§293τιμή σ’ ἐπαίρει τῶν πέλας μεῖζον φρονεῖν.
Honor lifts you up to think bigger than your neighbors.
θνήσκοιμ’ ἄν· οὐ γὰρ ἄξιον λεύσσειν φάος
κακοὺς ὁρῶντας ἐκδίκως τιμωμένους.
I would rather die; for it is not worth looking at the light while seeing evil men honored unjustly.
§294φθονοῦσιν αὐτοὶ χείρονες πεφυκότες· εἰς τἀπίσημα δ’ ὁ φθόνος πηδᾶν φιλεῖ.
They themselves, being born worse, envy; and envy loves to leap upon things that are prominent.
§295ἤδη γὰρ εἶδον καὶ δίκης παραστάτας
ἐσθλοὺς πονηρῷ τῷ φθόνῳ νικωμένους.
For already I have seen even noble defenders of justice conquered by evil envy.
§296ἀνὴρ δὲ χρηστὸς χρηστὸν οὐ μισεῖ ποτε,
κακὸς κακῷ δὲ συντέτηκεν ἡδονῇ· φιλεῖ δὲ θοὑμόφυλον ἀνθρώπους ἄγειν.
But a good man never hates a good man, while a bad man is melted together with a bad man in pleasure; and the like-natured loves to lead men.
§297ὡς ἔμφυτος μὲν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις κάκη· ὅστις δὲ πλεῖστον μισθὸν εἰς χεῖρας λαβὼν
κακὸς γένηται, τῷδε συγγνώμη μὲν οὔ,
πλείω δὲ μισθὸν μείζονος τόλμης ἔχων
τὸν τῶν ψεγόντων ῥᾷον ἂν φέροι λόγον.
Since vice is inborn in all men; but whoever becomes bad after receiving the greatest reward into his hands, for this man there is no pardon, yet having more reward for greater daring, he would more easily bear the speech of those who blame him.
§298οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο τραῦμ’, ἐάν τις ἐγξέσῃ
θάμνοις ἑλείοις, οὐδ’ ἂν ἐκ μητρὸς κακῆς
ἐσθλοὶ γένοιντο παῖδες εἰς ἀλκὴν δορός.
No wound would occur if someone scrapes marshy bushes, nor from a bad mother would noble children be born for the strength of the spear.
§299πρὸς τὴν ἀνάγκην πάντα τἄλλ’ ἔστ’ ἀσθενῆ.
Against necessity, all other things are weak.
§300οἴμοι·
Alas!
τί δ’ οἴμοι;
But why "alas"?
θνητά τοι πεπόνθαμεν.
We have suffered what is mortal.
§301ὁρᾷς δ’ ἀέλπτους μυρίων ἀναστροφάς· πολλοὶ μὲν οἶδμα διέφυγον θαλάσσιον,
πολλοὶ δὲ λόγχαις πολεμίων ἀμείνονες
ἥσσους γεγῶτες κρείσσον’ ἦλθον εἰς τύχην.
And you see unexpected reversals of myriad people; many indeed escaped the sea swell, and many who were better than the spears of the enemies but became inferior, came into a better fortune.
§302θάρσος δὲ πρὸς τὰς συμφορὰς μέγα σθένει.
Courage against misfortunes has great strength.
§303οὐδέποτ’ εὐτυχίαν κακοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὑπέρφρονά τ’ ὄλβον
βέβαιον εἰκάσαι χρεών,
οὐδ’ ἀδίκων γενεάν· ὁ γὰρ οὐδενὸς ἐκφὺς
χρόνος δικαίους ἐπάγων κανόνας
δείκνυσιν ἀνθρώπων κακότητας ἐμοί.
Never should one deem the good fortune of a bad man and his arrogant wealth to be secure, nor the offspring of the unjust; for Time, born of no one, bringing just measures, shows the wickedness of men to me.
