§1006οὐχ ἑσπέρας φάσ’, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεσημβρίας
τούτους ἀφεστήκασιν ἡμέραν τρίτην.
They say that not only in the evening, but also at midday, these men have been in revolt for the third day.
§1007λευκοὺς λίθους χέοντες αὐχοῦσιν μέγα.
Casting white stones, they boast greatly.
§1008〈τί φής; 〉 τί σιγᾷς;
〈What do you say?〉 Why are you silent?
μῶν φόνον τιν’ εἰργάσω;
Surely you have not committed some murder?
§1009γλαυκῶπίς τε στρέφεται μήνη
And the bright-eyed moon turns.
casting one's foot out into an infinite continent What matter has come upon the house?
§1012ἀεί ποτ’ 〈ἐστὶ〉 σπέρμα κηρύκων λάλον.
The race of heralds is always ever talkative.
§1013τὸ μὲν τέθνηκε σῶμα, τοῦτο δ’ ἀναβλέπει.
The body indeed is dead, but this one looks up (or revives).
§1014πόλεως μὲν ἀρχῷ, φωτὶ δ’ οὐκ ἔτῃ πρέπων §1015αἰεὶ δὲ μήτηρ φιλότεκνος μᾶλλον πατρός· ἢ μὲν γὰρ αὑτῆς οἶδεν ὄνθ’, ὃ δ’ οἴεται.
fitting indeed for a ruler of a city, but not for an ordinary citizen And a mother is always more loving of her children than a father; for she knows they are hers, but he only thinks so.
§1017τὸν εὐτυχοῦντα καὶ φρονεῖν νομίζομεν.
We think that the fortunate person is also wise.
§1018ὁ νοῦς γὰρ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἐν ἑκάστῳ θεός.
For the mind in each of us is god.
§1019δούλοισι γάρ τε ζῶμεν οἱ ἐλεύθεροι.
For we, the free, live by means of (or for the sake of) slaves.
§1020ὃ δ’ ἐσφάδᾳζεν οὐκ ἔχων ἀπαλλαγάς.
But he was struggling, having no means of escape.
§1023Αἰθέρα καὶ Γαῖαν πάντων γενέτειραν ἀείδω.
I sing of Ether and Earth, the mother of all things.
§1024φθείρουσιν ἤδη χρήσθ’ ὁμιλίαι κακαί.
Bad company ruins good morals.
§1025θεοῦ γὰρ οὐδεὶς χωρὶς εὐτυχεῖ βροτῶν
οὐδ’ εἰς τὸ μεῖζον ἦλθε· τὰς θνητῶν δ’ ἐγὼ
χαίρειν κελεύω θεῶν ἄτερ προθυμίας.
For without god no mortal is fortunate or rises to greatness; but as for the strivings of mortals without gods, I bid them farewell.
§1026τὰ πλεῖστα θνητοῖς τῶν κακῶν αὐθαίρετα.
For mortals, most of their evils are self-chosen.
§1027παῖς ὢν φυλάσσου πραγμάτων αἰσχρῶν ἄπο· ὡς ἢν τραφῇ τις μὴ κακῶς, αἰσχύνεται
ἀνὴρ γενόμενος αἰσχρὰ δρᾶν· νέος δ’ ὅταν
πόλλ’ ἐξαμάρτῃ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἔχει
εἰς γῆρας αὑτοῦ τοῖς τρόποισιν ἔμφυτον.
While being a child, guard yourself from shameful deeds; for if one is brought up not badly, he is ashamed to do shameful things when he becomes a man; but when a youth commits many errors, he has that error inborn in his character into his old age.
§1028ὅστις νέος ὢν μουσῶν ἀμελεῖ,
τόν τε παρελθόντ’ ἀπόλωλε χρόνον
καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα τέθνηκεν.
Whoever neglects the Muses while being young, has both lost the past time and is dead to the future.
§1029οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρετῆς κτῆμα τιμιώτερον· οὐ γὰρ πέφυκε δοῦλον οὔτε χρημάτων
οὔτ’ εὐγενείας οὔτε θωπείας ὄχλου.
There is no possession more honorable than virtue; for it is by nature a slave neither to wealth, nor to noble birth, nor to the flattery of the crowd.
ἀρετὴ δ’ ὅσῳ περ μᾶλλον ἂν χρῆσθαι θέλῃς,
τοσῷδε μείζων αὔξεται τελουμένη.
And the more you wish to practice virtue, the greater it grows as it is brought to fulfillment.
§1030ἀρετὴ μέγιστον τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις καλόν.
Virtue is the greatest beautiful thing among men.
§1031τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι σε μηδὲν ὧν ἁμαρτάνεις,
ἔκκαυμα τόλμης ἱκανόν ἐστι καὶ θράσους.
Your not knowing anything of the errors you commit is a sufficient fuel for daring and insolence.
§1032τὸ δ’ ὠκὺ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ λαιψηρὸν φρενῶν
εἰς συμφορὰν καθῆκε πολλὰ δὴ βροτούς.
And this swiftness and agility of mind has indeed plunged many mortals into misfortune.
