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And I, a sacred plant from sacred parents, from a pure root, and of a mother's pure branches, In no way less honored than those before, who received Christ the Lord, and saw him risen from the tomb; Breathing for a short while on earth by the necessity of the flesh, but having the greater portion of their life above. By them my tender mind was formed, and like freshly made cheese, I quickly took the impression of the basket. And once, as I was slumbering, such a dream stood by me, drawing me easily to a desire for incorruption. Two maidens in silver garments seemed to me to be gleaming, standing nearby, Both beautiful, and of the same age; and for both 1370 their ornament was unadornment, the beauty that is for women. No gold adorned their necks, nor jacinth, nor did they have fine threads of silk, Nor tunics of soft linen flowing around their limbs, nor an eye gleaming under painted eyelids, Nor any of the wanton drugs that artful men have devised for the appearance of women; No blond tresses, poured down over their backs, played with the breezes of gentle winds. But their fair robe was girded by a belt, drawn down to their feet, even to the ankles; And with a veil above they had hidden their heads and cheeks, and had their eyes fixed upon the ground. A lovely blush of modesty was fitting for them both, as much as appeared from beneath well-woven robes. 1371 For both, their lips lay closed in silence, like a rose in its dewy buds. Seeing them, I rejoiced greatly. For I truly said they were not a little better than mortals. And they loved me, since I warmed their hearts, embracing me with their lips as a dear son; And when I asked who or whence the women were, the one said she was Chastity, and the other, Sobriety, who, standing beside Christ the King, delight in the beauties of the celestials. But come hither, child, and mingle your mind with our minds, and your torch with our torches, so that we may bear you, all-shining, high through the ether, and place you beside the light of the immortal Trinity. 1372 So saying, they were borne through the ether. And my eye followed them as they flew away. And they were a dream, but for a long time my heart delighted in the solemn images of the night, and in the bright icons of incorruption. The story just now gathered in my mind, when the conception of good and evil is truly fixed. And reason ruled desire, and the faint beauty of the nightly vision appeared most splendidly. And as when an unseen spark, feeding within dry straw, suddenly shines forth, a small flame at first, but then a boundless torch is raised, so I, being