§640. . . ἀνθρώπων δὲ μαίνονται φρένες,
δαπάνας ὅταν θανοῦσι πέμπωσιν κενάς.
...the minds of men are mad, when they send empty expenditures to those who are dead.
§641πλουτεῖς, τὰ δ’ ἄλλα μὴ δόκει ξυνιέναι· ἐν τῷ γὰρ ὄλβῳ φαυλότης ἔνεστί τις,
πενία δὲ σοφίαν ἔλαχε διὰ τὸ συγγενές.
You are rich, but do not think you understand other things; for in wealth there is a certain baseness, but poverty has obtained wisdom by lot through its kinship with it.
§642οὐ γὰρ παρὰ κρατῆρα καὶ θοίνην μόνον
τὰ χρήματ’ ἀνθρώποισιν ἡδονὰς ἔχει,
ἀλλ’ ἐν κακοῖσι δύναμιν οὐ μικρὰν φέρει.
For wealth does not bring pleasures to men only beside the mixing-bowl and feast, but in times of evil it brings no small power.
§643βαρὺ τὸ φόρημ’ οἴησις ἀνθρώπου κακοῦ.
The conceit of a wicked man is a heavy burden to bear.
§644ὅταν κακός τις ἐν πόλει πράσσῃ καλῶς,
νοσεῖν τίθησι τὰς ἀμεινόνων φρένας,
παράδειγμ’ ἐχόντων τὴν κακῶν ἐξουσίαν.
When a wicked man fares well in the city, he makes the minds of better men fall ill, since they have the power of the wicked as an example.
§645συγγνώμονάς τοι τοὺς θεοὺς εἶναι δόκει,
ὅταν τις ὅρκῳ θάνατον ἐκφυγεῖν θέλῃ
ἢ δεσμὸν ἢ βίαια πολεμίων κακά,
ἢ παισὶν αὐθένταισι κοινωνῇ δόμων.
Believe that the gods are indeed forgiving when someone wishes to escape death or imprisonment or the violent evils of enemies by an oath, or when someone shares a home with children who are murderers.
ἤτἄρα θνητῶν εἰσιν ἀσυνετώτεροι
ἢ τἀπιεικῆ πρόσθεν ἡγοῦνται δίκης.
Otherwise they are indeed more foolish than mortals, or they esteem fairness before justice.
to slander And you are called my worthy son-in-law, having lived with my child.
§648οὐ γὰρ θέμις βέβηλον ἅπτεσθαι δόμων
For it is not lawful for the profane to touch the house.
§649πέπονθεν οἷα καὶ σὲ καὶ πάντας μένει.
He has suffered such things as await both you and all people.
§650πόλλ’ ἐλπίδες ψεύδουσι καὶ λόγοι βροτούς.
Many hopes and speeches deceive mortals.
§651οὐ θαῦμ’ ἔλεξας θνητὸν ὄντα δυστυχεῖν.
You spoke of no wonder, that a mortal should be unfortunate.
§652ὦ παῖδες οἷον φίλτρον ἀνθρώποις φρενός
O children, what a love-charm you are to the minds of men!
§653κοινὸν γὰρ εἶναι χρῆν γυναικεῖον λέχος.
For the marriage-bed of women ought to have been common.
§654δυοῖν λεγόντοιν, θατέρου θυμουμένου,
ὁ μὴ ἀντιτείνων τοῖς λόγοις σοφώτερος.
When two are speaking, and one is angry, he who does not stretch back with words is wiser.
§655οὐκ ἂν προδοίην καίπερ ἄψυχον φίλον.
I would not betray a friend, even though without life.
§656. . σα λαιμὸν ἢ πεσοῦσ’ ἀπ’ ἰσθμίου
κευθμῶνα πηγαῖον ὕδωρ §657ὅστις δὲ πάσας συντιθεὶς ψέγει λόγῳ
γυναῖκας ἑξῆς, σκαιός ἐστι κοὺ σοφός· πολλῶν γὰρ οὐσῶν τὴν μὲν εὑρήσεις κακήν,
τὴν δ’ ὥσπερ αὕτη λῆμ’ ἔχουσαν εὐγενές.
...throat, or having fallen from the isthmian... cavern, the spring water Whosoever puts all women together and blames them successively in speech is foolish and not wise; for since there are many, you will find one bad, and another having a noble spirit like this woman.
§658οἳ γῆν ἔχουσ’ Εὐβοΐδα πρόσχωρον πόλιν §659ἔρωτες ἡμῖν εἰσὶ παντοῖοι βίου· ὃ μὲν γὰρ εὐγένειαν ἱμείρει λαβεῖν,
τῷ δ’ οὐχὶ τούτου φροντίς, ἀλλὰ χρημάτων
πολλῶν κεκλῆσθαι βούλεται πάτωρ δόμοις· ἄλλῳ δ’ ἀρέσκει μηδὲν ὑγιὲς ἐκ φρενῶν
λέγοντι πείθειν τοὺς πέλας τόλμῃ κακῇ· οἳ δ’ αἰσχρὰ κέρδη πρόσθε τοῦ καλοῦ βροτῶν
ζητοῦσιν·
those who possess the Euboean land, a neighboring city We have all kinds of desires for life; for one longs to obtain noble birth, while another has no care for this, but wishes to be called master of many riches in his house; and it pleases another, speaking nothing sound from his mind, to persuade his neighbors with wicked boldness; and others of mortals seek shameful gains before what is honorable.
