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To give something in meter from my labors. Not, as the many mortals might think, Of all easy things, reaping empty glory, as it is said. On the contrary indeed I know those who rush to my works, so to write, are rather men-pleasers; for the majority measure the things of their neighbors by their own measures, Nor preferring this to divine labors; May the word of God not fall so far from me! What then have I experienced? Perhaps you will marvel at this. First, having toiled in other things, 1332 thus I wished to fetter my lack of meter; So that while writing, I might not write much, Having toiled at the meter. Second, to the young, And to all who especially delight in words, To give this as a sort of pleasant medicine, A guide of persuasion to more useful things, Sweetening with art the bitterness of the commandments. The tension of the lyre-string is also wont to be relaxed; If you wish this also; if nothing more, These are for you instead of songs and lyre-play. I have given it for play, if you wish to play at all, Lest some harm come to you, being despoiled of the good. Third, I know what I have experienced; a matter perhaps Of little worth, yet I have experienced it; nor in words 1333 do I grant that outsiders should have more than we do; I mean in these colored words, Even if beauty for us lies in contemplation. For you then, the wise, we have played. Let there be for us some lion's grace. Fourth, suffering in my sickness I found This consolation, like an old swan, To utter to myself the whistling of wings, Not a dirge, but a kind of parting hymn. In response to these things now be known to us, you wise ones, Of those within. But if you are defeated, of the same words There is a great store; and the words of those who play are words, Proceed; but nothing is long nor to excess, 1334 Nor even useless, as I think, at all. The words themselves will teach you, if you are willing. For some are my own, and others from without. Either praise of good things, or blame of evil, Or doctrines, or some maxim, or sections of discourse, Having memory through the binding of the writing. If these things are small, you accomplish greater things. You revile meter; naturally, being without meter yourself, An iambic poet, composing abortions. For who, not seeing, has recognized one who sees? Or who, not running, has run with one who runs? Yet you have not escaped notice, buying that which you blame. For that which you revile, this is eagerly pursued by you, 1335 And very unmetrically, the writing of poems. But when he is refuted, a counter-proof comes in, And our dearest friend is shipwrecked even in prose. Such things you devise, you wise ones. Is this not a manifest lie, not duplicity? A monkey to us just now, but a lion now. Thus is the love of glory easily caught. Yet know that many things in the Scriptures are also measured, As the wise of the Hebrew race say. If not for you a measure also the striking of strings, As those of old sang melodious words, Making, I think, the pleasant a vehicle of the beautiful, And shaping characters from melodies. Let Saul persuade you of this, being freed From the spirit by the strains of the lyre. 1336 What harm then is it to you, for the young to be led through noble Pleasure to communion with God? For they do not bear a sudden change. For now let there be a nobler mixture. But when the good takes root in time, Having withdrawn, like the supports of arches, The elegant, we shall guard the good itself. What could be more useful than this? But do you not season the food with sweet, O solemn one, both frowning and contracted? Why then do you revile my good meter, Weighing the things of your neighbors by your own measures? The boundaries of the Mysians and Phrygians are separate; Separate are the heights of jackdaws and eagles. 1337

40. Against the envious. Justice, judges, and laws, and tribunals, Sword

and you that are polished for the wicked, And all-refuting, hateful day, Unceasing worm, fountains of all-devouring fire, Hear us, you judges, hear. With all the dead, envy too is buried. For the battle is against that which strives; but that which is out of the way Neither resists, and is honored without envy. But I am both dead, and I am envied. I who have endured all struggles in life. How do I prove this, and with what evidence? All cry out, even if I should bind my mouth. Would that my misfortune were speechless! 1338 The of evils