§304ποῦ δή τὸ σαφὲς θνατοῖσι βιοτᾶς;
Where indeed is certainty in life for mortals?
θοαῖσι μὲν ναυσὶ πόρον πνοαὶ κατὰ βένθος ἅλιον
ἰθύνουσι· τύχας δὲ θνητῶν
τὸ μὲν μέγ’ εἰς οὐδὲν ὁ πολὺς χρόνος
μεθίστησι, τὸ δὲ μεῖον αὔξων
Breaths of wind guide the path for swift ships through the sea depth; but the fortune of mortals is shifted by long time, turning what is great into nothing, and increasing what is smaller.
§305καὶ ξεστὸν ὄχθον Δαναϊδῶν ἑδρασμάτων
στὰς ἐν μέσοισιν εἶπε κηρύκων. .
And standing in the midst of the polished mound of the Danaid dwellings, he spoke of the heralds...
§306ἄγ’, ὦ φίλον μοι Πηγάσου πτερόν.
Come, O my dear wing of Pegasus.
. §307ἴθι χρυσοχάλιν’ αἴρων πτέρυγας
Go, raising gold-bridled wings.
§308πάρες, ὦ σκιερὰ φυλλάς, ὑπερβῶ· κρηναῖα νάπη· τὸν ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς
αἰθέρ’ ἰδέσθαι σπεύδω, τίν’ ἔχει
στάσιν Εἰνοδία.
Let me pass, O shady foliage, that I may cross over; spring-fed glens; I hasten to see the upper air above my head, what position Einodia holds.
§309ἔπτησσ’ ὑπείκων μᾶλλον, εἰ μᾶλλον θέλοι
I cowered, yielding more, if he wished more.
§310κομίζετ’ εἴσω τόνδε τὸν δυσδαίμονα.
Carry this unfortunate man inside.
§311ἦσθ’ εἰς θεοὺς μὲν εὐσεβής, ὅτ’ ἦσθ’, ἀεὶ
ξένοις τ’ ἐπήρκεις οὐδ’ ἔκαμνες εἰς φίλους.
You were pious towards the gods, when you existed, and always assisted guests, nor did you grow weary towards friends.
§312ὑφ’ ἅρματ’ ἐλθὼν Ζηνὸς ἀστραπηφορεῖ.
Having gone under the chariot of Zeus, he carries the lightning.
§313δούλῳ γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τε τἀληθῆ λέγειν,
εἰ δεσπόταισι μὴ πρέποντα τυγχάνοι.
For it is not possible for a slave to speak the truth, if it should happen to be unsuitable for his masters.
§314ἁγνίσαι §315ἀτρεκήσασα §316γύναι, καλὸν μὲν φέγγος ἡλίου τόδε,
καλὸν δὲ πόντου χεῦμ’ ἰδεῖν εὐήνεμον,
γῆ τ’ ἠρινὸν θάλλουσα πλούσιόν θ’ ὕδωρ,
πολλῶν τ’ ἔπαινον ἔστι μοι λέξαι καλῶν· ἀλλ’ οὐδὲν οὕτω λαμπρὸν οὐδ’ ἰδεῖν καλὸν
ὡς τοῖς ἄπαισι καὶ πόθῳ δεδηγμένοις
παίδων νεογνῶν ἐν δόμοις ἰδεῖν θάλος.
to purify having ascertained accurately Woman, beautiful indeed is this light of the sun, and beautiful to see the calm swell of the sea, and the earth blooming in spring, and rich water, and I could speak praise of many beautiful things; but nothing is so bright nor beautiful to see as for those who are childless and bitten by longing to see in their halls the blossom of newborn children.
§317καὶ νῦν παραινῶ πᾶσι τοῖς νεωτέροις
μὴ πρὸς τὸ γῆρας ἀναβολὰς ποιουμένους
σχολῇ τεκνοῦσθαι παῖδας· οὐ γὰρ ἡδονή,
γυναικί τ’ ἐχθρὸν χρῆμα πρεσβύτης ἀνήρ· ἀλλ’ ὡς τάχιστα.
