§759μηδʼ ἐναποψύχειν· τὸ γὰρ οὔ τοι λώιόν ἐστιν.
Nor cool yourself in them; for that is by no means better.
§760ὧδʼ ἔρδειν· δεινὴν δὲ βροτῶν ὑπαλεύεο φήμην.
Do thus; and avoid the terrible rumor of mortals.
§761φήμη γάρ τε κακὴ πέλεται, κούφη μὲν ἀεῖραι §762ῥεῖα μάλʼ, ἀργαλέη δὲ φέρειν, χαλεπὴ δʼ ἀποθέσθαι.
For a bad rumor is light to lift indeed very easily, but heavy to bear, and hard to lay down.
And no rumor completely perishes, which many people rumor abroad; even she herself is some goddess.
§765Ἤματα δʼ ἐκ Διόθεν πεφυλαγμένος εὖ κατὰ μοῖραν §766πεφραδέμεν δμώεσσι· τριηκάδα μηνὸς ἀρίστην §767ἔργα τʼ ἐποπτεύειν ἠδʼ ἁρμαλιὴν δατέασθαι. §769αἵδε γὰρ ἡμέραι εἰσὶ Διὸς πάρα μητιόεντος, §768εὖτʼ ἂν ἀληθείην λαοὶ κρίνοντες ἄγωσιν.
And observing well the days from Zeus in due order, declare them to your servants: the thirtieth of the month is best both to oversee works and to distribute rations, since these are the days from wise Zeus, whenever people, judging, observe the truth.
First, the first, the fourth, and the seventh is a sacred day; for on this day Leto bore Apollo of the golden sword.
And the eighth and the ninth, two days of the month at least, are exceptionally good, as the month waxes, for mortal works to be labored.
And the eleventh and the twelfth, both indeed are good, both for shearing sheep and for reaping the cheerful fruit.
§776ἡ δὲ δυωδεκάτη τῆς ἑνδεκάτης μέγʼ ἀμείνων· §777τῇ γάρ τοι νῇ νήματʼ ἀερσιπότητος ἀράχνης §778ἤματος ἐκ πλείου, ὅτε ἴδρις σωρὸν ἀμᾶται·
But the twelfth is much better than the eleventh; for on that day indeed the high-flying spider spins its web in the full day, when the wise one gathers its heap.
§779τῇ δʼ ἱστὸν στήσαιτο γυνὴ προβάλοιτό τε ἔργον.
On that day let a woman set up her loom and advance her work.
And avoid the thirteenth of the waxing month to begin sowing; but it is best for planting plants.
§782ἕκτη δʼ ἡ μέσση μάλʼ ἀσύμφορός ἐστι φυτοῖσιν, §783ἀνδρογόνος δʼ ἀγαθή· κούρῃ δʼ οὐ σύμφορός ἐστιν, §784οὔτε γενέσθαι πρῶτʼ οὔτʼ ἂρ γάμου ἀντιβολῆσαι.
And the mid-sixth is very unfavorable for plants, but good for begetting males; but it is not favorable for a girl, neither to be born first, nor to meet with marriage.
§785οὐδὲ μὲν ἡ πρώτη ἕκτη κούρῃ γε γενέσθαι §786ἄρμενος, ἀλλʼ ἐρίφους τάμνειν καὶ πώεα μήλων §787σηκόν τʼ ἀμφιβαλεῖν ποιμνήιον ἤπιον ἦμαρ·
Nor indeed is the first sixth fitting for a girl to be born, but gentle for gelding kids and flocks of sheep, and for throwing a fold around the flock; a mild day.
§788ἐσθλὴ δʼ ἀνδρογόνος· φιλέοι δʼ ὅ γε κέρτομα βάζειν §789ψεύδεά θʼ αἱμυλίους τε λόγους κρυφίους τʼ ὀαρισμούς.
And it is good for begetting males; and such a one would love to speak mockery, and lies, and wily words, and secret whisperings.
And on the eighth of the month geld the boar and the loud-bellowing bull, and the toil-enduring mules on the twelfth.
§792εἰκάδι δʼ ἐν μεγάλῃ, πλέῳ ἤματι, ἵστορα φῶτα §793γείνασθαι· μάλα γάρ τε νόον πεπυκασμένος ἐστίν.
And on the great twentieth, in the full day, let a knowing man be born; for he is of a very well-compacted mind.
§794ἐσθλὴ δʼ ἀνδρογόνος δεκάτη, κούρῃ δέ τε τετρὰς §795μέσση· τῇ δέ τε μῆλα καὶ εἰλίποδας ἕλικας βοῦς §796καὶ κύνα καρχαρόδοντα καὶ οὐρῆας ταλαεργοὺς §797πρηΰνειν ἐπὶ χεῖρα τιθείς.
