Only poverty, Diophantus, awakens the arts; she is herself the teacher of labor.
οὐδὲ γὰρ εὕδειν §21.3ἀνδράσιν ἐργατίναισι κακαὶ παρέχοντι μέριμναι.
For indeed, even to sleep is not permitted to working men by troublesome cares.
Even if one closes one's eyes for a little part of the night, cares standing over suddenly disturb one's sleep.
§21.6Ἰχθύος ἀγρευτῆρες ὅμως δύο κεῖντο γέροντες, §21.7στρωσάμενοι βρύον αὖον ὑπὸ πλεκταῖς καλύβαισι, §21.8κεκλιμένοι τοίχῳ τῷ φυλλίνῳ·
Yet two old men, fishers of the sea, lay together, having strewn dry seaweed under their woven hut, leaning against the leafy wall.
ἐγγύθι δʼ αὐτοῖν §21.9κεῖτο τὰ ταῖν χειροῖν ἀθλήματα, τοὶ καλαθίσκοι, §21.10τοὶ κάλαμοι, τἄγκιστρα τὰ φυκιόεντα δέλητα §21.11ὁρμιαὶ κύρτοι τε καὶ ἐκ σχοίνων λαβύρινθοι, §21.12μήρινθοι κώπα τε γέρων τʼ ἐπʼ ἐρείσμασι λέμβος·
And near them lay the implements of their hands' struggle, the little baskets, the rods, the hooks, the baits covered in seaweed, the lines, the weels, and the traps made of rushes, the cords, the oars, and an old boat on its props.
§21.13νέρθεν τᾶς κεφαλᾶς φορμὸς βραχύς, εἷμά τʼ ἐπί σφι §21.14οὗτος τοῖς ἁλιεῦσιν ὁ πᾶς πόρος, οὗτος ὁ πλοῦτος.
Under their heads was a short mat, and their clothing, thrown over them, was all the resource of these fishermen, all their wealth.
§21.15οὐδεὶς δʼ οὐ σισύραν εἶχʼ οὐ λίνα· πάντα περισσά, §21.16πάντʼ ἐδόκει τήνοις· ἁ γὰρ πενία σφας ἔτειρε
None of them had a cloak of skin, nor nets; all things seemed superfluous to them, for poverty was grinding them down.
§21.17οὐδεὶς δʼ ἐν μέσσῳ γείτων· πενίᾳ δὲ παρʼ αὐτὰν §21.18θλιβομέναν καλύβαν τρυφερὸν προσέναχε θάλασσα.
And there was no neighbor nearby; but right against their poor, pressed-down hut, the sea gently washed.
§21.19κοὔπω τὸν μέσατον δρόμον ἄνυεν ἅρμα Σελάνας, §21.20τοὺς δʼ ἁλιεῖς ἤγειρε φίλος πόνος, ἐκ βλεφάρων δὲ §21.21ὕπνον ἀπωσάμενοι σφετέραις φρεσὶν ἤρεθον αὐδάν.
And not yet was the chariot of Selana completing its middle course, when their dear labor awakened the fishermen, and from their eyelids having pushed away sleep, they began to stir speech in their hearts.
§21.22ψεύδοντʼ ὦ φίλε πάντες, ὅσοι τὰς νύκτας ἔφασκον §21.23τῶ θέρεος μινύθειν, ὅτε τἄματα μακρὰ φέρει Ζεύς.
"They all lie, my friend, whoever said that the nights of summer grow shorter, when Zeus brings long days.
§21.24ἤδη μυρίʼ ἐσεῖδον ὀνείρατα, κοὐδέπω ἀώς.
Already I have seen ten thousand dreams, and it is not yet dawn.
§21.25μὴ λαθόμην;
Have I forgotten?
τί τὸ χρῆμα;
What is this matter?
χρόνον δʼ αἱ νύκτες ἔχοντι. §21.26Ἀσφαλίων, μέμφῃ τὸ καλὸν θέρος;
The nights indeed possess time." "Asphalion, do you blame the beautiful summer?
οὐ γὰρ ὁ καιρὸς §21.27αὐτομάτως παρέβα τὸν ἑὸν δρόμον· ἀλλὰ τὸν ὕπνον §21.28ἁ φροντὶς κόπτοισα μακρὰν τὰν νύκτα ποιεῖ τοι.
For it is not that the season has automatically overstepped its own course; but rather sleep, care cutting it short, makes the night seem long to you." "Have you ever learned to interpret dreams?
§21.29ἆρʼ ἔμαθες κρίνειν πόκʼ ἐνύπνια; χρηστὰ γὰρ εἶδον.
For I have seen a good one.
§21.30οὔ δε θέλω τὠμῶ φαντάσματος ἦμεν ἄμοιρον.
I do not wish you to be without a share in my vision.
§21.31ὡς καὶ τὰν ἄγραν, τὠνείρατα πάντα μερίζευ.
