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but fell within. And all the tackle was shaken, as the wind whistled shrilly on the forestays. The sky grew black in the clouds, and flashed with lightning, and was broken all around with mighty sounds. Then I gave myself to God, and I escaped the wild sea, having fallen to pious promises. Nor when all the foundations of spacious Hellas were shaken as it quaked, and there appeared no help from the evil; But I trembled, since I still had a soul uninitiated in the heavenly gift, when grace and the radiance of the Spirit are drawn to men by the bath. Nor when sickness filled my mouth with a fierce flux, 995 and constricted the passages of breath, and the paths of life. Nor when, twisting a twig around with a foolish mind, not at all willingly I scratched the surrounding corner of my eyelid, and made it bloody. And my light, as of a murderer, was lost, and the bitter error begot great grief. Nor did I send up to God with my hands an offering of the Spirit, not before, at least, until I washed away my misery with tears. For it is bad for the unclean to touch the holy, just as to hold a weak eye opposite the fiery sun. And I toiled at many other things; who could tell of these things, by which God, both testing and being gracious, called me? But never before have I encountered such evils, as the last ones which my wretched soul met; and it longs one day to see a day of freedom, having stripped everything off, so that naked it might flee the flames, 996 and the mighty clutches of the world, and the monstrous chasm 996 of the dragon eager to gape with its jaws for whom it may seize. For my mind is food for his dart. Who will give a stream of a spring to my head or to my eyelids, that with channels of tears I may wash away all defilements, weeping for my sins as is fitting (for indeed the best cure for mortals is a tear, and for black souls, and sooty dust, and strong sackcloth on the ground.)? So that someone looking at me may tremble, and be better, fleeing the black land of Egypt, and its bitter works, and Pharaoh the king, and journey to the divine fatherland, and may not remain a spear-captive in the fields of rocky Babylon, sitting by the banks of the river, tearful, having hung up all the motionless instruments of song, and hasten to the boundaries of the holy land, 997 having fled the servile yoke from Assyria, which before afflicted him, and may lay with his hands the foundations of the great temple, which I, all-unfortunate, since I left it, have never ceased desiring. And a harsh suffering poured over my old age, and I stoop to the earth, increasing grief in my heart, revering both mortals and the immortal King, downcast in my garments and my heart, and speechless, drawing the pity of the Lord by my misery, who, being gracious to all the