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and groans, and tearful days, Nocturnal anxieties, and a whole love for the king. 584 Such are the good remedies of chastity, by which you, O best one, will never place even images of a worse desire in your heart, but you will have a pure mind, as a great temple of God and the splendor of the Spirit. O virgin, be a virgin in your ears, and in your eyes, and in your tongue; for sin runs swiftly through all; may your ears be winged only for good words, but let doors be stretched against shameful and foolish ones. Let your eyes be restrained in your chambers by your eyelids, chaste, and let them not arouse a sting with wanton movements. And let your lips, like flower buds, lie bound, and may speech be desired. But feet going arrogantly 585 are liars against virginity, and a lewd gait has something of a harlot. Respect a torn tunic, and a head not given to luxury, not the fine threads of silk. Let a pearl adorn another, and gold flashing on her limbs, whose faces are also painted, creations of earthly hands, foreign to the heavenly image, shameful images, monuments of lewdness and silent reproaches, moving pictures, mysteries of the early morn, flashing shames, tombs hiding misery. Go far from these things, glorious attendant, with hidden beauty, bride of Christ the king. But mingle eyes with eyes, word with word, pure things with pure people. 586 Never laughter with laughter, nor boldness with boldness. For from such things comes evil slipperiness for mortals. Avoid all men, but especially the spiritual brother, (the bitter water of Marah, and be persuaded, pure virgin,) even if he be purer than gold, or harder than adamant. For the fear is double. If you trust in your own flesh, what trust is there in limbs under the same roof, lest while your eye and mind are pure and spotless, the other’s mind might hide some dross, and pursue your spirit? From the flesh you have passed to the spirit, whence you were raised; how then, praising again a life common with the flesh, do you shame the lovely Bridegroom, jealous for your form, lest He deprive you of His cherished love, 587 as one who is two-faced, limping on both feet? You have Christ as your beloved, reject all men. Why do you need to have a helper who needs help? Foals are dear to foals, and stags to stags, and starlings to starlings, and to the pure the pure is precious. But nevertheless, avoid the evil-minded one, lest he deceive you, even if you are prudent; for he hates the wise even more. Often from a good thing he has furnished evil even for the good. Now it is light, then darkness; within is doom, a bait above. And he fawns with sweet things, and destroys with hidden ones. Often he brought together like-minded people with each other 588 in spirit, and light