Just as you share the catch, share all my dreams.
§21.32ὃς γὰρ ἂν εἰκάξῃ κατὰ τὸν νόον οὗτος ἄριστος §21.33ἐστὶν ὀνειροκρίτας, ὁ διδάσκαλός ἐστι παρʼ ᾧ νοῦς.
For he who makes a guess according to his mind is the best interpreter of dreams; he is the teacher with whom there is sense.
§21.34ἄλλως καὶ σχολά ἐστι· τί γὰρ ποιεῖν ἂν ἔχοι τις §21.35κείμενος ἐν φύλλοις ποτὶ κύματι μηδὲ καθεύδων, §21.36ἀλλʼ ὄνος ἐν ῥάμνῳ τό τε λύχνιον ἐν πρυτανείῳ· §21.37φαντὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνίαν τόδʼ ἔχειν. §21.37bλέγε μοί ποτε νυκτὸς §21.38ὄψιν, ἐπεὶ τά τις οἶδε λέγει μανύεν ἑταίρῳ. §21.39δειλινὸν ὡς κατέδαρθον ἐν εἰναλίοισι πόνοισιν §21.40(οὐ μὰν ἦν πολύσιτος, ἐπεὶ δειπνεῦντες ἐν ὥρᾳ, §21.41εἰ μέμνῃ, τᾶς γαστρὸς ἐφειδόμεθʼ), εἶδον ἐμαυτὸν §21.42ἐν πέτρᾳ μεμαῶτα, καθεζόμενος δʼ ἐδόκευον §21.43ἰχθύας, ἐκ καλάμων δὲ πλάνον κατέσειον ἐδωδάν.
Besides, there is leisure; for what could anyone do lying on leaves by the wave and not sleeping, but like an ass in the thorns or the lamp in the town hall, for they say that these are doomed to sleeplessness?" "Tell me at last the night's vision, since what one knows, one should reveal to his companion." "As I fell asleep in the evening after my labors in the sea (indeed I was not full of food, since dining at the proper hour, if you remember, we spared our stomachs), I saw myself eagerly fishing on a rock, and sitting I was watching for fish, and from the rods I was shaking down the deceptive bait.
§21.44καί τις τῶν τραφερῶν ὠρέξατο· καὶ γὰρ ἐν ὕπνοις §21.45πᾶσα κύων ἄρκτον μαντεύεται, ἰχθύα κἠγών.
And one of the fat fish reached for it; for indeed in dreams every dog dreams of a bear, and I of a fish.
§21.46χὡ μὲν τὠγκίστρῳ ποτεφύετο, καὶ ῥέεν αἷμα, §21.47τὸν κάλαμον δʼ ὑπὸ τῶ κινήματος ἀγκύλον εἶχον §21.48τὼ χέρε τεινόμενον περικλώμενον, εὐρὺν ἀγῶνα, §21.49πῶς νιν ἕλω μέγαν ἰχθὺν ἀφαυροτέροισι σιδάροις.
And indeed it clung to the hook, and blood flowed, and because of its movement I held the rod bent, my hands stretched and strained, a wide struggle, how I might take this great fish with such slender iron.
Then, reminding it of its wound, I gently pricked it, and having pricked it I slackened, and when it did not flee, I pulled.
§21.52ἤνυσα δʼ ὦν τὸν ἄεθλον, ἀνείλκυσα χρύσεον ἰχθύν, §21.53παντᾷ τοι χρυσῷ πεπυκασμένον· εἶχε δὲ δεῖμα, §21.54μήτι Ποσειδάωνι πέλοι πεφιλημένος ἰχθὺς §21.55ἢ τάχα τᾶς γλαυκᾶς κειμήλιον Ἀμφιτρίτης.
And so I accomplished my labor, and drew up a golden fish, thickly covered with gold all over; but fear possessed me, lest it might be a fish beloved by Poseidon, or perhaps a treasure of gray-eyed Amphitrite.
And gently I released it from the hook, lest the hooks might retain some gold from its mouth.
§21.58καὶ τὸν μὲν πίστευσα καλεῖν τὸν ἐπήρατον ἰχθύν, §21.59ὤμοσα δʼ οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ὑπὲρ πελάγους πόδα θεῖναι, §21.60ἀλλὰ μενεῖν ἐπὶ γᾶς καὶ τῷ χρυσῷ βασιλεύσειν.
And indeed I trusted that I could call this lovely fish my own, and I swore never again hereafter to set foot upon the sea, but to remain on land and play the king with the gold.
§21.61ταῦτά με κἀξήγειρε, τὺ δʼ ὦ ξένε λοιπὸν ἔρειδε §21.62τὰν γνώμαν· ὅρκον γὰρ ἐγὼ τὸν ἐπώμοσα ταρβῶ. §21.63καὶ σύγε τί τρέσσεις;
These things awakened me; but you, my friend, henceforth support my mind, for I fear the oath which I swore." "And why do you tremble?