lowly, cuts down the overweening; Just as they say wicked robbers, lying in wait, harmed a traveler going down from the holy city of Solyma to the famed city of Jericho, who, cutting him with unseemly blows, and stripping off the clothes which covered him, with a pitiless heart 998 left him half-dead; and quickly travelers came upon him, a Levite and a priest, and they left him with a pitiless heart. And some one of the Samaritans came by, who had mercy on him. And taking him he bound him up, and left medicines for his wounds, and a wage for the one caring for him; a great wonder, how a Samaritan seeing this man had mercy, whom the best did not pity! For I do not know clearly what is hidden in this image, what sort of mysteries God conceals with wisdom. And may these things be propitious. Such misfortunes I have met; and likewise the Robber of life, envying souls, has torn me apart as I was coming down from the good city, and stripped me of the grace of Christ, and left me naked, just like Adam before, the beginning of dust and of the fall, whom taste cast down to the earth, from which he was born. 999 But, Lord, have mercy on me, and save from death me whom the priests left, when they saw me suffering. Bind up my wounds well, leading me to the all-welcoming house, and again may you send me sound to the holy city, where I might remain steadfast, and may you keep away evil robbers, and the difficult path, and wounds, and passers-by with a pitiless heart, who pride themselves on piety. I learn that two men, a Pharisee breathing great things, as if he were the most excellent of all to God, and a tax collector, his heart worn out within by unholy gains, went up into the temple; the one spoke of each of the fasts and tithes of the law, but he measured out

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δ' ἐντὸς ἔπιπτε. Τινάσσετο δ' ἄρμενα πάντα, Ὀξέα συρίζοντος ἐπὶ προτόνοισιν ἀήτου. Αἰθὴρ δ' ἐν νεφέεσσι μελαίνετο, καὶ στεροπῇσι Λάμπετο, καὶ κρατεραῖς περιάγνυτο πάντοσε φωναῖς. Τῆμος ἐμαυτὸν ἔδωκα Θεῷ, καὶ πόντον ἄλυξα Ἄγριον εὐαγέεσσιν ὑποσχεσίῃσι πεσόντα. Οὐδ' ὅτε παλλομένης γε θεμείλια σείετο πάντα Ἑλλάδος εὐρυχόροιο, κακοῦ δ' οὐ φαίνετ' ἀρωγή· Αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ τρομέεσκον, ἐπεὶ ψυχὴν ἀτέλεστον Εἶχον ἔτ' οὐρανίοιο χαρίσματος, εὖτε λοετρῷ Ἕλκεται ἀνθρώποισι χάρις καὶ Πνεύματος αἴγλη. Οὐδ' ὅτε νοῦσος ἔπλησεν ἐμὸν στόμα ῥεύματι λάβρῳ, 995 Καὶ πνοιῆς στείνωσε πόρους, ζωῆς τε κελεύθους. Οὐδ' ὁπότ' ἀφραίνοντι νόῳ λυγὸν ἀμφὶς ἑλίξας, Οὔτι ἑκὼν βλεφάρου περιηγέα κανθὸν ἄμυξα, Αἱματόεντα δ' ἔθηκα. Φάος δ' ἐμὸν, οἷα φονῆος, Ὤλετο, ἀμπλακίην δὲ πικρὴν μέγα πένθος ἔτετμεν. Οὐδὲ Θεῷ παλάμῃσιν ἐμαῖς ἀνέπεμψα θυηλὴν Πνεύματος, οὔτι πάρος γε, πρὶν ἔκλυσα δάκρυσι πῆμα. Ψαύειν μὴ καθαρῷ γὰρ ἁγνοῦ κακὸν, ὡς πυρόεντος Ἀδρανὲς ὄμμα φέρειν κατεναντίον ἠελίοιο. Ἄλλα τε πόλλ' ἐμόγησα· τίς