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All these things in a single night, and often in a single day. Tearing her hair, and casting her adornment far away, Her bridal veil, scratching her cheeks with slender hands, Having left the modesty of her maidenhood with bitter sufferings, Calling upon her ill-fated husband, and her desolate house, Lamenting, and her widowed bed, and untimely grief. I will be silent about the pangs of childbirth and the dead burdens In the womb's flanks, a bitter and motherless fruit, Not of children, but first graves of children, then the mothers, Deaths older than birth, and the wife in childbed. And I am silent of the untimely born, and the senseless, and the monstrous, 572 A shame to the human race, and mockeries of the flesh. Let someone weigh these things, wherever the scale's inclination He looks, and may my life draw up much height To God who rules on high, manifest to all the best. But we shall be silent about each other's shames; for so it is fitting For a virgin's reverend mouth to avoid insults. But if you bring reproaches against godlike virginity, If ever someone has shamed my path even a little, And mixed Christ's spotless tunic with shame, Enduring the first of your goods among transgressions, Late-married, and a fugitive from the great life of purity; Then I too shall recall the all-shameful stolen bed, Which sinners steal, trampling on God's threat. For this among mortals is the most destructive of evils, 573 Of all, and devouring the innards more than a raging fire, When some ill-designing man approaches another's bed, And has disputed offspring, and a bond of love. But adulterers and sinners do not at all keep you from marriage; He also marries who thrust a sword into An enemy's side, killing an adulterer, while still Dripping with human gore, and he who escaped the blade. But who of them will put my longing for Christ far away, Of the foolish, and will a small pebble restrain a wide stream? It is not right, nor fitting, since it is much better, When many are lifted up, that some should fall (if it is right to say This opposing word with our tongues), than to the ground To remain, fearing lest a wing might sink to the earth. For the good are the glory of Christ, but the worst, 574 As if sending a stone to heaven in their folly, Receive evil and shame on their own heads. The Morning Star was an angel before. But when he fell, His glory remained with the heavenly ones, and just as for the disciples Judas was no reproach, since he fell, but he quickly Was out of the number of the chosen, but the eleven remained the best. And the sea destroyed someone, but another, spreading white sails, Sails on, looking at the shipwrecked man's grave, or from the tomb Having loosed the ropes, and from there fastened the stern-cables. My mother, do you bid me to leave a life thus ascending, Or shall we make a stand, since the victory is the daughter's, My strength, and thus the parents' victory? But if because you are a mother You rejoice in virginity, how great is my glory? 