20

shaken by the winds. This is the people, to whom God came from his heavenly seat, Emptying His own glory into mortal bodies, And was mingled with mortals, God and man gathered into one, And gave a great price, suffering in His body, and His divine blood He shed as a ransom for our wickedness, and many other Sacrifices, those who afterwards sowed the word for all. And who met the bitter hand of sweet death, That they might pay for the Word, God, with a word, and for blood with blood. Who shakes this body? Whence is so great a burden to me? And how has a solitary boar laid waste my threshing floor? How has a dark moon covered so great a glory? Raging, evil-working, since, grudging it to mortals, 1231 Ever since he first cast Adam from paradise, and from immortal life, stealing it with the harmful fruit, And always assailing with many mighty shakings, He could not, as he longed, strike the whole race from behind with harms (but a spark of the word, and a torch raised, ran renowned over all the earth, and the persecutors even more firmly established those who were fixed as prize-winners), he devised a second, stealthy plan. When he knew the army was steadfast, he cast deadly enmity among the leaders. For indeed, when the general falls, the whole army bows to the earth. And an evil wind drove a sea-faring ship headlong, or dashed it against the rocks, without a helmsman. And thus houses, and cities, and choruses, and cattle, and chariots, and a flock 1232 were harmed by the ignorance of the commander. To those who know, this is a tale of our own wickedness, as many as are leaders of the people. Before, cities of refuge were appointed for manslayers, And there was a certain place for sacrifices of aversion, And a certain place also for bitterness and blood in the last days, which the evil-minded ones poured out on Christ, receiving an evil and paltry reward for the priceless one, Not indeed from an unwilling one, since God is not to be seized by hands, when He wills; but yet they did pour it out. But now they know one place for both folly and for death, all, both strangers and those of our own enclosure, this sacred seat, formerly of the wise, the fortress of the best, this bema, flourishing with angelic choirs, 1233 the rail between two worlds, the one that remains, and the one that flies past, the boundary of gods and of mortals. It was what it was. But now it is a mockery, when for all there is a path inside the unlocked door, as it seems to me to hear a herald shouting in the midst: "Come here, all who are masters of wickedness, the disgraces of men, Gluttons, broad-girthed, shameless, haughty, Drinkers of unmixed wine, wanderers, fond of mockery, wearing delicate tunics, Liars and insolent men, who swiftly swear a false oath, Devourers of the people, who on the possessions of others lay untouchable