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seeing strength. But he is best who follows a straight path, 1006 And does not turn back to the desolate ashes of Sodom, Of those ravaged by a strange fire on account of their madness. He flees swiftly to the mountain, and has forgotten his country, Lest he be left behind as a legend and a pillar of salt. I am a witness by my own sufferings of mortal evil. When I was a boy, when there was little understanding in my breast, with what shadowy reason, and with excellent habits Following, I mounted upward to the shining throne, going by unerring footsteps along the royal path. But now that I have gathered speech, and have come to the end of life, Wretched, I walk crookedly as with feet wandering from drunkenness. And the toil of the crooked serpent makes me waver, both secretly and openly stealing my mind when it has thought noble things. At one time I stretch my mind to God, and at another 1007 I am dragged down to the evil flood of the world, and not a small portion of my soul has the boundless world ravaged. But I, even if black evil has covered me, And my enemy has poured gloomy venom before me, like a cuttlefish vomiting into the water, yet still I still see and perceive so much, as is best to know, who I am, and where my desires spring up, where I lie wretched, how much I have slipped toward the earth or even beneath the earth into the wide pits. I am neither warmed by flatteries, nor am I deceived by words which are helpers to passions, nor by the measures of another's evil do I take delight, as some noble man. For what pleasure is it for those being cut, toiling under the knife, to see others being cut with a more grievous pain? Or what benefit is there for the wicked in the follies of the worse? 1008 For a good man might benefit from one who is better; and so too a bad man. For one who sees is a benefit to the blind. But to delight in evils is of a more perfect wickedness. But if someone thinks the one who is worst to be the best, it is a burden to me, and a hidden lament in my breast. It is better to be noble and seem base, than while being most base to have the glory of a good man, and to be a deceptive tomb for mortals, which within smells of decaying corpses, but on the outside gleams with plaster and pleasing colors. Let us tremble at the great Eye, which even beneath the earth sees, and the great deep of the sea, and whatever things the mind of mortals conceals. Time cuts away nothing, but all things are present to God. How could anyone cover his own evil? 1009 And on the last day where shall we hide ourselves? Or who will ward it off? How shall we escape the eye of God, when the purifying fire shall judge the works of all, feeding on the light and dry nature of wickedness. This I tremble at and fear night and day, seeing my soul falling from God to the ground, and coming nearer to the