13

nevertheless, he shackled the ship. But as something traveling through the stream of a narrow passage With a whir, of round lead in its hollows, Of a mass filling as much as it held, and against the steep It leaps quickly, being bound, forced from behind, So I command your love in your heart, Being bound, to be borne on high toward Christ, Or to flood some fair, fertile field. 597 But if you pour it out here and there on the deep sands, Or on rocks, or a meadow, or a ravine, Your noble stream is lost, unconfined, of no benefit. If your dear father is alive, who to the light Brought you, or your sweet mother, and a blameless love, If you rely on well-meaning siblings, Or on your parents’ parents who help you, or also of help To those in need, to cherish a common life with them There is no ill will, nor will Momus here cast a bitter and hostile Eye, saying often that even sandals creak; This too is a benefit to me, the evil one casting his eyes. He will cast them, but my heart will be steadfast. But of others, I must so far shun their friendship, 598 Or not friendship, but a painful living-together, Or a deceitful boldness, untrustworthy to the flourishing, As much as is seemly to cling fast to Christ's Steadfast love rooted in ever-living desires. And do not you have a desire for lovely virginity, But to other passions completely open your mind, While priding yourself on chastity; for this is a worse evil, For evil to be born from good by envious deceits. For not so much for me is marriage, nor the works of marriage To be shunned, by which God ever increases the race of mortals, As I have found a cure and defense for my passions In virginity. Of which if I might have a free day, There is for me some grace also in the unmarried state. But if the gates I should open wide to beasts, my dear garden with fences 599 You have enclosed, which fence I might build thickly on one side, But on the other open paths for travelers running by, What is the gain? For just the same the enemy has harmed the garden Falling upon it from all sides. For he watches all your ways, Whatever he might cast from without, and whatever he might take from within, Openly, and lying in wait. Who could escape evil Easily, without having Christ always as a helper? Never place even a little thing among evil, not even the smallest. By resisting small things, you will never encounter worse. Whatever is best, hear and speak; and whatever you say, May you see with good will. And may sight drive to action. 