§125ἔα, τίν’ ὄχθον τόνδ’ ὁρῶ περίρρυτον
ἀφρῷ θαλάσσης;
Ah, what is this sea-girt cliff I see, surrounded by the foam of the sea?
παρθένου τ’ εἰκώ τινα
ἐξ αὐτομόρφων λαίνων τυκισμάτων
σοφῆς ἄγαλμα χειρός.
And some likeness of a maiden, a statue from self-formed stony carvings by a skilled hand.
§126σιγᾷς· σιωπὴ δ’ ἄπορος ἑρμηνεὺς λόγων.
You are silent; and silence is an awkward interpreter of words.
§127ΠΕΡΣ. ὦ παρθέν’, οἰκτίρω σε κρεμαμένην ὁρῶν.
Perseus: O maiden, I pity you seeing you suspended.
ΑΝΔΡ. σὺ δ’ εἶ τίς ὅστις τοὐμὸν ᾤκτιρας πάθος;
Andromeda: But who are you, who pitied my suffering?
§128ὦ ξένε, κατοίκτιρόν με τὴν παναθλίαν,
λῦσόν με δεσμῶν.
O stranger, pity me the all-wretched one, release me from my bonds.
§129ὦ παρθέν’, εἰ σῴσαιμί σ’, εἴσῃ μοι χάριν;
O maiden, if I should save you, will you feel gratitude to me?
§130τὰς συμφορὰς γὰρ τῶν κακῶς πεπραγότων
οὐπώποθ’ ὕβρισ’, αὐτὸς ὀρρωδῶν παθεῖν.
For I never mocked the misfortunes of those who fare badly, fearing that I myself might suffer.
§131μή μοι προτείνων ἐλπίδ’ ἐξάγου δάκρυ.
Do not hold out hope to me and draw forth my tears.
γένοιτό τἄν πόλλ’ ὧν δόκησις οὐκ ἔνι.
Many things might happen of which there is no expectation.
§132ἄγου δέ μ’, ὦ ξεῖν’, εἴτε πρόσπολον θέλεις
εἴτ’ ἄλοχον εἴτε δμωίδ’. . . . .
Take me, O stranger, whether you wish me as an attendant, or a wife, or a slave-girl...
§133ἀλλ’ ἡδύ τοι σωθέντα μεμνῆσθαι πόνων.
But indeed, it is sweet for one who has been saved to remember toils.
§134εὔκλειαν ἔλαβον οὐκ ἄνευ πολλῶν πόνων.
I obtained good repute not without many toils.
§135ἦ που τὸ μέλλον ἐκφοβεῖ καθ’ ἡμέραν· ὡς τοῦ γε πάσχειν τοὐπιὸν μεῖζον κακόν.
Surely indeed you fear the future day by day; for what is to come is a greater evil than actually suffering.
§136σὺ δ’ ὦ θεῶν τύραννε κἀνθρώπων Ἔρως,
ἢ μὴ δίδασκε τὰ καλὰ φαίνεσθαι καλά,
ἢ τοῖς ἐρῶσιν εὐτυχῶς συνεκπόνει
μοχθοῦσι μόχθους ὧν σὺ δημιουργὸς εἶ.
And you, Eros, tyrant of gods and men, either do not teach beautiful things to appear beautiful, or successfully work together with those who love, as they toil through the toils of which you are the craftsman.
καὶ ταῦτα μὲν δρῶν τίμιος θεοῖς ἔσῃ,
μὴ δρῶν δ’ ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ τοῦ διδάσκεσθαι φιλεῖν
ἀφαιρεθήσῃ χάριτας αἷς τιμῶσί σε.
And if you do these things, you will be honored by the gods; but if you do them not, by the very act of teaching how to love, you will be deprived of the graces with which they honor you.
§137τῶν γὰρ πλούτων ὅδ’ ἄριστος
γενναῖον λέχος εὑρεῖν.
For of wealth, this is the best: to find a noble marriage-bed.
§138ὅσοι γὰρ εἰς ἔρωτα πίπτουσιν βροτῶν,
ἐσθλῶν ὅταν τύχωσι τῶν ἐρωμένων,
οὐκ ἔσθ’ ὁποίας λείπεται τόδ’ ἡδονῆς.
For as many of mortals as fall into love, when they happen upon good beloveds, there is no pleasure that this falls short of.
§139αἰαῖ, τί δράσω;
Alas, what shall I do?
πρὸς τίνας στρεφθῶ λόγους;
To what words shall I turn?
ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἂν ἐνδέξαιτο βάρβαρος φύσις.
But a barbarian nature would not accept them.
§140ὦ τλῆμον, ὡς σοὶ τὰς τύχας μὲν ἀσθενεῖς
ἔδωχ’ ὁ δαίμων, μέγα φρονοῦσι δ’ οἱ λόγοι.
O wretched one, how the deity gave you weak fortunes, but your words are high-minded.
§141ἐγὼ δὲ παῖδας οὐκ ἐῶ νόθους λαβεῖν· τῶν γνησίων γὰρ οὐδὲν ὄντες ἐνδεεῖς
νόμῳ νοσοῦσιν·
But I do not allow children to be bastards; for being in no way inferior to the legitimate ones, they suffer by law.
ὅ σε φυλάξασθαι χρεών.
This you must guard against.
