§362ὀρθῶς μ’ ἐπήρου· βούλομαι δὲ σοί, τέκνον,
φρονεῖς γὰρ ἤδη κἀποσῴσαι’ ἂν πατρὸς
γνώμας φράσαντος, ἢν θάνω, παραινέσαι
κειμήλι’ ἐσθλὰ καὶ νέοισι χρήσιμα.
You have questioned me correctly; and I wish, my child, since you already have understanding and could preserve your father's thoughts if I die, to advise you on noble treasures, useful also for the young.
βραχεῖ δὲ μύθῳ πολλὰ συλλαβὼν ἐρῶ.
I will speak, gathering much into a brief discourse.
πρῶτον φρένας μὲν ἠπίους ἔχειν χρεών· τῷ πλουσίῳ τε τῷ τε μὴ διδοὺς μέρος
ἴσον σεαυτὸν εὐσεβεῖν πᾶσιν δίδου.
First, one must have a gentle mind; do not give an equal share to the rich man and to the one who is not, but give yourself in piety to all.
δυοῖν παρόντοιν πραγμάτοιν πρὸς θάτερον
γνώμην προσάπτων τὴν ἐναντίαν μέθες.
When two courses of action are present, if you attach your mind to one, dismiss the opposite.
ἀδίκως δὲ μὴ κτῶ χρήματ’, ἢν βούλῃ πολὺν
χρόνον μελάθροις ἐμμένειν· τὰ γὰρ κακῶς
οἴκους ἐσελθόντ’ οὐκ ἔχει σωτηρίαν.
Do not acquire wealth unjustly, if you wish to remain in your halls for a long time; for things that enter houses badly have no safety.
ἔχειν δὲ πειρῶ· τοῦτο γὰρ τό τ’ εὐγενὲς
καὶ τοὺς γάμους δίδωσι τοὺς πρώτους ἔχειν.
But try to possess; for this gives both noble birth and the power to have the first marriages.
ἐν τῷ πένεσθαι δ’ ἐστὶν ἥ τ’ ἀδοξία,
κἂν ᾖ σοφός τις, ἥ τ’ ἀτιμία βίου.
For in poverty there is both ill-repute, even if one is wise, and the dishonor of life.
φίλους δὲ τοὺς μὲν μὴ χαλῶντας ἐν λόγοις
κέκτησο· τοὺς δὲ πρὸς χάριν σὺν ἡδονῇ
τῇ σῇ πονηροὺς κλῇθρον εἰργέτω στέγης.
Acquire friends who do not slacken in their words; but as for those who are wicked, pleasing you for your favor, let the bar of the roof bar them from the house.
ὁμιλίας δὲ τὰς γεραιτέρων φίλει,
ἀκόλαστα δ’ ἤθη λαμπρὰ συγγελᾶν μόνον
μίσει· βραχεῖα τέρψις ἡδονῆς κακῆς.
Love the company of older men, and hate unbridled characters that are brilliant only for laughing together; brief is the enjoyment of evil pleasure.
ἐξουσίᾳ δὲ μήποτ’ ἐντρυφῶν, τέκνον,
αἰσχροὺς ἔρωτας δημοτῶν διωκαθεῖν. ὃ καὶ σίδηρον ἀγχόνας τ’ ἐφέλκεται,
χρηστῶν πενήτων ἤν τις αἰσχύνῃ τέκνα.
Never, my child, abuse power to pursue the shameful lusts of fellow citizens, which brings both the sword and hangings, if anyone dishonors the children of worthy poor men.
καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς μήποτ’ αὔξαν’ ἐν πόλει· κακοὶ γὰρ ἐμπλησθέντες ἢ νομίσματος
ἢ πόλεος ἐμπεσόντες εἰς ἀρχήν τινα
σκριτῶσιν, ἀδόκητ’ εὐτυχησάντων δόμων.
And never increase the wicked in the city; for bad men, when filled with money or falling into some office of the city, leap about, like houses that have succeeded unexpectedly.
ἀλλ’ ὦ τέκνον μοι δὸς χέρ’, ὡς θίγῃ πατήρ,
καὶ χαῖρ’· ὑπ’ αἰδοῦς δ’ οὐ λίαν ἀσπάζομαι· γυναικόφρων γὰρ θυμὸς ἀνδρὸς οὐ σοφοῦ.
But, my child, give me your hand, so that your father may touch it, and farewell; but out of modesty I do not embrace you too much; for a womanish mind belongs to a man who is not wise.
§363εἷς μὲν λόγος μοι δεῦρ’ ἀεὶ περαίνεται.
One argument is always completed for me up to this point.
§364ἐκ τῶν πόνων τοι τἀγάθ’ αὔξεται βροτοῖς. [ὁ δ’ ἡδὺς αἰὼν ἡ κακή τ’ ἀνανδρία
οὔτ’ οἶκον οὔτε πόλιν ἀνορθώσειεν ἄν. ] §365αἰδοῦς δὲ καὐτὸς δυσκρίτως ἔχω πέρι· καὶ δεῖ γὰρ αὐτῆς κἄστιν αὖ κακὸν μέγα.
Indeed, from labors good things increase for mortals. [And a sweet life and evil unmanliness would restore neither a house nor a city.] And I myself have difficulty judging about modesty; for there is need of it, and yet on the other hand it is a great evil.
§366τοὐνθένδ’ ἀπίχθυς βαρβάρους οἰκεῖν δοκῶ
From here on, I think that barbarians who dislike fish dwell.
