§1.18Καὶ ἡ νῆττα ἥμερος ἐὰν ὑπιοῦσα ὑπὸ τὰ γεῖσα ἀποπτερυγίζηται ὕδωρ σημαίνει, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ κολοιοὶ καὶ ἀλεκτρυόνες ἐάν τε ἐπὶ λίμνῃ ἢ θαλάττῃ ἀποπτερυγίζωνται ὡς νῆττα ὕδωρ σημαίνει.
And the domestic duck, if it goes under the eaves and flaps its wings, indicates rain, and likewise jackdaws and poultry also, if they flap their wings on a lake or sea like a duck, indicate rain.
Καὶ ἐρωδιὸς ὄρθριον φθεγγόμενος ὕδωρ ἢ πνεῦμα σημαίνει· καὶ ἐὰν ἐπὶ θάλατταν πετόμενος βοᾷ μᾶλλον ὕδατος σημεῖον ἢ πνεύματος, καὶ ὅλως βοῶν ἀνεμῶδες.
And a heron crying in the morning indicates rain or wind; and if it cries as it flies towards the sea, it is a sign of rain rather than of wind, and generally its crying indicates wind.
§1.19Καὶ ὁ σπίνος ἐν οἰκίᾳ οἰκουμένῃ ἐὰν φθέγξηται ἕωθεν ὕδωρ σημαίνει ἢ χειμῶνα.
And the finch, if it chirps in an inhabited house in the morning, indicates rain or a storm.
Καὶ χύτρα σπινθηρίζουσα πᾶσα περίπλεως ὕδατος σημεῖον.
And a pot sparking all over is a sign of rain.
Καὶ ἴουλοι πολλοὶ πρὸς τοῖχον ἕρποντες ὑδατκόν.
And many millipedes crawling towards a wall indicate rain.
Δελφὶς παρὰ γῆν κολυμβῶν καὶ ἀναδυόμενος πυκνὰ ὕδωρ ἢ χειμῶνα σημαίνει.
A dolphin diving and emerging frequently near the land indicates rain or a storm.
§1.20Ὕμηττος ἐλάττων, ἄνυδρος καλούμενος, ἐὰν τῷ κοίλῳ νεφέλιον ἔχῃ ὕδατος σημεῖον· καὶ ἐὰν ὁ μέγας Ὕμηττος τοῦ θέρους ἔχῃ νεοφέλας ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐκ πλαγίου ὕδατος σημεῖον.
The Lesser Hymettus, which is called Waterless, if it has a small cloud in its hollow, is a sign of rain; and if the Great Hymettus in summer has clouds on its summit and on its side, it is a sign of rain.
Καὶ ἐὰν ὁ ἄνυδρος Ὕμηττος λευκὰς ἔχῃ ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐκ πλαγίου.
And if the Waterless Hymettus has white clouds on its summit and on its side.
Καὶ ἐὰν περὶ ἰσημερίαν λὶψ πνεύσῃ ὕδωρ σημαίνει.
And if around the equinox the south-west wind blows, it indicates rain.
§1.21Αἱ δὲ βρονταὶ αἱ μὲν χειμεριναὶ καὶ ἑωθιναὶ μᾶλλον ἄνεμον ἢ ὕδωρ σημαίνουσιν· αἱ δὲ θεριναὶ μεσημβρίας καὶ ἑσπεριναὶ βρονταὶ ὑδατικὸν σημεῖον.
Now winter and morning thunder indicates wind rather than rain; but summer, midday, and evening thunder is a sign of rain.
Ἀστραπαὶ δὲ ἐάν γε πανταχόθεν γένωνται ὕδατος ἂν ἢ ἀνέμου σημεῖον, καὶ ἑσπεριναὶ ὡσαύτως.
And lightnings, if they occur from all sides, would be a sign of rain or wind, and evening ones likewise.
Καὶ ἐὰν ἀκρωρίας νότου πνέοντος νοτόθεν ἀστράψῃ ὕδωρ σημαίνει ἢ ἄνεμον.
And if, while the south wind is blowing, there is lightning from the south at the mountain peaks, it indicates rain or wind.
Καὶ ζέφυρος ἀστράπτων πρὸς βορείου ἢ χειμῶνα ἢ ὕδωρ σημαίνει.
And the west wind accompanied by lightning from the north indicates either a storm or rain.
Καὶ θέρους αἰ ἑσπέριαι ἀστραπαὶ ὕδωρ αὐτίκα σημαίνουσιν ἢ τριῶν ἡμερῶν.
And summer evening lightnings indicate rain immediately or within three days.
Καὶ ὀπώρας βορρᾶθεν ἀστραπαὶ ὑδατικὸν σημεῖον.
And autumn lightnings from the north are a sign of rain.
§1.22Ἡ Εὔβοια ὅταν διαζωσθῇ μέση ὕδωρ διὰ ταχέων.
When Euboea is girdled around its middle, there is rain quickly.
Καὶ ἐὰν ἐπὶ τὸ Πήλιον νε͂ φέλη προσίζῃ ὅθεν ἂν προσίζῃ ἐντεῦθεν ὕδωρ ἢ ἄνεμον σημαίνει.
And if a cloud settles on Mount Pelion, from whichever direction it settles, thence it indicates rain or wind.
Ὅταν ἶρις γένηται ἐπισημαίνει· ἐάν τε πολλαὶ ἴριδες γένωνται σημαίνει ὕδωρ ἐπὶ πολύ.
