§168ὀνόματι μεμπτὸν τὸ νόθον, ἡ φύσις δ’ ἴση.
A bastard is blameworthy in name, but their nature is equal.
§169. . ἐπ’ ἄκραν ἥκομεν γραμμὴν κακῶν.
We have come to the outermost line of evils.
§170οὐκ ἔστι Πειθοῦς ἱερὸν ἄλλο πλὴν λόγος,
καὶ βωμὸς αὐτῆς ἔστ’ ἐν ἀνθρώπου φύσει.
There is no other temple of Persuasion than speech, and her altar is in the nature of man.
§171δεῖ τοῖσι πολλοῖς τὸν τύραννον ἁνδάνειν.
The tyrant must please the multitude.
§172οὔτ’ εἰκὸς ἄρχειν οὔτε χρῆν εἶναι νόμον
τύραννον εἶναι· μωρία δὲ καὶ θέλειν
ὃς τῶν ὁμοῖων βούλεται κρατεῖν μόνος.
It is neither fitting to rule as a tyrant, nor should it be a law; and it is folly even to wish to hold power alone over one's equals.
§173οἰκεῖος ἀνθρώποισι γίγνεσθαι φιλεῖ
πόλεμος ἐν ἀστοῖς, ἢν διχοστατῇ πόλις.
War among fellow citizens is wont to become natural to men, if the city is divided by faction.
§174[μὴ οὖν ἔθελε λυπεῖν σαυτὸν ἐξειδὼς ὅτι
πολλάκι τὸ λυποῦν ὕστερον χαρὰν ἄγει
καὶ τὸ κακὸν ἀγαθοῦ γίγνεται παραίτιον. ] §175ὅστις δὲ πρὸς τὸ πῖπτον εὐλόφως φέρει,
τὸν δαίμον’ οὗτος ἧσσόν ἐστιν ἄθλιος.
[Therefore do not wish to grieve yourself, knowing well that what grieves often brings joy later, and evil becomes a contributing cause of good.] But whoever bears what befalls them submissively, this person is less wretched in their fortune.
§176θάνατος γὰρ ἀνθρώποισι νεικέων τέλος
ἔχει· μαθεῖν δὲ πᾶσίν ἐστιν εὐμαρές.
For death holds the end of strife for men; and to learn this is easy for all.
τίς γὰρ πετραῖον σκόπελον οὐτάζων δορὶ
ὀδύναισι δώσει;
For who, wounding a rocky cliff with a spear, will inflict pain?
τίς δ’ ἀτιμάζων νέκυς,
εἰ μηδὲν αἰσθάνοιντο τῶν παθημάτων;
And who, by insulting a corpse, if they should feel nothing of their sufferings?
§177ὦ παῖ Διώνης, ὡς ἔφυς μέγας θεός,
Διόνυσε, θνητοῖς τ’ οὐδαμῶς ὑποστατός.
O child of Dione, Dionysus, how great a god you were born, and in no way resistible to mortals.
§179Οἰνόῃ
σύγχορτα ναίω πεδία ταῖς τ’ Ἐλευθεραῖς
I dwell in the plains neighboring Oenoe and Eleutherae.
Hysiae She called him Zethus; for she who bore him sought ease for her labor.
§183λαμπρός θ’ ἕκαστος κἀπὶ τοῦτ’ ἐπείγεται
νέμων τὸ πλεῖστον ἡμέρας τούτῳ μέρος,
ἵν’ αὐτὸς αὑτοῦ τυγχάνει κράτιστος ὤν.
Each one is brilliant and hastens toward this, devoting the greatest part of the day to it, where he happens to be at his best.
§184μοῦσάν τιν’ ἄτοπον εἰσάγεις, ἀσύμφορον,
ἀργόν, φίλοινον, χρημάτων ἀτημελῆ.
You introduce a strange Muse, unprofitable, idle, fond of wine, neglectful of wealth.
§185. . . ἀμελεῖς ὧν 〈σε φροντίζειν ἐχρῆν· 〉
ψυχῆς φύσιν 〈γὰρ〉 ὧδε γενναίαν 〈λαχὼν〉
γυναικομίμῳ διαπρέπεις μορφώματι
. . . . . κοὔτ’ ἂν ἀσπίδος κύτει
〈καλῶς〉 ὁμιλήσειας οὔτ’ ἄλλων ὕπερ
νεανικὸν βούλευμά βουλεύσαιό 〈τι〉.
You neglect those things which you ought to care for; for having obtained such a noble nature of soul, you distinguish yourself in a woman-mimicking form... nor could you fitly associate with the hollow of a shield, nor make any manly counsel on behalf of others.
§186πῶς γὰρ σοφὸν τοῦτ’ ἔστιν, ἥτις εὐφυᾶ
λαβοῦσα τέχνη φῶτ’ ἔθηκε χείρονα;
For how is this wise, which art, having taken a well-gifted man, makes him worse?
§187ἀνὴρ γὰρ ὅστις εὖ βίον κεκτημένος
τὰ μὲν κατ’ οἴκους ἀμελίᾳ παρεὶς ἐᾷ,
μολπαῖσι δ’ ἡσθεὶς τοῦτ’ ἀεὶ θηρεύεται,
ἀργὸς μὲν οἴκοις καὶ πόλει γενήσεται,
φίλοισι δ’ οὐδείς· ἡ φύσις γὰρ οἴχεται,
ὅταν γλυκείας ἡδονῆς ἥσσων τις ᾖ.
For a man who, possessing a good livelihood, neglects and lets go the affairs at home through carelessness, and being pleased with songs, always hunts after this, will become idle to his home and city, and nothing to his friends; for one's nature is gone whenever one is conquered by sweet pleasure.