hands, envious, deceitful, faithless, 1234 Fawning to the powerful, lowly; to the lowly, lions, Double-faced, servants of the ever-changing season, Octopuses celebrated in story for changing color with the rocks, Newlyweds, fervent, still with downy beards, Or thieves of the natural fire, who for the light have a love of darkness, when you shun the open, Ignorant of heavenly things, newly-shining, sooty, wickedness coming together with a dazzling spirit. Come here boldly. A broad throne is ready for all, Come here, you may lay down your fresh offerings with your right hands for all readily, and they are extended even to those who do not desire them. 1235 Manna again, a strange rain; let everyone gather it in his lap, he who has more, and he who has less, the same grace. And if you wish, do not even spare the holy, God-fearing, idle day. Or perhaps it may even decay in insatiable hands. Common to all is the air, and common is the earth, And common is the broad heaven, and what the heaven reveals to the eyes, And common in turn is the grace of the sea, and common are the seats. A great wonder, not even Saul is a stranger to grace, but a prophet. Let no plowman, therefore, nor carpenter, nor leather-worker, nor he who pursues the hunt, nor he who works at the forge, remain afar, nor have any other divine commander. For it is better to rule than to obey a ruler. But let one throw down the great axe from his hands, and another the plow-handle, 1236 and another his hide, another his spears, another his tongs, let him come here, and crowd around the divine table, being pressed, and pressing. And let the strong drive out another, often even the best man, who has toiled in these seats, an old man, worn out in the flesh, a frequenter of heaven, one who despises the world, having his portion with God, And a dead man among the living, a sacrificing priest

20

τινασσόμενον ἀνέμοισι. Λαὸς ὅδ', ᾧ Θεὸς ἦλθεν ἀπ' οὐρανίοιο θοώκου, Κῦδος ἑὸν θνητοῖσιν ἐνὶ σπλάγχνοισι κενώσας, Καὶ μίχθη μερόπεσσι, Θεὸς βροτὸς εἰς ἓν ἀγερθεὶς, Καὶ μέγαν ὦνον ἔδωκε παθὼν δέμας, αἷμά τε θεῖον Ῥύσιον ἡμετέρης κακίης χέεν, ἄλλα τε πολλὰ Θύματα, τοὺς μετέπειτα λόγον σπείραντας ἅπασι. Καὶ γλυκεροῦ θανάτοιο πικρῆς χερὸς ἀντιάσαντας, Ὥς κε λόγῳ τίσωσι Λόγον Θεὸν, αἵματι δ' αἷμα. Τίς δονέει τόδε σῶμα; πόθεν τόσον ἄχθος ἔμοιγε; Πῶς δέ τε σῦς μονόφορβος ἐμὴν δηλήσαθ' ἁλωήν; Πῶς μήνη σκοτέεσσα τόσον κλέος ἀμφεκάλυψε; Λυσσήεις, κακοεργὸς, ἐπεὶ, μερόπεσσι μεγαίρων, 1231 Ἐξέτι τοῦ ὅτε πρῶτον Ἀδὰμ βάλεν ἐκ παραδείσου, Ζωῆς τ' ἀθανάτου, κλέψας δηλήμονι καρπῷ, Καὶ πολλοῖς κρατεροῖς τε τινάγμασιν αἰὲν ἀτάζων, Οὐ σθένεν, ὡς ποθέεσκεν, ὅλον γένος, οἷσι δήλοισι Γνὺξ βαλέειν (σπινθὴρ δὲ λόγου, καὶ πυρσὸς ἀερθεὶς, Πᾶσαν ἐπέδραμε γαῖαν ἀοίδιμος, οἱ δὲ διῶκται Καὶ πλέον ἐστήριξαν ἀεθλοφόροισι παγέντας), ∆εύτερον εὕρατο μῆχος ἐπίκλοπον. Ὡς στρατὸν ἔγνω Καρτερὸν, ἡγητῆρσιν