kindled by the vision, quickly shone with love, and the light appeared to all, no longer hidden in the depths of my soul. 1373 First I consorted with the pious, who fled the bonds of marriage, being freed from the earthly world, that winged they might follow Christ the king, setting out from here with great glory. Loving and cherishing them in my heart, I had them as leaders of heavenly hope; But then I put away the heavy yoke of marriage, desiring the high lot of the ever-flourishing. For indeed, those natures that have obtained the wide heaven, unmarried, are superior to grievous passions. First, the great God is radiant; and so too are the servants of God, standing near His high throne; who, bearing the first ray of the pure God, 1374 are all-shining, bestowing light on mortals. But as many as are gathered into one from soul and body, and are a dyad, offspring of warring dust, they long for union, and are ready to sow into the body. But the Word, bringing a better lot, has set them apart from the flesh, and has removed them from the deceitful world, and placed them near the unbound life of the immortals. There a great-hearted desire sent me, nor did I rest a feeble footstep upon the lowly earth. But as one who has tasted sweet milk, or honey, of that steadfast choir, I did not wish to approach bitter food, born here of soul-devouring evil. 1375 Nor were feasts and the things that concern youth dear to me, not soft clothing, nor luxurious hair, not the graceless grace of shameful words, nor unrestrained laughter, the seethings of the hostile flesh, were dear. But cliffs, and mountains, and roaring

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Ἡ δ' ἱερῶν τοκέων ἱερὸν φυτὸν, εὐαγέος τε Ῥίζης, καὶ πτόρθων μητέρος εὐαγέων, Οὐδὲν ἀτιμοτέρη προτέρων, αἳ Χριστὸν ἄνακτα ∆έξαντ', ἠδὲ τάφου λεῦσσαν ἀνεγρόμενον· Βαιὸν μὲν πνείοντες ἐπὶ χθονὶ σαρκὸς ἀνάγκῃ, Πλείονα δὲ ζωῆς μοῖραν ἔχοντες ἄνω. Τοῖς μὲν ἐγὼν ἁπαλὴν πλάσθην φρένα, καὶ νεόπηκτος Οἷα τυρὸς, ταλάρου λάμβανον αἶψα τύπον. Καί ποτέ μοι κνώσσοντι παρίστατο τοῖος ὄνειρος, Ἕλκων ῥηϊδίως ἐς πόθον ἀφθορίης. ∆οιαί μοι δοκέεσκον ἐν εἵμασιν ἀργυρέοισι Στράπτειν παρθενικαὶ πλησίον ἱστάμεναι, Ἄμφω μὲν καλαὶ, καὶ ὁμήλικες· ἀμφοτέραις δὲ 1370 Κόσμος ἀκοσμίη, κάλλος ὃ θηλυτέραις. Οὐ χρυσὸς δειρὴν κατεκόσμεεν, οὐδ' ὑάκινθος, Οὐδ' εἶχον σηρῶν νήματα λεπταλέα, Οὐδὲ λίνου μαλακοῖο περιῤῥεθέεσσι χιτῶνας, Οὐ γραπτοῖς βλεφάροις ὄμμ' ὑπολαμπόμενον, Οὐδ' ὅσα τεχνήεντες ἐπ' εἴδεσι θηλυτεράων Ἄνδρες ἐμήσαντο φάρμακα μαχλοσύνης· Οὐ ξανθαὶ πλοκαμῖδες ὑπὲρ νώτοιο χυθεῖσαι Παῖζον ἅμα πνοιαῖς εὐκραέων ἀνέμων. Ζώνῃ μὲν τῇσίν γε καλὸς ἐσφίγγετο πέπλος, Ἄχρι καὶ ἀστραγάλων ἐς πόδας ἑλκόμενος· Κρηδέμνῳ δ' ἐφύπερθε καρήατα ἠδὲ παρειὰς Κρυψάμεναι, κατὰ γῆς ἑσταότ' ὄμματ' ἔχον. Αἰδόος ἀμφοτέρῃσιν ἐπέπρεπε καλὸν ἔρευθος, Ὅσσον ἐϋννήτων φαίνεθ' ὑπ' ἐκ φαρέων. 