§16.53ζωός, καὶ σπήλυγγα φυγὼν ὀλοοῖο Κύκλωπος, §16.54δηναιὸν κλέος ἔσχεν, ἐσιγάθη δʼ ἂν ὑφορβὸς §16.55Εὔμαιος, καὶ βουσὶ Φιλοίτιος ἀμφʼ ἀγελαίαις §16.56ἔργον ἔχων, αὐτός τε περίσπλαγχνος Λαέρτης, §16.57εἰ μή σφεας ὤνασανἸάονος ἀνδρὸς ἀοιδαί.
alive, and having escaped the cave of the deadly Cyclops, held long-lasting fame; and silenced would have been the swineherd Eumaeus, and Philoetius whose work was with the herded cattle, and great-hearted Laertes himself, if the songs of the Ionian man had not profited them.
From the Muses comes noble fame to men, but the living consume the wealth of the dead.
§16.60ἀλλʼ ἶσος γὰρ ὁ μόχθος ἐπʼ ᾀόνι κύματα μετρεῖν, §16.61ὅσσʼ ἄνεμος χέρσονδε μετὰ γλαυκᾶς ἁλὸς ὠθεῖ, §16.62ἢ ὕδατι νίζειν θολερὰν διαειδέι πλίνθον, §16.63καὶ φιλοκερδείᾳ βεβλαμμένον ἄνδρα παρελθεῖν.
But it is an equal labor to count the waves upon the shore, as many as the wind drives landward from the grey sea, or to wash a muddy brick with clear water, as to try to win over a man ruined by greed.
Farewell to such a man, and may unnumbered silver be his, and may a desire for always more possess him.
But for myself, I would choose honor and the friendship of men before many mules and horses.
§16.68δίζημαι δʼ, ὅτινι θνατῶν κεχαρισμένος ἔνθω §16.69σὺν Μοίσαις· χαλεπαὶ γὰρ ὁδοὶ τελέθουσιν ἀοιδοῖς §16.70κουράων ἀπάνευθε Διὸς μέγα βουλεύοντος.
And I seek to whom of mortals I may come as a welcome guest with the Muses; for difficult are the ways for singers apart from the daughters of great-counseling Zeus.
§16.71οὔπω μῆνας ἄγων ἔκαμʼ οὐρανὸς οὐδʼ ἐνιαυτούς· §16.72πολλοὶ κινήσουσιν ἔτι τροχὸν ἅρματος ἵπποι· §16.73ἔσσεται οὗτος ἀνήρ, ὃς ἐμεῦ κεχρήσετʼ ἀοιδοῦ, §16.74ῥέξας ἢ Ἀχιλεὺς ὅσσον μέγας ἢ βαρὺς Αἴας §16.75ἐν πεδίῳ Σιμόεντος, ὅθι Φρυγὸς ἠρίον Ἴλου.
Not yet has heaven grown weary of bringing months and years; many horses will yet move the wheel of the chariot; there shall be that man who will have need of me as a singer, having done as great deeds as great Achilles or mighty Ajax in the plain of Simois, where is the tomb of Phrygian Ilus.
Already now the Phoenicians dwelling under the setting sun, at the furthest heel of Libya, shudder with fear.
§16.78ἤδη βαστάζουσι Συρακόσιοι μέσα δοῦρα §16.79ἀχθόμενοι σακέεσσι βραχίονας ἰτεΐνοισιν· §16.80ἐν δʼ αὐτοῖς Ἱέρων προτέροις ἴσος ἡρώεσσι §16.81ζώννυται, ἵππειαι δὲ κόρυν σκεπάουσιν ἔθειραι.
Already the Syracusans balance their spears in the middle, weighing down their arms with shields of willow-wood; and among them Hieron girts himself, equal to heroes of old, and horse-hair crests shade his helmet.