οὕτω βίοτος ἀνθρώπων πλάνη.
Thus the life of men is a wandering.
ἐγὼ δὲ τούτων οὐδενὸς χρήζω τυχεῖν,
δόξαν 〈δὲ〉 βουλοίμην ἂν εὐκλείας ἔχειν.
But I desire to obtain none of these, but I would wish to have the reputation of good fame.
§660οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἡμᾶς 〈ὅστις〉 ἐξαιρήσεται.
For there is no one who will rescue us.
§661Οὐκ ἔστιν ὅστις πάντ’ ἀνὴρ εὐδαιμονεῖ· ἢ γὰρ πεφυκὼς ἐσθλὸς οὐκ ἔχει βίον,
ἢ δυσγενὴς ὢν πλουσίαν ἀροῖ πλάκα.
There is no man who is happy in all things; for either being noble by nature he has no livelihood, or being low-born he plows a rich land.
§662πολλοὺς δὲ πλούτῳ καὶ γένει γαυρουμένους
γυνὴ κατῄσχυν’ ἐν δόμοισι νηπία.
And many who boast of wealth and birth, a foolish wife has disgraced in their homes.
§663ποιητὴν δ’ ἄρα
Ἔρως διδάσκει, κἂν ἄμουσος ᾖ τὸ πρίν.
Eros indeed teaches a man to be a poet, even if he was unmusical before.
§664πεσὸν δέ νιν λέληθεν οὐδὲν ἐκ χερός,
ἀλλ’ εὐθὺς αὐδᾷ
τῷ Κορινθίῳ ξένῳ
.
And nothing having fallen from his hand has escaped his notice, but straightway he speaks to the Corinthian stranger.
§665τοιαῦτ’ ἀλύει· νουθετούμενος δ’ ἔρως
μᾶλλον πιέζει
In such ways he is distraught; and when advised, love presses all the more.
§666ὦ παγκακίστη καὶ γυνή·
O most wicked one, and a woman!
τί γὰρ λέγων
μεῖζόν σε τοῦδ’ ὄνειδος ἐξείποι τις ἄν;
For what greater reproach could one speak and utter against you than this?
§667τίς ἄνδρα τιμᾷ ξεναπάτην;
Who honors a man who deceives guests?
§668ἄνευ τύχης γάρ, ὥσπερ ἡ παροιμία,
πόνος μονωθεὶς οὐκέτ’ ἀλγύνει βροτούς.
For without fortune, as the proverb says, labor left alone no longer pains mortals.
§669πέλας δὲ ταύτης δεινὸς ἵδρυται Κράγος
ἔνθηρος, ᾗ λῃστῆρσι φρουρεῖται. . κλύδωνι δεινῷ καὶ βροτοκτόνῳ βρέμει
πτηνὸς πορεύσει
And near it is situated dread Cragus, full of wild beasts, where it is guarded by robbers... it roars with a terrible and man-slaying wave in a winged passage.
§670βίος δὲ πορφυροῦς θαλάσσιος
οὐκ εὐτράπεζος, ἀλλ’ ἐπάκτιοι φάτναι.
And the purple life of the sea is not well-tabled, but consists of shoreside mangers.
ὑγρὰ δὲ μήτηρ, οὐ πεδοστιβὴς τροφὸς
θάλασσα· τήνδ’ ἀροῦμεν, ἐκ ταύτης βίος
βρόχοισι καὶ πέδαισιν οἴκαδ’ ἔρχεται.
The sea is a wet mother, not a earth-treading nurse; we plow this, and from this, life comes home with nets and fetters.
§671κομίζετ’ εἴσω τήνδε· πιστεύειν δὲ χρὴ
γυναικὶ μηδὲν ὅστις εὖ φρονεῖ βροτῶν.
Take this woman inside; for whosoever among mortals is wise must trust a woman in nothing.
§672ὁ δ’ εἰς τὸ σῶφρον ἐπ’ ἀρετήν τ’ ἄγων ἔρως
ζηλωτὸς ἀνθρώποισιν· ὧν εἴην ἐγώ.
But the love that leads to temperance and virtue is enviable to men; may I be one of these.
§673χαίρω σέ τ’, ὦ βέλτιστον Ἀλκμήνης τέκος,
. . . τὸν τε μιαρὸν ἐξολωλότα.
I rejoice both at you, O best offspring of Alcmene, and that the defiled one has perished.
§674ἑλίσσων §675καὶ τὰς μὲν ἄξῃ, πῶλον ἢν διδῷς ἕνα,
τὰς δ’ ἢν ξυνωρίδ’· αἵ δὲ κἀπὶ τεσσάρων
φοιτῶσιν ἵππων ἀργυρῶν.
turning And you will lead away some if you give one foal, and others if you give a pair; and some walk even on four silver horses.
φιλοῦσι δὲ
τὸν ἐξ Ἀθηνῶν παρθένους ὅταν φέρῃ
πολλάς
And they love the man from Athens when he brings many maidens.
§676σχεδὸν χαμεύνῃ σύμμετρος Κορινθίας
παιδός, κνεφάλλου δ’ οὐχ ὑπερτείνεις πόδα.
You are almost of equal measure with the low bed of a Corinthian girl, and you do not stretch your foot beyond the cushion.