600 All things together, end, word, sight, hearing. Flee the evil seed, that you may gather a good ear of corn. Nor you steal the adulterous love of life; For he steals who has received even a light root of evil; For from a root, many-branched boughs Are poured forth here and there from bloody sap, And a little rennet has curdled a great stream of milk, And a pebble darting down into still water Suddenly has disturbed the whole beautiful spring, Driven in many circles, from the center Always rippling, and dissolving at the edge. And the whole body of one who is struck is bent double with pain Dragged along; and a little taste, and I am dead. 601 For here sins followed, as when another army follows the best Spearman, when he has broken through the wall. A small blow on a shield is not great, but it gives one over at once to sleepy Fate, and a pleasant destruction they breathe out. Therefore, may my mind not be defiled, not even in small things. The belly bearing its bolts might soon flee from evil. But I tremble for the un-gated belly, lest some insolence of feasting come upon The conquered body, the shameless passion is conquered with it. For maidens, wine is more a reproach than anger, And passion, in turn, of madness. And the path of all is to doom. O maiden, do not be wanton for me, not even in shabby clothes; There is an evil even in simplicity, to warm those who see. 602 Nor with the movements of your cheeks awaken the enemy. Let them laugh out loud in shame, those whose roof is unlocked Throbbing with delight. But for you, may your cheek gently and serenely Be relaxed, and may the blush rise, as quickly as possible Stealing away gladness. And a blush is modesty to those who see it. It is fitting for women to speak little concerning God, Only so much as to know the revered nature of the Trinity alone, Three in godhead, one grace (for it is not better To be silent on the words of piety), but to hear More, and both with trembling minds and piously, And to bear above the veil of modesty. But they

13

ὅμως κατὰ νῆα πέδησεν. Ἀλλ' ὥς τι στεινοῖο πόρου διὰ ῥεῖθρον ὁδεῦον Ῥοιζηδὸν, μολίβου περιηγέος ἐν κενεῶσιν Ὅλκοιο πλήθοντος ὅσον χάδε, καὶ πρὸς ἀνάντες ∆έσμιον ἅλλεται ὦκα, βιαζόμενον κατόπισθεν, Ὣς κέλομαι σέο φίλτρον ἐνὶ πραπίδεσσι τεῇσι Σφιγγόμενον, Χριστοῖο καταντίον ὕψι φέρεσθαι, Ἠὲ καλὴν πίειραν ἐπικλύζειν τίν' ἄρουραν. 597 Εἰ δὲ σύ γ' ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χέοις ψαμάθοισι βαθείαις, Ἢ κατὰ πετράων, ἢ λείμακος, ἠὲ χαράδρης, Ὤλετό σοι ῥόος ἐσθλὸς ἀσύνδετος, οὐδὲν ὄνειαρ. Εἰ μέν σοί γε πατὴρ ζώει φίλος, ὅς σε φάωσδε Ἤγαγεν, ἢ μήτηρ γλυκερὴ, καὶ φίλτρον ἀμεμφὲς, Εἰ σὺ κασιγνήτοισιν ἐρείδεαι εὐμενέουσιν, Ἢ τοκέων τοκέεσσιν ἀρηγόσιν, ἢ καὶ ἀρωγῆς ∆ευομένοις, τούτοις μὲν ὁμὸν βίον ἀμφαγαπάζειν Οὐ φθόνος, οὐδὲ πικρὸν καὶ ἀνάρσιον ἐνθάδε Μῶμος Ὄμμα βαλεῖ, τρίζειν καὶ σάνδαλα πολλάκι φάσκων· Ἔστι δὲ καὶ τόδ' ὄνειαρ ἐμοὶ, κακὸς ὄμματα βάλλων. Κεῖνος μὲν βαλέει, τὸ δ' ἐμὸν κέαρ ἔμπεδον ἔσται. Τῶν δ' ἄλλων μοι τόσσον ἀλεύεσθαι φιλότητα, 598 Ἤ τοι μὴ φιλίην γε, συνωροφίην δ' ἀλεγεινὴν, Ἢ θάρσος δολερόν τε