36

Μέτροις τι δοῦναι τῶν ἐμῶν πονημάτων. Οὐχ, ὡς ἂν οἰηθεῖεν οἱ πολλοὶ βροτῶν, Τῶν πάντα ῥᾴστων, δόξαν ἐκκαρπούμενος Κενὴν, ὃ δὴ λέγεται. Τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν Τρέχοντας οἶδα τοῖς ἐμοῖς, οὕτω γράφειν, Ἀνθρωπαρεσκεῖν μᾶλλον· οἱ γὰρ πλείονες Τοῖς σφῶν μέτροις μετροῦσι καὶ τὰ τῶν πέλας, Οὔτε προτιμῶν τοῦτο τῶν θείων πόνων· Μή μοι τοσοῦτον ἐκπέσοι Θεοῦ λόγος! Τί οὖν πέπονθα, τοῦτ' ἴσως θαυμάσετε. Πρῶτον μὲν ἠθέλησα, τοῖς ἄλλοις καμὼν, 1332 Οὕτω πεδῆσαι τὴν ἐμὴν ἀμετρίαν· Ὡς ἂν γράφων γε, ἀλλὰ μὴ πολλὰ γράφω, Καμὼν τὸ μέτρον. ∆εύτερον δὲ τοῖς νέοις, Καὶ τῶν ὅσοι μάλιστα χαίρουσι λόγοις, Ὥσπερ τι τερπνὸν τοῦτο δοῦναι φάρμακον, Πειθοῦς ἀγωγὸν εἰς τὰ χρησιμώτερα, Τέχνῃ γλυκάζων τὸ πικρὸν τῶν ἐντολῶν. Φιλεῖ δ' ἀνίεσθαί τε καὶ νευρᾶς τόνος· Εἴ πως θέλεις καὶ τοῦτο· εἰ μή τι πλέον, Ἀντ' ᾀσμάτων σοι ταῦτα καὶ λυρισμάτων. Παίζειν δέδωκα, εἴ τι καὶ παίζειν θέλεις, Μή τις βλάβη σοι πρὸς τὸ καλὸν συλωμένῳ. Τρίτον πεπονθὼς οἶδα· πρᾶγμα μὲν τυχὸν Μικροπρεπές τι, πλὴν πέπονθ'· οὐδ' ἐν λόγοις 1333 Πλέον δίδωμι τοὺς ξένους ἡμῶν ἔχειν· Τούτοις λέγω δὴ τοῖς κεχρωσμένοις λόγοις Εἰ καὶ τὸ κάλλος ἡμῖν ἐν θεωρίᾳ. Ὑμῖν μὲν οὖν δὴ τοῖς σοφοῖς ἐπαίξαμεν. Ἔστω τις ἡμῖν καὶ χάρις λεόντιος. Τέταρτον εὗρον τῇ νόσῳ πονούμενος Παρηγόρημα τοῦτο, κύκνος ὡς γέρων, Λαλεῖν ἐμαυτῷ τὰ πτερῶν συρίγματα, Οὐ θρῆνον, ἀλλ' ὕμνον τιν' ἐξιτήριον. Πρὸς ταῦτα νῦν γινώσκεθ' ἡμῖν, οἱ σοφοὶ, Τῶν ἔνδον. Εἰ δ' ἥττησθε, τῶν αὐτῶν λόγων Πλεῖστον τὸ χρῆμα· καὶ τὰ παιζόντων λόγοι, Χωρεῖτε· μακρὸν δ' οὐδὲν οὐδ' ὑπὲρ κόρον, 1334 Ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἄχρηστον, ὡς ἐγῷμαι παντελῶς. Αὐτοὶ διδάξουσ' οἱ λόγοι θέλοντά σε. Τὰ μὲν γάρ ἐστι τῶν ἐμῶν, τὰ δ' ἔκτοθεν. Ἢ τῶν καλῶν ἔπαινος, ἢ κακῶν ψόγος, Ἢ δόγματ', ἢ γνώμη τις, ἢ τομαὶ λόγων, Μνήμην ἔχουσαι τῇ δέσει τοῦ γράμματος. Εἰ μικρὰ ταῦτα, σὺ τέλει τὰ μείζονα. Μέτρον κακίζεις· εἰκότως, ἄμετρος ὢν, Ἰαμβοποιὸς, συγγράφων ἀμβλώματα. Τίς γὰρ βλέποντα, μὴ βλέπων, ἐγνώρισεν; Ἢ τίς τρέχοντι, μὴ τρέχων, συνέδραμε; Πλὴν οὐ λέληθας, ὃ ψέγεις, ὠνούμενος. Ὃ γὰρ κακίζεις, τοῦτό σοι σπουδάζεται, 1335 Καὶ σφόδρ' ἀμέτρως, τὸ γράφειν ποιήματα. Ὅτ' ἂν δ' ἐλέγχῃ, πίστις ἀντεισέρχεται, Καὶ πεζὸς ἡμῖν ναυαγῶν ὁ φίλτατος. Τοιαῦτα τεχνάζεσθε, ὑμεῖς οἱ σοφοί. Ταῦτ' οὐ πρόδηλον ψεῦδος, οὐχὶ διπλόη; Πίθηκος ἡμῖν ἀρτίως, λέων δὲ νῦν. Οὕτως ἁλίσκετ' εὐπετῶς δόξης ἔρως. Πλὴν ἴσθι πολλὰ καὶ Γραφαῖς μετρούμενα, Ὡς οἱ σοφοὶ λέγουσιν Ἑβραίων γένους. Εἰ μὴ μέτρον σοι καὶ τὰ νεύρων κρούματα, Ὡς οἱ πάλαι προσῇδον ἐμμελεῖς λόγους, Τὸ τερπνὸν, οἶμαι, τοῦ καλοῦ ποιούμενοι Ὄχημα, καὶ τυποῦντες ἐκ μελῶν τρόπους. Σαούλ σε τοῦτο πεισάτω, καὶ πνεύματος Ἐλευθερωθεὶς τοῖς τρόποις τῆς κινύρας. 1336 Τίς οὖν βλάβη σοι, τοὺς νέους δι' ἡδονῆς Σεμνῆς ἄγεσθαι πρὸς Θεοῦ κοινωνίαν; Οὐ γὰρ φέρουσιν ἀθρόαν μετάστασιν. Νῦν μέν τις ἔστω μίξις εὐγενεστέρα. Πῆξιν δ' ὅταν τὸ καλὸν ἐν χρόνῳ λάβῃ, Ὑποσπάσαντες, ὡς ἐρείσματ' ἀψίδων, Τὸ κομψὸν, αὐτὸ τἀγαθὸν φυλάξομεν. Τούτου τί ἂν γένοιτο χρησιμώτερον; Σὺ δ' οὐ τὰ ὄψα τῷ γλυκεῖ παραρτύεις, Ὦ σεμνὲ, καὶ σύνοφρυ καὶ συνηγμένε; Τί οὖν κακίζεις τὴν ἐμὴν εὐμετρίαν, Τοῖς σοῖς μέτροις σταθμώμενος τὰ τῶν πέλας; Χωρὶς τὰ Μυσῶν καὶ Φρυγῶν ὁρίσματα Χωρὶς κολοιῶν κ' ἀετῶν ὑψώματα. 1337

