§3.60γνόντα τὸ πὰρ ποδός, οἵας εἰμὲν αἴσας.
knowing what is at one’s feet, and what kind of destiny is ours.
Do not, my beloved soul, strive for an immortal life, but exhaust the practical means within your power.
§3.63εἰ δὲ σώφρων ἄντρον ἔναιʼ ἔτι Χείρων, καί τί οἱ §3.64φίλτρον ἐν θυμῷ μελιγάρυες ὕμνοι §3.65ἁμέτεροι τίθεν· ἰατῆρά τοί κέν νιν πίθον §3.66καί νυν ἐσλοῖσι παρασχεῖν ἀνδράσιν θερμᾶν νόσων §3.67ἤ τινα Λατοΐδα κεκλημένον ἢ πατέρος.
And if the wise Chiron were still living in his cave, and if in any way my sweet-voiced hymns had placed some soothing charm in his heart, I would indeed have persuaded him to provide even now for good men a healer of burning diseases, either someone called the son of Leto or his father.
§3.68καί κεν ἐν ναυσὶν μόλον Ἰονίαν τάμνων θάλασσαν §3.69Ἀρέθοισαν ἐπὶ κράναν παρʼ Αἰτναῖον ξένον, §3.70ὃς Συρακόσσαισι νέμει βασιλεὺς §3.71πραῢς ἀστοῖς, οὐ φθονέων ἀγαθοῖς, ξείνοις δὲ θαυμαστὸς πατήρ.
And indeed I would have come on a ship, cutting the Ionian sea, to the fountain of Arethusa, to my Etnaean host, who rules as king in Syracuse, gentle to citizens, not envying the good, and a wondrous father to strangers.
§3.72τῷ μὲν διδύμας χάριτας, §3.73εἰ κατέβαν ὑγίειαν ἄγων χρυσέαν κῶμόν τʼ ἀέθλων Πυθίων αἴγλαν στεφάνοις. §3.74τοὺς ἀριστεύων Φερένικος ἕλʼ ἐν Κίρρᾳ ποτέ,
To him indeed double graces, if I had gone down bringing golden health and a revel that adds luster to the Pythian games with crowns, which the victorious Pherenikos once won in Kirrha.
I say that I would have arrived as a light shining further than any heavenly star for him, having crossed the deep sea.
§3.77ἀλλʼ ἐπεύξασθαι μὲν ἐγὼν ἐθέλω §3.78Ματρί, τὰν κοῦραι παρʼ ἐμὸν πρόθυρον σὺν Πανὶ μέλπονται θαμὰ §3.79σεμνὰν θεὸν ἐννύχιαι.
But indeed I wish to pray to the Mother, whom the maidens often sing with Pan near my portal, the revered goddess, by night.
§3.80εἰ δὲ λόγων συνέμεν κορυφάν, Ἱέρων, ὀρθὰν ἐπίστᾳ, μανθάνων οἶσθα προτέρων· §3.81ἓν παρʼ ἐσλὸν πήματα σύνδυο δαίονται βροτοῖς §3.82ἀθάνατοι.
But Hieron, if you know how to understand the true peak of words, you know, having learned from those of old: the immortals distribute to mortals two troubles alongside one good.
τὰ μὲν ὦν οὐ δύνανται νήπιοι κόσμῳ φέρειν, §3.83ἀλλʼ ἀγαθοί, τὰ καλὰ τρέψαντες ἔξω.
These indeed fools cannot bear with decorum, but the good can, turning the beautiful outward.
§3.84τὶν δὲ μοῖρʼ εὐδαιμονίας ἕπεται.
But a lot of happiness follows you.
For the great destiny looks upon the ruler who is the leader of the people, if upon any man.
αἰὼν δʼ ἀσφαλὴς §3.87οὐκ ἔγεντʼ οὔτʼ Αἰακίδᾳ παρὰ Πηλεῖ §3.88οὔτε παρʼ ἀντιθέῳ Κάδμῳ· λέγονται μὰν βροτῶν §3.89ὄλβον ὑπέρτατον οἳ σχεῖν, οἵτε καὶ χρυσαμπύκων §3.90μελπομενᾶν ἐν ὄρει Μοισᾶν καὶ ἐν ἑπταπύλοις §3.91ἄϊον Θήβαις, ὁπόθʼ Ἁρμονίαν γᾶμεν βοῶπιν, §3.92ὁ δὲ Νηρέος εὐβούλου Θέτιν παῖδα κλυτάν.
