Gregory of Nazianzus, Songs About Himself

and having glory, To others untroubled glory, O Lord, you gave. But to me it is dear to lay hold of you through sufferings and pains.

85. Exhortation to turn to God. Where carrying you has the demon so alienated you from Christ, stolen away by tongue, and ears, and eyes, O wretched soul? where are you driving outside the gentle light, seething with desires and grievous cares, and trembling at shadowy fear, and serving deceits, wasting away, and perishing by the onrush of boiling anger? 1432 Wander no more, O soul, in the whirlings of a vagrant mind, nor forget your life, drawing near to the flesh and to the flesh's dark and open evils. Let all things below be shaken by the evil storms of life. Let time roll all things here like dice, beauty, good repute, wealth, power, untrustworthy fortune; But I, having laid hold of Christ, will never cease from hope, until I see the splendor of the Trinity coming into one, when the portion of the great God, mingled with flesh, the first image, will be mixed with the heavenly ones.

86. Admonition to himself. Prepare for the present the great world, spitting out all things here with ease. 1433 a stage of a greater theatre. Obey the Word who was made flesh for your sake. And what does he say? Let us go from here; for I also came here, to place you, who have fallen through sin, on high. God calls. Let us hasten on wings.

87. Concerning the longing for God. My mother, why did you bear me, since you bore a much-suffering one? Why did you give me to this thorn-bearing life? If you passed through it uncared for, as one without flesh, it is a great wonder; but if you were subdued, you bore me without love. One man cuts one path of life, the farmer, another the sea-farer; another is a beast-slayer, and another arms his hand with a spear; And one is skilled in song, another a prize-winner. 1434 But to me God is my portion, and many pains, and to be powerless in this hateful sickness. Devour me, devour me, you sinner. For how long? for soon I will joyfully leave you with your harsh sufferings. My mother, why did you bear me, since I can neither conceive God, nor declare him as much as I long for him? A small gleam has shone around the eyes of my mind, the heavenly radiance of the co-radiant Trinity. But the greater part has escaped (and I have grief), like some lightning flash, flying swiftly by before I was sated with the light. But if I could grasp you from there, dear Trinity, no longer would I blame my mother's womb. I was born for a good purpose. But save me, save me, O Word of God, and from the bitter mire draw me out, and lead me to another life, 1435 where a pure mind dances around you in your brightest appearance, no longer hidden under a shadowy cloud.

88. Hemiambic verses to his own soul.

What do you want to become? My soul

I ask. What great or what small thing for you of those honored by mortals? Seek only something splendid, And we will give it readily. Do you want for yourself the things of Gyges the Lydian, and to rule with a ring, turning its bezel, hiding you, if it should hide, revealing you, if it should reveal? Do you want for yourself the things of Midas who died rich, for whom all things were gold, 1436 bearing a golden famine, the penalty for an immoderate prayer? Do you want translucent stones, and expanses of fertile land, And numbers of flocks, of oxen and of camels? We will not give you these things; for it is not better to receive them, nor is it possible for me. For I have cast away cares, since I came to God. Do you want thrones and powers, the fleeting arrogance of the moment, so that tomorrow you may sit looking down humbly, while another is haughty, who was your assistant, and perhaps even one of the wicked? Do you want to be bound by marriage, by impure weaknesses, and be entangled with the times; Do you want a sweet sickness, the care of having good children? But if I should call having good children having bad children, what will you say? 1437 Do you want to be acclaimed in speeches, And to gather theaters? Do you long to sell laws in unjust contests, to both give and receive bribes before the tribunals

καὶ κῦδος ἔχουσαν, Ἄλλοις κῦδος ἄμοχθον, Ἄναξ, πόρες. Αὐτὰρ ἔμοιγε Καὶ τὸ φίλον παθέεσσι καὶ ἄλγεσι σεῖο λαβέσθαι.

ΠΕʹ. Ἐπιστρεπτικὴ πρὸς Θεὸν νουθεσία. Πῆ σε φέρων Χριστοῖο τόσον ἀπενόσφισε δαίμων Κλεπτόμενον γλώσσῃ τε, καὶ οὔασι, καὶ φαέεσσι, Θυμὲ τάλαν; ποῦ φωτὸς ἐνηέος ἐκτὸς ἐλαύνεις, Βρασσόμενός τε πόθοισι καὶ ἀργαλέαις μελεδῶσι, Καὶ σκιόεντα φόβον τρομέων, ἀπάταις τε λιτουργῶν Τηκόμενος, φθινύθων τε χόλου ζείοντος ἐρωαῖς; 1432 Μηκέτι πλάζεο, θυμὲ, νόου στροφάλιγξιν ἀλήτου, Μηδὲ τεῆς ζωῆς ἐπιλήθεο, σαρκὶ πελάζων Σαρκός τε σκοτίοισι καὶ ἀμφαδίοισι κακοῖσιν. Πάντα κάτω δονέοιτο κακαῖς βιότοιο θυέλλαις. Πάντα χρόνος πεσσοῖσιν ὁμοίϊα τῇδε κυλίνδοι, Κάλλος, ἐϋκλείην, πλοῦτον, κράτος, ὄλβον ἄπιστον· Αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ, Χριστοῖο δεδραγμένος, οὔποτε λήξω Ἐλπίδος, ἔστ' ἂν ἴδω Τριάδος σέλας εἰς ἓν ἰούσης, Εὖτε λάχος μεγάλοιο Θεοῦ, σάρκεσσι κερασθὲν, Εἰκὼν ἡ προτέρη, μιχθήσεται οὐρανίοισιν.