came, and indeed a revered name, which they call love, crept in. But then leading desire from the heart to the flesh which was near, he gives either fire, or the dismal signs of fire. And if for you there is not even a sign of fire, yet very quickly you will strike those who look on. And all are more ready for evil. A stream travels downwards. But a house, and clothing, and a table, and the feebleness of grievous old age—this has brought shameful assistance. You are exchanging golden things for bronze, if for a shining life you have accepted a small and unseemly pleasure. 589 Not even if you were to give me talents of gold and electrum, and verdant plains and wide flocks, and a splendid house, and the table of Alcinous, not even if an ageless life instead of the present one, not even so would I choose a shameful life that forsakes Christ. Let my bread be straitened, let water be desired as drink; may fig leaves cover me, as formerly Adam and Eve, and may I have caverns of rocks as a house, or some oak tree's hiding-place, and a makeshift life, and one like the beasts'; or thrown down beside some gate, a burden to the earth, of an arrogant man, a poor man, and another Lazarus, may I drag out a miserable life and an afflicted body. Now these things, but afterwards a chasm, and all pleasant things are paid for. 590 For you, satiety, but for me, pain; a little while, and all is forgotten. We are all one thing after the tomb, a single dust; the place is equal for slaves and for kings. But the greater part, do you not hear? For this reason, neither be cheered by the present good things, nor sate your mind too much with the toilsome things of this life. For truly together with the pleasant things you will leave all pains behind not long after. What then is long

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στοναχαί τε, καὶ ἤματα δακρυόεντα, Ἐννύχιαι μελεδῶναι, ἔρως θ' ὅλος ἀμφὶ ἄνακτα. 584 Τοῖα σαοφροσύνης καλὰ φάρμακα, οἷς σὺ, φέριστε, Οὐδ' εἴδωλα πόθοιο χερειοτέρου ποτὲ θήσεις Σῇσιν ἐνὶ πραπίδεσσιν, ἁγνὸν δέ τε καὶ νόον ἕξεις, Ὡς νηὸς μεγάλοιο Θεοῦ καὶ Πνεύματος αἴγλη. Παρθένε, παρθένος ἴσθι καὶ οὔασι, καὶ φαέεσσι, Καὶ γλώσσῃ· πᾶσιν γὰρ ἐπίτροχός ἐστιν ἁμαρτάς· Οὔατα μὲν πτερόοιτο μόνοις ἐσθλοῖσι λόγοισιν, Αἰσχροῖσι δὲ θύρετρα καὶ ἀφραδέεσσι τετάσθω. Ὄμματα δ' ἐν νυμφῶσι τεοῖς βλεφάροισιν ἐρύχθω Σώφρονα, μηδὲ μάχλοις κινήμασι κέντρον ἐγείροι Χείλεα δ' αὖ, καλύκεσσιν ὁμοίϊα, δέσμια κείσθω, Καὶ μῦθος ποθέοιτο. Πόδες δ' ὑπέροπλον ἰόντε 585 Ψεῦσται παρθενίης, καὶ ἴθματα πόρνον ἔχει τι. Ῥωγαλέον δὲ χιτῶνα, καὶ οὐ τρυφέωντα κάρηνα Αἴδεο, μὴ σηρῶν καλὰ νήματα. Μάργαρος ἄλλην Κοσμείτω, καὶ χρυσὸς ἐπαστράπτων μελέεσσιν, Ὧν καὶ γραπτὰ πρόσωπα, χθονίων πλάσματα χειρῶν, Εἰκόνος οὐρανίης ἀλλότρια, εἰκόνες αἰσχραὶ, Μαχλοσύνης στῆλαί τε καὶ οὐ λαλέοντες ἔλεγχοι, Κινύμενοι πίνακες, μυστήρια νυκτὸς ἐνηοῦς, Αἴσχεα μαρμαίροντα, τάφοι κρύπτοντες ὀϊζύν. Τῶν ἄπο τηλόθ' ἴοιο, παραστάτι κυδήεσσα Κάλλει κρυπτομένῳ, νύμφη Χριστοῖο ἄνακτος. Ὄμματα δ' ὄμμασι μίσγε, λόγῳ λόγον, ἁγνὰ καὶ ἁγνοῖς. 