But a secure life was not granted either to Peleus, son of Aeacus, nor to godlike Cadmus; yet they are said of mortals to have obtained the highest bliss, who also heard the golden-snooded Muses singing on the mountain and in seven-gated Thebes, when one married cow-eyed Harmonia, and the other married renowned Thetis, the daughter of wise Nereus.
§3.93καὶ θεοὶ δαίσαντο παρʼ ἀμφοτέροις, §3.94καὶ Κρόνου παῖδας βασιλῆας ἴδον χρυσέαις ἐν ἕδραις, ἕδνα τε §3.95δέξαντο· Διὸς δὲ χάριν §3.96ἐκ προτέρων μεταμειψάμενοι καμάτων ἔστασαν ὀρθὰν καρδίαν.
And the gods feasted with both of them, and they saw the kings, the sons of Cronus, on their golden thrones, and received marriage gifts; and by the grace of Zeus, changing from their former labors, they set their hearts upright.
ἐν δʼ αὖτε χρόνῳ §3.97τὸν μὲν ὀξείαισι θύγατρες ἐρήμωσαν πάθαις §3.98εὐφροσύνας μέρος αἱ τρεῖς· ἀτὰρ λευκωλένῳ γε Ζεὺς πατὴρ §3.99ἤλυθεν ἐς λέχος ἱμερτὸν Θυώνᾳ.
But in turn, with time, three daughters deprived one of them of his share of joy by sharp sufferings; yet father Zeus came to the lovely bed of white-armed Thyone.
§3.100τοῦ δὲ παῖς, ὅνπερ μόνον ἀθανάτα §3.101τίκτεν ἐν Φθίᾳ Θέτις, ἐν πολέμῳ τόξοις ἀπὸ ψυχὰν λιπὼν §3.102ὦρσεν πυρὶ καιόμενος §3.103ἐκ Δαναῶν γόον.
And the other’s son, whom the immortal Thetis bore as her only child in Phthia, having lost his life in war by arrows, stirred up, while burning in fire, a wailing from the Danaans.
εἰ δὲ νόῳ τις ἔχει θνατῶν ἀλαθείας ὁδόν, χρὴ πρὸς μακάρων §3.104τυγχάνοντʼ εὖ πασχέμεν.
But if any of mortals holds in his mind the path of truth, he must accept what comes from the blessed gods and fare well.
ἄλλοτε δʼ ἀλλοῖαι πνοαὶ §3.105ὑψιπετᾶν ἀνέμων.
But at different times different blasts of high-flying winds blow.
ὄλβος οὐκ ἐς μακρὸν ἀνδρῶν ἔρχεται §3.106σάος, πολὺς εὖτʼ ἂν ἐπιβρίσαις ἕπηται.
Prosperity of men does not go safe for long, when it follows, weighing heavily in great abundance.
§3.107σμικρὸς ἐν σμικροῖς, μέγας ἐν μεγάλοις §3.108ἔσσομαι· τὸν ἀμφέποντʼ αἰεὶ φρασὶν §3.109δαίμονʼ ἀσκήσω κατʼ ἐμὰν θεραπεύων μαχανάν.
Small among the small, great among the great I will be; the divinity that always attends me in my thoughts I will honor, tending him according to my own means.
And if a god should stretch out luxurious wealth to me, I have hope that I would find high glory far into the future.
§3.112Νέστορα καὶ Λύκιον Σαρπηδόνʼ, ἀνθρώπων φάτις, §3.113ἐξ ἐπέων κελαδεννῶν, τέκτονες οἷα σοφοὶ §3.114ἅρμοσαν, γιγνώσκομεν.
Nestor and Lycian Sarpedon, the talk of men, from resounding verses, we know, just as wise carpenters have fitted them together.
ἁ δʼ ἀρετὰ κλειναῖς ἀοιδαῖς §3.115χρονία τελέθει.
Excellence through famous songs becomes long-lasting.
παύροις δὲ πράξασθʼ εὐμαρές.
But to accomplish this is easy for few.