§1033εὖ γὰρ τόδ’ ἴσθι, κεῖ σ’ ἐλάνθανεν πάρος,
τὸ σκαιὸν εἶναι πρῶτ’ ἀμουσίαν ἔχει.
For know this well, even if it escaped your notice before, that being clumsy (or foolish) first of all entails a lack of culture.
§1034φεῦ φεῦ, τὸ νικᾶν τἄνδιχ’ ὡς καλὸν γέρας,
τὰ μὴ δίκαια δ’ ὡς ἀπανταχοῦ κακόν· καὶ γλῶσσα φλαύρα καὶ φθόνος τοῦ μὴ φθονεῖν
ὅσῳ κάκιον μὴ καλῶς ὠγκωμένοις.
Alas, how beautiful a prize is the victory of what is just, and how evil everywhere is what is unjust; and a base tongue and envy of the un-envious, how much worse they are for those who are improperly puffed up.
§1035δύστηνος ὅστις τὰ καλὰ καὶ ψευδῆ λέγων
οὐ τοῖσδε χρῆται τοῖς καλοῖς ἀληθέσιν.
Wretched is the one who, speaking beautiful but false things, does not make use of these same beautiful things as true.
§1036πότερα θέλεις σοι μαλθακὰ ψευδῆ λέγω
ἢ σκλήρ’ ἀληθῆ;
Do you wish that I speak soft lies to you, or harsh truths?
φράζε· σὴ γὰρ ἡ κρίσις.
Speak; for the decision is yours.
§1037ἀτὰρ σιωπᾶν τά γε δίκαι’ οὐ χρή ποτε.
And yet, one must never keep silent about what is just.
§1038ὀργαὶ γὰρ ἀνθρώποισι συμφορᾶς ὕπο
δειναί, πλάνος τε καρδίᾳ προσίσταται.
For terrible angers arise in men under the weight of misfortune, and a wandering approaches the heart.
§1039ὁ θυμὸς ἀλγῶν ἀσφάλειαν οὐκ ἔχει.
A grieving passion (or anger) possesses no stability.
§1040ἐὰν ἴδῃς πρὸς ὕψος ἠρμένον τινὰ
λαμπρῷ τε πλούτῳ καὶ γένει γαυρούμενον
ὀφρύν τε μείζω τῆς τύχης ἐπηρκότα,
τούτου ταχεῖαν νέμεσιν εὐθὺς προσδόκα.
If you see someone raised to the heights, exulting in splendid wealth and birth, and lifting his brow higher than his fortune warrants, expect a swift retribution for him straightway.
§1041κρινεῖ τίς αὑτὸν πώποτ’ ἀνθρώπων μέγαν,
ὃν ἐξαλείφει πρόφασις ἡ τυχοῦσ’ ὅλον;
Who among men will ever judge himself to be great, when any chance pretext wipes him out entirely?
§1042ἅπαντές ἐσμεν εἰς τὸ νουθετεῖν σοφοί,
αὐτοὶ δ’ ἁμαρτάνοντες οὐ γιγνώσκομεν.
We are all wise in admonishing others, but when we ourselves err, we do not perceive it.
§1043οὐδεὶς ἔπαινον ἡδοναῖς ἐκτήσατο.
No one has acquired praise by means of pleasures.
§1044οὔτ’ ἐκ χερὸς μεθέντα καρτερὸν λίθον
ῥᾷον κατασχεῖν οὔτ’ ἀπὸ γλώσσης λόγον.
It is not easy to recall a heavy stone once let go from the hand, nor a word once uttered from the tongue.
§1045μὴ κάμνε πατρίδα σὴν λαβεῖν πειρώμενος.
Do not grow weary of trying to regain your fatherland.
§1046πολλοῦ γὰρ χρυσοῦ καὶ πλούτου
κρείσσων πάτρα σώφρονι ναίειν. τὸ δὲ σύντροφον ἁδύ τι θνητοῖς
ἐν βίῳ χωρεῖ.
For to dwell in one's fatherland is better for a wise person than much gold and wealth; and that which is bred in one goes along as something sweet for mortals in life.
§1047ἅπας μὲν ἀὴρ αἰετῷ περάσιμος,
ἅπασα δὲ χθὼν ἀνδρὶ γενναίῳ πατρίς.
Every air is passable for an eagle, and every land is a fatherland to a noble man.
§1048οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδὲν τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἴσον· χρῆν γὰρ τύχας μὲν τὰς μάτην πλανωμένας
μηδὲν δύνασθαι, τἀμφανῆ δ’ ὑψήλ’ ἄγειν.
There is nothing equal among men; for the fortunes that wander in vain ought to have no power, but what is manifest ought to be raised high.
ὅστις κατ’ ἰσχὺν πρῶτος ὢν ἠτάζετο
ἢ τόξα πάλλων ἢ μάχῃ δορὸς σθένων,
τοῦτον τυραννεῖν τῶν κακιόνων ἐχρῆν.
Whoever was proved to be first in strength, whether wielding the bow or strong in the battle of the spear, he ought to rule over the worse.