Μʹ. Πρὸς τοὺς φθονοῦντας. ∆ίκη, δικασταὶ, καὶ νόμοι, καὶ βήματα, Ῥομφαία

καὶ σὺ τοῖς κακοῖς στιλβουμένη, Καὶ πάντ' ἐλέγχουσ' ἡμέρα στυγνηγόρε, Σκώληξ ἄπαυστε, παμφάγου πηγαὶ πυρὸς, Ἀκούσαθ' ἡμῶν τῶν κριτῶν, ἀκούσατε. Πᾶσι θανοῦσι καὶ φθόνος συνθάπτεται. Πρὸς γὰρ τὸ τεῖνον ἡ μάχη· τὸ δ' ἐκ ποδῶν Οὔτ' ἀντιπίπτει, καὶ τετίμητ' ἀφθόνως. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τέθνηκα, καὶ βασκαίνομαι. Ὁ πάντ' ἀνατλὰς ἐν βίῳ παλαίσματα. Πῶς τοῦτ' ἐλέγχω, καὶ τίσι τεκμηρίοις; Πάντες βοῶσι, κἂν ἐγὼ δήσω στόμα. Ὡς εἴθ' ἄφωνος ἦν ἐμὴ δυσπραξία! 1338 Τὸ τῶν κακῶν