And the tenth is good for begetting males, and the mid-fourth for a girl; and on that day tame sheep and shambling, crumpled-horn oxen, and sharp-toothed dog, and toil-enduring mules, putting your hand upon them.
πεφύλαξο δὲ θυμῷ §798τετράδʼ ἀλεύασθαι φθίνοντός θʼ ἱσταμένου τε §799ἄλγεʼ ἃ θυμβορεῖ μάλα γὰρ τετελεσμένον ἦμαρ.
And guard in your mind to avoid the fourth day, both of the waning and the waxing month, pains that eat the heart; for it is a day very much filled with power.
And on the fourth of the month lead your wife to your home, having judged the bird-omens, which are best for this deed.
§802πέμπτας δʼ ἐξαλέασθαι, ἐπεὶ χαλεπαί τε καὶ αἰναί· §803ἐν πέμπτῃ γάρ φασιν Ἐρινύας ἀμφιπολεύειν §804Ὅρκον γεινόμενον, τὸν Ἔρις τέκε πῆμʼ ἐπιόρκοις.
But avoid the fifth days, since they are hard and terrible; for they say that on the fifth the Erinyes attend upon Horcos when he was born, whom Eris bore as a pain for those who swear falsely.
§805Μέσσῃ δʼ ἑβδομάτῃ Δημήτερος ἱερὸν ἀκτὴν §806εὖ μάλʼ ὀπιπεύοντα ἐυτροχάλῳ ἐν ἀλωῇ §807βαλλέμεν, ὑλοτόμον τε ταμεῖν θαλαμήια δοῦρα §808νήιά τε ξύλα πολλά, τά τʼ ἄρμενα νηυσὶ πέλονται.
And on the mid-seventh throw Demeter’s holy grain very carefully onto the well-rounded threshing floor, and let the woodcutter cut chamber-beams and many ship-timbers, which are fitting for ships.
§809τετράδι δʼ ἄρχεσθαι νῆας πήγνυσθαι ἀραιάς.
And on the fourth begin to build slender ships.
§810εἰνὰς δʼ ἡ μέσση ἐπὶ δείελα λώιον ἦμαρ, §811πρωτίστη δʼ εἰνὰς παναπήμων ἀνθρώποισιν· §812ἐσθλὴ μὲν γάρ θʼ ἥ γε φυτευέμεν ἠδὲ γενέσθαι §813ἀνέρι τʼ ἠδὲ γυναικί· καὶ οὔποτε πάγκακον ἦμαρ.
And the mid-ninth is a better day toward evening, but the very first ninth is altogether harmless for men; for it is good both for planting and for being born, for a man or a woman; and it is never an altogether bad day.
§814παῦροι δʼ αὖτε ἴσασι τρισεινάδα μηνὸς ἀρίστην §815ἄρξασθαί τε πίθου καὶ ἐπὶ ζυγὸν αὐχένι θεῖναι §816βουσὶ καὶ ἡμιόνοισι καὶ ἵπποις ὠκυπόδεσσι, §817νῆα πολυκλήιδα θοὴν εἰς οἴνοπα πόντον §818εἰρύμεναι· παῦροι δέ τʼ ἀληθέα κικλῄσκουσιν.
And few again know that the thrice-ninth of the month is best to open a jar, and to place a yoke on the neck of oxen and mules and swift-footed horses, and to draw down a swift, many-bench ship into the wine-dark sea; and few indeed call it by its true name.
§819τετράδι δʼ οἶγε πίθον· περὶ πάντων ἱερὸν ἦμαρ §820μέσση· παῦροι δʼ αὖτε μετʼ εἰκάδα μηνὸς ἀρίστην §821ἠοῦς γιγνομένης· ἐπὶ δείελα δʼ ἐστὶ χερείων.
And on the fourth open your jar; the mid-fourth is a sacred day above all; and few again know the best day after the twentieth, at the coming of dawn; but toward evening it is worse.
§822αἵδε μὲν ἡμέραι εἰσιν ἐπιχθονίοις μέγʼ ὄνειαρ, §823αἱ δʼ ἄλλαι μετάδουποι, ἀκήριοι, οὔ τι φέρουσαι.
These days indeed are a great benefit to those on earth, but the others are changeable, harmless, bringing nothing.
§824ἄλλος δʼ ἀλλοίην αἰνεῖ, παῦροι δὲ ἴσασιν.
And one praises one day, another another, but few know.
§825ἄλλοτε μητρυιὴ πέλει ἡμέρη, ἄλλοτε μήτηρ.
Sometimes a day is a stepmother, sometimes a mother.