§931λωτίνας ἀηδόνας §932Αἰγυπτία ἐμπολή §933βάσκανον μέγιστον ψυχαγωγόν §934νοῦν ἔχοντος 〈ἦν ἄρα〉
φίλον πρίασθαι χρημάτων πολλῶν σαφῆ.
Lotus-wood flutes of nightingales Egyptian merchandise A most powerful, slanderous conjurer of souls It was indeed the part of a sensible man to buy a clear friend for much money.
But, O horse-loving Trojans No, but Hades received me while still breathing.
§937μὴ κτεῖνε· τὸν ἱκέτην γὰρ οὐ θέμις κτανεῖν.
Do not kill; for it is not lawful to kill a suppliant.
§938νῦν οὖν ἕκατι ῥημάτων κτενεῖτέ με;
Will you then now kill me for the sake of words?
O most evil subterranean offspring of the earth What is it?
πρὸς χορὸν γὰρ οἰκείων ἐρεῖς.
For you will speak to a chorus of your own people.
§941ὁρᾷς τὸν ὑψοῦ τόνδ’ ἄπειρον αἰθέρα
καὶ γῆν πέριξ ἔχονθ’ ὑγραῖς ἐν ἀγκάλαις;
Do you see this boundless ether on high, and that which holds the earth around in its moist embrace?
τοῦτον νόμιζε Ζῆνα, τόνδ’ ἡγοῦ θεόν.
Think of this as Zeus, consider this to be god.
§943πυριγενὴς δὲ δράκων ὁδὸν ἡγεῖται [ταῖς] τετραμόρφοις
ὥραις ζευγνὺς ἁρμονίᾳ πολύκαρπον ὄχημα.
And the fire-born dragon leads the way, yoking with harmony the fruitful chariot for the four-formed seasons.
§944καὶ Γαῖα μῆτερ· Ἑστίαν δέ σ’ οἱ σοφοὶ
βροτῶν καλοῦσιν ἡμένην ἐν αἰθέρι.
And mother Earth; the wise among mortals call you Hestia, seated in the ether.
§945ἀεί τι καινὸν ἡμέρα παιδεύεται.
Each day is always taught something new.
§946εὗ ἴσθ’, ὅταν τις εὐσεβῶν θύῃ θεοῖς,
κἂν μικρὰ θύῃ, τυγχάνει σωτηρίας.
Know well, whenever anyone piously sacrifices to the gods, even if he sacrifices small things, he obtains salvation.
§947ἢ πολλὰ καὶ δύσγνωστα βουλεύει θεός.
Truly, god plans many things and hard to understand.
§948θεοὺς ἀρέσκου· πᾶν γὰρ ἐκ θεῶν τέλος.
Please the gods; for every fulfillment comes from the gods.
§949καὶ τοῖς τεκοῦσιν ἀξίαν τιμὴν νέμειν
And to render due honor to one's parents.
§950ὡς ἡδὺ πατέρα παισὶν ἤπιον κυρεῖν
καὶ παῖδας εἶναι πατρὶ μὴ στυγουμένους.
How sweet it is for a father to happen to be gentle to his children, and for children not to be hated by their father.
§951ἢν οἱ τεκόντες τοῦτο γιγνώσκωσ’ ὅτι
νέοι ποτ’ ἦσαν, ἠπίως τὴν τῶν τέκνων
οἴσουσι κύπριν, φύντες οὐ σκαιοὶ φύσιν.
If parents recognize this, that they themselves were once young, they will gently bear the love affairs of their children, provided they are not foolish by nature.
§952ὅστις πατὴρ πρὸς παῖδας ἐκβαίνει πικρός,
τὸ γῆρας οὗτος ἑρματίζεται βαρύ.
Whichever father turns out bitter toward his children, this man ballasts his old age as a heavy one.
§953ὦ πάτερ, ἐχρῆν μὲν οὓς ἐγὼ λόγους λέγω,
τούτους λέγειν σε· καὶ γὰρ ἁρμόζει φρονεῖν
σὲ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐμὲ καὶ λέγειν ὅπου τι δεῖ·
O father, it was indeed necessary for you to speak these words which I am speaking; for it is more fitting for you to have sense than me, and to speak where it is necessary.
ἐπεὶ δ’ ἀφῆκας, λοιπόν ἐστ’ ἴσως ἐμὲ
ἐκ τῆς ἀνάγκης τά γε δίκαι’ αὐτὴν λέγειν.
But since you have dismissed this, it remains perhaps for me, out of necessity, to speak what is just myself.
ἐκεῖνος εἰ μὲν μεῖζον ἠδίκηκέ τι,
οὐκ ἐμὲ προσήκει λαμβάνειν τούτων δίκην· ἃ δ’ εἰς ἔμ’ ἡμάρτηκεν αἰσθέσθαι με δεῖ.
If that man has committed some greater injustice, it is not fitting for me to exact punishment for these; but what he has sinned against me, I must perceive.
