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The mysteries of God. What was before all, and what is this universe to you; From where it came, and where it will proceed. You have a task, soul, by these things purify your life. How God steers and turns the universe; 1426 Or how some things are fixed, and others flow away; And we especially in a changeable life. You have a task, soul; look how you are toward God. What was my former glory, and what is my present disgrace; What is my entanglement, and what is the end of my life. Ponder these things, and you will stop the mind's wandering. You have a task, soul; do not suffer from weariness.

79. To his own soul. Where, my spirit, are you going? Stop. Where are you being carried, wretched one? Alas, alas; a sorcerer steals you with his sophistries. He approaches a little, then turns back again, Then again he approaches near, as a wolf to a calf, Fawning, luring with wild leaps, 1427 Until having snatched you away from the laws of God, He may take you as a feast for his deadly teeth.

80. To himself. Alas, alas; a sorcerer steals you with his sophistries, He steals you, he steals you, the enemy; turn back To the Word most quickly, lest you fall far away. Cling to the Cross, and you will stop the harm.

81. To his own spirit. Spirit, look up, and forget all earthly things, And let not the body overcome you to evil. This life is short, and the happy man, as in a dream, Takes delight, while another has met a different fate. But the way of a pure life alone is forever steadfast, 1428 And long, which it is better to live. 1428

82. To himself. Some honor gold, others silver, others a rich table, the playthings of this life. And others again the fine threads of the Seres, and others wheat-bearing fields, others herds of four-footed beasts. But for me Christ is a great wealth, whom may I one day see with a bare mind, purely; let the world have the rest.

83. Concerning demonic wars. If I had not bound my chattering tongue, and my lips with silence, Gathering my mind for communion with God, So that with purest thoughts I might honor the pure Lord (For fair is the sacrifice of the mind alone), 1429 I would never have perceived the devices of the crooked beast, though indeed I both preached it and thought so. Often before he has come to me, resembling the night, And again as light in a cunning guise. For whatever he wishes, the sophist of death becomes, A very Proteus for the theft of forms, So that either by ambush, or openly, he might subdue a man. For his delight is the fall of mortals; But never before have I seen such a thing, and so great, As has now come against my struggles. For seeing the greater reverence of the soul within me, He also stirred up more the flame of his wrath. And as when some lurking, hard-to-heal disease within the flesh, A disease checked by ill-timed medicines, Feeding in unseen depths, did not cease before, 1430 Bursting forth elsewhere, it gave me over to danger; Or a stream, forced by strong dams in this place, Forced its way there, and suddenly burst forth. Such too is the evil struggle of the envious one. When I restrained him with my tongue, he flowed away to some other harm. Yet he did not prevail. For Christ came as my defense, Who also rescued his disciples from the storm, And from the bonds of passions and of demons many He freed, giving grace by His will. Nevertheless, he tried, as he before with man-slaying deceits stole the founder of our race. But, O Blessed One, check the struggle, and bid me in calm weather to send to You always the bloodless sacrifices.

84. A Lament. Let no one, over my sufferings and pains, whether most wicked 1431 rejoice, or any good man grieve his light mind. For one He has made better, being good and without suffering; But He who knows sickness also as a helper, or for the defiled a medicine, or for the pure a struggle

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Θεοῦ μυστήρια. Τί ἦν πρὸ παντὸς, καὶ τί σοι τὸ πᾶν τόδε· Ὅθεν προῆλθε, καὶ ὅποι προβήσεται. Ἔργον ἔχεις, ψυχὴ, τοῖσδε κάθαιρε βίον. Πῶς οἰακίζει καὶ στρέφει τὸ πᾶν Θεός· 1426 Ἢ πῶς τὰ μὲν πέπηγε, τὰ δ' ἄλλ' ἐκρέει· Ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ μάλιστα ἐν στρεπτῷ βίῳ. Ἔργον ἔχεις, ψυχή· πρὸς Θεὸν οἶον ὅρα. Τί μοι κλέος τὸ πρόσθε, τίς δ' ἡ νῦν ὕβρις· Τί μου τὸ πλέγμα, καὶ τί μοι βίου τέλος. Ταῦτ' ἐννόει μοι, καὶ νοὸς στήσεις πλάνην. Ἔργον ἔχεις, ψυχή· μή τι πάθῃς καμάτῳ.

ΟΘʹ. Εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Πῆ, θυμὲ, βαίνεις; στῆθι. Πῆ φέρῃ, τάλαν; Αἶ αἶ· γόης κλέπτει σε τοῖς σοφίσμασι. Μικρὸν προσέρχετ', εἶθ' ὑποστρέφει πάλιν, Εἶτ' αὖ προσέρχετ' ἐγγὺς, ὡς μόσχῳ λύκος, Σαίνων, ἐφέλκων ἀγρίοις σκιρτήμασιν, 1427 Ἕως ἀποσπάσας σε τῶν Θεοῦ νόμων, Θοίνην ὀδοῦσι τοῖς ὀλεθρίοις λάβῃ. Πʹ. Εἰς ἑαυτόν. Αἶ αἶ· γόης κλέπτει σε τοῖς σοφίσμασι, Κλέπτει σὲ, κλέπτει, δυσμενής· ἐπιστρέφου Πρὸς τὸν Λόγον τάχιστα, μὴ πόῤῥω πέσῃς. Σταυρῷ περιπλάκηθι, καὶ στήσεις βλάβην. ΠΑʹ. Πρὸς τὸν αὑτοῦ θυμόν. Θυμὲ, βλέψον ἄνω, χθονίων δ' ἐπιλήθεο πάντων, Μὴ δέ σε νικήσῃ πρὸς κακότητα δέμας. Τυτθὸς μὲν βίος οὗτος, ὁ δ' ὄλβιος, ὡς ἐν ὀνείρῳ, Τέρπεται, ἀλλοίῃ δ' ἄλλος ἔκυρσε τύχῃ. Μούνης δὲ ζωῆς καθαρῆς βίος ἔμπεδος αἰεὶ, 1428 Καὶ πολὺς, ὃν ζώειν ἐστὶν ἀρειότερον. 1428

