§449ἐχρῆν γὰρ ἡμᾶς σύλλογον ποιουμένους
τὸν φύντα θρηνεῖν εἰς ὅσ’ ἔρχεται κακά,
τὸν δ’ αὖ θανόντα καὶ πόνων πεπαυμένον
χαίροντας εὐφημοῦντας ἐκπέμπειν δόμων.
For we ought, gathering together, to mourn the newborn for all the evils into which he comes, but on the other hand, to escort the deceased, who has ceased from labors, out of the house with joy and words of good omen.
§450εἰ μὲν γὰρ οἰκεῖ νερτέρας ὑπὸ χθονὸς
ἐν τοῖσιν οὐκέτ’ οὖσιν, οὐδὲν ἂν σθένοι.
For if he dwells beneath the nether earth among those who are no longer, he would have no strength.
§451εἰ γάρ σ’ ἔμελλεν, ὡς σὺ φής, κτείνειν πόσις,
χρῆν καὶ σὲ μέλλειν, ὡς χόλος παρήλυθεν.
For if your husband was about to kill you, as you say, you too ought to have waited, since his anger has passed.
§452ἐκεῖνο γὰρ πέπονθ’ ὅπερ πάντες βροτοί· φιλῶν μάλιστ’ ἐμαυτὸν οὐκ αἰσχύνομαι.
For I have experienced that which all mortals experience: I am not ashamed of loving myself most of all.
§453στρ. Εἰρήνα βαθύπλουτε καὶ
καλλίστα μακάρων θεῶν,
ζῆλός μοι σέθεν ὡς χρονίζεις.
[str.] Peace, rich in wealth and most beautiful of the blessed gods, I long for you, how you delay!
δέδοικα δὲ μὴ πρὶν πόνοις
ὑπερβάλῃ με γῆρας,
πρὶν σὰν χαρίεσσαν προσιδεῖν ὥραν
καὶ καλλιχόρους ἀοιδὰς
φιλοστεφάνους τε κώμους. ἴθι μοι, πότνα, πόλιν.
I fear lest old age should overwhelm me with troubles before I can look upon your graceful season, and songs of beautiful dances, and crown-loving revels.
ἀντ. τὰν δ’ ἐχθρὰν στάσιν εἶργ’ ἀπ’ οἴκῶν τὰν μαινομέναν τ’ ἔριν
θηκτῷ τερπομέναν σιδάρῳ.
Come to my city, revered lady. [ant.] Keep away from our homes hateful faction and raging strife that delights in sharpened iron.
§454τεθνᾶσι παῖδες οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνῃ βροτῶν
οὐδ’ ἀνδρὸς ἐστερήμεθ’, ἀλλὰ μυρίαι
τὸν αὐτὸν ἐξήντλησαν ὡς ἐγὼ βίον.
Children have died not to me alone among mortals, nor have I alone been deprived of a husband, but countless women have drained the same life as I.
§455καὶ δὶς ἕπτ’ αὐτῆς τέκνα
Νιόβης θανόντα Λοξίου τοξεύμασιν
And even Niobe's own twice-seven children died by the arrows of Loxias.
§456ὠνητέραν δὴ τήνδ’ ἐγὼ δίδωμί σοι
πληγήν
Indeed, I give you this more costly blow.
§457αἰδὼς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσι γίγνεται, τέκνον.
Shame, my child, arises in the eyes.
§458αἱ τύχαι δέ με
μισθὸν λαβοῦσαι τῶν ἐμῶν τὰ φίλτατα
σοφὴν ἔθηκαν.
But my fortunes, taking the dearest of my possessions as their payment, have made me wise.
§459κέρδη τοιαῦτα χρή τινα κτᾶσθαι βροτῶν,
ἐφ’ οἶσι μέλλει μήποθ’ ὕστερον στένειν.
A mortal ought to acquire such gains as he is never going to lament afterwards.
§460λύπη μὲν ἄτῃ περιπεσεῖν αἰσχρᾷ τινι· εἰ δ’ οὖν γένοιτο, χρὴ περιστεῖλαι καλῶς
κρύπτοντα καὶ μὴ πᾶσι κηρύσσειν τάδε· γέλως γὰρ ἐχθροῖς γίγνεται τὰ τοιάδε.
It is painful to fall into some shameful ruin; but if indeed it should happen, one must cloak it well, hiding it and not proclaiming these things to everyone; for such things become a laughingstock to enemies.
§461οὐκ ἂν δύναιο μὴ καμὼν εὐδαιμονεῖν,
αἰσχρόν τε μοχθεῖν μὴ θέλειν νεανίαν.
You could not be happy without having toiled, and it is a shameful thing for a young man to be unwilling to labor.
§462ἐπίσταμαι δὲ καὶ πεπείραμαι λίαν
ὡς τῶν ἐχόντων πάντες ἄνθρωποι φίλοι.
And I know and have experienced only too well that all men are friends of those who have.
§463οὐ γάρ ποτ’ ἄνδρα τὸν σοφὸν γυναικὶ χρὴ
δοῦναι χαλινοὺς οὐδ’ ἀφέντ’ ἐᾶν κρατεῖν· πιστὸν γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστιν·
For never should a wise man give the reins to a woman, nor release her and allow her to rule; for there is nothing trustworthy.
εἰ δέ τις κυρεῖ
γυναικὸς ἐσθλῆς, εὐτυχεῖ κακὸν λαβών.
But if anyone happens upon a noble wife, he is fortunate, though having acquired an evil.
