Letter 50: A consoling letter reaches Evagrius in the darkness of repentance.

You visited the one sitting in darkness and in the shadow of repentance, and you gave light to eyes that were constantly looking toward consolation. What shall I give back to the Lord for the consolation that came through your letters? By them you straightened my soul when it was crushed by despondency. You remember a dead dog: because of the multitude of my evils, I have been thrown out in the desert until now, and not even the birds of heaven come near me to consume the flesh of my vices and peck out the eyes that have often mocked the Father. Yet I thank the Lord and Your Holiness because you count me among your sheep. Still, since I am now full of many sores, it is better for me to remain outside your holy flock in the desert.

Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0): επεσκεψω τον εν σκοτωι καθημενον και εν σκιαι μετανοιας και εφωτισας οφθαλμους αδιαλειπτως εις παρακλησιν αποβλεποντας, και τι αποδωσω τωι κυριωι υπερ της δια των γραμματων σου παρακλησεως; δι’ ων κατωρθωσας την ψυχην μου ακηδιαι θλιβομενην και μνημονευεις τον νεκρον κυνα ος δια πληθος των κακων μου εως ημερας ερριμμαι εν τηι ερημωι και ουδε τα πετεινα του ουρανου πλησιαζει μοι καταναλωσαι την σαρκα των κακιων μου τε και εκκοψαι τους οφθαλμους πολλακις του πατρος καταγελασαντες · αλλ' ευχαριστω τωι κυριωι και τηι σου οσιοτητι οτι συναριθμεις με τοις προβατοις σου, πλην συμφερει μοι νυν πολλης οντι ψωρας μεστωι εκτος της αγιας ποιμνιας σου εν τηι ερημωι επιμειναι 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.