§19.20Διὰ τί, ἐὰν μέν τις τὴν μέσην κινήσῃ ἡμῶν ἁρμόσας τὰς ἄλλας χορδὰς καὶ χρῆται τῷ ὀργάνῳ, οὐ μόνον ὅταν κατὰ τὸν τῆς μέσης γένηται φθόγγον, λυπεῖ καὶ φαίνεται ἀνάρμοστον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἄλλην μελῳδίαν· ἐὰν δὲ τὴν λιχανὸν ἤ τινα ἄλλον φθόγγον, τότε φαίνεται διαφέρειν μόνον, ὅταν κἀκείνῃ τις χρῆται;
Why is it that, if someone alters our mese after tuning the other strings and uses the instrument, it causes annoyance and seems out of tune not only when he reaches the note of the mese, but also throughout the rest of the melody; whereas if he alters the lichanos or any other note, it seems to make a difference only when someone uses that particular string?
ἢ εὐλόγως τοῦτο συμβαίνει;
Or is this reasonable?
πάντα γὰρ τὰ χρηστὰ μέλη πολλάκις τῇ μέσῃ χρῆται, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἀγαθοὶ ποιηταὶ πυκνὰ πρὸς τὴν μέσην ἀπαντῶσιν, κἂν ἀπέλθωσι, ταχὺ ἐπανέρχονται, πρὸς δὲ ἄλλην οὕτως οὐδεμίαν.
For all good melodies use the mese frequently, and all good poets return to the mese constantly, and even if they leave it, they quickly return, but they do not do so with any other string.
καθάπερ ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἐνίων ἐξαιρεθέντων συνδέσμων οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ λόγος Ἑλληνικός, οἷον τὸ τέ καὶ τὸ καί, ἔνιοι δὲ οὐθὲν λυποῦσιν διὰ τὸ τοῖς μὲν ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι χρῆσθαι πολλάκις, εἰ ἔσται λόγος, τοῖς δὲ μή, οὕτω καὶ τῶν φθόγγων ἡ μέση ὥσπερ σύνδεσμός ἐστι, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν καλῶν, διὰ τὸ πλειστάκις ἐνυπάρχειν τὸν φθόγγον αὐτῆς.
Just as when certain connectives are removed from speech, such as 'te' and 'kai', the speech is no longer Greek, while some other words cause no offense, because it is necessary to use the former frequently if there is to be speech, but not the latter; so too among the notes, the mese is like a connective, especially in beautiful melodies, because its note is present most frequently.
§19.21Διὰ τί τῶν ᾀδόντων οἱ βαρύτερον ᾄδοντες τῶν ὀξὺ ᾀδόντων, ἐὰν ἀπᾴδωσι, μᾶλλον κατάδηλοι γίνονται;
Why is it that among singers, those who sing in a lower register, if they sing out of tune, are more conspicuous than those who sing in a high register?
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῷ ῥυθμῷ οἱ ἐν τῷ βραδυτέρῳ πλημμελοῦντες κατάδηλοι μᾶλλον.
And likewise in rhythm, those who commit errors in a slower tempo are more conspicuous.
πότερον ὅτι πλείων ὁ χρόνος ὁ τοῦ βαρέος, οὗτος δὲ μᾶλλον αἰσθητός;
Is it because the time of the low pitch is longer, and this is more perceptible?
ἢ ὅτι ἐν πλείονι χρόνῳ πλείω αἴσθησιν παρέχει, τὸ δὲ βαρὺ καὶ ὀξὺ λανθάνει διὰ τὸ τάχος.
Or is it because in a longer time it presents more perception, whereas [in the high register] the low and the high escape notice due to the speed?
§19.22Διὰ τί οἱ πολλοὶ μᾶλλον ᾄδοντες τὸν ῥυθμὸν σώζουσιν ἢ οἱ ὀλίγοι;
Why do the many preserve the rhythm better when singing than the few?
ἢ ὅτι μᾶλλον πρὸς ἕνα τε καὶ ἡγεμόνα βλέπουσι, καὶ βραδύτερον ἄρχονται, ὥστε ῥᾷον τοῦ αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσιν;
Or is it because they look more to one leader and start more slowly, so that they more easily hit upon the same rhythm?
ἐν γὰρ τῷ τάχει ἡ ἁμαρτία πλείων.
For in speed, error is more frequent.
§19.23Διὰ τί διπλασία ἡ νήτη τῆς ὑπάτης;
Why is the nete double the hypate?
ἢ πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἡμίσεος ἡ χορδὴ ψαλλομένη καὶ ὅλη συμφωνοῦσι διὰ πασῶν;
Or first, is it because a string plucked at its half and the whole string consort in an octave?
ὁμοίως δὲ ἔχει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν συρίγγων· ἡ γὰρ διὰ τοῦ μέσου τῆς σύριγγος τρήματος φωνὴ τῇ δι’ ὅλης τῆς σύριγγος συμφωνεῖ διὰ πασῶν.
The same is true in the case of panpipes; for the sound through the middle hole of the panpipe consorts in an octave with that through the whole panpipe.
