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they yielded to one another as they rushed on. Night made the day cease, and a winter storm darkened the air. The sun dimmed the beauty of the stars, a cloud the sun, and the moon, living again; But that starry heaven, half-visible And you too, Morning Star, were once in the angelic choirs, Envious one, but now you have fallen, a disgrace from the heavenly beings. 765 Be gracious to me, caring Queen, Trinity, for not even you have entirely escaped the tongue of foolish mortals. First the Father, then the great Son, and then the Spirit of the great God, are struck by insults. Where will you place me, carrying me hence, ill-counselling care? Stop. All things are second to God. Yield to reason. God did not make me in vain. I stand contrary to the song; this is of our own foolishness. Now is darkness, but then reason, and you will understand all things, either seeing God or being devoured by fire. Thus my dear mind sang these things to me, and grief came upon me. Late I went home from the shady grove, at one time laughing at the different-minded, at another time again consuming my heart with grief, of a contending mind. 766

15. Concerning the worthlessness of the outward man. What was I? What am I? What

shall I be not long after? And where, carrying it, will you place this great creation, O Immortal One, If it is great at all, as I at least think, since we are nothing, we mortals vainly raise our brow. If we were only this, as much as has appeared to most, and with life perishing, may I have nothing more. The calf burst through the hiding place of its mother, and leaps, and shakes the sweet udder. And at three years old it took up the yoke, and drew the weight of the wagon, and joined its great neck with the strength of its neck. And the dappled-skinned fawn, when it slips from the womb, immediately placed its foot beside its mother's foot, 767 and flees the raw-devouring dogs, and the swift horse, and hides in the flanks of the thick covert. And bears, and the race of destructive swine, and lions, and the wind-swift tiger, and the might of leopards, immediately bristle their mane when they see iron, they bristled, and leaped upon the mighty beast-slayers. And the now-wingless bird, well-winged not long after, whirls through the air far above the house. And in turn the tawny bee left its cave, built a well-matched home, filled the house with sweet produce. And all this is the labor of a single spring, and nourishment is spontaneous for all, with earth granting a feast. They do not cut the harsh sea, they do not plow, for them there are no stewards, nor cup-bearers. 768 And a wing nourished the swift bird, and glens the beast, they having toiled little, with daily care. And the great lion killed the beast, as if unwillingly, having lapped it up, it abhors the leftovers of its own meal. Sometimes it feasted on alternate days, at other times again it lapped its drink, powerfully carrying measures to its belly. So much less toilsome is life for them; a rock and a branch, a home always at hand Sound, strong, very beautiful; and if sickness overcomes them, they leave their stout breath without grief. Not with mournful songs do they, standing around, one from here, another from there, weep, nor do friends cut off their locks. Let me speak a greater word; fearlessly they perished here, a beast trembles at no evil, when it dies. 769 Behold also the wretched race of mortals, so that you might say this, truly nothing is weaker than mortals. I am the child of a flowing, and with toil my mother bore me. I was reared with many and hateful labors. My mother held me in her arms, a sweet toil; but then I crawled upon the earth, worn out by pains. From there I went on all fours upon the ground. From there I was lifted up with trembling steps, stolen by hands. From there I began to shine in mind with the traces of a speechless voice. And from there in turn I wept under the guides of speech. At twenty years I gathered strength, and I met many woes before, like some prize-winner. Some things are mine; others are gone, and for others you will toil, Know this well, my soul, as you pass through life, 770 a most treacherous path, a savage stream, a wave of the sea, tossed here and there by frequent winds. Many things I am shaken by folly; and other things the opposing spirit of our life has brought. For if you were to weigh against each other all the pleasant things and all the sad things of life, holding the scales in the middle, the scale-pan of evils would come down heavily to the earth, while that of good things, on the contrary, would fly up high.

