A certain man, deeply in love, fell in love with a cruel youth, beautiful in form, but no longer like it in character.
§23.3μίσει τὸν φιλέοντα καὶ οὐδὲ ἓν ἅμερον εἶχε, §23.4κοὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ἔρωτα, τίς ἦν θεός, ἡλίκα τόξα §23.5χερσὶ κρατεῖ, πῶς πικρὰ βέλη ποτικάρδια βάλλει·
He hated the one who loved him, and had not a single gentle feeling, and he did not know Eros, what kind of god he was, and how great a bow he holds in his hands, and how he shoots bitter arrows into the heart.
§23.6πάντα δὲ κἠν μύθοισι καὶ ἐν προσόδοισιν ἀτειρής.
He was unyielding in everything, both in his words and in approach.
§23.7οὐδέ τι τῶν πυρσῶν παραμύθιον, οὐκ ἀμάρυγμα §23.8χείλεος, οὐκ ὄσσων λιπαρὸν σέλας, οὐ ῥοδόμαλον, §23.9οὐ λόγος, οὐχὶ φίλαμα, τὸ κουφίζει τὸν ἔρωτα.
There was no solace for the fires of love, no brightness of the lips, no bright flash of the eyes, no rosy apple, no word, no kiss, which lightens love.
§23.10οἷα δὲ θὴρ ὑλαῖος ὑποπτεύῃσι κυναγώς, §23.11οὕτως πάντʼ ἐποίει ποτὶ τὸν φίλον· ἄγρια δʼ αὐτῷ §23.12χείλεα καὶ κῶραι δεινὸν βλέπος· εἶχε γὰρ ὄγκον·
And just as a beast of the forest eyes the hunters with suspicion, so he did everything toward his lover; and his lips were wild and his eyes had a terrible look; for he possessed pride.
And with anger his face changed, and the color fled from his flesh, clad as he was in the insolence of his wrath.
ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως §23.15ἦν καλός· ἐξ ὀργᾶς ἐρεθίζετο μᾶλλον ἐραστάς.
But even so he was beautiful; by his wrath he excited his lover all the more.
§23.16λοίσθιον οὐκ ἤνεικε τόσαν φλόγα τᾶς Κυθερείας, §23.17ἀλλʼ ἐλθὼν ἔκλαιε ποτὶ στυγνοῖσι μελάθροις, §23.18καὶ κύσε τὰν φλιάν, οὕτω δʼ ἀνενείκατο φωνάν· §23.19Ἄγριε παῖ καὶ στυγνέ, κακᾶς ἀνάθρεμμα λεαίνας, §23.20λάινε παῖ καὶ ἔρωτος ἀνάξιε, δῶρά τοι ἦλθον §23.21λοίσθια ταῦτα φέρων, τὸν ἐμὸν βρόχον· οὐκέτι πὰρ σὲ §23.22κῶρʼ ἐθέλω λύπης κεχολωμένος, ἀλλὰ βαδίζω, §23.23ἔνθα τύ μευ κατέκρινας, ὅπῃ λόγος ἦμεν ἀταρπὸν §23.24ξυνάν, τοῖσιν ἐρῶσι τὸ φάρμακον ἔνθα τὸ λᾶθος.
At last he could not bear such a flame of Cythereia, but went and wept at the gloomy portals, and kissed the doorpost, and thus lifted up his voice: "O wild and hateful boy, nursling of an evil lioness, stony boy, unworthy of love, I have come to you bringing these last gifts, this noose of mine; no longer near you, O boy, do I wish to remain, vexed with grief, but I go where you have condemned me, where rumor says there is a common path, a common path for lovers, where is the medicine of forgetfulness.
But even if I should take it all and drain it with my lips, not even so shall I quench my desire.
ἄρτι δὲ χαίρειν §23.27τοῖσι τεοῖς προθύροις ἐπιτέλλομαι.
But now I bid farewell to your portals.
οἶδα τὸ μέλλον.
I know what is to come.
§23.28καὶ τὸ ῥόδον καλόν ἐστι, καὶ ὁ χρόνος αὐτὸ μαραίνει· §23.29καὶ τὸ ἴον καλόν ἐστιν ἐν εἴαρι, καὶ ταχὺ γηρᾷ· §23.30λευκὸν τὸ κρίνον ἐστί, μαραίνεται ἁνίκα πίπτῃ· §23.31ἁ δὲ χιὼν λευκά, καὶ τάκεται ἁνίκα πασθῇ.
The rose too is beautiful, and time withers it; and the violet is beautiful in spring, and quickly grows old; white is the lily, and it withers when it falls; and the snow is white, and melts when it is sprinkled.
§23.32καὶ κάλλος καλόν ἐστι τὸ παιδικόν, ἀλλʼ ὀλίγον ζῇ.
And beautiful is the beauty of youth, but its life is short.
§23.33ἥξει καιρὸς ἐκεῖνος, ὁπανίκα καὶ τὺ φιλάσεις, §23.34ἁνίκα τὰν κραδίαν ὀπτεύμενος ἁλμυρὰ κλαύσῃ.