1371 Σιγῇ δ' ἀμφοτέρῃσι μεμυκότα χείλεα κεῖτο, Οἷόν τε δροσεραῖς ἐν καλύκεσσι ῥόδον. Τὰς μὲν ἐγὼν ὁρόων, μέγ' ἐγήθεον. Ἦ γὰρ ἔφασκον Κρείσσονας ἡμερίων ἔμμεναι οὐκ ὀλίγον. Αἱ δέ με καὶ φιλέεσκον, ἐπεί σφισι θυμὸν ἰάνθην, Χείλεσιν, υἷα φίλον ὡς ἀγαπαζόμεναι· Καί μοι ἐειρομένῳ τίνες ἢ πόθεν εἰσὶ γυναῖκες, Ἡ μὲν ἁγνείαν ἔφη, ἡ δὲ σαοφροσύνην, Αἳ Χριστῷ βασιλῆϊ παρασταδὸν ἑστηκυῖαι, Κάλλεσιν οὐρανίων τερπόμεθ' ἀζυγέων. Ἀλλ' ἄγε δεῦρο, τέκος, μίξον τεὸν ἡμετέρῃσι Καὶ πραπίδεσσι νόον, καὶ δαΐσιν δαΐδα, Ὄφρα σε παμφανόωντα δι' αἰθέρος ὑψιφέρουσαι, Στήσωμεν Τριάδος πὰρ σέλας ἀθανάτου. 1372 Ὣς φάμεναι φορέοντο δι' αἰθέρος. Ὄμμα δ' ἐμεῖο Ἕσπετ' ἀφιπταμέναις. Χ' αἱ μὲν ὄνειρος ἔσαν, ∆ηθὰ δ' ἐμὴ κραδίη σεμνοῖς ἰνδάλμασι νυκτὸς Τέρπετο, καὶ φαενῆς εἰκόσιν ἀφθορίης. Ἄρτι μοι ἐς φρένα μῦθος ἀγείρετο, εὖτε νόημα Ἐσθλῶν ἠδὲ κακῶν πήγνυται ἀτρεκέως. Καὶ νόος ἡγεμόνευε πόθου, καὶ κάλλος ἀμυδρὸν Ὄψιος ἐννυχίης φαίνετ' ἀριπρεπέως. Ὡς δ' ὅτε καρφαλέην καλάμην σπινθὴρ ἀΐδηλος Ἔνδοθι βοσκόμενος, λάμπεται ἐξαπίνης, Φλὸξ ὀλίγη τοπρῶτον, ἔπειτα δὲ πυρσὸς ἀέρθη Ἄσπετος, ὣς καὶ ἐγὼ φάσματι δαιόμενος Ὦχ' ὑπέλαμπον ἔρωτα, σέλας δέ τε πᾶσι φαάνθη, Οὐκέτ' ἐνὶ ψυχῆς βένθεσι κρυπτόμενον. 1373 Πρῶτα μὲν εὐσεβέεσσιν ὁμίλεον, οἵ ῥα γάμοιο ∆εσμὰ φύγον, κόσμου λυόμενοι χθονίου, Ὡς Χριστῷ πτερόεντες ἅμ' ἕσπωνται βασιλῆϊ, Ἔνθεν ἀπορνύμενοι κύδεϊ σὺν μεγάλῳ. Τοὺς μὲν ἐγὼ φιλέων τε καὶ ἀμφιέπων περὶ κῆρι, Ἐλπίδος ἡγεμόνας εἶχον ἐπουρανίης· Αὐτὰρ ἔπειτα γάμοιο βαρὺν ζυγὸν ἐκτὸς ἔθηκα, Ὑψηλὴν ποθέων μοῖραν ἀειθαλέων. Καὶ γὰρ δὴ φύσιες μὲν, ὅσαι λάχον οὐρανὸν εὐρὺν Ἀζυγέες, παθέων κρείσσονες ἀργαλέων. Αἰγλήεις πρώτιστα Θεὸς μέγας· ὣς δὲ Θεοῖο Λάτριες ὑψιθρόνου πλησίον ἑσταότες· Οἳ πρώτην ἀκτῖνα Θεοῦ καθαροῖο φέροντες, 1374 Παμφαέες, θνητοῖς φῶτα χαριζόμενοι. Ὅσσοι δ' ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος εἰς ἓν ἄγερθεν, Καὶ δυάς εἰσι, χοὸς ἔκγονα μαρναμένου, Συζυγίην ποθέουσι, καὶ ἐς δέμας εἰσὶν ἑτοῖμοι Σπείρειν. Ἀλλ' ὁ Λόγος κρείσσονα μοῖραν ἄγων, Σαρκὸς νόσφιν ἔθηκε, πλάνου δ' ἀποέργαθε κόσμου, Ζωῆς δ' ἀθανάτων θῆκ' ἀδέτοιο πέλας. Ἔνθα μ' ἔπεμπε πόθος μεγαλήτορα, οὐδ' ἐπὶ γαίης Ἤρειδον χθαμαλῆς ἴχνιον ἀδρανέον. Ἀλλ' ὥστε γλυκεροῖο γεγευμένος ἠὲ γάλακτος, Ἢ μέλιτος, σταθερῆς κεῖθι χοροστασίης, Οὐκ ἔθελον πικρῆς μοι ἐδητύος ἆσσον ἱκέσθαι, Θυμοβόρου κακίης ἐνθάδε τικτομένης. 1375 Οὐδέ τί μοι θαλίαι τε καὶ ἃ νεότητι μέμηλεν, Οὐκ ἔσθος μαλακὸν, οὐδὲ χλιδῶσα κόμη, Οὐκ αἰσχρῶν ἐπέων ἄχαρις χάρις, οὐδὲ γέλωτες Ἀκρατέες, σαρκὸς βράσματα δυσμενέος Ἕσκε φίλα. Σκοπέλους δὲ, καὶ οὔρεα, καὶ χρεμέθοντας