ὀλοίϊον ἔμβαλεν ἔχθος. Καὶ γὰρ, ἀγοῦ πίπτοντος, ὅλος στρατὸς ἐς χθόνα νεύει. Ποντοπόρον δέ τε νῆα κακὸς πρήνιξεν ἀήτης, Ἢ σκοπέλοισιν ἔαξε, κυβερνητῆρος ἄτερθεν. Ὣς δὲ δόμους τε, πόλεις τε, χόρους, βόας, ἅρματα, πῶϋ 1232 Βλάψεν ἀϊδρείη σημάντορος, Εἰδόσι μῦθος Ἡμετέρην κακίην, ὁπόσοι λαοῖο πρόεδροι. Πρόσθε μὲν ἀνδροφόνοισι φυγῆς πτολίεθρα τέτακτο, Καὶ χῶρός τις ἔην ἀποπομπαίοις θυέεσσι, Καί τις καὶ πικρίης καὶ αἵματος ὑστατίοισιν Ἤμασιν, οἷ Χριστοῖο κακόφρονες ἐξεκένωσαν Μισθὸν ἀτιμήτοιο κακὸν καὶ τυτθὸν ἔχοντες, Οὔ τι μὲν ἐξ ἀέκοντος, ἐπεὶ Θεός ἐστιν ἄληπτος Χείρεσιν, εὖτ' ἐθέλῃσιν· ἀτάρ γε μὲν ἐξεκένωσαν. Νῦν δ' ἕνα χῶρον ἴσασιν ἀτασθαλίης τε μόρου τε Πάντες, ὅσοι ξεῖνοί τε καὶ ἕρκεος ἡμετέροιο, Τὸ σεπτὸν τοπάροιθε σοφῶν ἕδος, ἕρκος ἀρίστων, Βῆμα τόδ' ἀγγελικῇσι χοροστασίῃσι τεθηλὸς, 1233 Κιγκλίδα τὴν μεσάτην κόσμων δύο, τοῦδε μένοντος, Τοῦ τε παριπταμένοιο, θεῶν ὅρον, ἡμερίων τε. Ἦν ὅτε ἦν. Νῦν αὖτε γελοίϊον, ἡνίκα πᾶσιν Ἐντὸς ἀκληΐστοιο θύρης δρόμος, ὡς δοκέω μοι Κήρυκος βοόωντος ἐνὶ μεσάτοισιν ἀκούειν· «∆εῦρ' ἴθ' ὅσοι κακίης ἐπιβήτορες, αἴσχεα φωτῶν, Γάστορες, εὐρυτένοντες, ἀναιδέες, ὀφρυόεντες, Ζωροπόται, πλάγκται, φιλοκέρτομοι, ἁβροχίτωνες, Ψεῦσταί θ' ὑβρισταί τε, θοῶς ἐπίορκον ὀμοῦντες, ∆ημοβόροι, κτεάτεσσιν ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίοισιν ἀάπτους Βάλλοντες παλάμας, φθονεροὶ, δολόεντες, ἄπιστοι, 1234 Θῶπες ἐρισθενέων χθαμαλοὶ, χθαμαλοῖσι λέοντες, Ἀμφίθετοι, καιροῖο πολυτρέπτου θεράποντες, Πουλύποδες πέτρῃσιν ἀειδόμενοι χρόα μύθῳ, Ἀρτίγαμοι, ζείοντες, ἔτι χνοάοντες ἴουλον, Ἦ κλέπται φυσικοῖο πυρὸς, φαέεσσιν ἔχοντες Ἠερίην φιλότητα, ὅτ' ἀμφαδίην ἀλέησθε, Νήϊδες οὐρανίων, νεολαμπέες, αἰθαλόεντες, Πνεύματι αἰγλήεντι συνερχομένης κακότητος. ∆εῦρ' ἴτε θαρσαλέοι. πᾶσι θρόνος εὐρὺς ἕτοιμος, ∆εῦρ' ἴτε, δεξιτερῇσι νέους κλίνοιτε τένοντας Πᾶσι προφρονέως, καὶ μὴ ποθέουσι τέτανται. 1235 Μάννα πάλιν, ξένος ὄμβρος· ἅπας κόλποισι λέγοιτε, Ὃς πλέον, ὅς τ' ἐπιδευὲς, ἴην χάριν. Εἰ δ' ἐθέλοιτε, Μηδ' ἁγίου φείδοισθε θεουδέος ἤματος ἀργοῦ. Ἢ τάχα καὶ παλάμῃσιν ἐν ἀπλήστοισι πύθοιτο. Ξυνὸς μὲν πάντεσσιν ἀὴρ, ξυνὴ δέ τε γαῖα, Ξυνὸς δ' οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς, ἅ τ' οὐρανὸς ὄμμασι φαίνει, Ξυνὴ δ' αὖ πόντοιο χάρις, ξυνοί τε θόωκοι. Θαῦμα μέγ', οὐδὲ Σαοὺλ χάριτος ξένος, ἀλλ' ὑποφήτης. Μή τέ τις οὖν ἀροτὴρ, μὴ τέκτων, μὴ σκυτοεργὸς, Μὴ θήρην μεθέπων, μήτ' ἔμπυρον ἔργον ἐλαύνων, Τῆλε μένοι, μὴ δ' ἄλλον ἔχοι σημάντορα θεῖον. Κρεῖσσον γὰρ κρατέειν, ἠὲ κρατέοντι πιθέσθαι. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐκ χειρῶν πέλεκυν μέγαν, ὃς δ' ἄρ' ἐχέτλην 1236 Ῥίψας, ὃς δὲ δορὴν, ὃς δούρεα, ὃς δὲ πυράγρην, Ἐνθάδ' ἴοι, θείην δὲ περιθλίβοισθε τράπεζαν, Στεινόμενοι, στεινοῦντες. Ὁ δ' ἄλκιμος ἄλλον ἐλαύνοι, Πολλάκι καί τ' ἄριστον, ἐνιδρώσαντα θρόνοισι, Γηραιὸν, σάρκεσσι τετρυμένον, οὐρανοφοίτην, Κόσμον ἀτιμάζοντα, Θεοῦ μετὰ μοῖραν ἔχοντα, Καὶ νέκυν ἐν ζωοῖσι, θυηπόλον