§4.1ἔστι μοι θεῶν ἕκατι μυρία παντᾷ κέλευθος· §4.2ὦ Μέλισσʼ, εὐμαχανίαν γὰρ ἔφανας Ἰσθμίοις §4.3ὑμετέρας ἀρετὰς ὕμνῳ διώκειν·
There is for me, by the favor of the gods, a countless path in every direction; O Melissus, for you have revealed a rich resource at the Isthmian games to pursue your family's excellences in song.
Flourishing always with these, the descendants of Kleonymos pass through the mortal end of life with god's help.
ἄλλοτε δʼ ἀλλοῖος οὖρος §4.6πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἐπαΐσσων ἐλαύνει.
But at different times a different wind rushes upon and drives all men.
§4.7τοὶ μὲν ὦν Θήβαισι τιμάεντες ἀρχᾶθεν λέγονται §4.8πρόξενοί τʼ ἀμφικτιόνων κελαδεννᾶς τʼ ὀρφανοὶ §4.9ὕβριος· ὅσσα δʼ ἐπʼ ἀνθρώπους ἄηται §4.10μαρτύρια φθιμένων ζωῶν τε φωτῶν §4.11ἀπλέτου δόξας, ἐπέψαυσαν κατὰ πᾶν τέλος·
They, indeed, are said to have been honored in Thebes from the beginning, both hosts of the neighbors and free from clamorous insolence; and whatever testimonies of boundless glory of dead and living men are blown abroad, they have touched in every fulfillment.
ἀνορέαις δʼ ἐσχάταισιν §4.12οἴκοθεν στάλαισιν ἅπτονθʼ Ἡρακλείαις· §4.13καὶ μηκέτι μακροτέραν σπεύδειν ἀρετάν.
And by extreme manly deeds from home they touch the pillars of Heracles; and let them no longer strive for any further excellence.
And they became breeders of horses, and pleased bronze-clad Ares.
§4.16ἀλλʼ ἁμέρᾳ γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ §4.17τραχεῖα νιφὰς πολέμοιο τεσσάρων §4.17bἀνδρῶν ἐρήμωσεν μάκαιραν ἑστίαν·
But indeed, in a single day the harsh blizzard of war bereaved the blessed hearth of four men.
§4.18νῦν δʼ αὖ μετὰ χειμέριον ποικίλων μηνῶν ζόφον §4.18bχθὼν ὥτε φοινικέοισιν ἄνθησεν ῥόδοις §4.19δαιμόνων βουλαῖς.
But now again, after the wintry darkness of changing months, as when the earth blossoms with crimson roses by the counsels of the gods.
ὁ κινητὴρ δὲ γᾶς Ὀγχηστὸν οἰκέων §4.20καὶ γέφυραν ποντιάδα πρὸ Κορίνθου τειχέων, §4.21τόνδε πορὼν γενεᾷ θαυμαστὸν ὕμνον §4.22ἐκ λεχέων ἀνάγει φάμαν παλαιὰν §4.23εὐκλέων ἔργων·
And the shaker of the earth, dwelling in Onchestos, and holding the sea bridge before the walls of Corinth, by granting this wondrous hymn to the family, leads up from its bed the ancient fame of glorious deeds.
ἐν ὕπνῳ γὰρ πέσεν· ἀλλʼ ἀνεγειρομένα χρῶτα λάμπει, §4.24Ἀωσφόρος θαητὸς ὣς ἄστροις ἐν ἄλλοις· §4.25ἅ τε κἀν γουνοῖς Ἀθανᾶν ἅρμα καρύξαισα νικᾶν §4.26ἔν τʼ Ἀδραστείοις ἀέθλοις Σικυῶνος ὤπασεν §4.27τοιάδε τῶν τότʼ ἐόντων φύλλʼ ἀοιδᾶν.
For it had fallen asleep; but now awakened, its body shines, like the wondrous Morning Star among other stars; which also, by proclaiming chariot victory on the hills of Athens, and in the contests of Adrastos at Sicyon bestowed such leaves of song from those who were then alive.
§4.28οὐδὲ παναγυρίων ξυνᾶν ἀπεῖχον §4.29καμπύλον δίφρον, Πανελλάνεσσι δʼ ἐριζόμενοι δαπάνᾳ χαῖρον ἵππων.
Nor did they keep their curved chariot away from the common assemblies, but competing with all the Greeks, they rejoiced in the cost of horses.
§4.30τῶν ἀπειράτων γὰρ ἄγνωστοι σιωπαί, §4.31ἔστιν δʼ ἀφάνεια τύχας καὶ μαρναμένων, §4.32πρὶν τέλος ἄκρον ἱκέσθαι·
For the silences of those who do not try are unknown, and there is obscurity of fortune even for those who fight, before they reach the ultimate end.
For it grants both of these and of those; and the skill of lesser men, overtaking, trips up a better man.
ἴστε μὰν Αἴαντος ἀλκὰν φοίνιον, τὰν ὀψίᾳ §4.36ἐν νυκτὶ ταμὼν περὶ ᾧ φασγάνῳ, μομφὰν ἔχει παίδεσσιν Ἑλλάνων ὅσοι Τρῴανδʼ ἔβαν.
Indeed, you know the bloody valor of Ajax, which in the late night, by falling upon his own sword, brings blame to all the sons of the Greeks who went to Troy.
§4.37ἀλλʼ Ὅμηρός τοι τετίμακεν διʼ ἀνθρώπων, ὃς αὐτοῦ §4.38πᾶσαν ὀρθώσαις ἀρετὰν κατὰ ῥάβδον ἔφρασεν §4.39θεσπεσίων ἐπέων λοιποῖς ἀθύρειν.