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ἀλλήλαις εἶξαν ἐπεσσύμεναι. Νὺξ ἦμαρ κατέπαυσε, τὸ δ' ἤχλυσεν ἠέρα χεῖμα. Ἄστρασιν ἠέλιος, ἠελίῳ δὲ νέφος Κάλλος ἀπημάλδυνε, παλίζωος δὲ σελήνη· Αὐτὰρ ὅγ' ἡμιφανὴς οὐρανὸς ἀστερόεις Καὶ σύ ποτ' ἀγγελικοῖσιν, Ἑωσφόρος, ἦσθα χοροῖσι, Βάσκανε, νῦν δ' ἔπεσες αἶσχος ἀπ' οὐρανίων 765 Ἵλαθί μοι, βασίλεια κεδνὴ, Τριὰς, οὐδὲ σὺ πάμπαν Γλῶσσαν ἐφημερίων ἔκφυγες ἀφραδέων. Πρόσθε Πατὴρ, μετέπειτα Πάϊς μέγας, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ μεγάλου, βάλλετ' ἐπεσβολίαις. Ποῖ στήσεις με φέρουσα κακοφραδὲς ἔνθε μέριμνα; Ἵστασο. Πάντα Θεοῦ δεύτερα. Εἶκε λόγῳ. Οὐ δέ με μαψιδίως τεῦξεν Θεός. Ἔμπαλιν ᾠδῆς Ἵσταμαι· ἡμετέρης τοῦτ' ὀλιγοφρενίης. Νῦν ζόφος, αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα λόγος, καὶ πάντα νοήσεις, Ἢ Θεὸν εἰσορόων ἢ πυρὶ δαπτόμενος. Ὥς μοι ταῦτ' ἐπάεισε φίλος νόος, ἄλγος ἔπεσσεν. Ὀψὲ δ' ἀπὸ σκιεροῦ ἄλσεος οἴκαδ' ἔβην, Ἄλλοτε μὲν γελόων ἑτερόφρονα, ἄλλοτε δ' αὖτε Κῆρ ἄχεϊ σμύχων, μαρναμένοιο νόου. 766

ΙΕʹ. Περὶ τῆς τοῦ ἐκτὸς ἀνθρώπου εὐτελείας. Τίς γενόμην; τίς δ' εἰμί; τί δ'