And now I advise all the younger people not to make delays until old age and beget children slowly; for it is no pleasure, and an old husband is a hateful thing for a wife; but as quickly as possible.
καὶ γὰρ ἐκτροφαὶ καλαὶ
καὶ συννεάζων ἡδὺ παῖς νέῳ πατρί.
For indeed the upbringings are noble, and a child growing young together is sweet to a young father.
§318γυνὴ γὰρ ἐξελθοῦσα πατρῴων δόμων
οὐ τῶν τεκόντων ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ λέχους· τὸ δ’ ἄρσεν ἕστηκ’ ἐν δόμοις ἀεὶ γένος
θεῶν πατρῴων καὶ τάφων τιμάορον.
For a woman having gone out of her paternal home belongs not to those who begot her, but to the marriage bed; but the male race stands always in the halls, a protector of paternal gods and graves.
§319συμμαρτυρῶ σοι· πανταχοῦ λελείμμεθα
πᾶσαι γυναῖκες ἀρσένων ἀεὶ δίχα.
I bear witness with you; everywhere we, all women, are always left behind apart from men.
§320οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε τεῖχος οὔτε χρήματα
οὔτ’ ἄλλο δυσφύλακτον οὐδὲν ὡς γυνή.
There is neither wall nor wealth nor any other thing so difficult to guard as a woman.
§321ἦν γάρ τις αἶνος, ὡς γυναιξὶ μὲν τέχναι
μέλουσι, λόγχῃ δ’ ἄνδρες εὐστοχώτεροι.
For there was a certain tale, that women care for devices, but men are more accurate with the spear.
εἰ γὰρ δόλοισιν ἦν τὸ νικητήριον,
ἡμεῖς ἂν ἀνδρῶν εἴχομεν τυραννίδα.
For if the victory belonged to deceits, we would hold tyranny over men.
§322ἔρως γὰρ ἀργὸν κἀπὶ τοιούτοις ἔφυ· φιλεῖ κάτοπτρα καὶ κόμης ξανθίσματα,
φεύγει δὲ μόχθους.
For love is by nature idle and born for such things; it loves mirrors and the dyeing of hair yellow, but flees labors.
ἓν δέ μοι τεκμήριον· οὐδεὶς προσαιτῶν βίοτον ἠράσθη βροτῶν,
ἐν τοῖς δ’ ἔχουσιν ἡβητὴς πέφυχ’ ὅδε.
And here is one proof for me: no mortal begging for livelihood has fallen in love, but this god is youthful among those who have wealth.
§323τάχ’ ἂν πρὸς ἀγκάλαισι καὶ στέρνοις ἐμοῖς
πηδῶν ἀθύροι καὶ φιλημάτων ὄχλῳ
ψυχὴν ἐμὴν κτήσαιτο· ταῦτα γὰρ βροτοῖς
φίλτρον μέγιστον, αἱ ξυνουσίαι, πάτερ.
Perhaps leaping to my arms and chest he would play, and with a crowd of kisses acquire my soul; for these, associations, are the greatest love-charm for mortals, father.
§324ὦ χρυσέ, δεξίωμα κάλλιστον βροτοῖς,
ὡς οὔτε μήτηρ ἡδονὰς τοίας ἔχει,
οὐ παῖδες ἀνθρώποισιν, οὐ φίλος πατήρ,
οἵας σὺ χοὶ σὲ δώμασιν κεκτημένοι.
O gold, most beautiful welcome-gift for mortals, since neither a mother has such pleasures, nor children for men, nor a dear father, as you and those possessing you in their dwellings.
εἰ δ’ ἡ Κύπρις τοιοῦτον ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρᾷ,
οὐ θαῦμ’ ἔρωτας μυρίους αὐτὴν τρέφειν.
And if Cypris looks with such a look in her eyes, it is no wonder she nurtures myriad loves.