§16.82αἰ γὰρ Ζεῦ κύδιστε πάτερ καὶ πότνιʼ Ἀθάνα §16.83κούρη θʼ, ἣ σὺν ματρὶ πολυκλήρων Ἐφυραίων §16.84εἴληχας μέγα ἄστυ παρʼ ὕδασι Λυσιμελείας, §16.85ἐχθροὺς ἐκ νάσοιο κακὰ πέμψειεν ἀνάγκα §16.86Σαρδόνιον κατὰ κῦμα, φίλων μόρον ἀγγέλλοντας §16.87τέκνοις ἠδʼ ἀλόχοισιν, ἀριθμητοὺς ἀπὸ πολλῶν· §16.88ἄστεά τε προτέροισι πάλιν ναίοιτο πολίταις, §16.89δυσμενέων ὅσα χεῖρες ἐλωβήσαντο κατάκρας· §16.90ἀγροὺς δʼ ἐργάζοιντο τεθαλότας· αἱ δʼ ἀνάριθμοι §16.91μήλων χιλιάδες βοτάνᾳ διαπιανθεῖσαι §16.92ἀμπεδίον βληχοῖντο, βόες δʼ ἀγελαδὸν ἐς αὖλιν §16.93ἐρχόμεναι σκνιφαῖον ἐπισπεύδοιεν ὁδίταν· §16.94νειοὶ δʼ ἐκπονέοιντο ποτὶ σπόρον, ἁνίκα τέττιξ §16.95ποιμένας ἐνδίους πεφυλαγμένος ἔνδοθι δένδρων §16.96ἀχεῖ ἐν ἀκρεμόνεσσιν· ἀράχνια δʼ εἰς ὅπλʼ ἀράχναι §16.97λεπτὰ διαστήσαιντο, βοᾶς δʼ ἔτι μηδʼ ὄνομʼ εἴη.
Oh, would that, Zeus, most glorious father, and mistress Athena, and the Maiden, who with her mother has obtained the great city of the wealthy Ephyraeans by the waters of Lysimeleia, may a cruel necessity send the enemies out of the island over the Sardinian wave, to announce the death of their loved ones to children and wives, easily numbered out of many; may the cities be inhabited again by their former citizens, as many as the hands of enemies have utterly ravaged; and may they till the blooming fields; and may unnumbered thousands of sheep, fattened by the pasture, bleat across the plain, and the cattle, coming in herds to the fold, hasten the twilight traveler on his way; and let the fallow lands be worked for sowing, when the cicada, watching the shepherds in the midday heat from inside the trees, sings upon the branches; and may spiders spin their delicate webs over weapons, and of the battle-cry let not even the name remain.
§16.98ὑψηλὸν δʼ Ἱέρωνι κλέος φορέοιεν ἀοιδοὶ §16.99καὶ πόντου Σκυθικοῖο πέραν καὶ ὅθι πλατὺ τεῖχος §16.100ἀσφάλτῳ δήσασα Σεμίραμις ἐμβασίλευεν.
And may singers carry high fame for Hieron both beyond the Scythian sea and where the broad wall, bound with asphalt, was built by Semiramis who ruled there.
§16.101εἷς μὲν ἐγώ, πολλοὺς δὲ Διὸς φιλέοντι καὶ ἄλλους §16.102θυγατέρες, τοῖς πᾶσι μέλοι Σικελὰν Ἀρέθοισαν §16.103ὑμνεῖν σὺν λαοῖσι καὶ αἰχμητὰν Ἱέρωνα.
I am but one, but many others also do the daughters of Zeus love, and may it be the care of them all to hymn Sicilian Arethusa with her peoples and the spearman Hieron.
§16.104ὦ Ἐτεόκλειοι θύγατρες θεαί, ὦ Μινύειον §16.105Ὀρχομενὸν φιλέοισαι ἀπεχθόμενόν ποτε Θήβαις, §16.106ἄκλητος μὲν ἔγωγε μένοιμί κεν, ἐς δὲ καλεύντων §16.107θαρσήσας Μοίσαισι σὺν ἁμετέραισιν ἱκοίμαν.
Oh goddesses, daughters of Eteocles, who love Minyan Orchomenus, once hated by Thebes, uncalled indeed I would remain, but to those who call me with courage I would go together with our Muses.
Nor will I leave you behind; for what is lovely to men apart from the Graces?
ἀεὶ Χαρίτεσσιν ἅμʼ εἴην.
May I ever be together with the Graces.