a servant of Demeter You will pray for such a man to stand by you.
§957μικρὸν φρονεῖν χρὴ τὸν κακῶς πεπραγότα.
He who is in adversity should think humbly.
§958τίς δ’ ἔστι δοῦλος τοῦ θανεῖν ἄφροντις ὤν;
And what slave is there who is unconcerned about dying?
§959ἐγὼ δ’
οὐδὲν πρεσβύτερον νομίζω
τᾶς σωφροσύνας, ἐπεὶ
τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀεὶ ξύνεστιν.
But I consider nothing to be more venerable than moderation, since it always accompanies the good.
§960τιμᾶν τὰν τέτασθε, πλούτῳ δ’ ἀρετὰν κατεργάσασθαι
δοκεῖτ’, ἐν ἐσθλοῖς δὲ καθήσεσθ’ ἄνολβοι.
You value the status you have stretched out, and you think you can acquire virtue by wealth, but you will sit unhappy among the noble.
§961φεῦ, τοῖσι γενναίοισιν ὡς ἅπαν καλόν.
Alas, how everything is beautiful to the noble-born.
§962. . ἄλλ’ ἐπ’ ἄλλῃ φάρμακον κεῖται νόσῳ· λυπουμένῳ μὲν μῦθος εὐμενὴς φίλων,
ἄγαν δὲ μωραίνοντι νουθετήματα.
...different remedies lie ready for different diseases: for one who grieves, the kindly speech of friends; for one who is excessively foolish, admonitions.
§963μηδ’ εὐτύχημα μηδὲν ὧδ’ ἔστω μέγα,
ὃ σ’ ἐξεπαρεῖ μεῖζον ἢ χρεὼν φρονεῖν,
μηδ’ ἤν τι συμβῇ δυσχερές, δουλοῦ πάλιν· ἀλλ’ αὑτὸς αἰεὶ μίμνε τὴν σαυτοῦ φύσιν
σῴζων βεβαίως ὥστε χρυσὸς ἐν πυρί.
Let no good fortune be so great as to lift you up to think more than is proper, nor if some difficulty occurs, let it enslave you in turn; but always remain the same, preserving your own nature securely, like gold in fire.
§964ἐγὼ δὲ 〈ταῦτα〉 παρὰ σοφοῦ τινος μαθὼν
εἰς φροντίδας νοῦν συμφοράς τ’ ἐβαλλόμην,
φυγάς τ’ ἐμαυτῷ προστιθεὶς πάτρας ἐμῆς
θανάτους τ’ ἀώρους καὶ κακῶν ἄλλας ὁδούς,
ἵν’ εἴ τι πάσχοιμ’ ὧν ἐδόξαζον φρενί,
μή μοι νεῶρες προσπεσὸν μᾶλλον δάκοι.
And I, having learned these things from some wise man, applied my mind to anxieties and misfortunes, adding to myself exiles from my fatherland, untimely deaths, and other paths of evils, so that if I should suffer any of the things I imagined in my mind, it might not bite me more by falling upon me as a novelty.
§965ὅστις δ’ ἀνάγκῃ συγκεχώρηκεν βροτῶν,
σοφὸς παρ’ ἡμῖν καὶ τὰ θεῖ’ ἐπίσταται.
Whoever among mortals has yielded to necessity is wise in our eyes and understands divine matters.
§966βίος γὰρ ὄνομ’ ἔχει πόνος γεγώς.
For life has the name of life, though it is in reality toil.
§967εἴης μοι, μέτριος δέ πως
εἴης μηδ’ ἀπολείποις.
May you be mine, but may you be moderate in some way and not leave me.
§968Ἑκάτης ἄγαλμα φωσφόρου κύων ἔσῃ.
You will be the dog of the image of light-bearing Hecate.
§969οὐ βούλομαι πλουτοῦντι δωρεῖσθαι πένης,
μή μ’ ἄφρονα κρίνῃς ἢ διδοὺς αἰτεῖν δοκῶ.
I, being poor, do not wish to give gifts to a rich man, lest you judge me foolish or I seem to be begging while giving.
§970ἀλλ’ ἀνοιστέος λόγος
But the argument must be referred back.
§971ὃ δ’ ἄρτι θάλλων σάρκα διοπετὴς ὅπως
ἀστὴρ ἀπέσβη, πνεῦμ’ ἀφεὶς ἐς αἰθέρα.
But he, who just now was flourishing in flesh, like a star fallen from Zeus, was extinguished, releasing his breath into the ether.
§972πολλαῖσι μορφαῖς οἱ θεοὶ σοφισμάτων
σφάλλουσιν ἡμᾶς κρείσσονες πεφυκότες.
The gods, being superior, trip us up with many forms of devices.
§973μάντις δ’ ἄριστος ὅστις εἰκάζει καλῶς.
The best prophet is the one who guesses well.
§974τῶν ἄγαν γὰρ ἅπτεται
θεός, τὰ μικρὰ δ’ εἰς τύχην ἀφεὶς ἐᾷ.
For god touches upon excessive things, but leaves small things aside, committing them to fortune.
§975χαλεποὶ πόλεμοι γὰρ ἀδελφῶν.