That time will come when you too shall love, when, with your heart set on fire, you shall weep bitter tears.
§23.35ἀλλὰ τὺ παῖ καὶ τοῦτο πανύστατον ἁδύ τι ῥέξον· §23.36ὁππόταν ἐξενθὼν ἠρτημένον ἐν προθύροισι §23.37τοῖσι τεοῖσιν ἴδῃς τὸν τλάμονα, μή με παρένθῃς, §23.38στᾶθι δὲ καὶ βραχὺ κλαῦσον, ἐπισπείσας δὲ τὸ δάκρυ §23.39λῦσον τῶ σχοίνω με καὶ ἀμφίθες ἐκ ῥεθέων σῶν §23.40εἵματα καὶ κρύψόν με, τὸ δʼ αὖ πύματόν με φίλασον, §23.41κἂν νεκρῷ χάρισαι τὰ σὰ χείλεα.
But you, boy, do even this one last sweet thing for me: when you come out and see the miserable man hanging in your portals, do not pass me by, but stand and weep a little, and having shed a tear, loose me from the rope and wrap me in garments from your own limbs and cover me, and kiss me for the last time, and grant your lips even to a corpse.
μή με φοβαθῇς· §23.42οὐ δύναμαι λυπεῖν σε, διαλλάξεις με φιλάσας.
Do not fear me; I cannot harm you, you will reconcile with me by kissing.
§23.43χῶμα δέ μοι χῶσόν τι ὅ μευ κρύψει τὸν ἔρωτα.
And heap up some mound for me, which shall hide my love.
§23.44κἂν ἀπίῃς, τόδε μοι τρὶς ἐπαίασον· ὦ φίλε κεῖσαι. §23.45ἢν δὲ θέλῃς, καὶ τοῦτο· καλὸς δέ μοι ὤλεθʼ ἑταῖρος. §23.46γράψον καὶ τόδε γράμμα, τὸ σοῖς τοίχοισι χαράξω· §23.47τοῦτον ἔρως ἔκτεινεν.
And if you depart, cry this over me thrice: 'O friend, you lie here.' And if you wish, this too: 'My beautiful companion is lost.' And write this inscription, which I shall carve on your walls: 'Love killed this man.
ὁδοιπόρε, μὴ παροδεύσῃς, §23.48ἀλλὰ στὰς τόδε λέξον· ἀπηνέα εἶχεν ἑταῖρον. §23.49Ὧδʼ εἰπὼν λίθον εἷλκεν, ἐρεισάμενος δʼ ἐπὶ τοίχω §23.50ἄχρι μέσων οὐδῶν φοβερὸν λίθον ἅπτετʼ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, §23.51τὰν λεπτὰν σχοινῖδα, βρόχον δʼ ἐνέβαλλε τραχήλῳ, §23.52τὰν ἕδραν δʼ ἐκύλισεν ὑπὲκ ποδός, ἠδʼ ἐκρεμάσθη §23.53νεκρός.
Wayfarer, do not pass by, but stand and say this: He had a cruel companion.'" Having spoken thus, he dragged a stone, and leaning it against the wall as far as the middle of the threshold, he bound from them, the slender rope, and put the noose around his neck, and rolled the support away from under his foot, and he hung, dead.
ὁ δʼ αὖτʼ ὤιξε θύρας καὶ τὸν νεκρὸν εἶδεν §23.54αὐλᾶς ἐξ ἰδίας ἠρτημένον, οὐδʼ ἐλυγίχθη §23.55τὰν ψυχάν, οὐ κλαῦσε νέον φόνον, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ νεκρῷ §23.56εἵματα πάντʼ ἐμίανεν, ἐφαβικὰ βαῖνε δʼ ἐς ἄθλα §23.57γυμναστῶν, καὶ τῆλε φίλων ἐπεμαίετο λουτρῶν, §23.58καὶ ποτὶ τὸν θεὸν ἦλθε, τὸν ὕβρισε· λαϊνέας δὲ §23.59ἵστατʼ ἀπὸ κρηπῖδος ἐς ὕδατα· τῷ δʼ ἐφύπερθεν §23.60ἅλατο καὶ τὤγαλμα, κακὸν δʼ ἔκτεινεν ἔφαβον· §23.61νᾶμα δʼ ἐφοινίχθη· παιδὸς δʼ ἐπενάχετο σῶμα.
And the other, in turn, opened the doors and saw the corpse hanging from his own courtyard; and he was not bent in his soul, nor did he weep for the fresh slaughter, but over the corpse he defiled all his garments, and went to the youthful contests of the athletes, and sought the waters of the bath far from his friend, and he came to the god whom he had insulted; and from the stone pedestal he stood above the waters; and from above the statue itself leapt upon him, and killed the evil youth; and the water was reddened, and the boy's body floated on it.
§23.62χαίρετε τοὶ φιλέοντες· ὁ γὰρ μισῶν ἐφονεύθη.
Rejoice, you lovers; for the hater has been slain.
§23.63στέργετε δʼ οἱ μισεῦντες· ὁ γὰρ θεὸς οἶδε δικάζειν.
And love, you haters; for the god knows how to judge.