Πςʹ. Παραίνεσις πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Κόσμον πόριζε τῷ παρόντι τὸν μέγαν, ∆ιαπτύων ἅπαντα τῶν τῇδ' εὐκόλως. 1433 Σκηνὴν θεάτρου μείζονος. Πείθου Λόγῳ Τῷ συμπαγέντι σὴν χάριν. Λέγει δὲ τί; Ἴωμεν ἔνθεν· καὶ γὰρ ἦλθον ἐνθάδε, Ἄνω σε θήσων τὸν πεσόνθ' ἁμαρτίᾳ. Θεὸς καλεῖ. Σπεύδωμεν ἐπτερωμένοι.

ΠΖʹ. Περὶ τοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν πόθου. Μῆτερ ἐμὴ, τί μ' ἔτικτες, ἐπεὶ πολύμοχθον ἔτικτες; Τίπτε με τῷδε βίῳ δῶκας ἀκανθοφόρῳ; Εἰ μὲν σύ γ' ἐπέρησας ἀκηδέα, ὥς τις ἄσαρκος, Θαῦμα μέγ'· εἰ δ' ἐδάμης, οὐ φιλέουσα τέκες. Ἄλλην μέν τ' ἄλλος τις ἀνὴρ βιότοιο κέλευθον Τέμνει γειομόρος, αὐτὰρ ὁ ποντοπόρος· Θηρολέτης ἄλλος τις, δ' ὁ ἔγχεϊ χεῖρα κορύσσων· Καί τις ἀοιδοσύνης ἴδρις, ὁ δ' ἀθλοφόρος. 1434 Αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ Θεός ἐστι λάχος, καὶ ἄλγεα πολλὰ, Καὶ νούσῳ στυγερῇ τῇδ' ὀλιγοδρανέειν. ∆άπτε με, δάπτε μ', ἀλιτρέ. Πόσον χρόνον; αὐτίκα γάρ σε Λείψω σὺν χαλεποῖς πήμασι γηθόσυνος. Μῆτερ ἐμὴ, τί μ' ἔτικτες, ἐπεὶ Θεὸν οὔτε νοῆσαι, Οὔτε φράσαι δύναμαι τόσσον, ὅσον ποθέω; Βαιὴ μέν τις ἔμοιγε νόου περίλαμψεν ὀπωπὰς Ἰσοφάους Τριάδος λάμψις ἐπουρανίης Τὸ πλεῖον δ' ὑπάλυξεν (ἔχω δ' ἄχος), ὡς στεροπή τις, Πρίν με φάους κορέσαι, ὦκα παριπταμένη. Εἰ δέ σε κεῖθεν ἕλοιμι, φίλη Τριὰς, οὐκέτι μητρὸς Μέμψομ' ἐμῆς λαγόσιν. Εἰς ἀγαθὸν γενόμην. Ἀλλὰ σάω με, σάω με, Θεοῦ Λόγε, ἐκ δέ με πικρῆς Ἰλύος ἐξερύσας, ἐς βίον ἄλλον ἄγοις, 1435 Ἔνθα νόος καθαρός σε φαάντατον ἀμφιχορεύει, Μηκέθ' ὑπὸ σκιερῆς κρυπτόμενος νεφέλης.

ΠΗʹ. Εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν στίχοι ἡμίαμβοι. Τί σοι θέλεις γενέσθαι; Ψυχὴν

ἐμὴν ἐρωτῶ. Τί σοι μέγ', ἢ τί μικρὸν Τῶν τιμίων βροτοῖσι; Ζήτει μόνον τι λαμπρὸν, Καὶ δώσομεν προθύμως. Θέλεις τὰ Γύγεώ σοι Τοῦ Λυδίου γενέσθαι, Καὶ δακτύλῳ τυραννεῖν, Τὴν σφενδόνην ἑλίσσων, Κρύπτουσαν, εἰ κρύπτοιτο, Φαίνουσαν, εἰ φαίνοιτο; Θέλεις τὰ Μίδεώ σοι Τοῦ πλουσίως θανόντος, Ὧ χρυσὸς ἦν τὰ πάντα, 1436 Χρυσοῦν φέροντα λιμὸν, Εὐχῆς δίκην ἀμέτρου; Θέλεις λίθους διαυγεῖς, Πλάτη τε γῆς λιπώσης, Καὶ ποιμνίων ἀριθμοὺς, Βοῶν τε καὶ καμήλων; Οὐ ταῦτα δώσομέν σοι· Λαβεῖν γὰρ οὐδὲ λῷον, Ἀλλ' οὔτ' ἔμοιγ' ἀνυστόν. Ἔῤῥιψα γὰρ μερίμνας, Ἀφ' οὗ Θεῷ προσῆλθον. Θέλεις θρόνους τε κ' ἀρχὰς, Καιροῦ φρύαγμα πίπτον, Ἵν' αὔριον καθεσθῇς Κάτω βλέπων ταπεινὸν, Ἄλλου τραχηλιῶντος, Ὃς ἦν παραστάτης σοι, Τυχὸν δὲ καὶ κακῶν τις; Θέλεις γάμῳ δεθῆναι, Βλακεύμασιν ἀνάγνοις, Καιροῖς δὲ συστραφῆναι· Θέλεις νόσον γλυκεῖαν, Εὐτεκνίας μέριμναν; Εὐτεκνίαν δ' ἂν εἴπω ∆υστεκνίαν, τί φήσεις; 1437 Θέλεις λόγοις βοᾶσθαι, Καὶ συλλέγειν θέατρα; Ποθεῖς νόμους πιπράσκειν Οὐκ ἐνδίκοις παλαισμοῖς, Φέρειν τε καὶ φέρεσθαι Πρὸ βημάτων