For wars between brothers are harsh.
§976ἀκόλασθ’ ὁμιλεῖν γίγνεται δούλων τέκνα.
Children of slaves turn out to associate in an undisciplined way.
§977ἡ γὰρ σιωπὴ τοῖς σοφοῖσιν ἀπόκρισις.
For silence is an answer to the wise.
§978εἰ δ’ ἦσαν ἀνθρώποισιν ὠνητοὶ λόγοι,
οὐδεὶς ἂν αὑτὸν εὖ λέγειν ἐβούλετο· νῦν δ’, ἐκ βαθείας γὰρ πάρεστιν αἰθέρος
λαβεῖν ἀμοχθί, πᾶς τις ἥδεται λέγων
τά τ’ ὄντα καὶ μή· ζημίαν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει.
If words could be bought by men, no one would have wished to speak well of himself; but now, since it is possible to get them from the deep ether without toil, everyone enjoys speaking of things that are and things that are not; for it carries no penalty.
§979οὔτοι προσελθοῦσ’ ἡ Δίκη σε, μὴ τρέσῃς,
παίσει πρὸς ἧπαρ οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων βροτῶν
τὸν ἄδικον, ἀλλὰ σῖγα καὶ βραδεῖ ποδὶ
στείχουσα μάρψει τοὺς κακούς, ὅταν τύχῃ.
Justice will certainly not approach you—do not fear—and strike you to the liver, nor any other unjust man among mortals; but walking silently and with slow foot, she will seize the wicked when the time comes.
§980τὰ τῶν τεκόντων σφάλματ’ εἰς τοὺς ἐκγόνους
οἱ θεοὶ τρέπουσιν.
The gods turn the errors of parents onto their offspring.
§981εἰ δὲ πάρεργον χρή τι κομπάσαι, γύναι,
οὐρανὸν ὑπὲρ γῆς ἔχομεν εὖ κεκραμένον,
ἵν’ οὔτ’ ἄγαν πῦρ οὔτε χεῖμα συμπίτνει· ἃ δ’ Ἑλλὰς Ἀσία τ’ ἐκτρέφει κάλλιστα, γῆν
δέλεαρ ἔχοντες 〈τήνδε〉 συνθηρεύομεν.
If it is necessary, woman, to boast of something as a side note, we have a well-blended heaven above the earth, where neither excessive heat nor winter strikes; and the fairest things that Greece and Asia nurture, we hunt down together, having this land as a lure.
§982πολλοὺς δὲ βροντῆς πνεῦμ’ ἄναιμον ὤλεσεν.
And the bloodless blast of thunder has destroyed many.
wine having passed through the passages of the lungs They wish to take another imported woman.
§985ὁ πετόμενος ἱερὸν ἀνὰ Διὸς αἰθέρα γοργοφόνος
The slayer of Gorgo flying through the sacred ether of Zeus.
§986πλούτῳ χλιδῶσα θνητὰ δὴ γύναι φρόνει.
O woman luxuriating in wealth, think thoughts befitting a mortal.
§987εἴθ’ ἦν ἄφωνον σπέρμα δυστήνων βροτῶν.
Would that the seed of wretched mortals had been voiceless.
§988τέκτων γὰρ ὢν ἔπρασσες οὐ ξυλουργικά.
For being a builder, you were not doing woodworking.
§989ὁ τῆς τύχης παῖς κλῆρος
The lot, the child of fortune.
§990φίλης τ’ ὀπώρας διπτύχους ἦρός τ’ ἴσους §991ἀλλ’ ἔστι, κεῖ τις ἐγγελᾷ λόγῳ,
Ζεὺς καὶ θεοὶ βρότεια λεύσσοντες πάθη.
and twofold seasons of dear autumn fruit and equal springs But, even if someone laughs at the saying, there is Zeus and the gods who look upon human sufferings.
handmaid of unholy Ares For to make a trial of friends is no small evil.
§994εἰ δὲ θανεῖν θέμις, ὧδε θανεῖν καλόν,
εἰς ἀρετὴν καταλυσαμένους βίον.
But if it is fated to die, it is beautiful to die thus, having brought life to a close for the sake of virtue.
§995πολλοῖσι πολλήν, δὶς τόσοις δὲ πλείονα §996σύμμικτον εἶδος κἀποφώλιον τρέφος §997ταύρου μεμῖχθαι καὶ βροτοῦ διπλῇ φύσει §998αἰεὶ πρασίμοχθοι κοὔποθ’ ἥσυχοι δορί §999ἀγήρων ἀρετήν §1000Ζεὺς συγγένειος §1001. . λίνου κλωστῆρα περιφέρει λαβών §1002κορμοῖσι πεύκης §1003λῦε πηκτὰ δωμάτων
to many people many things, and to twice as many, more things a mixed form and monstrous creature to be mixed with the double nature of a bull and a mortal always toil-worn and never at peace by the spear ageless virtue Zeus of the kindred...having taken the spun thread of flax, he carries it around with trunks of pine Loose the fastened fittings of the house.
§1005ἐγὼ δ’ ἐμός εἰμι
But I am my own master.