§464γαμεῖτε νῦν, γαμεῖτε, κᾆτα θνῄσκετε
ἢ φαρμάκοισιν ἐκ γυναικὸς ἢ δόλοις.
Marry now, marry, and then die either by poisons from a wife or by her deceits.
§465〈Ἅιδης〉 κρινεῖ ταῦτ’.
Hades will judge these things.
§466ἐγὼ χάριν σὴν παῖδά σου κατακτάνω;
Shall I, for your sake, kill your child?
§467τί γὰρ ποθεῖ τράπεζα;
For what does the table lack?
τῷ δ’ οὐ βρίθεται;
With what is it not weighed down?
πλήρης μὲν ὄψων ποντίων, πάρεισι δὲ
μόσχων τέρειναι σάρκες ἀρνεία τε δαὶς
καὶ πεπτὰ καὶ κροτητὰ τῆς ξουθοπτέρου
πελάνῳ μελίσσης ἀφθόνως δεδευμένα.
It is full of sea delicacies, and there are present tender meats of calves, and a feast of lamb, and baked and beaten cakes abundantly soaked in the liquid of the golden-winged bee.
§468τὰ δ’ ἄλλα χαῖρε κύλικος ἑρπούσης κύκλῳ.
For the rest, rejoice, as the cup goes round in a circle.
§469νόμος δὲ 〈δείπνου〉 λείψαν’ ἐκβάλλειν κυσίν.
And it is the custom to throw the remnants of the feast to the dogs.
§470πρὶν ἂν. .
until...
ἐκφλῆναί με καὶ μαθεῖν λόγον §471ἀλλ’ ὦ Κρῆτες, Ἴδης τέκνα §472Φοινικογενοῦς [παῖ τῆς Τυρίας] τέκνον Εὐρώπης
καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Ζηνός, ἀνάσσων
Κρήτης ἑκατομπτολιέθρου· ἥκω ζαθέους ναοὺς προλιπών,
οὓς αὐθιγενὴς τμηθεῖσα δοκὸς
στεγανοὺς παρέχει Χαλύβῳ πελέκει
καὶ ταυροδέτῳ κόλλῃ κραθεῖσ’
ἀτρεκεῖς ἁρμοὺς κυπαρίσσου.
I pour out and learn the story But O Cretans, children of Ida Child of Phoenician-born Europa and of great Zeus, lord of hundred-citied Crete: I have come, leaving the sacred temples, which the native-grown beam of cypress, cut by Chalybian axe and mixed with bull-bound glue, provides as a watertight roof with precise joints.
ἁγνὸν δὲ βίον τείνων ἐξ οὗ
Διὸς Ἰδαίου μύστης γενόμην,
καὶ νυκτιπόλου Ζαγρέως βροντὰς
τοὺς ὠμοφάγους δαίτας τελέσας
μητρί τ’ ὀρείῳ δᾷδας ἀνασχὼν
καὶ κουρήτων
βάκχος ἐκλήθην ὁσιωθείς.
And leading a pure life since I became an initiate of Idaean Zeus, and having performed the thunders of night-wandering Zagreus and his feasts of raw flesh, and having raised torches for the Mountain Mother, I was consecrated and named a Bacchos of the Kouretes.
πάλλευκα δ’ ἔχων εἵματα φεύγω
γένεσίν τε βροτῶν καὶ νεκροθήκης
οὐ χριμπτόμενος τήν τ’ ἐμψύχων
βρῶσιν ἐδεστῶν πεφύλαγμαι.
Wearing all-white garments, I flee the birth of mortals, and not drawing near to tombs, I have guarded myself against the eating of food that has had life.
§473φαῦλον ἄκομψον, τὰ μέγιστ’ ἀγαθόν,
πᾶσαν ἐν ἔργῳ περιτεμνόμενον
σοφίαν, λέσχης ἀτρίβωνα
Simple, unrefined, but outstandingly good, cutting down all wisdom to action, unpracticed in idle talk.
§474πόνος γάρ, ὡς λέγουσιν, εὐκλείας πατήρ.
For labor, as they say, is the father of glorious reputation.
§475τὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης οὐ λέγειν ὅσον ζυγόν.
Not to say how great is the yoke of necessity.
§476Τευθράντιον δὲ σχῆμα Μυσίας χθονός
And the Teuthrantian region of the Mysian land.
§477δέσποτα φιλόδαφνε Βάκχε, παιὰν Ἄπολλον εὔλυρε
O laurel-loving lord Bacchus, O well-lyred Paean Apollo.
to rave under the influence of the Thriae Zeus, whoever Zeus may be, for I know him not except by report.
§481Ζεύς, ὡς λέλεκται τῆς ἀληθείας ὕπο,
Ἕλλην’ ἔτικτεν
Zeus, as it has been said by the truth, begot Hellen.
§482ἢ πρῶτα μὲν τὰ θεῖα προυμαντεύσατο
χρησμοῖσι σαφέσιν ἀστέρων ἐπ’ ἀντολαῖς
Or who first prophesied divine things through clear oracles upon the risings of the stars.
§483Aristophanes Lysistr. 1124:
ἐγὼ γυνὴ μέν εἰμι, νοῦς δ’ ἔνεστί μοι· αὐτὴ δ’ ἐμαυτῆς οὐ κακῶς γνώμης ἔχω· τοὺς δ’ ἐκ πατρός τε καὶ γεραιτέρων λόγους
πολλοὺς ἀκούσασ’ οὐ μεμούσωμαι κἀκῶς.
I am indeed a woman, but mind is in me; and I am not of poor judgment in myself; having heard many discourses from my father and elders, I am not poorly educated.