ΠΒʹ. Πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἄλλοι χρυσὸν, οἵδ' ἄργυρον, οἵδε τράπεζαν Τιμῶσι λιπαρὴν, παίγνια τοῦδε βίου. Ἄλλοι δ' αὖ σηρῶν καλὰ νήματα, καὶ γύας ἄλλοι Πυροφόρους, ἄλλοι τετραπόδων ἀγέλας. Αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ Χριστὸς πλοῦτος μέγας, ὅν ποτ' ἴδοιμι Νῷ γυμνῷ καθαρῶς· ἄλλα τε κόσμος ἔχοι.

ΠΓʹ. Περὶ τῶν δαιμονίων πολέμων. Εἰ μὴ γλῶσσαν ἔδησα λάλον, καὶ χείλεα σιγῇ, Τὸν νοῦν ἀθροίζων εἰς Θεοῦ κοινωνίαν, Ὄφρα κεν ἁγνοτάτοισι νοήμασιν ἁγνὸν Ἄνακτα Τίσω (καλὸν γὰρ τὸ φρενὸς μόνης θύος), 1429 Οὔποτ' ἂν ἐφρασάμην σκολιοῦ τεχνάσματα θηρὸς, Ἢ μὴν ἐκήρυσσόν τε, καὶ τοῦτ' ᾠόμην. Πολλάκι μοι καὶ πρόσθεν ἐπήλυθε νυκτὶ ἐοικὼς, Καὶ φωτὸς αὖθις ἐν πανούργῳ πλάσματι. Πάντα γὰρ, ὅσσ' ἐθέλῃσι, πέλει θανάτοιο σοφιστὴς, Γεγὼς ὁ Πρωτεὺς εἰς κλοπὰς μορφωμάτων, Ὥς κέ τιν' ἢ λοχόων, ἢ ἀμφαδὸν, ἄνδρα δαμάσσῃ. Τρυφὴ γὰρ αὐτῷ τὰ βροτῶν ἐκπτώματα· Ἀλλ' οὔπω τοιόνδε τοσόνδε τε τὸ πρὶν ὄπωπα, Ὅσσος προσῆλθε νῦν ἐμοῖς ἀθλήμασι. Πλεῖον γὰρ ψυχῆς ὁρόων σέβας ἐντὸς ἐμοῖο, Καὶ πλεῖον ἦρκε τοῦ χόλου τὴν φλεγμονήν. Ὡς δ' ὅτε τις λοχόωσα, δυσαλθέος ἔνδοθι σαρκὸς, Νόσος σχεθεῖσα φαρμάκοις οὐ καιρίοις, Βοσκομένη κευθμῶνας ἀειδέας, οὐ πρὶν ἔληξε, 1430 Πρὶν ἀλλαχοῦ ῥαγεῖσα δοῦναι κινδύνῳ· Ἠὲ ῥόος κρατεροῖσιν ἐρύγμασι τῇδε βιασθεὶς, Ἐκεῖ βιήσατ', ἀθρόως τ' ἐξεῤῥάγη. Τοῖος καὶ φθονεροῖο κακὸς μόθος. Εὖτέ μιν ἔσχον Γλώσσῃ, πρὸς ἄλλο τι βλάβος μετεῤῥύη. Οὐ μὲν ἕλε. Χριστὸς γὰρ ἐπήλυθεν ἄλκαρ ἐμεῖο, Ὃς καὶ μαθητὰς ἐκ ζάλης ἐῤῥύσατο, Καὶ πολλοὺς παθέων καὶ δαιμονίων ἀπὸ δεσμῶν Ἠλευθέρωσε, τῷ θέλειν διδοὺς χάριν. Ἔμπα γε μὴν πειρησατ', ὅπως πάρος ἀνδροφόνοισι ∆όλοις ἔκλεψε τὸν γένους ἀρχηγέτην. Ἀλλὰ, Μάκαρ, μόθον ἴσχε, καὶ εὐδιόωντά μ' ἄνωχθι Σοὶ τὰς ἀναίμους θυσίας πέμπειν ἀεί.

Π∆ʹ. Θρῆνος. Μή τις ἐμοῖς παθέεσσι καὶ ἄλγεσιν, ἠὲ κάκιστος 1431 Τέρποιτ', ἠέ τις ἐσθλὸς ἀνιάζοι φρένα κούφην. Τὸν μὲν γάρ τις ἔτευξεν ἀρείονα ἐσθλὸν ἄνουσον· Ὃς δ' οἶδεν καὶ νοῦσον ἀρηγόνα, ἢ ῥυπόωσι Φάρμακον, ἢ καθαροῖσι πάλην