ἂν τάδε μυθήσαιτο, Οἷς με Θεὸς τείρων τε καὶ εὐμενέων ἐκάλεσσεν; Ἀλλ' οὔπω τοιοῖσδε κακοῖς πάρος ἀντεβόλησα, Οἵοισι πυμάτοισιν ἐμὴ ἐνέκυρσε τάλαινα Ψυχή· καὶ ποθέει ποτ' ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ ἰδέσθαι Πάντ' ἀποδυσαμένη, γυμνὴ φλόγας ὥς κε φύγῃσι, 996 Καὶ κόσμου κρατεροῖο λαβὰς, καὶ χάσμα πέλωρον 996 Ἀμφιχανεῖν μεμαῶτος ἑαῖς γενύεσσι δράκοντος, Ὅν κε λάβῃ. Βελίῃ γὰρ ἐμὸς νόος ἐστὶν ἐδητύς. Τίς δώσει κεφαλῇ πηγῆς ῥόον ἢ βλεφάροισιν, Ὡς δακρύων ὀχετοῖσι μολύσματα πάντα καθήρω, Κλαύσας ὡς ἐπέοικεν ἁμαρτάδας (ἦ γὰρ ἄριστον ∆άκρυόν ἐστι βροτοῖσιν ἄκος, ψυχαῖς τε μελαίναις, Καὶ κόνις αἰθαλόεσσα, καὶ ἐν χθονὶ σάκκος ἐρυμνός.); Ὥς τις ἔμ' εἰσορόων τρομέῃ, καὶ φέρτερος εἴη, Φεύγων Αἰγύπτοιο μέλαν πέδον, ἔργα τε πικρὰ, Καὶ Φαραὼ βασιλῆα, πάτρην δ' ἐπὶ θείαν ὁδεύῃ, Μηδὲ μένῃ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπὶ κραναῆς πεδίοισι ∆ουριαλὴς, ὄχθῃσι παρεζόμενος ποταμοῖο, Ὠδῆς ὄργανα πάντα παρακλίνας ἀτίνακτα ∆ακρυόεις, σπεύδῃ δ' ἱερῆς ἐπὶ τέρματα γαίης, 997 ∆ούλιον Ἀσσυρίηθε φυγὼν ζύγον, ὃς πρὶν ἔτειρε, Καὶ νηοῦ μεγάλοιο θεμείλια χερσὶ βάληται, Τὴν μὲν ἐγὼ πανάποτμος ἐπεὶ λίπον, οὔποτ' ἔληξα Ἱμείρων. Χαλεπὸν δὲ πάθος κατὰ γῆρας ἔχευε, Καὶ κύπτω ποτὶ γαῖαν, ἐνὶ φρεσὶ πένθος ἀέξων, Ἁζόμενος θνητούς τε καὶ ἀθάνατον Βασιλῆα, Εἵμασί τε κραδίῃ τε κατηφιόων, καὶ ἄναυδος, Ἕλκων οἶκτον Ἄνακτος ὀϊζύϊ, ὃς χθαμαλοῖσιν Εὐμενέων πάντεσσιν ὑπερφιάλους ἀθερίζει· Οἷον δ' ἐξ ἱερῆς Σολύμων κατιόντα πόληος Ἱεριχοῦς πτολίεθρον ἐπὶ κλυτὸν, ὡς ἐνέπουσι, Φῶρες ἐδηλήσαντο κακοὶ λοχόωντες ὁδίτην, Οἳ μὲν τὸν πληγῇσιν ἀεικελίῃσι τεμόντες, Εἵματά τ' ἐκδύσαντες ἅ μιν σκέπε, νηλέϊ θυμῷ 998 Λεῖψαν ἀποψύχοντα· θοῶς δ' ἐνέκυρσαν ὁδῖται Λευΐτης ἱερεύς τε, λίπον τέ ἑ νηλέϊ θυμῷ. Καί που Σαμαρέων τις ἐπήλυθεν, ὅς σφ' ἐλέηρε. Καί μιν ἄγων κατέδησε, καὶ ἕλκεσι φάρμακ' ἔλειπε, Καὶ μισθὸν κομέοντι· τέρας μέγα, πῶς Σαμαρείτης Τόνδ' ἐσιδὼν ἐλέηρεν, ὃν οὐκ ἐλέηραν ἄριστοι! Οὐ γὰρ ἐγὼ σάφα οἶδα τί κεύθεται εἰκόνι τῇδε, Οἷα Θεὸς σοφίῃ μυστήρια ἀμφικαλύπτει. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἱλήκοι. Τοιοῖσδ' ἐγὼ ἀντεβόλησα Πήμασι· καί μ' ἐδάϊξεν ὁμῶς ψυχῇσι μεγαίρων Ληϊστὴς βιότου κεδνῆς καταβάντα πόληος, Καὶ Χριστοῦ μ' ἀπέδυσε χάριν, καὶ γυμνὸν ἔθηκεν, Ὥσπερ Ἀδὰμ τοπρόσθε χοὸς καὶ πτώσιος ἀρχὴν, Ὃν γεῦσις καθέηκεν ἐπὶ χθόνα, τῆς γένος ἦεν. 999 Ἀλλά μ', Ἄναξ, ἐλέαιρε, καὶ ἐκ θανάτοιο σάωσον, Ὃν λεῖψαν ἱερῆες, ἐπεὶ μογέοντ' ἐνόησαν. Ἕλκεά τ' εὖ κατάδησον, ἄγων ἐπὶ πάνδοκον οἶκον, Αὖθις δ' εἰς ἱερὴν πέμποις πόλιν ἀρτεμέοντα, Ἔμπεδον ἔνθα μένοιμι, κακοὺς δ' ἀπὸ φῶρας ἐρύκοις, Καὶ τρίβον ἀργαλέην, καὶ τραύματα, καὶ παροδίτας Νηλέα θυμὸν ἔχοντας, ἐπ' εὐσεβίῃ κομόωντας. Πυνθάνομ' ὡς δύο φῶτε, μέγα πνείων Φαρισαῖος, Ὥς γε Θεῷ πάντων προφερέστατος, ἠδὲ τελώνης Κέρδεσιν οὐχ ὁσίοισι τετρυμένος ἔνδοθεν ἦτορ, Εἰς ἱερὸν ἀναβάντες· ὁ μὲν τὰ ἕκαστ' ἀγόρευε Νηστείας δεκάτας τε νόμου, παρεμέτρεε δ'