§1ὦ στυγνὸν οὔνομʼ, ὦ θεοῖς στυγούμενον, §2ποδάγρα, πολυστένακτε, Κωκυτοῦ τέκνον, §3ἣν Ταρτάρου κευθμῶσιν ἐν βαθυσκίοις §4Μέγαιρʼ Ἐρινὺς γαστρὸς ἐξεγείνατο §5μαζοῖσί τʼ ἐξέθρεψε, καὶ πικρῷ βρέφει §6εἰς χεῖλος ἐστάλαξεν Ἀλληκτὼ γάλα,
O hateful name, O detested by the gods, Podagra, much-lamented, child of Cocytus, whom in the deep-shaded depths of Tartarus, Megaera the Erinys brought forth from her womb, and nursed at her breasts; and to you, a bitter infant, Allecto dripped milk upon your lip.
Who then of the deities sent you, the ill-omened one, into the light?
ἦλθες ἀνθρώποις βλάβος.
You came as a bane to humans.
§9εἰ γὰρ τεθνῶσιν ἀμπλακημάτων τίσις §10βροτοῖς ὀπηδεῖ τῶν ἔδρασαν ἐν φάει, §11οὐ Τάνταλον ποτοῖσιν, οὐδʼ Ἰξίονα §12τροχῷ στροβητόν, οὐδὲ Σίσυφον πέτρῳ §13ἔδει κολάζειν ἐν δόμοισι Πλουτέως, §14ἁπλῶς δὲ πάντας τοὺς κακῶς δεδρακότας §15τοῖς σοῖς προσάπτειν ἀρθροκηδέσιν πόνοις,
For if, for the dead, a retribution of the sins they committed in the light follows mortal men, there would be no need to punish Tantalus with drinks, nor Ixion spun on a wheel, nor Sisyphus with a stone in the house of Pluto, but simply to bind all those who have done evil to your joint-paining torments.
§16ὥς μου τὸ λυπρὸν καὶ ταλαίπωρον δέμας §17χειρῶν ἀπʼ ἄκρων εἰς ἄκρας ποδῶν βάσεις §18ἰχῶρι φαύλῳ καὶ πικρῷ χυμῷ χολῆς §19πνεύματι βιαίῳ τόδε διασφίγγον πόρους §20ἕστηκε καὶ μεμυκὸς ἐπιτείνει πόνους.
For thus, my painful and wretched body, from the tips of my hands to the very soles of my feet, with evil ichor and bitter juice of bile, along with a violent breath, constricting these passages, stands and, shut tight, intensifies its pains.
§21σπλάγχνων δʼ ἐπʼ αὐτῶν διάπυρον τρέχει κακόν, §22δίναισι φλογμῶν σάρκα πυρπολούμενον, §23ὁποῖα κρητὴρ μεστὸς Αἰτναίου πυρὸς §24ἢ Σικελὸς αὐλὼν ἁλιπόρου διασφάγος, §25ὅπου δυσεξέλικτα κυματούμενος §26σήραγξι πετρῶν σκολιὸς εἱλεῖται κλύδων.
And upon the very vitals a fiery evil runs, burning the flesh with eddies of flames, just like a crater full of Etnaean fire, or the Sicilian strait, the sea-passed cleft, where, rising in waves hard to escape, the crooked billow rolls through the caves of the rocks.
§27ὦ δυστέκμαρτον πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τέλος, §28ὡς εἰς μάτην σε πάντες ἀμφιθάλπομεν §29ἐλπίδι ματαίᾳ μωρὰ βουκολούμενοι.
O end hard to discern for all humans, how in vain we all cherish you, foolishly fed with vain hope.
§30ἀνὰ Δίνδυμον Κυβήβης §31Φρύγες ἔνθεον ὀλολυγὴν §32ἁπαλῷ τελοῦσιν Ἄττῃ, §33καὶ πρὸς μέλος κεραύλου §34Φρυγίου κατʼ ὄρεα Τμώλου §35κῶμον βοῶσι Λυδοί· §36παραπλῆγες δʼ ἀμφὶ ῥόπτροις §37κελαδοῦσι Κρητὶ ῥυθμῷ §38νόμον Κορύβαντες εὐάν.
Up on Dindymus of Cybebe, the Phrygians perform an inspired shriek for tender Attis, and to the tune of the horned Phrygian flute, along the mountains of Tmolus, the Lydians shout their revel-cry; and the maddened Corybantes, with hand-drums, shout the bacchanalian strain in Cretan rhythm, celebrating the ritual cry "Euan".
The heavy trumpet blares, sounding a warlike battle-cry for impetuous Ares.