But Homer, indeed, has honored him among men, who having set upright all his excellence, declared it according to his staff of divine words for future men to delight in.
§4.40τοῦτο γὰρ ἀθάνατον φωνᾶεν ἕρπει, §4.41εἴ τις εὖ εἴπῃ τι· καὶ πάγκαρπον ἐπὶ χθόνα καὶ διὰ πόντον βέβακεν §4.42ἑργμάτων ἀκτὶς καλῶν ἄσβεστος αἰεί.
For this goes forth as immortal and vocal, if anyone says something well; and over the all-fruitful earth and through the sea has gone the unquenchable beam of noble deeds forever.
§4.43προφρόνων Μοισᾶν τύχοιμεν, κεῖνον ἅψαι πυρσὸν ὕμνων §4.44καὶ Μελίσσῳ, παγκρατίου στεφάνωμʼ ἐπάξιον, §4.45ἔρνεϊ Τελεσιάδα.
May we find the Muses favorable, to kindle that torch of hymns also for Melissus, a crown worthy of the pancratium, the scion of Telesiadas.
τόλμᾳ γὰρ εἰκὼς §4.46θυμὸν ἐριβρεμετᾶν θηρῶν λεόντων §4.47ἐν πόνῳ, μῆτιν δʼ ἀλώπηξ, αἰετοῦ ἅ τʼ ἀναπιτναμένα ῥόμβον ἴσχει.
For in daring he is like the spirit of loudly roaring lions among wild beasts in toil, and in cunning a fox, which, flattening herself, thwarts the swoop of the eagle.
§4.48χρὴ δὲ πᾶν ἔρδοντα μαυρῶσαι τὸν ἐχθρόν.
And one must do everything to obscure the enemy.
For he did not obtain the stature of Orion; but indeed contemptible to look upon, yet heavy to fall in conflict with his strength.
§4.52καίτοι πότʼ Ἀνταίου δόμους §4.53Θηβᾶν ἀπὸ Καδμεϊᾶν μορφὰν βραχύς, ψυχὰν δʼ ἄκαμπτος, προσπαλαίσων ἦλθʼ ἀνὴρ §4.54τὰν πυροφόρον Λιβύαν, κρανίοις ὄφρα ξένων ναὸν Ποσειδάωνος ἐρέφοντα σχέθοι, §4.55υἱὸς Ἀλκμήνας· ὃς Οὐλυμπόνδʼ ἔβα, γαίας τε πάσας §4.56καὶ βαθύκρημνον πολιᾶς ἁλὸς ἐξευρὼν θέναρ, §4.57ναυτιλίαισί τε πορθμὸν ἁμερώσαις.
And yet once to the halls of Antaeus, from Cadmean Thebes, short in stature but unbending in soul, came a man to wrestle, to wheat-bearing Libya, so that he might stop him from roofing Poseidon's temple with the skulls of strangers, the son of Alcmene; who went to Olympus, having explored all the earth and the deep-cliffed bottom of the gray sea, and having tamed the strait for navigation.
§4.58νῦν δὲ παρʼ Αἰγιόχῳ κάλλιστον ὄλβον §4.59ἀμφέπων ναίει, τετίματαί τε πρὸς ἀθανάτων φίλος, Ἥβαν τʼ ὀπυίει, §4.60χρυσέων οἴκων ἄναξ καὶ γαμβρὸς Ἥρας.
And now beside the aegis-bearer he dwells, possessing the fairest prosperity, and is honored by the immortals as a friend, and weds Hebe, lord of golden homes and son-in-law of Hera.
§4.61τῷ μὲν Ἀλεκτρᾶν ὕπερθεν δαῖτα πορσύνοντες ἀστοὶ §4.62καὶ νεόδματα στεφανώματα βωμῶν αὔξομεν §4.63ἔμπυρα χαλκοαρᾶν ὀκτὼ θανόντων, §4.64τοὺς Μεγάρα τέκε οἱ Κρειοντὶς υἱούς·
For him, above the Electran gates, the citizens preparing a feast and we increase the newly built crowns of the altars with the burnt offerings of eight dead bronze-clad men, the sons whom Megara, daughter of Creon, bore to him.
§4.65τοῖσιν ἐν δυθμαῖσιν αὐγᾶν φλὸξ ἀνατελλομένα συνεχὲς παννυχίζει §4.66αἰθέρα κνις άε ντι λακτίζοισα καπνῷ, §4.67καὶ δεύτερον ἆμαρ ἐτείων τέρμʼ ἀέθλων §4.68γίνεται, ἰσχύος ἔργον.
For them, at the setting of the sun's rays, the rising flame keeps vigil all night continuously, kicking the ether with savory smoke, and the second day brings the completion of annual contests, the work of strength.
§4.69ἔνθα λευκωθεὶς κάρα §4.70μύρτοις ὅδʼ ἀνὴρ διπλόαν §4.71νίκαν ἀνεφάνατο παίδων τε τρίταν πρόσθεν, κυβερνατῆρος οἰακοστρόφου §4.72γνώμᾳ πεπιθὼν πολυβούλῳ.
There, having his head made white with myrtles, this man revealed a double victory, and previously a third victory among boys, obeying the steering governor's wise counsel.
σὺν Ὀρσέᾳ δέ νιν κωμάξομαι, τερπνὰν ἐπιστάζων χάριν.
And with Orseas I will celebrate him, pouring on him delightful grace.