575 Do you not hear that all those whom you counted as best, Are from parents, but more just and better than their parents? And Christ is of Mary, but is far superior, Not only than Mary, and those whom the flesh holds, But also than as many minds as the wide heaven covers. And an ear of corn is from a little, but an ear of corn has sprouted From a seed, and from sand gold has become greatly pre-eminent. And the crown of the argument: for both lives, For celibacy and marriage, what image the story might find: Thus you might see the end of my story. Winter snows, and the flowers in the season of spring, And gray hair of the wrinkled, and the strength of the youthful. But already flowers have in winter, and winter 576 Snows have been seen at times on spring days. And a youth has shown gray hair, and a spry old age I have seen, much stronger than a man in his prime. Thus marriage was born of the earth, but celibacy Is yoked with Christ the all-king. But nevertheless Sometimes virginity, being heavy, has inclined to the earth, And marriage has rushed up to heaven, whence unexpectedly Both are belied, the one marriage, the other maidenhood. But, dear parents and yet unmarried youths, Until when, like things on the ground or tortoises, Or even like sidelong-walking and eight-footed crabs, Or by the crooked windings of the belly of long snakes Will you live, weighed down by the hateful burden of the flesh? Come hither, and hearing the persuasion of Christ, 577 Beauty, good repute, wealth, family, happiness, all things. Casting away the pleasing offspring of harsh wickedness, Rising up from there, let us embark upon a life

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Νυκτὶ μιῇ τάδε πάντα, καὶ ἤματι πολλάκι μούνῳ. Ἑλκομένη πλοκάμους, κόσμον τ' ἀπὸ τῆλε βαλοῦσα Νυμφίδιον, δρύπτουσα παρήϊα χερσὶν ἀραιαῖς, Αἰδὼ παρθενίης πικροῖς παθέεσσι λιποῦσα, Αἰνόμορον καλέουσα πόσιν, καὶ οἶκον ἔρημον Μυρομένη, χῆρόν τε λέχος, καὶ πένθος ἄωρον. Σιγήσω τοκετοῖο βέλη καὶ ἄχθεα νεκρὰ Μήτρης ἐν λαγόνεσσι, πικρὸν καὶ ἀμήτορα καρπὸν, Οὐ τεκέων, τεκέων δὲ τάφους πάρος, εἶτα τεκούσας, Πρεσβυτέρους τοκετοῖο μόρους, ἄλοχόν τε λοχείην. Σιγῶ δ' ἠλιτόμηνα, καὶ ἔκφρονα, καὶ παράσημα, 572 Λώβην ἀνδρομέης γενεῆς, καὶ παίγνια σαρκός. Ταῦτα ταλαντεύοι τις, ὅπη πλάστιγγος ἐρωὴ ∆ερκόμενος, καὶ πολλὸν ἐμὸς βίος ὕψος ἀνέλκοι Πρὸς Θεὸν ὑψιμέδοντα, πᾶσι περίφαντος ἀρίστοις. Αἴσχεα δ' ἀλλήλων σιγήσομεν· ὣς γὰρ ἔοικε Παρθενίης στόμα σεμνὸν ἐπεσβολίας ἀλεείνειν. Εἰ δὲ σὺ παρθενίῃ προφέρεις θεοειδέϊ μώμους, Εἴ πού τις καὶ βαιὸν ἐμὴν ᾔσχυνε πορείην, Καὶ Χριστοῖο χιτῶνα τὸν ἄσπιλον αἴσχεϊ μίξε, Σῶν ἀγαθῶν τὸ πρῶτον ἐν ἀμπλακίῃσιν ὑποστὰς, Ὀψίγαμος, ἁγνοῦ τε φυγὰς μεγάλου βιότοιο· Μνήσω δὴ καὶ ἐγὼ κλοπέης πανταίσχεος εὐνῆς, Ἣν ἀλιτροὶ κλέπτουσι, Θεοῦ πατέοντες ἀπειλός. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐν θνητοῖσι κακῶν ὀλοώτατόν ἐστι 573 Πάντων, καὶ μαλεροῖο πυρὸς πλέον ἔγκατα δάπτον, Εὖτέ τις ἀλλοτρίῃ πελάων κακομήχανος εὐνῇ, Καὶ γόνον ἀμφήριστον ἔχει, καὶ δεσμὸν ἔρωτος. Ἀλλὰ σὲ μὲν μοιχοὶ καὶ ἀλάστορες οὔτι γάμοιο Εἴργουσιν· γαμέει δὲ καὶ ὃς ἐνὶ φάσγανον ἧκε ∆υσμενέος πλευρὴν μοιχοκτόνον, εἰσέτι λύθρου Στάζων ἀνδρομέοιο, καὶ ὃς ὑπάλυξεν ἀκωκήν. Τῶν δέ με τίς Χριστοῖο πόθον ἀποτηλόθι θήσει Ἀφραδέων, ψηφὶς δὲ μικρὴ ῥόον εὐρὺν ἐφέξει; Οὐ θέμις, οὐδ' ἐπέοικεν, ἐπεὶ πολὺ λώϊόν ἐστιν, Αἰρομένων πλεόνων, πίπτειν τινὰς (εἰ θέμις εἰπεῖν Τόνδε λόγον γλώσσῃσιν ἐναντίον), ἠὲ χαμάζε Μίμνειν δειδιότας, μή που πτερὸν ἐς χθόνα ῥεύσῃ. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐσθλοὶ, Χριστοῦ κλέος, οἱ δὲ κάκιστοι, 574 Ὥς τε λίθον πέμποντες ἐς οὐρανὸν ἀφραδίῃσι, ∆έχνυνται κακίην τε καὶ αἴσχεα οἷσι καρήνοις Ἄγγελος ἦν τοπάροιθεν Ἑωσφόρος. Ἀλλὰ πεσόντος, Οὐρανίοις παρέμιμνεν ἑὸν κλέος, ὡς δὲ μαθηταῖς Οὐδὲν Ἰούδας ὄνειδος, ἐπεὶ πέσεν, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ὦκα Ἐξ ἀριθμοῦ λογάδων, οἱ δ' ἕνδεκα μίμνον ἄριστοι. Καὶ πόντος τιν' ὄλεσσεν, ὁ δ' ἱστία λευκὰ πετάσσας, Πλώει ναυηγοῦ λεύσσων τάφον, ἢ ἀπὸ τύμβου Πείσματα λυσάμενος, πρυμνήσια δ' ἔνθεν ἀνῆψε. Μῆτερ ἐμὴ, κέλεαί με λιπεῖν βίον ὧδ' ἀνιόντα, Ἠὲ λόγον στήσωμεν, ἐπεὶ κράτος ἐστὶ θυγατρὸς, Κάρτος ἐμὸν, τοκέων δὲ καὶ ὡς κράτος; Εἰ δ' ὅτι μήτηρ Παρθενίης σὺ γέγηθας, ὅσον κλέος ἐστὶν ἐμοῖο; 575 Οὐκ ἀΐεις ὅτι πάντες, ὅσους κατέλεξας ἀρίστους, Ἐκ τοκέων, τοκέων δὲ δικαιότεροι καὶ ἀρείους; Καὶ Χριστὸς Μαρίης μὲν, ἀτὰρ πολὺ φέρτερός ἐστιν, Οὐκ οἶον Μαρίης τε, καὶ οὓς περὶ σάρκες ἔχουσιν, Ἀλλὰ καὶ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὅσους νόας ἀμφικαλύπτει. Καὶ στάχυς ἐξ ὀλίγου μὲν, ἀτὰρ στάχυς ἐβλάστησε Σπέρματος, ἐκ ψαμάθου δὲ μέγ' ἔξοχος ἔπλετο χρυσός. Ἡ δὲ λόγοιο κορωνίς· ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροισι βίοισιν, Ἀζυγίῃ τε γάμῳ τε, τίν' εἰκόνα μῦθος ἐφεύροι· Ὧδέ κεν ἀθρήσειας ἐμοῦ μύθοιο τελευτήν. Χειμέριαι νιφάδες, τὰ δέ γ' ἄνθεα εἴαρος ὥρῃ, Καὶ πολιὴ ῥικνοῖο, τὸ δὲ σθένος ἡβώοντος. Ἤδη δ' ἄνθεα μέν γ' ἐνὶ χείματι, χειμέριαι δὲ 576 Ὤφθησαν νιφάδες ποτ' ἐν ἤμασιν εἰαρινοῖσι. Καὶ πολιὴν ἀνέτειλε νέος, καὶ γῆρας ἐλαφρὸν Ἔδρακον ἀρτιχνόοιο πολὺ σθεναρώτερον ἀνδρός. Ὡς ἄρα συζυγίη μὲν ἔφυ χθονὸς, ἀζυγίη δὲ Χριστοῦ παμβασιλῆος ὁμόζυγος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔμπης Παυράκι παρθενίη μὲν ἐπὶ χθόνα νεῦσε βαρεῖα, Συζυγίη δ' ἤϊξε πρὸς οὐρανὸν, ἔνθεν ἀέλπτως Ἄμφω ψευδόμεναι, ἡ μὲν γάμον, ἡ δὲ κορείην. Ἀλλὰ, φίλοι τοκέες τε καὶ ἄζυγες εἰσέτι κοῦροι, Μέχρι τίνος χθαμαλοῖσιν ἐοικότες ἠὲ χελώναις, Ἢ καὶ λοξοβάμοισι καὶ ὀκταπόδεσσι παγούροις, Ἢ δολιχῶν ὀφίων σκολιοῖς μηρύμασι γαστρὸς Ζώοιτε στυγερῷ βεβαρηότες ἄχθεϊ σαρκός; ∆εῦρ' ἄγε καὶ Χριστοῖο παραιφασίην ἀΐοντες, 577 Κάλλος τ', εὐκλείην, πλοῦτον, γένος, ὄλβον, ἅπαντα. Ῥίψαντες, κακότητος ἀπηνέος ἔκγονα τερπνὰ, Ἔνθεν ἀνεγρόμενοι, ζωῆς ἐπιβῶμεν