§367ἐν ἀστρώτῳ πέδῳ
εὕδουσι, πηγαῖς δ’ οὐχ ὑγραίνουσιν πόδας.
They sleep on unstrewn ground, and do not wet their feet in springs.
§368μίασμα δρυός
The pollution of an oak.
§369κείσθω δόρυ μοι μίτον ἀμφιπλέκειν ἀράχναις,
μετὰ δ’ ἡσυχίας πολιῷ γήρᾳ συνοικοίην· ἀείδοιμι δὲ στεφάνοις κάρα πολιὸν στεφανώσας
Θρηίκιον πέλταν πρὸς Ἀθάνας
περικίοσιν ἀγκρεμάσας θαλάμοις
δέλτων τ’ ἀναπτύσσοιμι γῆρυν
ἂν σοφοὶ κλέονται.
Let my spear lie for spiders to weave their threads around, and may I dwell together with quietness in grey old age; and may I sing, crowning my grey head with wreaths, hanging up the Thracian shield in the pillared chambers of Athena, and may I unfold the voice of the tablets which the wise celebrate.
§371πέμπεις δ’ ἐς Ἅιδου ζῶντα κοὐ τεθνηκότα,
καί μοι τὸ τέρθρον δῆλον εἰσπορεύομαι.
And you send me to Hades living and not dead, and I enter that place whose limit is clear to me.
§372οὐκ ἔστιν, ὦ γεραιέ, μὴ δείσῃς τάδε· τὰ Δαιδάλεια πάντα κινεῖσθαι δοκεῖ
λέγειν τ’ ἀγάλμαθ’· ὧδ’ ἀνὴρ κεῖνος σοφός.
It is not so, old man, do not fear these things; all the works of Daedalus seem to move and speak; so wise was that man.
§373πᾶς δ’ ἐξεθέρισεν ὥστε πύρινον 〈στάχυν〉
σπάθῃ κολούων φασγάνου μελανδέτου.
And everyone mowed down like a harvest of wheat, cutting them down with the blade of a black-bound sword.
§374ἢ κύαθον ἢ χαλκήλατον
ἡθμὸν προσίσχων τοῖσδε τοῖς ὑπωπίοις
Applying either a cup or a bronze-forged strainer to these bruised eyes.
§375πιστὸν μὲν οὖν εἶναι χρὴ τὸν διάκονον
τοιοῦτον εἶναι καὶ στέγειν τὰ δεσποτῶν.
Therefore, the servant must indeed be faithful and such as to keep the secrets of his masters.
§376οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅτῳ χρὴ κανόνι τὰς βροτῶν τύχας
ὀρθῶς σταθμήσαντ’ εἰδέναι τὸ δραστέον.
I do not know by what rule one must correctly weigh the fortunes of mortals and know what is to be done.
§377μάτην δὲ θνητοὶ τοὺς νόθους φεύγουσ’ ἄρα
παῖδας φυτεύειν· ὃς γὰρ ἂν χρηστὸς φύῃ,
οὐ τοὔνομ’ αὐτοῦ τὴν φύσιν διαφθερεῖ.
In vain, then, do mortals avoid begetting illegitimate children; for whoever is born noble, his name will not ruin his nature.
§378νῦν δ’ ἤν τις οἴκων πλουσίαν ἔχῃ φάτνην,
πρῶτος γέγραπται τῶν τ’ ἀμεινόνων κρατεῖ· τὰ δ’ ἔργ’ ἐλάσσω χρημάτων νομίζομεν.
But now, if anyone has a rich manger in his house, he is recorded as first and rules over better men; and we consider deeds of less value than wealth.
§379σκύφος τε μακρός
And a long cup.
§380Ταρτάρειος
Of Tartarus.
§381σχεδὸν παρ’ αὐτοῖς κρασπέδοις Εὐρωπίας
Near the very borders of Europe.
§382ἐγὼ πέφυκα γραμμάτων μὲν οὐκ ἴδρις,
μορφὰς δὲ λέξω καὶ σαφῆ τεκμήρια.
I am indeed not skilled in letters, but I will describe the shapes and clear signs.
κύκλος τις ὡς τόρνοισιν ἐκμετρούμενος,
οὗτος δ’ ἔχει σημεῖον ἐν μέσῳ σαφές·
First, there is a circle measured out as if by compasses, and this has a clear mark in the middle.
τὸ δεύτερον δὲ πρῶτα μὲν γραμμαὶ δύο,
ταύτας διείργει δ’ ἐν μέσαις ἄλλη μία·
The second is first of all two lines, and another single one separates them in the middle.
τρίτον δὲ βόστρυχός τις ὥς εἱλιγμένος·
The third is like a curled lock of hair.
τὸ δ’ αὖ τέταρτον ἢ μὲν εἰς ὀρθὸν μία,
λοξαὶ δ’ ἐπ’ αὐτῆς τρεῖς κατεστηριγμέναι
εἰσίν·
The fourth, again, is one line going straight up, and three slanted ones are supported upon it.
τὸ πέμπτον δ’ οὐκ ἐν εὐμαρεῖ φράσαι· γραμμαὶ γάρ εἰσιν ἐκ διεστώτων δύο,
αὗται δὲ συντρέχουσιν εἰς μίαν βάσιν·
The fifth is not easy to describe; for there are two lines starting apart, and these run together into one base.
τὸ λοίσθιον δὲ τῷ τρίτῳ προσεμφερές.
The last is very similar to the third.