καὶ εὐθαλέεσσιν ἄπιστον, Ὁσσάτιον Χριστοῖο περιδράσσεσθαι ἔοικεν Ἔμπεδον ἐμπεφυυῖαν ἀειζώοισι πόθοισι. Μηδὲ σὺ παρθενίης μὲν ἔχειν πόθον ἱμεροέσσης, Τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις παθέεσσι τεὴν φρένα πάμπαν ἀνοίγειν, Σωφροσύνῃ κομόωσα· κακὸν δέ γε τοῦτο χέρειον, Τίκτεσθ' ἐξ ἀγαθοῖο κακὸν φθονεροῖο δόλλοισιν. Οὐ γὰρ τόσσον ἔμοιγε γάμος, οὐδ' ἔργα γάμοιο Φύξιμος, ᾧ γε Θεὸς θνητῶν γένος αἰὲν ἀέξει, Ὅσσον ἐμοῖς παθέεσσιν ἄκος καὶ ἄλκαρ ἀνεῦρον Παρθενίην. Ὧν εἰ μὲν ἐλεύθερον ἦμαρ ἔχοιμι, Ἔστι καὶ ἀζυγίης τις ἐμοὶ χάρις. Εἰ δὲ θύρετρα Θήρεσιν ἀμπετάσαιμι, φίλην φραγμοῖσιν ἁλωὴν 599 Εἷρξας, ἣ φραγμοῖο τὸ μὲν πυκινῶς ἀράροιμι, Τῷ δὲ τρίβους οἴξαιμι παρατροχάουσιν ὁδίταις, Τί πλέον; Ἦ γὰρ ὁμῶς δηλήσατο ἐχθρὸς ἁλωὴν Πάντοθεν εἰσπίπτων. Καὶ γὰρ σέο πάντα δοκεύει, Ἔκτοθεν ὅττι βάλῃσι, καὶ ἔνδοθεν ὅττι λάβῃσιν, Ἀμφαδίην, λοχόων τε. Τίς ἂν κακότηθ' ὑπαλύξαι Ῥηϊδίως, μὴ Χριστὸν ἔχων ἐπιτάῤῥοθον αἰεί; Μὴ μικρὸν ἐν κακίῃ θείης ποτὲ μηδὲ τὸ μικρόν. Τυτθοῖς ἀντιόωσα, χερείοσιν οὔ ποτε κύρσοις. Ὅσσα φέριστ' ἀΐοις, καὶ φθέγγεο· ὅσσα δὲ βάζεις, Λεύσσοις προφρονέως. Ὄψις δ' ἐπὶ ἔργον ἐλαύνοι. 600 Πάντα σὺν ἀλλήλοισι, τέλος, λόγος, ὄψις, ἀκουή. Φεύγειν σπέρμα πονηρὸν, ὅπως στάχυν ἐσθλὸν ἀγείρῃς Μηδὲ σὺ μοιχιδίην κλέπτειν φιλότητα βίοιο· Κλέπτει δ' ὅστις ἔδεκτο κακοῦ καὶ ῥίζαν ἐλαφρήν· Ἐκ γάρ τοι ῥίζης γε πολύσχιστοι κλαδεῶνες Ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα χέονται ἀπ' ἰκμάδος αἱματοέσσης, Καὶ τυτθὸς συνέδησεν ὀπὸς μέγα χεῦμα γάλακτος, Καὶ ψηφὶς σταθεροῖο καθ' ὕδατος ἀΐσσουσα Ἐξαπίνης συνέχευεν ὅλην περικαλλέα πηγὴν, Πολλοῖσιν κύκλοισιν ἐλαυνομένην, ἀπὸ κέντρου Αἰὲν ἐπιφρίσσουσι, καὶ ἔκτοθι λυομένοισι. Ἰδνώθη δὲ τυπέντος ὅλον δέμας ἀμφ' ὀδύνῃσιν Ἑλκόμενον· γεῦσις δ' ὀλίγη, καὶ νεκρὸς ἔγωγε. 601 Τῇδε γὰρ ὡμάρτησαν ἁμαρτάδες, ὡς ὅτ' ἀρίστῳ Αἰχμητῇ στρατὸς ἄλλος, ἐπὴν διὰ τεῖχος ἕλῃσιν. Ἀσπίδος οὐ μέγα τύμμα, δίδωσι δέ γ' αὐτίκα πότμῳ Ὑπναλέῳ, καὶ τερπνὸς ἀποπνείουσιν ὄλεθρος. Τῷ, μή μοι ῥυπόωσαν ἔχειν φρένα, μηδ' ἐπὶ τυτθοῖς. Γαστὴρ κλεῖθρα φέρουσα, τάχ' ἂν κακότητα φύγῃσι. Τὴν δ' ἄθυρον τρομέω, μή τις χοὸς ὕβρις ἐπέλθῃ Σώματι δαμναμένῳ, συνδάμναται οἶστρος ἀναιδής. Οἶνος παρθενικῇσι χόλου πλέον ἐστὶν ὄνειδος, Θυμὸς δ' αὖ μανίης. Οἶμος δέ τε πάντα μόροιο. Παρθένε, θρύπτεό μοι μηδ' ἐν ῥυπόωσι χιτῶσιν· Ἔστι καὶ εὐτελίης τι κακὸν, ὁρόωντας ἰαίνειν. 602 Μηδὲ παρειάων σκιρτήμασιν ἐχθρὸν ἐγείροις. Αἴσχεϊ καγχάζοιεν, ὅσαις τέγος ἀκλήϊστον Χάρματι παλλομέναις. Σοὶ δ' ἵλαος ἦκα παρειὴ Λυέσθω, τὸ δ' ἔρευθος ὑπαντέλλοιτο, τάχιστα Κλέπτον ἐϋφροσύνην. Αἰδὼς δ' ὁρόωσιν ἔρευθος. Φθέγγεσθαι μὲν ἔοικε Θεοῦ πέρι παῦρα γυναιξὶ, Τόσσον, ὅσον Τριάδος σεπτὴν φύσιν ἴδμεναι οἶον, Τρισσὴν ἐν θεότητι, μίαν χάριν (οὐ γὰρ ἄμεινον Σιγᾷν εὐσεβίης καὶ ῥήματα), εἰσαΐειν δὲ Πλείονα, καὶ τρομεραῖς ἄμφω φρεσὶν εὐαγέως τε, Καὶ καθύπερθε φέρειν αἰδοῦς σκέπας. Οἱ δὲ