ἔτι ἐν τοῖς αὐλοῖς τῷ διπλασίῳ διαστήματι λαμβάνεται τὸ διὰ πασῶν, καὶ οἱ αὐλοτρῦπαι οὕτως λαμβάνουσιν. [ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὸ διὰ πέντε τῷ ἡμιολίῳ], ἔτι οἱ τὰς σύριγγας ἁρμοττόμενοι εἰς μὲν τὴν ὑπάτην ἄκραν τὸν κηρὸν ἐμπλάττουσι, τὴν δὲ νήτην μέχρι τοῦ ἡμίσεος ἀναπληροῦσιν.
Moreover, in oboes (auloi) the octave is obtained by double the distance, and oboe-makers obtain it in this way. [And likewise the fifth by the ratio of three to two.] Moreover, those who tune panpipes apply wax to the very tip of the hypate, but fill up the nete to the half.
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τὴν διὰ πέντε τῷ ἡμιολίῳ καὶ τὴν διὰ τεττάρων τῷ ἐπιτρίτῳ διαστήματι λαμβάνουσιν.
Likewise, they obtain the fifth by the ratio of three to two and the fourth by the ratio of four to three.
ἔτι οἱ ἐν τοῖς τριγώνοις ψαλτηρίοις τῆς ἴσης ἐπιτάσεως γινομένης συμφωνοῦσιν διὰ πασῶν, ἡ μὲν διπλασία οὖσα, ἡ δὲ ἡμίσεια τῷ μήκει.
Moreover, in triangular harps, when the tension is equal, they consort in an octave, one being double and the other half in length.
§19.24Διὰ τί, ἐάν τις ψήλας τὴν νήτην νήτην ἐπιλάβῃ, ἡ ὑπάτη μόνη δοκεῖ ἀντηχεῖν;
Why is it that if someone plucks the nete and stops it, the hypate alone seems to resonate?
ἢ ὅτι συμφυὴς μάλιστα γίνεται τῷ φθόγγῳ ὁ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἦχος διὰ τὸ σύμφωνος εἶναι;
Or is it because the sound from the latter is most compatible with the note of the former because of their consonance?
τῷ οὖν συναυξάνεσθαι τῷ ὁμοίῳ φαίνεται μόνος, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι διὰ μικρότητα ἀφανεῖς.
Therefore, by being amplified along with its like, it alone is apparent, while the others are imperceptible because of their smallness.
§19.25Διὰ τί μέση καλεῖται ἐν ταῖς ἁρμονίαις, τῶν δὲ ὀκτὼ οὐκ ἔστι μέσον;
Why is it called 'mese' in the scales (harmoniai), when there is no middle in eight notes?
ἢ ὅτι ἑπτάχορδοι ἦσαν αἱ ἁρμονίαι τὸ παλαιόν, τὰ δὲ ἑπτὰ ἔχει μέσον.
Or is it because in ancient times the scales were seven-stringed, and seven has a middle?
§19.26Διὰ τί ἐπὶ τὸ ὀξὺ ἀπᾴδουσιν οἱ πλεῖστοι;
Why do most people sing out of tune towards the high pitch?
πότερον ὅτι ῥᾷον ὀξὺ ᾆσαι ἢ βαρύ;
Is it because it is easier to sing high than low?
ἢ ὅτι χεῖρον τοῦ βαρέος; ἁμαρτία δέ ἐστι τοῦ χείρονος πρᾶξις.
Or is it because it is worse than the low, and error is the performance of what is worse?
§19.27Διὰ τί τὸ ἀκουστὸν μόνον ἦθος ἔχει τῶν αἰσθητῶν;
Why is the audible alone of the sensible objects possessive of character (ethos)?
καὶ γὰρ ἐὰν ἦ ἄνευ λόγου μέλος, ὅμως ἔχει ἦθος· ἀλλ’ οὐ τὸ χρῶμα οὐδὲ ἡ ὀσμὴ οὐδὲ ὁ χυμὸς ἔχει.
For even if there is a melody without words, it nevertheless has character; but color, odor, and flavor do not have it.
ἢ ὅτι κίνησιν ἔχει μονονουχί, ἥν ὁ ψόφος ἡμᾶς κινεῖ;
Or is it because it almost alone has movement, by which the sound moves us?
τοιαύτη μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπάρχει· κινεῖ γὰρ καὶ τὸ χρῶμα τὴν ὄψιν· ἀλλὰ τῆς ἑπομένης τῷ τοιούτῳ ψόφῳ αἰσθανόμεθα κινήσεως.
For such movement belongs to the others as well; for color also moves the sight; but we perceive the movement that follows such a sound.
αὕτη δὲ ἔχει ὁμοιότητα ἔν τε τοῖς ῥυθμοῖς καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν φθόγγων τάξει τῶν ὀξέων καὶ βαρέων, οὐκ ἐν τῇ μίξει.
And this has a similarity both in rhythms and in the arrangement of the high and low notes, but not in their mixture.
ἀλλ’ ἡ συμφωνία οὐκ ἔχει ἦθος.
But consonance has no character.
ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις αἰσθητοῖς τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστιν.
And in the other sensible objects this is not present.
αἱ δὲ κινήσεις αὗται πρακτικαί εἰσιν, αἱ δὲ πράξεις ἤθους σημασία ἐστίν.
And these movements are active, and actions are the indication of character.