§142χρυσὸν μάλιστα βούλομαι δόμοις ἔχειν· καὶ δοῦλος ὢν γὰρ τίμιος πλουτῶν ἀνήρ,
ἐλεύθερος δὲ χρεῖος ὢν οὐδὲν σθένει.
I wish above all to have gold in my house; for even a slave is honored if he is rich, but a free man who is in need has no strength.
χρυσοῦ νόμιζε σαυτὸν εἵνεκ’ εὐτυχεῖν.
Consider yourself fortunate because of gold.
§143χρήμασιν γὰρ εὐτυχῶ· ταῖς συμφοραῖσι δ’, ὡς ὁρᾷς, οὐκ εὐτυχῶ.
For in wealth I am fortunate; but in my misfortunes, as you see, I am not fortunate.
§144μὴ τὸν ἐμὸν οἴκει νοῦν· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀρκέσω.
Do not direct my mind; for I shall suffice.
§145ὁρῶ δὲ πρὸς τὰ παρθένου θοινάματα
κῆτος θοάζον ἐξ Ἀτλαντικῆς ἁλός.
And I see toward the maiden's feast a sea-monster rushing from the Atlantic sea.
§146πᾶς δὲ ποιμένων ἔρρει λεώς,
ὃ μὲν γάλακτος κίσσινον φέρων σκύφος
πόνων ἀναψυκτῆρ’, ὃ δ’ ἀμπέλων γάνος.
And all the flock of shepherds is gone, one carrying an ivy-wood cup of milk as a refresher of toils, and another the joy of the vines.
those in the house around the feast and table complete Youth incited me, and a boldness of mind even more.
§150οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις εὐτυχὴς ἔφυ βροτῶν,
ὃν μὴ τὸ θεῖον ὡς τὰ πολλὰ συνθέλει.
There is no one of mortals who was born fortunate, whom the divine does not generally wish well together.
§151τήν τοι Δίκην λέγουσι παῖδ’ εἶναι Διὸς
ἐγγύς τε ναίειν τῆς βροτῶν ἁμαρτίας.
Indeed they say Justice is the child of Zeus, and dwells near the transgression of mortals.
§152. . . τὸ δαιμόνιον οὐχ ὁρᾷς
ὅπῃ μοίρας διεξέρχεται;
Do you not see how the divine power passes through fate?
στρέφει δ’ ἄλλους ἄλλως εἰς ἁμέραν.
It turns others in other ways day by day.
§153ὃ μὲν ὄλβιος ἦν, τὸ δ’ ἀπέκρυψεν
θεὸς ἐκ κείνων τῶν ποτε λαμπρῶν· νεύει βίοτος, νεύει δὲ τύχα
κατὰ πνεῦμ’ ἀνέμων.
One indeed was prosperous, but the god hid it from those who were once splendid; life sways, and fortune sways, according to the blast of the winds.
§154〈Α.〉 τὸ ζῆν ἀφέντες τὸ κατὰ γῆς τιμῶσί σου.
A: Having abandoned living, they honor what is of yours under the earth.
〈Β.〉 κενόν γ’· ὅταν γὰρ ζῇ τις, εὐτυχεῖ χρεών.
B: Empty indeed; for when one lives, one must be fortunate.
§155ἀγρεύματα §156ἀμείβεται §157Ἦν Οἰδίπους τὸ πρῶτον εὐδαίμων ἀνήρ §158εἶτ’ ἐγένετ’ αὖθις ἀθλιώτατος βροτῶν.
prey passes through Oedipus was at first a happy man, then again he became the most wretched of mortals.
the gold-backed shield of Capaneus The young suffer together with the young from unseen sickness.
§161ἤρων· τὸ μαίνεσθαι δ’ ἄρ’ ἦν ἔρως βροτοῖς.
They loved; for love after all was madness for mortals.
§162ἀνδρὸς δ’ ὁρῶντος εἰς Κύπριν νεανίου
ἀφύλακτος ἡ τήρησις, ὡς κἂν φαῦλος ᾖ
τἄλλ’, εἰς ἔρωτα πᾶς ἀνὴρ σοφώτατος·
When a young man looks toward Cypris, his guard is defenseless; for even if he is worthless in other things, in love every man is most wise.
ἢν δ’ ἂν προσῆται Κύπρις, ἥδιστον λαβεῖν.
And if Cypris should receive him, it is sweetest to obtain.
§163ἀνδρὸς φίλου δὲ χρυσὸς ἀμαθίας μέτα
ἄχρηστος, εἰ μὴ κἀρετὴν ἔχων τύχοι.
A friend's gold is useless with ignorance, unless he should happen to have virtue as well.
§164ἄριστον ἀνδρὶ κτῆμα συμπαθὴς γυνή.
A sympathetic wife is the best possession for a man.
§165ἄκουσον· οὐ γὰρ οἱ κακῶς πεπραγότες
σὺν ταῖς τύχαισι τοὺς λόγους ἀπώλεσαν.
Listen; for those who have fared badly did not lose their words together with their fortunes.
§166τὸ μῶρον αὐτῷ τοῦ πατρὸς νόσημ’ ἔνι· φιλεῖ γὰρ οὕτως ἐκ κακῶν εἶναι κακούς.
The foolish disease of his father is in him; for it is natural for the bad to be born from the bad in this way.
§167ἡ γὰρ δόκησις πατράσι παῖδας εἰκέναι· τὰ πολλὰ ταύτῃ γίγνεται τέκνων πέρι.
For there is a reputation that children resemble their fathers; many things happen this way regarding children.