§188ἀλλ’ ἐμοὶ πιθοῦ· παῦσαι μελῳδῶν, πολέμων δ’ εὐμουσίαν
ἄσκει· τοιαῦτ’ ἄειδε καὶ δόξεις φρονεῖν,
σκάπτων, ἀρῶν γῆν, ποιμνίοις ἐπιστατῶν,
ἄλλοις τὰ κομψὰ ταῦτ’ ἀφεὶς σοφίσματα,
ἐξ ὧν κενοῖσιν ἐγκατοικήσεις δόμοις.
But obey me: cease singing, and practice the good music of wars; sing such things and you will seem to be wise, digging, plowing the land, overseeing flocks, leaving these clever subtleties to others, from which you will dwell in empty houses.
§189ἐκ παντὸς ἄν τις πράγματος δισσῶν λόγων
ἀγῶνα θεῖτ’ ἄν, εἰ λέγειν εἴη σοφός.
From any matter one might set up a contest of double arguments, if one were skilled in speaking.
§190λύρα βοῶν. . ῥύσι’ ἐξερρύσατο
The lyre rescued the plunder of the oxen.
§191. . κρεῖσσον ὄλβου κτῆμα §192χρόνος θεῶν τε πνεῦμ’ ἔρως θ’ ὑμνῳδίας §193ὅστις δὲ πράσσει πολλὰ μὴ πράσσειν παρόν,
μῶρος, παρὸν ζῆν ἡδέως ἀπράγμονα.
a possession better than wealth time, and the breath of the gods, and love of song Whoever does many things when it is possible not to do them is foolish, when it is possible to live pleasantly without trouble.
§194ὁ δ’ ἥσυχος φίλοισί τ’ ἀσφαλὴς φίλος
πόλει τ’ ἄριστος.
But the quiet man is a safe friend to his friends, and best for the city.
μὴ τὰ κινδυνεύματα
αἰνεῖτ’· ἐγὼ γὰρ οὔτε ναυτίλον φιλῶ
τολμῶντα λίαν οὔτε προστάτην χθονός.
Do not praise dangerous hazards; for I like neither a sailor who is too daring, nor a leader of the land.
§195ἅπαντα τίκτει χθὼν πάλιν τε λαμβάνει.
The earth gives birth to all things and takes them back again.
§196τοιόσδε θνητῶν τῶν ταλαιπώρων βίος· οὔτ’ εὐτυχεῖ τὸ πάμπαν οὔτε δυστυχεῖ. [εὐδαιμονεῖ τε καὖθις οὐκ εὐδαιμονεῖ. ]
τί δῆτ’ ἐν ὄλβῳ μὴ σαφεῖ βεβηκότες
οὐ ζῶμεν ὡς ἥδιστα μὴ λυπούμενοι;
Such is the life of wretched mortals; it is neither altogether fortunate nor unfortunate. [It is prosperous and again not prosperous.] Why then, having stepped upon uncertain wealth, do we not live as pleasantly as possible without grieving?
§197βροτοῖσιν εὔκρας οὐ γένοιτ’ ἂν ἡδονή.
For mortals, there could be no unmixed pleasure.
§198εἰ δ’ εὐτυχῶν τις καὶ βίον κεκτημένος
μηδὲν δόμοισι τῶν καλῶν πειράσεται,
ἐγὼ μὲν οὔποτ’ αὐτὸν ὄλβιον καλῶ,
φύλακα δὲ μᾶλλον χρημάτων εὐδαίμονα.
If someone, being fortunate and possessing a livelihood, will try nothing of beautiful things in his house, I indeed never call him prosperous, but rather a fortunate guardian of wealth.
§199τὸ δ’ ἀσθενές μου καὶ τὸ θῆλυ σώματος
κακῶς ἐμέμφθης· εἰ γὰρ εὖ φρονεῖν ἔχω,
κρεῖσσον τόδ’ ἐστὶ καρτεροῦ βραχίονος.
You wrongly blamed my weakness and the femininity of my body; for if I have the power to think well, this is better than a strong arm.
§200γνώμαις γὰρ ἀνδρὸς εὖ μὲν οἰκοῦνται πόλεις,
εὖ δ’ οἶκος, εἴς τ’ αὖ πόλεμον ἰσχύει μέγα· σοφὸν γὰρ ἓν βούλευμα τὰς πολλὰς χέρας
νικᾷ, σὺν ὄχλῳ δ’ ἀμαθία πλεῖστον κακόν.
For by the wisdom of a man, cities are well administered, and so is a household, and again it is of great strength for war; for one wise counsel conquers many hands, but ignorance with a crowd is the greatest evil.
§201καὶ μὴν ὅσοι μὲν σαρκὸς εἰς εὐεξίαν
ἀσκοῦσι βίοτον, ἢν σφαλῶσι χρημάτων,
κακοὶ πολῖται· δεῖ γὰρ ἄνδρ’ εἰθισμένον
ἀκόλαστον ἦθος γαστρὸς ἐν ταὐτῷ μένειν.
Indeed, as many as train their life for the good condition of the flesh, if they fail of wealth, are bad citizens; for a man accustomed to an undisciplined habit of the stomach must remain in the same state.
§202ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ᾄδοιμι καὶ λέγοιμί τι
σοφόν, ταράσσων μηδὲν ὧν πόλις νοσεῖ.
Therefore, I would sing and say something wise, disturbing nothing of the things with which the city is sick.
§203ἔνδον δὲ θαλάμοις βουκόλον. . . . κομῶντα κισσῷ στῦλον εὐίου θεοῦ.
and inside the chambers, a herdsman... a pillar of the joyful god, long-haired with ivy.
§204πόλλ’ ἔστιν ἀνθρώποισιν, ὦ ξένοι, κακά.
There are many evils for men, O strangers.