When a rainbow appears, it foretells rain; and if many rainbows appear, it indicates rain for a long time.
Ἀλλὰ πολλάκις καὶ οἱ ὀξεῖς ἥλιοι ὅταν ἐκ νεφέλης.
But often also sharp sunbeams when they shine from a cloud.
Πύρμηκες ἐν κοίλῳ χωρίῳ ἐὰν τὰ ὠὰ ἐκφέρωσιν ἐκ τῆς μυρμηκιᾶς ἐπὶ τὸ ὑψηλὸν χωρίον ὕδωρ σημαίνουσιν, ἐὰν δὲ καταφέρωσιν εὐδίαν.
If ants in a hollow place carry their eggs out of the anthill to a high place, they indicate rain; but if they carry them down, they indicate fair weather.
Ἐὰν παρήλιοι δύο γένωνται καὶ ὁ μὲν νοτόθεν ὁ δὲ βορρᾶθεν, καὶ ἅλως ἅμα ὕδωρ διὰ ταχέων σημαίνουσι.
If two mock suns appear, one from the south and the other from the north, together with a halo, they indicate rain quickly.
Καὶ ἅλως αἱ μέλαιναι ὑδατικὸν καὶ μᾶλλον αἱ δείλης.
And dark halos are a sign of rain, and especially those in the evening.
§1.23Ἐν τῷ καρκίνῳ δύο ἀστέρες εἰσὶν, οἱ καλούμενοι ὄνοι, ὧν τὸ μεταξὺ τὸ νεφέλιον ἡ φάτνη καλουμένη.
In Cancer there are two stars, which are called the Asses, and the small cloud between them is called the Manger.
Τοῦτο ἐὰν ζοφῶδες γένηται ὑδατικόν.
If this becomes dark and gloomy, it is a sign of rain.
Ἐὰν μὴ ἐπὶ κυνὶ ὕσῃ ἢ ἐπὶ Ἀρκτούρῳ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ πρὸς ἰσημερίαν ὕδωρ ἢ ἄνεμος.
If it does not rain at the rising of the Dog Star or of Arcturus, there is usually rain or wind towards the equinox.
Καὶ τὸ δημόσιον τὸ περὶ τὰς μυίας λεγόμενον ἀληθές· ὅταν γὰρ δάκνωσι σφόδρα ὕδατος σημεῖον.
And the common saying about flies is true; for when they bite fiercely, it is a sign of rain.
Σπίνος φθεγγόμενος ἕωθεν μὲν ὕδωρ σημαίνει ἢ χειμῶνα, δείλης δὲ ὕδωρ.
A finch chirping in the morning indicates rain or a storm, but in the evening it indicates rain.
§1.24Τῆς δὲ νυκτὸς ὅταν τὸν Ὕμηττον κάτωθεν τῶν ἄκρων νεφέλη διαζώσῃ λευκὴ καὶ μακρὰ ὕδωρ γίνεται ὡς τὰ πολλὰ μετρίων ἡμερῶν.
And by night, when a white and long cloud girdles Hymettus below its summits, rain usually occurs within a moderate number of days.
Καὶ ἐὰν ἐν Αἰγίνῃ ἐπὶ τοῦ Διὸς τοῦ Ἑλλανίου νεφέλη καθίζηται ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ὕδωρ γίνεται.
And if on Aegina a cloud settles on the temple of Zeus Hellanios, rain usually occurs.
Ἐὰν ὕδατα πολλὰ γίνηται χειμερινὰ τὸ ἔαρ ὡς τὰ πολλὰ γίνεται αὐχμηρόν· ἐὰν δʼ αὐχμηρὸς ὁ χειμῶν τὸ ἔαρ ὑδατῶδες.
If there is much rain in winter, the spring usually becomes dry; but if the winter is dry, the spring is rainy.
Ὅταν χιόνες πολλαὶ γίνωνται ὡς τὰ πολλὰ εὐετηρία γίνεται.
When there is much snow, there is usually a fruitful season.
§1.25Φασὶ δέ τινες καὶ εἰ ἐν ἄστρασι ἄνθραξι corr. λαμπρὰ χάλαζα ἐπιφαίνηται χάλαζαν προσημαίνειν ὡς τὰ πολλά· ἐὰν δὲ ὥσπερ κέγχροι μικροὶ λαμπροὶ πολλοὶ, ἀνέμου μὲν ὄντος εὐδίαν, μὴ ἀνέμου δὲ ὕδωρ ἢ ἄνεμον.
And some say that if a bright hail-like spot appears among the embers, it usually foretells hail; and if there are many small bright spots like millet seeds, it indicates fair weather if there is wind, but if there is no wind, it indicates rain or wind.
Ἔστι δʼ ἄμεινον πρῶτον γίνεσθαι βόρειον ὕδωρ νοτίου καὶ τοῖς φυομένοις καὶ τοῖς ζώοις· δεῖ δὲ γλυκὺ εἶναι καὶ μὴ ἁλμυρὸν τοῖς γευομένοις.
And it is better that northern rain should fall before southern rain, both for growing plants and for animals; and it ought to be sweet and not salty to those who taste it.
Καὶ ὅλως ἔτος βέλτιον νοτίου βόρειον καὶ ὑγιεινότερον.
And in general, a year of northern winds is better and healthier than one of southern winds.
Καὶ ὅταν πάλιν ὀχεύωνται πρόβατα ἢ αἶγες χειμῶνος μακροῦ σημεῖον.
And when sheep or goats mate again, it is a sign of a long winter.