§19.1Διὰ τί οἱ πονοῦντες καὶ οἱ ἀπολαύοντες αὐλοῦνται;
Why is it that those who are suffering and those who are enjoying themselves have flute music played to them?
ἢ ἵνα οἱ μὲν ἧττον λυπῶνται, οἱ δὲ μᾶλλον χαίρωσιν.
Or is it so that the former may feel less pain, and the latter may rejoice more?
§19.2Διὰ τί πορρωτέρω ὁ αὐτὸς τῇ αὐτῇ φωνῇ γεγωνεῖ μετ’ ἄλλων ᾄδων καὶ βοῶν ἢ μόνος;
Why is it that the same person, with the same volume of voice, makes himself heard further when singing and shouting with others than when alone?
ἢ ὅτι τὸ ἀθρόως τι ποιεῖν ἢ θλίβειν ἢ ὠθεῖν οὐ τοσαυταπλάσιόν ἐστιν ὅσος ὁ ἀριθμός, ἀλλ’ ὥσπερ ἡ γραμμὴ ἡ δίπους οὐ διπλάσιον ἀλλὰ τετραπλάσιόν τι γράφει, οὕτως τὰ συντιθέμενα πλέον ἰσχύει κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἢ ὅταν ᾖ διῃρημένα.
Or is it because doing, pressing, or pushing something collectively does not increase in multiple in proportion to their number, but just as a two-foot line draws an area not double but four times as large, so combined forces are more powerful than when they are divided, in proportion to their number?
ἀθρόων οὖν ὄντων μία γίνεται ἡ τῆς φωνῆς ἰσχὺς καὶ ἅμα ὠθεῖ τὸν ἀέρα, ὥστε πολλαπλάσιον προϊέναι· καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἐκ πάντων φωνὴ μιᾶς ἑκάστης πολλαπλάσιος.
Therefore, when people are in a group, the strength of their voice becomes one and pushes the air at the same time, so that it goes forward many times further; for indeed, the voice of all combined is many times greater than that of each single one.
§19.3Διὰ τί τὴν παρυπάτην ᾄδοντες μάλιστα ἀπορρήγνυνται, οὐχ ἧττον ἢ τὴν νήτην καὶ τὰ ἄνω, μετὰ δὲ διαστάσεως πλείονος;
Why is it that when people sing the parypate, they rupture their voices most of all, no less than when singing the nete and the higher notes, and with greater effort?
ἢ ὅτι χαλεπώτατα ταύτην ᾄδουσι, καὶ αὕτη ἀρχή;
Or is it because they sing this note with the greatest difficulty, and this is the starting point?
τὸ δὲ χαλεπὸν διὰ τὴν ἐπίτασιν καὶ πίεσιν τῆς φωνῆς· ἐν τούτοις δὲ πόνος· πονοῦντα δὲ μᾶλλον διαφθείρεται.
And the difficulty is due to the tension and compression of the voice; and in these there is labor; and what is in labor is more easily ruined.
§19.4Διὰ τί δὲ ταύτην χαλεπῶς, τὴν δὲ ὑπάτην ῥᾳδίως; καίτοι δίεσις ἑκατέρας.
And why is this note difficult, while the hypate is easy, although each is a diesis away?
ἢ ὅτι μετ’ ἀνέσεως ἡ ὑπάτη, καὶ ἅμα μετὰ τὴν σύντασιν ἐλαφρὸν τὸ ἄνω βάλλειν;
Or is it because the hypate is accompanied by relaxation, and at the same time, after tension, it is easy to throw the voice upward?
διὰ ταὐτὸ δὲ ἔοικεν καὶ τὰ πρὸς μίαν λεγόμενα πρὸς ταύτην ἢ παρανήτην.
And for the same reason, it seems, songs sung in relation to a single note are sung in relation to this one or the paranete.
δεῖ γὰρ μετὰ συννοίας καὶ καταστάσεως οἰκειοτάτης τῷ ἤθει πρὸς τὴν βούλησιν.
For there must be, in relation to the intention, reflection and a stable state most appropriate to the character.
τοῦ δὲ δὴ μετὰ συμφωνίας τίς ἡ αἰτία;
But what is the cause of singing with consonance?
§19.5Διὰ τί ἥδιον ἀκούουσιν ᾀδόντων ὅσα ἂν προεπιστάμενοι τυγχάνωσι τῶν μελῶν, ἢ ὧν μὴ ἐπίστανται;
Why do people listen with greater pleasure to those singing songs which they already happen to know than to those they do not know?
πότερον ὅτι μᾶλλον δῆλος ὁ τυγχάνων ὥσπερ σκοποῦ, ὅταν γνωρίζωσι τὸ ᾀδόμενον;
Is it because it is more obvious that the singer is hitting the mark, so to speak, when they recognize what is being sung?
τοῦτο δὲ ἡδὺ θεωρεῖν.
And it is pleasant to observe this.
ἢ ὅτι ἡδὺ τὸ μανθάνειν;
Or is it because learning is pleasant?
τούτου δὲ αἴτιον ὅτι τὸ μὲν λαμβάνειν τὴν ἐπιστήμην, τὸ δὲ χρῆσθαι καὶ ἀναγνωρίζειν ἐστίν.
The cause of this is that the one is acquiring knowledge, while the other is using and recognizing it.
ἔτι καὶ τὸ σύνηθες ἡδὺ μᾶλλον τοῦ ἀσυνήθους.
Furthermore, what is familiar is more pleasant than what is unfamiliar.
§19.6Διὰ τί ἡ παρακαταλογὴ ἐν ταῖς ᾠδαῖς τραγικόν;
Why is parakataloge in songs tragic?
ἢ διὰ τὴν ἀνωμαλίαν;
Or is it because of its unevenness?
παθητικὸν γὰρ τὸ ἀνωμαλὲς καὶ ἐν μεγέθει τύχης ἢ λύπης. τὸ δὲ ὁμαλὲς ἔλαττον γοῶδες.
For the uneven is emotional and is found in greatness of fortune or grief, whereas the even is less plaintive.
§19.7Διὰ τί οἱ ἀρχαῖοι ἑπταχόρδους ποιοῦντες ἁρμονίας τὴν ὑπάτην, ἀλλ’ οὐ τὴν νήτην κατέλιπον;
Why did the ancients, when making seven-stringed scales, leave the hypate but not the nete?
πότερον τοῦτο ψεῦδος (ἀμφοτέρας γὰρ κατέλιπον, τὴν δὲ τρίτην ἐξῄρουν) ἢ οὔ;
Or is this false (for they left both and removed the trite), or is it not?
ἀλλ’ ὅτι ἡ βαρυτέρα ἰσχύει τὸν τῆς ὀξυτέρας φθόγγον, ὥστε μᾶλλον ἡ ὑπάτη ἀπεδίδου τὸ ἀντίφωνον ἢ ἡ νήτη, ἐπεὶ τὸ ὀξὺ δυνάμεως 〈σημεῖον〉 μᾶλλον, τὸ δὲ βαρὺ ῥᾷον φθέγξασθαι.
But is it because the lower note has the power of the sound of the higher note, so that the hypate rendered the octave response more than the nete, since the high pitch is more of a [sign] of effort, while the low pitch is easier to utter?
§19.8Διὰ τί ἡ βαρεῖα τὸν τῆς ὀξείας ἰσχύει φθόγγον;
Why does the low note have the power of the sound of the high note?
ἢ ὅτι μεῖζον τὸ βαρύ;
Or is it because the low note is greater?
τῇ γὰρ ἀμβλείᾳ ἔοικεν, τὸ δὲ 〈ὀξὺ〉 τῇ ὀξείᾳ γωνίᾳ.
For it resembles an obtuse angle, while the [high note] resembles an acute angle.
§19.9Διὰ τί ἥδιον τῆς μονῳδίας ἀκούομεν, ἐάν τις πρὸς αὐλὸν ἢ λύραν ᾄδῃ;
Why do we listen with greater pleasure to a solo song if someone sings to the flute or the lyre?
καίτοι πρὸς χορδὰς καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ μέλος ᾄδουσιν ἀμφοτέρως·
And yet they sing the same melody in both cases, to strings [or to the flute].
εἰ γὰρ ἔτι μᾶλλον τὸ αὐτό, πλέον ἔδει πρὸς πολλοὺς αὐλητάς, καὶ ἔτι ἥδιον εἶναι.
For if it were still more the same, it ought to be more so to many flute-players, and be still more pleasant.
ἢ ὅτι τυγχάνων δῆλος τοῦ σκοποῦ μᾶλλον, ὅταν πρὸς αὐλὸν ἢ λύραν;
Or is it because the singer is more obviously hitting the mark when singing to the flute or the lyre?
τὸ δὲ πρὸς πολλοὺς αὐλητὰς ἢ λύρας πολλὰς οὐχ ἥδιον, ὅτι ἀφανίζει τὴν ᾠδήν.
But singing to many flute-players or many lyres is not more pleasant, because it drowns out the song.
§19.10Διὰ τί, εἰ ἡδίων ἡ ἀνθρώπου φωνὴ ἡ ἄνευ λόγου ᾄδοντος, οὐχ ἡδίων ἐστὶν οἷον τερετιζόντων, ἀλλ’ αὐλὸς ἢ λύρα;
Why is it that, if the human voice singing without words is more pleasant, it is not more pleasant in the case of those who warble, but the flute or the lyre is?
ἢ οὐδ’ ἐκεῖ, ἐὰν μὴ μιμῆται, ὁμοίως ἡδύ;
Or is it because even there, unless the instrument imitates, it is not equally pleasant?
οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ ἔργον αὐτό.
Nevertheless, it is also because of the operation itself.
ἡ μὲν γὰρ φωνὴ ἡδίων ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, κρουστικὰ δὲ μᾶλλον τὰ ὄργανα τοῦ στόματος.
For the human voice is more pleasant, but instruments are more striking than the mouth.
διὸ ἥδιον ἀκούειν ἢ τερετίζειν.
Therefore, it is more pleasant to listen to instruments than to warble.
§19.11Διὰ τί ἡ ἀπηχοῦσα ὀξυτέρα;
Why is an echo higher in pitch?
ἢ ὅτι ἔλλατον, ἀσθενεστέρα γινομένη;
Or is it because it is smaller, becoming weaker?