust gives You worship - to what heights has it come
that it should place a hand on its Maker:
48. Narrator
The serried ranks stood in stillness
as the Bridegroom descended into the Jordan;
the Holy One was baptized and straightway came up,
the light from Him shining out into both worlds.
49. Narrator
The gates of heaven were flung open on high
as the Father's voice made itself heard:
‘Here is my beloved, in whom I am pleased;
come, all you nations, and worship him’.
50. Narrator
In amazement the on lookers stood there
as the Spirit came down to witness to Him.
Thanks be to Your Epiphany, O Lord who give joy to all,
for at Your appearance both worlds are illumined.