dust, which I longed to escape. And as when by the banks of a winter river, either a pine or a plane-tree with its year-long foliage, the neighboring stream breaking forth at its roots has destroyed; of this tree, first it shook all its supports, and placed it suspended over the bank, but then held fast by a few roots at its base, having torn it from the bank, it cast it into the middle of the eddies, 1010 and carrying it with a great crash, gave it to the rocks; there the rain and the rushing torrent ever battering it made it rot, and a most dishonored fragment it lies beside the banks. So also my soul, flourishing for Christ the King, the fierce, unwearied enemy, rushing upon it, cast to the ground, of which he destroyed the greatest part, but a small remnant likewise wanders here and there. It is for God to raise it up again, He who indeed also fashioned us from nothing, and afterwards will fashion us when we are dissolved and draw us to another life, to meet either fire, or the light-bringing God. But if of God, also all men afterwards? Let that lie elsewhere. Christ the King, even if men 1011 my enemies call me dead and weak, and secretly mock, shaking their heads and laughing at my misery, do not leave me to be overcome by hostile hands; First, may you ground me again in heavenly hopes, and for me, as I am being extinguished, may you let drip a little drop of oil, a help of light for my thirsty lamp, so that as the fire is roused, the recaptured light may come, sprouting anew, and I may obtain a shining life. Second, may you give all my burdens to the gusts of the wind, casting them from me (and may you grant a light breath), with which you have sufficiently tamed my heart; whether punishing me for bitter wickedness, or with sorrows, such as

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σθένος εἰσορόωντες. Κεῖνος δ' ἐστὶν ἄριστος ὃς ἰθείην ὁδὸν ἕλκει, 1006 Οὐδὲ μεταστρέφεται Σοδόμων ἐπὶ τέφραν ἐρήμην, Ἣν διὰ μαργοσύνην ξείνῳ πυρὶ δηϊωθέντων. Φεύγει δ' ἐσσυμένως ἐς ὅρος, πάτρης δὲ λέλησται, Μὴ μῦθος καὶ λᾶας ἀλὸς μετόπισθε λίπηται. Μάρτυς ἐγὼ παθέεσσιν ἐμοῖς βροτέης κακότητος. Παῖς μὲν ἐὼν, ὅτε τυτθὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι νόημα, Οἵῳ δὴ σκιόεντι λόγῳ, καὶ ἤθεσι κεδνοῖς Ἐσπόμενος, προσέβαινον ἄνω λάμποντι θοώκῳ, Ἴχνεσιν ἀπλανέεσσιν ἰὼν βασιλήϊον οἶμον. Νῦν δ' ὅτε μῦθον ἄγειρα, βίου δ' ἐπὶ τέρμαθ' ἱκάνω, Οἷα μεθυπλανέεσσι τάλας ποσὶ δόχμια βαίνω. Καί με ταλαντεύει σκολιοῦ μόθος ἑρπηστῆρος, Λάθρα καὶ ἀμφαδίην κλέπτων φρένας ἐσθλὰ νοεύσας. Ἄλλοτε μέν τε Θεῷ τείνω νόον, ἄλλοτε δ' αὖτε 1007 Ἕλκομαι ἐς κόσμοιο κακὴν χύσιν, οὐκ ὀλίγην δὲ Μοῖραν ἐμῆς ψυχῆς λωβήσατο κόσμος ἀπείρων. Αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν, εἰ καί με κάκη ἐκάλυψε μέλαινα, Καὶ δνοφερὸν προπάροιθεν ἰὸν χέεν ἐχθρὸς ἐμεῖο, Σηπίη ὡς ἐμόωσα καθ' ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμπης Τόσσον ἔτ' εἰσορόω καὶ δέρκομαι, ὅσσον ἄριστα Ἴδμεναι, ὅστις ἐὼν, καὶ οἷ ποθέων ἀνοροῦσαι, Οἷ κεῖμαι δύστηνος, ὅσον τ' ἐπὶ γαῖαν ὄλισθον Ἢ καὶ γῆς ὑπένερθεν ἐς εὐρυόεντα βέρεθρα. Οὔτε παραιφασίῃσιν ἰαίνομαι, οὔτε λόγοισι Κλέπτομαι, οἳ παθέεσσιν ἀρηγόνες, οὔτε μέτροισιν Ἀλλοτρίης κακίης ἐπιτέρπομαι, ὥς τις ἄριστος. Τίς γὰρ τεμνομένοισι χάρις μογέουσι σιδήρῳ Ἄλλων τεμνομένων ὁράαν χαλεπώτερον ἄλγος; Ἢ τί κακοῖσιν ὄνειαρ ἀτασθαλίῃσι χερείων; 1008 Ἐσθλοῦ μὲν γάρ κέν τις ἀρείονος ἐσθλὸς ἐπαύροι· Ὣς δὲ κακός. Καὶ γάρ τις ὁρῶν τυφλοῖσιν ὄνειαρ. Τέρπεσθαι δὲ κακοῖσι, τελειοτέρης κακότητος. Εἰ δέ τις ὄντα κάκιστον ὀΐεται ἔμμεν ἄριστον, Ἄχθος ἐμοὶ, καὶ κρυπτὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ὀδυρμός. Κρεῖσσον ἄριστον ἐόντα δοκεῖν κακὸν, ἠὲ κάκιστον Κῦδος ἔχοντ' ἀγαθοῖο, τάφον ψεύστην μερόπεσσιν Ἔμμεναι, ὃς μυδόωσι νεκροῖς ἔντοσθεν ὀδωδὼς, Ἔκτοθεν ἀστράπτει κονίῃ καὶ χρώμασι τερπνοῖς. Ὄμμα μέγα τρομέωμεν, ὃ καὶ γαίης ὑπένερθε Λεύσσει, καὶ πόντοιο μέγαν βυθὸν, ὅσσα τε κεύθει Νοῦς μερόπων. Τέμνει δ' οὐδὲν χρόνος, ἀλλὰ πάρεστι Πάντα Θεῷ. Πῶς κέν τις ἑὸν κακὸν ἀμφικαλύπτοι; 1009 Ἤματι δ' ὑστατίῳ ποῦ κεύσομεν ἡμέας αὐτούς; Ἤ τίς ἀλεξήσει; πῶς λήσομεν ὄμμα Θεοῖο, Ἡνίκα πῦρ κρίνῃσι καθάρσιον ἔργματα πάντων, Βοσκόμενον κακίης κούφην φύσιν αὐαλέην τε. Τὴν μὲν ἐγὼ τρομέω καὶ δείδια νύκτα καὶ ἦμαρ, Εἰσορόων ψυχὴν θεόθεν πίπτουσαν ἔραζε, Καὶ χοὸς ἆσσον ἰοῦσαν, ὃν ἐκφυγέειν μενέαινον. Ὡς δ' ὅτε χειμερίοιο παρ' ὄχθῃσιν ποταμοῖο, Ἢ πίτυν ἢ πλατάνιστον ἐπηετανὸν κομόωσαν, Ῥηγνύμενος ῥίζῃσι ῥόος δηλήσατο γείτων· Τῆς δή τοι πρῶτον μὲν ὑπέχματα πάντα τίναξε, Καὶ κρημνῷ μιν ἔθηκεν ἐπήορον, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Βαιῇσι ῥίζῃσιν ἐρυκομένην προθέλυμνον, Κρημνοῦ ἀποῤῥήξας μεσάταις ἐνὶ κάββαλε δίναις, 1010 Καί μιν ἄγων μεγάλῳ πατάγῳ πέτρῃσιν ἔδωκεν· Ἔνθα δέ μιν ὄμβρος καὶ ἀφυσγετὸς αἰὲν ἐρείδων Σῆψαν, ἀτιμότατον δὲ τρύφος παρὰ χείλεσι κεῖται. Ὣς καὶ ἐμὴν ψυχὴν Χριστῷ θαλέθουσαν ἄνακτι, Λάβρος ἐπαΐσσων χαμάδις βάλεν ἐχθρὸς ἀτειρὴς, Ἧς πλεῖστον μὲν ὄλεσσε, μικρὸν δέ τι λείψανον αὔτως Πλάζεται ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα. Θεοῦ γέ μιν αὖθις ἐγεῖραι, Ὅς ῥα καὶ οὐδὲν ἐόντας ἐπήξατο, καὶ μετέπειτα Λυομένους πήξει τε καὶ ἐς βίον ἄλλον ἐρύσσει, Ἢ πυρὸς, ἠὲ Θεοῖο φαεσφόρου ἀντιάσοντας. Εἰ δὲ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἅπαντας ἐσύστερον; ἄλλοθι κείσθω. Χριστὲ ἄναξ, εἰ καί με νεκρὸν καὶ ἀνάλκιδα φῶτες 1011 ∆υσμενέες καλέουσι, λάθρη δ' ἐπιμυχθίζουσι, Κινυμέναις κεφαλῇσιν ἐμὴν γελόωντες ὀϊζὺν, Μή με λίπῃς χείρεσσιν ὑπ' ἀντιβίῃσι δαμῆναι· Πρῶτα μὲν οὐρανίῃσιν ἐν ἐλπίσιν αὖθις ἐρίδοις, Καί μοι σβεννυμένῳ τυτθὴν στάξειας ἐλαίου Ἰκμάδα, διψαλέῳ λύχνῳ φωστῆρος ἀρωγὸν, Ὥς κεν ἐγειρομένοιο πυρὸς, παλινάγρετον ἔλθῃ Φῶς ἀναθηλῆσαν, ζωῆς δὲ τύχοιμι φαεινῆς. ∆εύτερον ἄχθεα πάντα δίδοις ἀνέμοιο θυέλλαις, Ῥίψας ἐξ ἐμέθεν (πνοὴν δ' ὀπάσειας ἐλαφρὴν), Οἷσιν ἄδην ἐδάμασσας ἐμὸν κέαρ· εἴτε με πικρῆς Τινύμενος κακίης, εἴτ' ἄλγεσιν, οἷά τε