ἀλλ’ ἀγνοῶ δὴ τυχὸν ἴσως ἄφρων ἐγὼ
οὖσ’, οὐκ ἂν ἀντείποιμι· καίτοι γ’, ὦ πάτερ,
εἰ τἄλλα κρίνειν ἐστὶν ἀνόητον γυνή,
περὶ τῶν γ’ ἑαυτῆς πραγμάτων ἴσως φρονεῖ. . .
But indeed perhaps I, being foolish, do not know and would not speak against you; and yet, O father, even if a woman is senseless in judging other things, she perhaps has sense regarding her own affairs...
ἔστω δ’ ὃ βούλει· τοῦτο τί μ’ ἀδικεῖ, λέγε.
Let it be as you wish; tell me how this wrongs me.
ἔστ’ ἀνδρὶ καὶ γυναικὶ κείμενος νόμος,
τῷ μὲν διὰ τέλους ἣν ἔχει στέργειν ἀεί,
τῇ δ’ ὅσ’ ἂν ἀρέσκῃ τἀνδρὶ ταῦτ’ αὐτὴν ποεῖν.
There is a law established for a man and a woman: for him, to love always until the end the wife he has; and for her, to do whatever pleases her husband.
γέγονεν ἐκεῖνος εἰς ἔμ’ οἷον ἠξίουν,
ἐμοί τ’ ἀρέσκει πάνθ’ ἃ κἀκείνῳ, πάτερ.
That man has become to me such as I deemed worthy, and everything that pleases him also pleases me, father.
ἀλλ’ ἔστ’ ἐμοὶ μὲν χρηστός, ἠπόρηκε δέ.
But although he is good to me, he is in need.
σὺ δ’ ἀνδρί μ’, ὡς φής, ἐκδίδως νῦν πλουσίῳ,
ἵνα μὴ καταζῶ τὸν βίον λυπουμένη.
And you are now giving me away, as you say, to a wealthy man, so that I may not live out my life in grief.
καὶ ποῦ τοσαῦτα χρήματ’ ἐστίν, ὦ πάτερ,
ἃ μᾶλλον ἀνδρὸς εὐφρανεῖ παρόντα με;
And where is there so much money, O father, which present will gladden me more than a husband?
ἢ πῶς δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἢ καλῶς ἔχον
τῶν μὲν ἀγαθῶν με τὸ μέρος ὧν εἶχεν λαβεῖν,
τοῦ συναπορηθῆναι δὲ μὴ λαβεῖν μέρος;
Or how is it just or honorable for me to take a share of the good things he had, but not to take a share of being in need together?
φέρ’ ἢν ὁ νῦν 〈δὴ〉 λαμβάνειν μέλλων μ’ ἀνήρ,
ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, Ζεῦ φίλ’, οὐδ’ ἔσται ποτέ,
οὐκ οὖν θελούσης οὐδὲ δυναμένης ἐμοῦ,
ἢν οὗτος αὖθις ἀποβάλῃ τὴν οὐσίαν,
ἑτέρῳ με δώσεις ἀνδρί;
Come, if the man who is now about to take me—which may it not happen, dear Zeus, nor will it ever be, since I am neither willing nor able—if this man again loses his substance, will you give me to another man?
κᾆτ’ ἐὰν πάλιν
ἐκεῖνος, ἑτέρῳ;
And then if he does again, to another?
μέχρι πόσου τὴν τῆς τύχης,
πάτερ, σὺ λήψῃ πεῖραν ἐν τὠμῷ βίῳ;
To what extent, father, will you make a trial of fortune in my life?
ὅτ’ ἦν ἐγὼ παῖς, τότε σε χρῆν ζητεῖν ἐμοὶ
ἄνδρ’ ᾧ με δώσεις· σὴ γὰρ ἦν τόθ’ αἵρεσις·
When I was a child, then it was necessary for you to seek a husband for me to whom you would give me; for then the choice was yours.
ἐπεὶ δ’ ἅπαξ δέδωκας, ἤδη ἐστίν, πάτερ,
ἐμὸν σκοπεῖν τοῦτ’, εἰκότως· μὴ γὰρ καλῶς
κρίνασ’ ἐμαυτῆς τὸν ἴδιον βλάψω βίον.
But since you have given me once, it is already, father, for me to consider this, naturally; lest, not having judged well, I damage my own life.
ταῦτ’ ἔστιν· ὥστε μή με, πρὸς τῆς ἑστίας,
ἀποστερήσῃς ἀνδρὸς ᾧ συνῴκισας·
These things are so; therefore, by the hearth, do not deprive me of the husband with whom you housed me.
χάριν δικαίαν καὶ φιλάνθρωπον, πάτερ,
αἰτῶ σε ταύτην.
I ask this just and kind favor of you, father.
εἰ δὲ μή, σὺ μὲν βίᾳ
πράξεις ἃ βούλει· τὴν δ’ ἐμὴν ἐγὼ τύχην
πειράσομ’ ὡς δεῖ μὴ μετ’ αἰσχύνης φέρειν.
But if not, you will force what you wish; but I shall try to bear my fortune as is necessary, not with shame.