§42ἡμεῖς δὲ σοί, Ποδάγρα, §43πρώταις ἔαρος ἐν ὥραις §44μύσται τελοῦμεν οἴκτους, §45ὅτε πᾶς χλοητόκοισι §46ποίαις τέθηλε λειμών, §47Ζεφύρου δὲ δένδρα πνοιαῖς §48ἁπαλοῖς κομᾷ πετήλοις, §49ἁ δύσγαμος κατʼ οἴκους §50μερόπων θροεῖ χελιδών, §51καὶ νυκτέροις καθʼ ὕλαν §52τὸν Ἴτυν στένει δακρύουσʼ §53Ἀτθὶς γόοις ἀηδών.
But we to you, Podagra, in the first hours of spring, as initiates, perform our lamentations, when every meadow blooms with grass-bearing herbs, and the trees, by the breezes of Zephyr, grow leafy with tender foliage, and the ill-married swallow screeches in the homes of mortals, and in the nightly woods, weeping and lamenting Itys, the Attic nightingale wails.
§54ὤμοι πόνων ἀρωγόν, ὦ τρίτου ποδὸς
Ah me!
§55μοῖραν λελογχὸς βάκτρον, ἐξέρειδέ μου §56βάσιν τρέμουσαν καὶ κατίθυνον τρίβον, §57ἴχνος βέβαιον ὡς ἐπιστήσω πέδῳ.
Staff, helper of my pains, which has obtained the lot of a third foot, support my trembling step and direct my path, so that I may set a firm footstep upon the ground.
Rouse your limbs from the bed, wretched one, and leave the roofed shelter of the house.
§60σκέδασον δʼ ἀπʼ ὄσσων νύχιον ἀέρος βάθος §61μολὼν θύραζε καὶ πρὸς ἡλίου φάος §62ἀθόλωτον αὔραν πνεύματος φαιδροῦ σπάσον·
Scatter from your eyes the nightly depth of mist, going out of doors, and draw in the unclouded breeze of bright air in the light of the sun.
§63δέκατον γὰρ ἤδη τοῦτο πρὸς πέμπτῳ φάει, §64ἐξ οὗ ζόφῳ σύγκλειστος ἡλίου δίχα §65εὐναῖς ἐν ἀστρώτοισι τείρομαι δέμας.
For this is already the fifteenth day since, shut up in darkness without the sun, I have been worn down in body on unmade beds.
§66ψυχὴ μὲν οὖν μοι καὶ προθυμία πάρα §67βάσεις ἀμείβειν ἐπὶ θύρας ὡρμημένῳ, §68δέμας δὲ νωθρὸν οὐχ ὑπηρετεῖ πόθοις.
Indeed, soul and eagerness are present in me, as I strive to direct my steps towards the door, but my sluggish body does not serve my desires.
§69ὅμως δʼ ἐπείγου, θυμέ, γιγνώσκων ὅτι §70πτωχὸς ποδαγρῶν, περιπατεῖν μὲν ἂν θέλῃ §71καὶ μὴ δύνηται, τοῦτον ἐν νεκροῖς τίθει.
Nevertheless, make haste, my soul, knowing that if a beggar afflicted with gout wishes to walk and cannot, reckon him among the dead.
§72ἀλλʼ εἶα.
But come!
For who are these waving staffs in their hands, their heads crowned with elder leaves?
§75τίνι δαιμόνων ἄγουσι κωμαστὴν χορόν;
For which of the deities are they leading this reveling dance?
§76μῶν, Φοῖβε Παιάν, σὸν γεραίρουσιν σέβας;
Surely they are not honoring your majesty, Phoebus Paean?
§77ἀλλʼ οὐ στέφονται Δελφίδος φύλλῳ δάφνης.
But they are not crowned with the leaf of the Delphic laurel.
§78ἢ μή τις ὕμνος Βακχίῳ κωμάζεται;
Or is some hymn being sung in revelry to Bacchus?
§79ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἔπεστι κισσίνη σφραγὶς κόμαις.
But there is no ivy seal upon their hair.
§80τίνες ποθ’ ἡμῖν, ὦ ξένοι, βεβήκατε;
Who on earth are you who have come to us, O strangers?
§81αὐδᾶτε καὶ πρόεσθε νημερτῆ λόγον.
Speak and utter the truthful word.
§82τίς δ’ ἔστιν, ἣν ὑμνεῖτε, λέξατ’, ὦ φίλοι.
And who is she whom you hymn? Tell me, my friends.
§83Σὺ δ’ ὢν τίς ἡμᾶς καὶ τίνων προσεννέπεις;
But you, who are you and from what parents do you address us?
For as your staff and your step reveal you, we see an initiate of the unconquered goddess.
§86Εἶς εἰμι κἀγὼ τῆς θεᾶς ἐπάξιος;
Am I also one worthy of the goddess?