ἔσσομαι οὐ μετὰ δηρόν; Πῆ δὲ φέρων στήσεις πλάσμα μέγ', Ἀθάνατε, Εἴ τι μέγ', ὡς μὲν ἔγω γε ὀΐομαι, οὐδὲν ἐόντες, Ὀφρὺν μαψιδίως τείνομεν ἡμέριοι. Εἰ τόδε μοῦνον ἔοιμεν, ὅσον πλεόνεσσι πέφανται, Ζωῆς δ' ὀλλυμένης, μηδὲν ἔχοιμι πλέον. Πόρτις μὲν διάλυξεν ἑὸν κευθμῶνα τεκούσης, Καὶ σκαίρει, γλυκερόν τ' οὖθαρ ἀνακραδάει. Καὶ τριετὴς ζυγὸν ἦρε, καὶ εἴρυσεν ἄχθος ἀπήνης, Αὐχένα δ' αὐχενίῳ κάρτεϊ μίξε μέγαν. Νεβρὸς δ' αἰολόδερμος, ἐπὴν διὰ γαστρὸς ὀλισθῇ, Αὐτίκα μητρὸς ἑῆς πὰρ ποδὶ θῆκε πόδα, 767 Φεύγει δ' ὠμοβόρους τε κύνας, καὶ ἵππον ἐλαφρὸν, Καὶ λόχμης πυκινῆς κεύθεται ἐν λαγόσιν. Ἄρκτοι δ', οὐλομένων τε συῶν γένος, ἠδὲ λέοντες, Τίγρις τ' ἠνεμόεις, παρδαλίων τε μένος, Αὐτίκα φρίξεν ἔθειραν ἐπήν κε σίδηρον ἴδηται, Φρίξεν, καὶ κρατεροὺς ἆλτ' ἐπὶ θηρολέτας. Ἄρτι δέ τ' ἄπτερος ὄρνις, ἐΰπτερος οὐ μετὰ δηρὸν, Ἠέρα δινεύει πολλὸν ὕπερθε δόμου. Ξουθὴ δ' αὖτε μέλισσα λίπε σπέος, οἶκον ἔτευξεν Ἀντίθετον, γλυκεροῦ πλῆσε γόνοιο δόμον. Πάντα δέ τ' εἴαρός ἐστιν ἑνὸς πόνος, αὐτομάτη δὲ Πᾶσι τροφὴ, γαίης δαῖτα χαριζομένης. Οὐ πόντον τέμνουσιν ἀπηνέα, οὐκ ἀρόυσιν, Οὐ ταμίαι κείνοις, οὐδὲ κυπελλοφόροι. 768 Καὶ πτερὸν ὄρνιν ἔθρεψε ταχὺν, καὶ ἄγκεα θῆρα, Βαιὰ πονησαμένους, φροντὶς ἐπηματίη. Λὶς δὲ μέγας καὶ θῆρα τὸν ἔκτανεν, ὥσπερ ἄκουσα, Λάψας, δαιτὸς ἑῆς λείψαν' ἀποστυγέει. Ἄλλοτε μὲν δαίσαθ' ἑτερήμερος, ἄλλοτε δ' αὖτε Λάψε ποτὸν, βριαρῶς γαστέρι μέτρα φέρων. Τοσσάτιον κείνοισιν ἀμοχθότερος βίος ἐστί· Πέτρη καὶ κλαδεὼν, οἶκος ἀεὶ σχέδιος Ἀρτεμέες, κρατεροὶ, περικαλλέες· ἢν δὲ δαμάσσῃ Νοῦσος, ἀπενθεῖς ἄλκιμον ἆσθμα λίπον. Οὐ γοεροῖς μελέεσσι περισταδὸν, ἄλλοθεν ἄλλος, Μύροντ', οὐδὲ φίλοι κέρσαν ἄπο πλοκάμους. Εἴπω μείζονα μῦθον· ἀταρβέες ἐνθάδ' ὄλοντο, Οὐδὲν ὑποτρομέει θὴρ κακὸν, εὖτε θάνῃ. 769 Ἄθρει καὶ μερόπων δειλὸν γένος, ὥς κε τόδ' εἴπῃς, Ἦ ῥ' ἐτεὸν μερόπων οὐδὲν ἀκιδνότερον. Ῥοιῆς μὲν γόνος εἰμὶ, μόγῳ δέ με γείνατο μήτηρ. Ἐθρέφθην πολλοῖς καὶ στυγεροῖς καμάτοις. Ἀγκὰς ἔχεν μήτηρ με, γλυκὺν πόνον· αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα Γαῖαν ἐπεξεόμην, ἄλγεσι τειρόμενος. Ἔνθεν ἔβην τετράκωλος ἐπ' οὔδεος. Ἔνθεν ἀέρθην Ἴθμασιν ἐν τρομεροῖς, κλεπτόμενος παλάμαις. Ἔνθεν νοῦν ὑπέλαμπον ἀναυδέος ἴχνεσι φωνῆς. Ἔνθεν δ' αὖ μύθων δάκρυσ' ὑφ' ἡγεμόσιν. Εἰκοσέτης συνάγειρα μένος, καὶ πήμασι πολλοῖς Πρόσθεν ὑπηντίασα, ὥς τις ἀεθλοφόρος. Ἄλλα μὲν ἔστιν ἐμοί γε· τὰ δ' ᾤχετο, τοῖς δὲ μογήσεις, Εὖ τόδ', ἐμὴ ψυχὴ, ἴσθι, περῶσα βίον, 770 Ὁλκὸν ἀπιστότατον, ῥόον ἄγριον, οἶδμα θαλάσσης, Τῇ καὶ τῇ πυκινοῖς πνεύμασι βρασσόμενον. Πολλὰ μὲν ἀφραδίῃσι τινάσσομαι· ἄλλα δὲ δαίμων Ζωῆς ἡμετέρης ἤγαγεν ἀντίπαλος. Εἰ γάρ κεν ὅσα τερπνὰ καὶ ὁππόσα λυγρὰ βίοιο Ἀντιταλαντεύοις, μέσσα τάλαντ' ἐρύων, Πολλόν κεν βρίθουσα κακῶν ἐπὶ γαῖαν ἴκοιτο Πλάστιγξ, ἡ δ' ἀγαθῶν, ἔμπαλιν ὕψι θέοι.