I beseech you, daughter of Zeus the Liberator, guard wide-ruling Himera, O savior Tyche.
§12.3τὶν γὰρ ἐν πόντῳ κυβερνῶνται θοαὶ §12.4νᾶες, ἐν χέρσῳ τε λαιψηροὶ πόλεμοι §12.5κἀγοραὶ βουλαφόροι.
For by you are guided on the sea swift ships, and on land swift-moving wars and deliberative assemblies.
αἵ γε μὲν ἀνδρῶν §12.6πόλλʼ ἄνω, τὰ δʼ αὖ κάτω ψεύδη μεταμώνια τάμνοισαι κυλίνδοντʼ ἐλπίδες·
Indeed, men's hopes roll, cutting through vain falsehoods, now high, now low.
§12.7σύμβολον δʼ οὔ πώ τις ἐπιχθονίων §12.8πιστὸν ἀμφὶ πράξιος ἐσσομένας εὗρεν θεόθεν· §12.9τῶν δὲ μελλόντων τετύφλωνται φραδαί.
And no earth-born man has ever yet found a reliable token from a god concerning a future event; for understanding of what is to come is blinded.
§12.10πολλὰ δʼ ἀνθρώποις παρὰ γνώμαν ἔπεσεν, §12.11ἔμπαλιν μὲν τέρψιος, οἱ δʼ ἀνιαραῖς §12.12ἀντικύρσαντες ζάλαις ἐσλὸν βαθὺ πήματος ἐν μικρῷ πεδάμειψαν χρόνῳ.
Many things fall out for men contrary to expectation, sometimes opposite to pleasure, while others, meeting with painful storms, have in a short time exchanged deep suffering for great good.
§12.13υἱὲ Φιλάνορος, ἤτοι καὶ τεά κεν, §12.14ἐνδομάχας ἅτʼ ἀλέκτωρ, συγγόνῳ παρʼ ἑστίᾳ §12.15ἀκλεὴς τιμὰ κατεφυλλορόησε ποδῶν, §12.16εἰ μὴ στάσις ἀντιάνειρα Κνωσίας ἄμερσε πάτρας.
Son of Philanor, truly even your glory of your feet, like a domestic fighting-cock by its kindred hearth, would have withered ingloriously, had not strife that pits man against man deprived you of your Knossian homeland.
§12.17νῦν δʼ Ὀλυμπία στεφανωσάμενος §12.18καὶ δὶς ἐκ Πυθῶνος Ἰσθμοῖ τʼ, Ἐργότελες, §12.19θερμὰ Νυμφᾶν λουτρὰ βαστάζεις, ὁμιλέων παρʼ οἰκείαις ἀρούραις.
But now, having won wreaths at Olympia, and twice from Pytho and at the Isthmus, Ergoteles, you cherish the warm baths of the Nymphs, dwelling by your own fields.