586 Μή ποτε μηδὲ γέλωτι γέλων, καὶ θάρσεϊ θάρσος. Ἐκ γὰρ δὴ τοιῶνδε κακὸς μερόπεσσιν ὄλισθος. Ἄρσενα πάντ' ἀλέεινε, συνείσακτον δὲ μάλιστα, (Μεῤῥᾶς πικρὸν ὕδωρ, καὶ πείθεο, παρθένος ἁγνή,) Κἢν χρυσοῖο πέλῃ καθαρώτερος, ἢ ἀδάμαντος Στεῤῥότερος. ∆ιπλοῦν γὰρ ἔπι δέος. Εἰ σὺ πέποιθας Σαρκὶ τεῇ, τίς πίστις ὁμωροφίοις μελέεσσι, Μή σοι μὲν καθαρόν τε καὶ ἄσπιλον ὄμμα, νόος τε, Φρὴν δ' ἑτέρη κεύθοι τι χοὸς, καὶ πνεῦμα διώκοι; Ἐκ σαρκῶν ἐπὶ πνεῦμα μετήλυθες, ἔνθεν ἀέρθης· Πῶς αὖθις σάρκεσσιν ὁμὸν βίον αἰνήσασα, Νυμφίον ἱμερόεντα τεῆς ζηλήμονα μορφῆς Αἰσχύνεις, μή πού σε κεδνῆς φιλότητος ἀμέρσῃ, 587 Ὡς δισσὴν, σκάζουσαν ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροισι πόδεσσι; Χριστὸν ἔχεις ἀγαπητὸν, ἀπόπτυσον ἄνδρας ἅπαντας. Τί χρῄζεις ἐπίκουρον ἔχειν χατέοντ' ἐπικούρου Πῶλοι μὲν πώλοισι φίλοι, ἔλαφοί τ' ἐλάφοισι, Καὶ ψῆρες ψήρεσσιν, ἁγνῷ δέ τε τίμιος ἁγνός. Ἀλλ' ἔμπης κακόμητιν ἀλεύεο, μή σε δολώσῃ, Καὶ πινυτόν περ ἐόντα· σοφοῖς δέ τε καὶ πλέον ἔχθει. Πολλάκις ἐξ ἀγαθοῖο κακὸν πόρσυνε καὶ ἐσθλοῖς. Νῦν φάος, εἶτα σκότος, ἔνδον μόρος, εἶδαρ ὕπερθεν. Καὶ σαίνει γλυκεροῖσι, καὶ ὄλλυσι κευθομένοισι. Πολλάκι μὲν συνάγειρεν ὁμόφρονας ἀλλήλοισι 588 Πνεύματι, καὶ φάος ἦλθεν, ἐπωνυμίην τέ γε σεμνὴν, Τὴν ἀγάπην καλέουσιν, ὑπήλυθεν. Αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Ἐκ κραδίης ἐπὶ σάρκας ἄγων πόθον ἐγγὺς ἐούσας, Ἢ πῦρ, ἠὲ πυρὸς σημήϊα λυγρὰ δίδωσιν. Εἴ τοι μηδὲ πυρὸς σημήϊον, ἀλλὰ τάχιστα Πλήξεις εἰσορόωντας. Ἑτοιμότεροι δέ τε πάντες Εἰς κακίην τελέθουσι. Ῥόος δ' ἐπὶ πρηνὲς ὁδεύει. Ἀλλὰ δόμος, καὶ εἷμα, τράπεζά τε, ἀδρανίη τε Γήραος ἀργαλέοιο, τόδ' ἤγαγεν αἶσχος ἀρωγόν. Χρύσεα χαλκείων διαμείβεαι, εἰ γανόωντος Ἀντὶ βίου μικρὴν καὶ ἀεικέα τέρψιν ἐδέξω. 589 Οὐδ' εἴ μοι χρυσοῖο, καὶ ἠλέκτροιο τάλαντα, Καὶ πεδία χλοάοντα καὶ εὐρέα πώεα δοίης, Καὶ δόμον αἰγλήεντα, καὶ Ἀλκινόοιο τράπεζαν, Οὐδ' εἴ μοι βίον ἄλλον ἀγήραον ἀντὶ παρόντος, Οὐδέ κεν ὣς λιπόχριστον ἐγὼ βίον αἰσχρὸν ἑλοίμην. Ἄρτος ἐμοὶ στείνοιτο, ποτὸν τὸ ὕδωρ ποθέοιτο· Φύλλα συκῆς μ', ὡς πρόσθεν Ἀδὰμ Εὐάν τε, καλύπτοι Καὶ σήραγγας ἔχοιμι πετρῶν δόμον, ἤ τινα φηγοῦ Κευθμῶνα, σχέδιόν τε βίον, καὶ θηρσὶν ὁμοῖον· Ἤ τινα πὰρ πυλεῶνα βεβλημένος, ἄχθος ἀρούρης, Ἀνδρὸς ὑπερφιάλοιο, πένης, καὶ Λάζαρος ἄλλος, Ἕλκοιμι ζωήν τε λυγρὴν καὶ σῶμα πονηρόν. Νῦν τάδε, χάσμα δ' ἔπειτα, καὶ ἄντιτα πάντα τὰ τερπνά. 590 Σοὶ κόρος, ἄλγος ἔμοιγε· μικρὸν, καὶ πάντα λέλασται. Ἓν πάντες μετὰ τύμβον, ἴη κόνις· ἶσος ὁ χῶρος ∆μώεσι καὶ βασιλεῦσι. Τὸ δὲ πλέον, οὐκ ἀΐδαο; Τοὔνεκα μήτ' ἀγαθοῖσιν ἰαίνεο τοῖς παρεοῦσι, Μήτε λίην μογεροῖσιν ἄσαι φρένα τοῦδε βίοιο. Ἦ γὰρ ὁμοῦ τερπνοῖσι καὶ ἄλγεα πάντ' ἀπολείψεις Οὐ μετὰ δήν. Τί δὲ μακρὸν